But once you get the hang of it, you can make delicious creamy coffee drinks with your Sage Barista Pro. If you're considering getting into the home barista hobby at the very entry level, and you were thinking along the lines of DeLonghi Dedica, Swan Retry and so on, and doing some modding or buying an aftermarket standard basket portafilter, I'd recommend considering the Bambino instead.

I do much prefer the touch screen on the Barista Touch Impress, by the way, but the reason for that is the innovation that this brings with it, including the grind size guidance and the enhanced barista guidance, and the really clever milk system with the queuing option. It doesn't have a 3 way solenoid valve, it has a brew valve instead, so what this means is that it doesn't fire all the pressure and excess moisture out of the basket into the drip tray. Who are they for? These machines are best suited to people who want to get into the home barista hobby, and who see a coffee machine as more than just means to an end. Many people who buy one of these Sage coffee machines think they're buying a machine with at least partial assistance, which can cause frustration, as there's no assistance. The only difference between these and standard traditional setups is that the grinder is integrated. While the Pro and Touch come with a Dose funnel attachment, the Express does not, so if you're looking for this accessory, you'll have to invest in one of the other two models. Frequently Asked Questions The dedicated hot water spout is another design improvement on the Breville Barista Pro vs Express. The Pro has an angled spout that dispenses hot water right under the portafilter, while the Express hot water outlet is a little to the right and dispenses straight down, slightly behind the portafilter. It’s easier to make Americanos with the Pro.These machines work differently, and the espresso they produce is different. It's actually closer to cafe crema, a very popular drink in Germany, Austria & Switzerland, which may be why bean to cup coffee machines are hugely popular in these countries in particular. Quite often I'm asked whether I'd go for the Gaggia Classic Pro vs Sage Bambino Plus, that's a very common comparison question, but I think the Duo Temp Pro is a much more obvious comparison to the Classic.

This is made even more confusing given that the UK Breville brand are selling some machines that look quite similar to some of the Sage machines, and have similar sounding names, so I do hear from people who made the assumption that they'd basically found great deal for a sage coffee machine. It's set to 9 bars, the PID might not quite be up to the level of the Sage Dual Boiler, but it's still a PID, so the temp stability is way better than with most cheaper options. It comes with standard baskets, as well as pressurized. It comes with the water filter holder & water filter, and a tamper albeit the lightweight plastic one which I don't really like but it's better than the plastic scoop tamper a lot of the cheaper machines are bundled with. The main differences between Breville Barista Pro and Barista Express: 1. Faster heat-up time – the ThermoJet systemThe Barista Touch Impres, though, really does assist the user, and it does it in a way that I think is genius!

If you started out with the Sage Dynamic Duo for example, the Dual Boiler paired with the Smart Grinder Pro, anyone who's come from using bean to cup machines or a more entry-level home barista setup, will probably find that the espresso quality they can produce absolutely blows their minds. You can tweak the settings (grind size and ratio) to make something closer to true espresso, but the majority of home bean to cup machines don't quite produce “true” espresso that would cut the mustard for someone who's really into their espresso. Our Level Up Blend is a rich, full-bodied espresso blend that combines fruit focused chocolatey blend with notes of red berries, caramel and pecans. The Stability Blend combines the sweetness of milk chocolate with nutty undertones and caramel.Who are they for? People who value cup quality as highly as convenience. If bean to cup machines and pod machines don't quite cut it for you, but you want the kind of convenience and user experience of using a premium bean to cup coffee machine, then you're one of the people Sage have made these machines for. Both models have one design feature that I especially like: a removable water reservoir. You can take out that extra step of filling up a pitcher and then pouring it into the tank.The Barista Pro also has a low water sensor, which is a nice addition that prevents the frustrating experience of pouring a half shot. It can be boring if you fill up the machine with coffee beans every time. Fortunately, The Sage Barista Pro, Barista Express and Touch all come with a 250g bean hopper capacity for more convenience and the quantity of coffee you can make. Unfortunately your average home barista doesn’t have that long to wait in the morning so Sage developed a 3 second heat up time to optimum temperature so you can pretty much turn on and go. This category of machine, fully assisted, started out with the Sage Oracle Touch. The Oracle too, to a certain degree, but the Oracle doesn't quite have the same level of user experience as it's a standard button user interface.

If you like to split a shot for two cappuccinos or lattes as I've just mentioned, then this will allow you to create two slightly more intense drinks without pulling two separate shots, in which case you may see this as a pro. In theory, the Touch Impress also fits this bill and is better suited to the non-home barista, the only negative is that you can't just push a button to go from auto to manual, you have to go into the settings via the touch screen, it only takes a few seconds though. So unless you get one of the fully assisted Sage machines, you may in some cases actually end up with worse-tasting coffee from using a non-assisted manual espresso machine as if it were a bean to cup machine. The Sage Vs Breville Confusion

Stand Alone Espresso Machines

The Barista Express and the Barista Pro are both single boiler coffee machines which means you can’t be brewing and steaming at the same time. But, unlike the Barista express, the Barista Pro has a new ThermoJet heating system that allows the machine to heat up to its optimal temperature in just 3 seconds compared to 30 seconds on the Barista Express. Some espresso machines sometimes only produce quality coffee as a result of the temperature of the water. The digital temperature control feature in the Sage Barista Pro allows you to precisely adjust the water temperature used for making espresso.