Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Breville Barista Touch: When comparing the Gaggia Anima Prestige to the Breville Barista Touch, I’ve carefully evaluated factors like coffee flavor, stability, milk system, ease of cleaning, and extra features. After weighing everything, the Breville Barista Touch comes out on top.
What sets the Barista Touch apart is its PID technology, which ensures consistent water temperature for a perfectly balanced, rich, and aromatic coffee every time. Its intuitive touchscreen makes it incredibly user-friendly, even for beginners. The quality and performance of this machine are simply outstanding.
That said, the Gaggia Anima Prestige deserves recognition as a strong runner-up. It consistently produces creamy, nuanced coffee and is easy to clean. However, it falls short in a few key areas that prevent it from surpassing the Barista Touch in this comparison.
Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Breville Barista Touch: Specs & Features Comparison
The Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS is a premium espresso machine designed for both performance and convenience. With dimensions of 12.7 x 15.5 x 16 inches and a 67 oz capacity, it’s compact yet efficient. Made of brushed stainless steel, it has a sleek and durable design, weighing 26.8 pounds.
The machine features a powerful 1680W system with a quick heat-up grinder, dual boilers, and a steam wand for creating micro-foam milk. Its intuitive touch screen allows you to easily access five one-touch beverages, including espresso, americano, latte, cappuccino, and flat white.
Additional highlights include PID technology and low-pressure pre-infusion for optimal extraction, a faster ThermoJet heating system, dose control grinding, and personalized coffee settings. With a BPA-free water tank and digital temperature control, this machine combines quality and safety. Priced at $999.95, the Breville Barista Touch offers exceptional value for coffee enthusiasts.
Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Breville Barista Touch: Differences
The Breville Barista Touch takes the lead in the debate against the Gaggia Anima Prestige with a solid 3-1 victory, thanks to its robust coffee flavor, precise temperature control, lightning-fast heat-up time, and a variety of convenient one-touch drink options.
COFFEE FLAVOUR
Winner: Breville Barista Touch
BUILT-IN GRINDER
The great thing about both the Gaggia Anima Prestige and the Breville Barista Touch is that they come with built-in grinders, eliminating the need for an additional purchase. The Gaggia Anima Prestige features a ceramic burr grinder, while the Breville Barista Touch uses a stainless steel burr grinder.
Both grinders offer consistent grind sizes because they crush the coffee beans between two burrs, one stationary and one rotating, instead of chopping them like blade grinders. This ensures uniform water flow through the coffee grounds, leading to balanced extraction.
Ceramic burrs, like those in the Gaggia, have the advantage of staying cooler during extended grinding sessions, reducing the risk of overheating the coffee grounds and affecting flavor. They also retain their sharpness longer compared to steel burrs. However, the Breville Barista Touch stands out with 30 adjustable grind settings, compared to just 5 settings on the Gaggia. This wider range provides more control over the grind size, an essential factor for achieving the perfect cup for coffee enthusiasts.
HEATING SYSTEM
Both machines are single-boiler systems, meaning they can’t brew espresso and steam milk simultaneously. However, they’re faster than many other single-boiler machines. The Gaggia Anima Prestige uses a Thermoblock system, heating up in about 20 seconds, while the Breville Barista Touch employs ThermoJet technology, which reaches brewing temperature in just three seconds.
One minor downside of the ThermoJet system is that it doesn’t preheat the portafilter, but this can be easily resolved by pulling a blank shot or two. The Breville also includes a built-in cup warming tray, allowing you to preheat your cups for better temperature retention.
BREWING SYSTEM
Both machines feature a pre-infusion function, where the coffee grounds are moistened with hot water at low pressure before brewing. This process enhances aroma extraction and prevents channeling, ensuring even extraction. After pre-infusion, the machines use a 15-bar pump to create the ideal pressure for espresso. Since the standard brewing pressure is around 9 bars, both machines have more than enough capacity to ensure consistent, high-quality results.
The shots of espresso from both machines are impressive for their class, delivering rich, full-bodied flavors with a satisfying layer of crema. This level of quality is remarkable, especially considering these are entry-level semi-automatic machines.
DESIGN & USABILITY
Winner: Tie
DIMENSIONS, FOOTPRINT, & WEIGHT
If you’re expecting a machine with futuristic aesthetics and dazzling features, neither the Gaggia Anima Prestige nor the Breville Barista Touch will quite fit the bill. These machines prioritize functionality and performance over design, though their stainless steel casings provide a polished look. Both also incorporate plastic components to keep the price more accessible.
The Gaggia Anima Prestige features a slightly outdated pixel display, which feels a bit out of place in today’s world of vibrant, modern interfaces. On the other hand, the Breville Barista Touch introduces a sleek, intuitive touchscreen, making navigation simple and user-friendly. This is also Breville’s first espresso machine to incorporate a touch screen, a step forward in usability.
Both machines are compact and designed for smaller kitchens. However, they’re relatively heavy (19.1 lbs for Gaggia and 26.8 lbs for Breville), so lifting or moving them around may require effort. Additionally, their bean hoppers load from the top, so make sure there’s enough vertical clearance if you plan to place them under cabinets.
SPOUT & CUP CLEARANCE
The Gaggia Anima Prestige offers a height-adjustable dual spout, accommodating cups of various sizes (4.3–5.9 inches). This ensures the spout can sit close to your cup, minimizing splashes and preserving the crema.
The Breville Barista Touch also features a dual spout, but its fixed cup clearance of 4 inches limits flexibility with larger mugs. While you can remove the drip tray to fit taller mugs, it’s not ideal, as the base underneath is uneven and doesn’t securely support your cup. It would have been better if the machine included an adjustable cup platform like the DeLonghi La Specialista.
WATER RESERVOIR & BEAN HOPPER
Both machines have removable water tanks with handles for easy refilling. The Gaggia holds 1.77 liters, while the Breville has a slightly larger 2-liter capacity. Their tanks can accommodate water filters, improving flavor and reducing limescale buildup, which means less maintenance and a longer lifespan.
The Breville’s bean hopper includes an airtight lid, helping to maintain the freshness of coffee beans. Unfortunately, the Gaggia lacks this feature, leaving beans exposed to air and potential staleness.
MILK FROTHING SYSTEM
The Gaggia Anima Prestige features a fully automatic milk frothing system, making it incredibly user-friendly. Its detachable milk pitcher clips onto the machine, allowing you to brew cappuccinos or lattes with the push of a button. The milk foam it produces is rich and creamy, though it doesn’t have the finesse for latte art. The removable pitcher can also be stored in the fridge, adding convenience.
The Breville Barista Touch uses an automatic steam wand designed for beginners. Initially, it may seem limited compared to a manual wand, but it’s surprisingly effective. A built-in temperature sensor monitors the milk and stops frothing once the desired temperature is reached. While it produces great frothy milk for cappuccinos, achieving silky microfoam for intricate latte art requires a manual steam wand like that of the Barista Pro.
PRE-PROGRAMMED COFFEE OPTIONS
Both machines offer one-touch options for popular drinks.
- Gaggia Anima Prestige: Espresso, Lungo, Cappuccino, Latte Macchiato, Milk Froth, Hot Water.
- Breville Barista Touch: Espresso, Latte, Flat White, Cappuccino, Americano, Hot Chocolate, Tea, Milk.
The Breville Barista Touch stands out with its precision controls for milk froth temperature and texture. It also has a separate hot water spout, ensuring no milk residue mixes with hot water for tea or americanos. By contrast, the Gaggia requires removing the milk pitcher to install a hot water spout, which is less convenient.
Additionally, the Gaggia includes a bypass chute for pre-ground coffee, a handy feature if you run out of beans. The Breville, however, recommends using pressurized filter baskets for pre-ground coffee.
Quick Overview Of Breville Barista Touch
Key Features:
- Single Serve Convenience: Brew coffee or espresso with a simple touch.
- Fast Heat-Up Time: 25 seconds to heat up, with automatic energy-saving shut-off.
- Versatile Brewing Options: Brew 4 cup sizes (5oz & 8oz coffee, single & double espresso). You can even pour over ice for refreshing iced coffee and lattes.
- Generous Capacity: Features a 40-ounce water tank and a used-pod container that holds up to 13 pods.
- Complimentary Starter Set: Comes with a selection of Nespresso capsules to get you started.
Pros:
- Stable temperature control ensures consistent brewing.
- Built-in grinder offers smooth and uniform performance.
- Super-fast 3-second heat-up time thanks to ThermoJet technology.
- Delivers robust and aromatic coffee flavors.
- Intuitive touchscreen interface, perfect for beginners.
- Powerful steam wand, ideal for frothing various types of milk.
Cons:
- Grinder operation can be somewhat noisy.
Quick Overview Of Gaggia Anima Prestige
Key Features:
- One-Touch Brewing: Brew coffee or espresso effortlessly with customizable programs.
- Multiple Drink Sizes: Offers flexibility to brew single or double shots.
- Convenient Maintenance: Features auto-purge and auto-descaling for hassle-free cleaning.
- Integrated Milk Carafe: Froths micro-foam milk directly into your cup, ideal for lattes and cappuccinos.
- Stylish Design: Modern and sleek, it blends well into any kitchen setup.
Pros:
- Rich and nuanced coffee flavors with distinct taste profiles.
- Simplified cleaning process with automatic maintenance features.
- Produces creamy micro-foam milk, great for milk-based drinks.
- Sleek and compact design complements modern kitchens.
Cons:
- Lack of advanced features like a touchscreen interface may be a drawback for some.
Conclusion
Choosing between the Gaggia Anima Prestige and the Breville Barista Touch comes down to your specific needs and preferences. Both machines cater to different types of coffee lovers, delivering excellent performance in their own unique ways.
The Gaggia Anima Prestige stands out for its simplicity and convenience. Its one-touch automatic milk frothing system and easy maintenance make it an ideal choice for users seeking hassle-free coffee preparation. If you enjoy creamy milk-based drinks like lattes and cappuccinos without needing to manually froth milk, this machine is a strong contender. Additionally, its sleek design and compact size make it a practical option for modern kitchens.
On the other hand, the Breville Barista Touch is perfect for those who want more control over their coffee-making experience. Its intuitive touchscreen, precise temperature control, and versatile steam wand cater to users who enjoy experimenting with their coffee. The fast heat-up time and built-in grinder add efficiency, while the machine’s ability to produce aromatic, robust espresso makes it a favorite among coffee connoisseurs.
Ultimately, if convenience and ease of use are your top priorities, the Gaggia Anima Prestige is the better fit. However, if you’re looking for a machine that allows for more creativity and barista-like control, the Breville Barista Touch is worth the investment. Both are excellent choices that can elevate your coffee routine, so your decision will depend on how you like to enjoy your daily brew.