More and more of us are looking to replicate the coffee-shop experience at home but making a cup of seriously good java requires some serious skills. From pulling shots and dialling in your grinder to texturing different milks for different drinks, there’s much more to brewing a tasty cup of joe than meets the eye – just ask any professional barista.

So, what is someone who doesn’t want to compromise on quality to do if (a) they’re in too much of a rush for a finicky coffee-making routine and (b) they don’t have the time or patience to get nerdy over all things espresso? Well, Sage has the solution.

A premium and reliable brand, Sage makes some of the best at-home coffee machines on the market, delivering everything from convenient capsule pumps to hi-tech super-automatic bean-to-cups. But it’s latest offering is perhaps its most user-friendly and fuss-free model yet.

The brand-new barista touch impress is a coffee machine with a difference as it not only teaches you how to brew but does all the hard work for you. Using smart technology, it provides step-by-step guidance with real time feedback that takes the guess work out of tricky steps like perfecting grind size, extraction time and tamping.

Plus, it even has a first-of-its-kind plant-based milk functionality that calibrates the temperature, timing, air, and steam pressure for the user’s choice of milk. This means purveyors of oat, almond and soy alternatives get the same silky smooth microfoam as dairy drinkers every time, all at the touch of a button. There is though, like most good things in life, a catch as this new bit of kit will set you back a mighty £1,199.95.

How we tested

To find out if it’s worth the eye-watering price tag, we put this machine through its paces in a busy and largely caffeine-reliant household. We tested to see whether it could deliver truly barista-worthy beverages at home, taking into consideration everything from how easy it was to make different types of drink to its design and overall performance. With all that in mind, here’s what we thought when we gave Sage’s next generation home espresso machine a go.

Sage barista touch impress

Milk frother?: Yes

Removable water tank?: Yes

Interface: Touchscreen

Cup warmer?: Yes

Dimensions: H34.3cm x W41.7cm x D33.3cm

Coffee bean capacity: 340g

Water tank capacity: 2l

Drink types: Espresso, latte, flat white, cappuccino, cafe crema, long black, hot chocolate, babyccino, tea

Design

If you want houseguests to know just how seriously you take your coffee, the Sage barista touch impress will almost certainly do the trick as it sits majestically on your kitchen worktop. Made from shiny stainless steel, it’s a good looking piece of kit but it’s by no means small, so you’ll need to allocate a fair amount of space for this machine. It doesn’t feel overwhelmingly large though and its generous proportions mean that its sturdy and robust enough to withstand regular use.

We also liked that the portafilter, steam wand, hopper and tamper lever fit seamlessly into the design and don’t distract from its overall sleek appearance, while the water tank – arguably the least aesthetic part of any coffee machine – sits at the back, conveniently hidden from sight. Speaking of accessories, the barista touch impress comes with plenty of add-ons including a stainless steel milk jug, one and two cup single and dual wall filter baskets, a precision trimming tool and even a cleaning tool box that’s tucked behind the drip tray for hidden storage.

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Unlike a lot of coffee machines, this one features a full colour touchscreen that instantly makes it feel superior. Sat neatly next to a single power button, the touchscreen is incredibly clear and responsive, and gives the user the ability to tap and swipe through a series of presets for making different drinks.

How to use

Initially, we were pretty intimidated by this machine and the super-thick instruction manual that it came with, but we needn’t have been as set-up was a total breeze. Once powered on, the machine’s touchscreen display immediately launches into set-up mode and guides you through each stage, ensuring that everything is calibrated, there’s water in the tank and beans in the hopper. And just like that, you’re ready to make your first drink.

The first step is to decide which type of drink you want – you can choose from an espresso, latte, flat white, cappuccino, cafe crema or long black, as well as a few non-coffee drinks like tea, babyccino or hot chocolate, all of which are represented by full-colour images.

After you’ve tapped on your drink of choice, the menu displays three icons that you press in order from left to right. The first will grind your coffee beans, the second pulls your espresso shot and the third either steams your milk or adds some hot water, depending on which beverage you’ve chosen. The machine has presets for each drink, including the filter size (single or double walled), grind size and froth level, but you can also fine-tune them to fit your exact preferences.

Performance

So let’s walk through making a cappuccino. First, you tap the portafilter icon and the machine grinds your beans directly into it. Then, you use the integrated lever on the side of the machine to tamp down (Sage recommends doing this twice for the perfect tamp). If your portafilter is a little low, as mine was a few times, the machine will tell you to re-tamp until the dose is perfect.

Next, you remove the portafilter from the grinder, insert it onto the group head and place your cup of choice underneath before pressing the second icon, which brews your espresso shot. Here, the machine manages extraction pressure and temperature to create a perfect pull and will let you know if the coffee comes through too fast, meaning the grind size might need adjusting on your next cup.

The final step is to froth your milk, which is where the machine really shows off its mastery. Designed with new “AutoMilq” technology, you can tell the barista touch impress if you’re using dairy, oat, almond or soy milk, and it will adjust its settings accordingly. This is because plant-based milks, due to their different fat and protein contents and frothing characteristics, are easier to overheat than dairy milk. As such, the machine tailors the right amount of pressure and air, along with the correct temperature to help hold the perfect foam structure.

This might all sound a bit complicated but, in reality, all you have to do is place the stainless steel jug under the steam wand, select the correct milk and let the machine work its magic. Easy. And the result? A smooth, creamy and frothy cappucino that’s truly as close to perfect coffee-shop quality as you can get from home.

The same can be said for every drink we tried, all of which were made with very little fuss yet left us feeling as though we had become a seasoned barista overnight, when really the machine did all the work for us. The espresso had a smooth crema, the latte had a creamy body and the flat white was rich and velvety.

One thing worth noting though is that, while the machine includes a few non-coffee drinks like tea, hot chocolate and babyccino’s in its line-up, there’s little technology behind creating them using the machine as they just use the hot water spout or steam wand and not much more. For example, if you want to make a hot chocolate, the barista touch impress tells you to place your chocolate powder into a mug, texture the milk of your choice and then pour it on top. Similarly, a babycino is just frothed milk, while the tea option simply dispenses hot water.

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The verdict: Sage barista touch impress

If you want a coffee machine that can do it all, look no further. The Sage barista touch impress boasts all the bells and whistles that make you feel like you really know what you’re doing and, while there’s certainly an incredible amount of tech under the hood, it’s essentially very easy to get a brilliant cup of coffee every time, making it a great choice for coffee geeks and lazy caffeine guzzlers alike.

We loved that it automatically optimises the settings for you and walks you through each step of making a perfect beverage. Simple to use and ultra-fast, it’s tough to argue against the barista touch impress but the cost is going to be the real sticking point here. With a price tag of more than £1,000, it’s by no means an entry-level machine but if you’re looking to take your coffee more seriously or live in a household where it would be used multiple times a day then we think it’s a worthwhile investment.

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