Breville Espresso Machines Compared: Let’s Pick The Best Breville/Sage Model for You

A new espresso machine is a major purchase. It can be tough to know what the best choice is for you. This article will help you compare and contrast Breville’s (marketed as Sage in Europe) different espresso machines so that you can make an informed decision about which one to buy.

We’ll talk about the features of each machine, their pros, and cons, as well as some common questions people have when buying coffee or espresso makers. 

We’ve also got a list of helpful resources on our blog that are worth checking out before making your purchase!

Why Buy a Breville / Sage Espresso Machine?

People have varying coffee brewing preferences and habits based on their budgets. A Breville espresso machine could be your best buy if you go by quality-to-value ratio, which is the number one factor to consider when you’re buying a coffee machine.

Breville is a global kitchen appliance brand that has been empowering people for over 80 years to do things more impressively or easily in their kitchens. Founded back in 1932, Breville has grown into a household name known worldwide for boosting creativity through thoughtful design and inspiring inventiveness with its iconic lineup of smart home appliances.

They also acquired Baratza, one of the leading brands in coffee grinders, further establishing their place as a powerhouse in the coffee brewing market that java enthusiasts can rely on.

Breville / Sage Espresso Machines Comparison Overview

The espresso machines that Breville offers are the answer to every whim and wish of a spoiled coffee lover. Whether you’re looking for a party-pleasing espresso maker or a kitchen space-savvy, Breville can surely offer you any of its finest machines.

These machines won’t get intimidated by other appliances you have in the kitchen as Breville espresso machine designs are timeless with their brushed stainless steel casing. Both beginner and expert coffee drinkers will love the convenience of operating it because Breville has espresso machines that can be programmed to make your favorite coffee drinks. 

It allows you to enjoy your coffee journey with its semi-automatic, fully automatic, and superautomatic espresso machines functionalities. It’s all up to you if you want coffee in 3 seconds or would rather go with the laborious work of making delicious espresso.

Breville Oracle Touch

Breville Oracle Touch provides convenience for brewing the coffee drinks your palate most desires. It’s a feature-packed, fully automatic espresso machine that prepares your favorite beverages in three easy touchscreen motions – swipe, select, and tap.

The Oracle Touch is notable for its dual boilers that allow simultaneous brewing and steaming. It has a built-in tamper for a consistent dose of coffee grounds for a precise extraction once the machine starts its pre-infusion. Best of all, it’s easy to clean and maintain.

It cannot be denied though that this espresso machine is expensive, and is one of the high-end espresso machines in the market today. Another disadvantage of this machine is that its water filter is irreplaceable. So it requires great care if you want to use it for more years. Lastly, since it’s a fully automatic espresso machine, the software bugs affect the coffee drinks’ customization.

Still, you’ll definitely love Oracle Touch if you like everything about making coffee to be automated despite some cumbersome points that can make you think twice about this machine. These include its price tag, irreplaceable parts, and software bugs which could also affect your coffee experience with this machine.

Breville Oracle Touch Specifications:

• Bean Hopper: ½ lb
• Water Reservoir: 84 oz 
• Construction Materials: Brushed Stainless steel and Stainless Steel Dual Boiler
• Dimensions: 12″ x 15″ x 14 (WxDxH)
• Over-Pressure Valve: Utilizes the 15-bar Italian pump pressure to prevent bitter flavors for each shot.
• Power: Uses 1800 Watts
• Pre-Infusion Function: Water pressure is gradually increased to expand grinds gently for an even extraction of coffee beans
• Our Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Read our full Breville Oracle Touch Review for more information.

Breville Oracle

The Oracle is a revolutionary espresso machine that takes all the guesswork out of making specialty coffee. The Oracle grinds, doses, stamps, and textures milk automatically – so you can focus on what really matters: enjoying your perfect cup of coffee!

This coffee maker automates two parts of making espresso drinks – grinding and texturing milk – which lets anyone make amazing specialty coffees at home easily, quickly, and without fail. It has dual boilers that allow you to brew coffee simultaneously. It uses a digital pressure control (PID) enabling you to brew espresso at the optimal temperature. 

Aside from its high price tag though, the Breville Oracle’s drawback is that it has no available replacement parts for water filters. Also, if you’d like an espresso machine that prepares espresso drinks pronto, this fully automatic machine isn’t an ideal buy as it takes much longer to warm up compared to other super-automatic espresso makers.

The Oracle is a revolutionary espresso machine that makes it easy to make the perfect espresso every time. It grinds beans automatically, tamps them perfectly, extracts coffee with precision, and textures milk for you all in under one minute. You’ll have the best-tasting latte or cappuccino without any of the hassles.

Breville Oracle Specifications:

• Bean Hopper Capacity: 1/2 lb. 
• Water Tank Capacity: 84 oz.
• Construction: Brushed Stainless Steel Exterior & Stainless Steel Dual Boiler.
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 14.5″ x 14.7″ x 17.6″
• Over Pressure Valve: This commercial feature limits the 15-bar Italian pump pressure throughout the extraction, preventing bitter flavors in the shot.
• Power: 1800 Watts.
• Pre-Infusion Function: Gradually increases water pressure to gently expand grinds for an even extraction.
• Timer: The espresso shot clock displays shot duration as a guide to extraction consistency.
• Voltage: 110-120 volts
• Warranty: 2-year repair warranty
• Our Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Read our full Breville Oracle review for more information.

Breville Dual Boiler

The Breville Dual Boiler combines everything you love about your favorite cafe into one powerful machine that fits right on your countertop. The online forums and feedback match the general consensus: this is a mighty fine machine for making third-wave espresso. All this technology means excellent-tasting espresso from anywhere in your house!

The Breville Dual Boiler espresso machine is a semi-automatic machine that allows you to have complete control in preparing your espresso. The device has two PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) control systems that monitor water temperature to ensure consistency and quality from shot to shot and an integrated grinder with doser for freshly ground beans. You can even adjust brew pressure on the Breville Dual Boiler!

However, the Breville Dual Boiler espresso maker requires you to grind your coffee beans, tamp the grounds, and pull a shot manually for excellent-tasting espresso. If you’re used to using fully automatic machines that only need water or milk filled up to make delicious drinks, then this might not be what you are looking for.

The Breville Dual Boiler espresso maker can also be tagged as expensive by inexperienced users of the commercialized features of the Breville BES920XL. It’s challenging to set up, so it’s not recommended to newbie users of this espresso machine.

Yet, espresso lovers who are looking to improve their barista skills can maximize the full potential of this espresso machine thanks to the following features that are a rare find: programmable pre-infusion, stable extraction temperature, limiting extraction pressure, and concurrent extraction-steam processes.

Breville Dual Boiler Specifications:

• Model Number: BES920XL
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 14.1 x 14.6 x 14.7 in.
• Weight: 30 lbs.
• Color Options: Brushed Stainless Steel, Black Sesame
• Bar pump pressure: Dual 15-bar Italian pump (for simultaneous espresso extraction and milk texturing)
• Water Tank Capacity: 84 oz
• Power: 1,700 watts
• Voltage: 110–120V
• Warranty: 2-year warranty
• Settings: Manual or Automatic; Single & Double-shot; Customizable temperature
• Timer: The time that it takes for the coffee to brew is displayed on the screen. It helps you get a consistent extraction.
• Pre-infusion function: Gradually increase the water pressure for an even extraction.
• Triple Heating System: The dual boiler has a triple heating system.
• Our Overall Rating: 4.6 / 5

Read our full Breville Dual Boiler review for more information.

Breville Barista Touch

The  Breville Barista Touch allows you to make café-quality lattes and cappuccinos at home with ease. It has an intuitive touchscreen display that lets you choose from a menu of pre-programmed specialty coffees or create your custom beverage to suit your taste buds using the built-in grinder for fresh ground beans on demand. And since it brews in under two minutes, there’s no reason not to enjoy a great cup of coffee every day!

The Barista Touch has four features of an espresso machine that every coffee lover will surely love. It has an intuitive touchscreen display, personalized coffee settings, automatic coffee milk frothing, and a hands-free operation. It’s like setting up a cafe in your kitchen that can make you coffee at the touch of a button!

Other features of this espresso machine worth mentioning are its built-in conical burr grinder that permits you to grind coffee beans in your desired size and amount—also, the fast 3-second heat-up allows you to prepare coffee on demand.

The thing that’s a turn-off about this espresso machine is that it’s a bit expensive compared to other espresso maker models that resemble its features. It also lacks preheating options for mugs to ensure the longevity of the temperature of your coffee. Lastly, cleaning is a challenge because the coffee puck often sticks to the group head rather than staying in the portafilter.

Overall, the Barista Touch is easy to use and can prepare coffee as quickly as 3-seconds. In addition, its features and functionalities are simple to operate, which makes it a newbie-friendly machine. Best of all, it allows you to experiment with your brew and beans with its settings that allow customization. However, it’s worth remembering that above all these features, it also comes with a price, a high one.

Breville Barista Touch Specifications:

• Item Model Name: Barista Touch
• Item Model Number: BES880
• Automatic Purge: Automatic cleaning function for the steam wand.
• Bean Hopper Capacity: 1/2 lb. 
• Water Tank Capacity: 67 oz.
• Construction Materials Brushed Stainless Steel.
• Water Tank Material: BPA-free
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 12.7″ x 15.5″ x 16″
• Power: 1680 Watts.
• Pre-Infusion Function: Steadily increases water pressure to expand grinds for an even extraction gently.
• Settings: Touch screen operation
  • Five pre-programmed Café favorites.
  • Create, save and name eight customizable coffee settings.
  • Adjustable Grind Control.
  • Programmable Milk Temperature and Texture.
  • One/Two Shots.
  • Hot Water.
• Voltage: 110–120 Volts.
• Warranty: 2 Year Repair Guarantee
• Our Overall Rating: 4.6 / 5

Read our full Breville Barista Touch review for more information.

Breville Barista Pro

This coffee maker is designed to satisfy beginners and experienced baristas alike. It has easy-to-follow operating instructions, a user-friendly control panel, innovative features that mimic how the best of them prepare their delectable cups of joe as well as a built-in smart grinder for making your brew just right every time.

The Breville Barista Pro features an integrated smart grinder, automated water pressure, the use of the innovative Thermojet heating system in 3 seconds, digital pressure control (PID), and a steam wand. It’s an espresso machine that’s fully loaded with great functions.

The main reported issue with the Barista Pro is it can be messy with the shared drip tray underneath the grinder. Be prepared to do some regular cleaning.

We love the Barista Pro for its versatility and craftsmanship. The annoyance of cleaning up after it is a minor hassle in reality. The machine brews excellent espresso and is stacked with all the latest technology like the 3-second heat up. The price point is in line with other similar espresso machines. If you want to upgrade, consider The Breville Barista Touch as it includes a touch-screen.

Breville Barista Pro Specifications:

• Capacity: 67 fl. oz. Water Reservoir, ½ lb Bean Hopper
• Construction Materials: Brushed Stainless Steel
• Color Options: Black Truffle, Sea Salt, Damson Blue, Oyster Shell, Royal Champagne, Smoked Hickory, Brushed Stainless
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 12″ x 13″ x 13″
• Power: 1680 Watts
• Settings: Adjustable Grind Control Intuitive LCD Interface 1 & 2 Cup Volumetric Control
• Voltage: 120 volts
• Warranty: 2-Year Limited Product Warranty
• Our Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Read our full Breville Barista Pro review for more information.

Breville Barista Express

The Breville Barista Express is an all-in-one espresso maker that gives you complete control over your coffee experience. It makes it easy for anyone to brew excellent specialty coffees at home. As a matter of fact, you can easily create latte art just like a barista and enjoy smooth microfoam milk texturing without any special skills or training whatsoever!

The Breville Barista Express espresso machine is a steal. It’s easy to use, keeps your coffee grinding and brewing hassle-free, and has an attractive stainless steel design that will look great in any kitchen! It also has a relatively small build, which takes up less space than you might think.

The Breville Barista Express takes time and effort to operate, but it produces a high-quality cup of coffee. It commands a higher price tag than other semi-automatic coffee machines on the market.

While the Barista Express does require some effort compared with fancy super-automatic models, its outstanding value makes up for this difference-making excellent tasting espressos at affordable prices vs much more expensive models.

Breville Barista Express Specifications:

• Breville Name: The Barista Express
• Machine Type: Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine
• Construction Materials: Brushed Stainless Steel
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 12.8″ x 12.2″ x 13.1″
• Capacity
  • Bean Hopper: ½ pounds
  • Water Tank Capacity: 67 ounces.
• Heating System
  • Thermocoil–Integrated stainless steel water path
• Power: 1600W
• Pre-Infusion Function
  • Gradually increases water pressure to expand grinds for an even extraction gently.
• Purge Function
  • Automatically adjusts water temperatures after steam for optimal espresso temperature.
• Settings
  • Single or Double Shots.
  • Adjustable Grind Amount & Manual override.
  • 18 grind settings
• Voltage: 110–120 volts.
• Warranty: 1-year limited product warranty
• Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Read our full Breville Barista Express review for more information.

Breville Bambino

The Bambino is a pint-sized espresso machine designed with your budget in mind. It has all the bells and whistles that a practicing barista or a simple homebrewer can ask for.

This espresso machine is simple to use with its not-so-technical control panel. The brewing process begins with the 2-button control scheme that guarantees fast heat-up in seconds. Milk texturing is a no-brainer with its one-hole steam wand that allows consistent milk texturing. Best of all, you can take home the Bambino fully equipped with hassle-free pressurized brew baskets that work well with pre-ground coffee, too!

If you like preparing coffee the intuitive way, this machine isn’t for you. It doesn’t steam milk automatically, and you won’t be able to adjust the water temperature. Plus, its aesthetic design isn’t as impressive as other espresso machines in its price range.

The Breville Bambino is a pint-sized espresso machine meant for coffee lovers and baristas for its essential features. It’s not your forever-type espresso machine, yet it allows you to practice preparing espresso and texturing milk. It’s a recommended coffee maker for those who want to be adventurous with their coffee because of its semi-automatic espresso machine functionalities.

Breville Bambino Specifications:

• Capacity: 47 fl. oz
• Construction Materials: Stainless Steel
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 7.7″ x 12.6″ x 12.2″
• Power: 1560 Watts
• Settings: Control Panel: 1 Cup, 2 Cup, Hot Water, and Steam button  
• Voltage: 110-120 Volts
• Warranty: the 1-year limited product warranty
• Overall Rating: 4 / 5

Read our full Breville Bambino review for more information

Breville Bambino Plus

Breville Bambino Plus is a single-steel boiler espresso machine that can prepare third-wave specialty coffee in three seconds. It fits cozily in any small kitchen space with its sleek measurement of 12.6 high and 7.7 wide. Despite its small build, it comes with practical features that enable you to pull single and double espresso shots.

Breville’s Bambino Plus espresso machine is perfect for entry-level and moderately skilled coffee enthusiasts. It has a sleek, compact design that makes it ideal for small kitchen spaces! The powerful device can produce rich shots of delicious espresso with the push of just one button – as well as steaming perfectly textured milk on demand.

The Bambino Plus can heat up fast in 3 seconds, yet its pre-programmed setting for double-shot espresso cuts off the extraction quickly. Such shortcuts often yield a duller or a “play-safe” espresso.

Since Breville’s Bambino Plus is a compact size coffee maker, you have to hold it in place while locking (or unlocking) the portafilter. Compared to other Breville models with hot water dispensers, the Bambino Plus doesn’t have any. 

Still, the Bambino Plus is an excellent machine to explore the art of making cafe-quality espresso if you’re new to espresso-making. It’s tiny (a size comparable to a shoebox) and effortless to use. Its three-second heat-up rate is what makes it a good machine for any coffee lover that wants an espresso on the go.

Breville Bambino Plus Specifications:

• Name: Breville BES500 the Bambino Plus
• Pump Pressure: 15 Bar Italian Pump (when used with pressurized baskets)
• Capacity: 64 ounces
• Construction Materials: Brushed stainless steel
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 7.7″ x 12.6″ x 12.2″
• Weight: 14.4 lbs
• Heat System: Uses a 600W ThermoJet heating system for optimum extraction temperature.
• Power: 1560 Watts
• Pre-Infusion Function: Gradually raises the water pressure, allowing for a more even extraction of the grounds.
• Purge Function: Automatically adjusts water temperatures after steam for optimal coffee temperature.
• Settings: The control panel displays buttons for 1 Cup, 2 Cup, and steaming buttons. It also has buttons dedicated to adjusting the milk temperature and texture level.
• Voltage: 110-120 Volts
• Warranty: 2-year Limited
• Our Overall Rating: 4.2 / 5

Read our full Breville Bambino Plus review for more information.

Breville Infuser

The Breville Infuser is a semi-automatic espresso machine for coffee drinkers who value quality-tasting coffee over quantity. It’s a coffee machine that gives complete freedom in customizing the volumetric control to prepare coffee. Likewise, its pre-infusion utilizes the correct pressure, allowing you to brew a delicious cup of coffee consistently.

The Breville Infuser highlights volume control and accurate pressurized infusion. It also features manual microfoam milk texturing, flexible shot controls, and maintenance indicators.

If you love curating your cuppa and experimenting with latte art you can manually override the settings from the shot selection to dosing. Such essential features allow you to make great coffee with ease without going awry from preparing a palatable third-wave coffee. 

The Infuser requires great patience because figuring out the dosing can be quite a challenge. It’s a rare feature to find in espresso machines, but still, trial and error are necessary to achieve that perfect cup you’re aiming for. Other than this, the device doesn’t have a definitive guide for the cleaning and descaling process of the espresso machine to ensure that the machine will work for more years. 

Though Breville has promising features that make it a candidate for a perfect coffee maker, it still has some room for improvement, such as cleaning and maintenance. Descaling is an essential feature that should be given much attention because it can affect the quality of water for coffee brewing. Yet, it’s one of the maintenance details that Breville missed out on by not providing a definitive guide about it.

Breville Infuser Specifications:

• Bar Pump: 15-bar Italian Pump
• Water Tank Capacity: 61 oz
• Technology: Thermocoil heating system
• Power: 1650 watts
• Dimensions: 13.7 x 11.5 x 13.2 inches
• Weight: 17 lbs
• Pre-Infusion Function: Yes (gradually increases water pressure spread grinds evenly as it expands).
• Purge Function: Yes (automatically adjust water temperature after steam)
• Settings: Single or double shot, volumetric control, and manual override.
• Voltage: 110-120 Volts
• Warranty: the 1-year limited product warranty
• Our Overall Rating: 4.1 / 5

Read our full Breville Infuser for more information.

Breville Duo Temp Pro

The Breville Duo Temp Pro is a revolutionary espresso machine that combines the best of modern technology with aesthetics. It features advanced Thermocoil and PID for perfect temperatures while using pre-infusion to soak coffee grounds before brewing to create heavenly flavors without bitterness or acidity.

This coffee maker is a good buy if you love coffee with rich, flavorful, balanced espresso. Its advanced pre-infusion technology, perfect brewing temperature, the complete control and flexibility of this machine to brew coffee are worth every penny. Aside from the fact that it can prepare various coffee drinks in different sizes, its microfoam technology will make you love latte drinks more.

The Breville Duo Temp Pro also has downsides, such as its hefty price tag. Unlike other Breville espresso machines with built-in features, this model doesn’t have an integrated burr grinder. And just like any top-of-the-line espresso machine, this model requires high maintenance, from cleaning to replacing broken parts.

There’s no perfect Breville espresso machine, but this model has a tremendous price-to-value ratio which offsets its high cost. It’s a semi-automatic coffee machine worth using if you want complete control and flexibility in the brewing process.

If you’re wanting an everyday espresso machine that can also make lattes or milk-based drinks, this is an excellent choice from a reputable and well-known brand. And if you’re looking for a “forever” espresso machine, the search is over with Breville Duo Temp Pro.

Breville Duo Temp Pro Specifications:

• Pump Pressure: 15 bar Italian-made pump.
• Capacity: 61 fl. oz
• Construction Materials: Brushed Stainless Steel.  
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 11″ x 10″ x 13″  
• Heating System: Thermocoil–Integrated stainless steel water path accurately controls water temperature.  
• Power: 1600 Watts
• Pre-Infusion Function: Gradually increases water pressure to expand grinds for an even extraction gently.  
• Purge Function: Automatically adjusts water temperatures after steam for optimal espresso temperature.  
• Settings: Manual control over espresso shot volume.  
• Voltage: 110-120 Volts
• Warranty: 1-year limited product warranty
• Our Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Read our full Breville Duo Temp Pro for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the answers to some common questions about Breville espresso machines:

In Summary

Breville is one of the top-of-the-line espresso machine brands in the market. Each time they release a new model, it has to be better than the previous models they had introduced. Surely, it would be difficult to choose which of the Breville machines deserves a place on your kitchen countertop. 

Yet, the best choice always depends on what machine can satisfy your coffee cravings, your budget, and your curiosity to learn and master the art of making a good cup of coffee. There’s always the best Breville espresso machine available, you just have to lean on the machine that will bring the best coffee experience.

Looking for more espresso machines to choose from? Check out our lists of the best built-in espresso machines and top machines to buy that are under $200.