Breville sells eleven espresso machines in Australia, from a $400 Bambino to a $4,300 Oracle Dual Boiler, and the names don't say what changes between them. This is the range in order, what each step adds, and which steps are worth it.
The short version: the Bambino Plus is the pick for auto milk on a budget, the Barista Express or Barista Pro is the pick for a built-in grinder, the Barista Touch is the pick for auto milk and a grinder, and the Oracle Jet is the pick for full automation. Everything else is a variation on one of those four.
The range at a glance
| Machine | Price | Grinder | Heater | Milk | Tamping | Owner rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bambino | $350–400 | No | ThermoJet, 3s | Manual | Manual | 4.4 (210) |
| Bambino Plus | $500–600 | No | ThermoJet, 3s | Auto | Manual | 4.5 (566) |
| Barista Express | $600–700 | 16 settings | Thermocoil, ~50s | Manual | Manual | 4.7 (2,822) |
| Barista Express Impress | $800–900 | 25 settings | Thermocoil, ~50s | Manual | Assisted lever | 4.7 (891) |
| Barista Pro | $900–1,000 | 30 settings | ThermoJet, 3s | Manual | Manual | 4.7 (1,816) |
| Barista Touch | $1,400–1,500 | 30 settings | ThermoJet, 3s | Auto | Manual | 4.7 (1,096) |
| Barista Touch Impress | $1,800–2,000 | Baratza burrs | ThermoJet, 3s | Auto MilQ | Assisted lever | 4.5 (294) |
| Dual Boiler | $1,300–1,400 | No | Two boilers | Manual | Manual | 4.6 (368) |
| Oracle | $2,600–2,800 | 45 settings | Two boilers | Auto | Auto | 4.6 (766) |
| Oracle Jet | $3,000–3,200 | Baratza, 45 | ThermoJet, 3s | Auto MilQ | Auto | 4.4 (89) |
| Oracle Dual Boiler | $4,200–4,400 | Baratza, 45 | Two boilers | Auto MilQ | Auto Puck | 4.5 (31) |
Ratings are from Breville's own site, where every model has the most reviews. All except the Bambino carry a two-year warranty; the Bambino has one year.
The three families
Bambino: espresso only, bring your own grinder. Two machines, both 54mm, both three-second ThermoJet, about 19cm wide. The Bambino and Bambino Plus differ on milk (manual against automatic), tank size and warranty. If you already own a burr grinder, this is where the money goes furthest.
Barista: grinder on top. Five machines that share the 54mm portafilter and a built-in conical burr grinder. The Express is the original with a thermocoil heater and pressure gauge. The Impress adds an assisted tamping lever to the Express. The Pro swaps in the three-second ThermoJet and 30 grind settings. The Touch is the Pro with a touchscreen and automatic milk. The Touch Impress is the Touch with the tamping lever, better burrs, cold drinks and plant-milk settings.
Dual Boiler and Oracle: 58mm, café-style. The Dual Boiler is a manual prosumer machine with two boilers and no grinder. The Oracle is the Dual Boiler with a grinder, auto tamping and auto milk. The Oracle Jet trades the two boilers for a ThermoJet, gains a touchscreen and cold drinks, and costs a little more. The Oracle Dual Boiler puts the boilers back under the Jet's screen and adds auto dial-in and an app. The Oracle Touch has been discontinued.
Which step up is worth it
Bambino to Bambino Plus, about $170. Worth it for milk drinkers. Auto milk and a second year of warranty.
Bambino Plus to Barista Express, about $150. Worth it if you don't own a grinder. You lose auto milk and gain fresh grinding, which matters more to the coffee.
Express to Express Impress, about $150. Worth it for consistency and a clean bench; not for taste.
Express to Pro, about $300. Worth it if you make several coffees in a row. Three-second heater, no wait between shot and steam, finer grind steps.
Pro to Touch, about $500. Worth it for households of several milk drinkers. Same espresso, automatic milk.
Touch to Touch Impress, about $400. Worth it for plant milks, cold drinks and hands-off tamping. Owner scores are a notch lower on the newer machine.
Anything to Dual Boiler. A different hobby. Two boilers, 58mm, choose your own grinder. Budget for the grinder.
Dual Boiler to Oracle, about $1,300. Pays for automation only. Same coffee.
Oracle to Oracle Jet, about $400. Faster heat-up, touchscreen, cold drinks, plant milk; gives up simultaneous brew and steam.
Oracle Jet to Oracle Dual Boiler, about $1,200. Two boilers back, plus auto dial-in and an app.
Things every Breville espresso machine shares
PID temperature control, a 15-bar Italian pump (the Oracle Dual Boiler runs 19), pre-infusion, a stainless steel milk jug in the box, and a two-year repair warranty on everything above the Bambino. All 54mm machines take the same baskets and accessories; the 58mm machines take standard café accessories.
The Good Guys and Breville's own site sell every model. Breville's site is usually a few dollars dearer but runs its own colourways and bundles.
