Breville Barista Express Impress vs Barista Express

What changes between the two

We haven't used either machine, and we don't pick a winner. This page sets side by side what Breville says on its US product pages, read on 7 November 2026.

The Impress's page title calls it an "Assisted Manual Espresso Machine". ¹ Breville describes it as "The best of the Barista Express with the Impress™ Puck System." ¹

That puck system is the main difference. A puck is the packed disc of coffee in the portafilter, the handle that holds the grounds. The Impress page says the system helps "achieve the perfect dose and a precise tamp". ¹ Tamping means pressing the grounds flat.

Grinder and dosing

Both machines have a grinder built in. The Express page lists an "integrated conical burr grinder with 16 grind settings". ² The Impress page lists "25 grind settings". ¹

A burr grinder crushes beans between two rings. Breville doesn't say on these pages whether more settings makes better coffee, so we won't either. ¹

The Impress adds a dose memory. Breville says: "The dose is automatically calculated based on the last grind, ensuring it's ready for the next use." ¹ It also says the system is "remembering the last dose and tamp outcome and adjusting it". ¹

Want more on grinder terms? Our explainer on burr grinders covers flat and conical burrs.

Tamping

Here the machines differ most. For the Impress, Breville says the assisted tamping "Delivers a constant 22lbs impression to your dose, finishing it with a 7° barista twist for a more polished puck." ¹

The Express page lists an "Integrated Tamper" among its accessories. ² It doesn't describe a motorized press. The page does say the "Dosing Funnel™ attachment" is there to reduce mess and waste. ²

So the Impress page describes the machine doing the tamp. The Express page describes a tamper you use yourself.

What they share

Both pages use almost the same wording for the heating and pressure. Each says the "Thermocoil heating system with PID temperature control delivers water at exactly 200°F". ^{1 2}

Both list a "54 mm stainless steel portafilter" or "54mm stainless steel portafilter" and name "18g of freshly ground beans" as the ideal dose. ^{1 2}

On pressure, both say espresso starts with "low pressure pre-infusions, followed by a high pressure (9 bar) extraction process" from a "15 bar Italian pump". ^{1 2}

For milk, both say "Manual hand-crafted microfoam". ^{1 2} You steam the milk yourself. For the full run-through, see our step-by-step guide to working an espresso machine.

Size and what's in the box

Breville lists the Impress at "16.6 x 14.4 x 12.2 in" (width, depth, height). ¹ The Express is "15.9 x 13.1 x 12.4 in". ² The Impress is wider and deeper by those figures, and a little lower. Measure your counter before you order.

The Impress lists a "480ml stainless steel milk jug", "Cleaning tablets", a "Cleaning brush" and "Descale powder". ¹ The Express lists a "Stainless Steel Milk Jug", "Cleaning disc and tablets" and a "Water Filter Holder and Water Filter". ²

Prices on 7 November 2026

All prices below are US dollars from Breville's US pages.

The Impress page showed "$799.95" and an "Add to cart - $799.95" button. ¹ The Express page showed "$699.95" and "$499.95", with "Add to cart - $499.95". ² The page text doesn't say which Express figure is the regular price. Check the page on the day you buy.

Breville also lists an offer on both pages: "25% off fresh beans from America's best roasters - Save up to $700". ^{1 2} It adds "T&Cs apply." Read its terms first.

Care and where to go next

Both pages link an "Instruction Manual". ^{1 2} Cleaning and descaling should follow the manual for your model. Don't open the machine or change its parts. For what Breville says about descaling, see our page on descaling a Breville.

Our page on the Barista Express covers that model alone. Our Breville range explainer shows where both sit among the other models, and click here to read our guide to cleaning a Breville machine.