The only one that brews drip too
Ninja Luxe Café
- Grind suggestions
- Built-in scale
Cheaper alternatives to the Sage Barista Touch Impress
Keep the guidance, the grinder or the auto milk, and pay much less.
Updated 11 November 2026
Same idea, every step by hand
Sage Barista Express
- Grinder on board
- Americano water spout
Cheapest of the three
Sage Bambino Plus
- Auto-frothing wand
- Ready in seconds
The original
Sage Barista Touch Impress
Worth it if: You want foolproof lattes from day one
- Step-by-step touchscreen recipes
- Impress tamping that corrects your dose
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What are you actually paying extra for with the Barista Touch Impress?
What the extra money buys
- Step-by-step touchscreen recipes
- Impress tamping that corrects your dose
- Hands-free milk for dairy and plant milks
Worth it if
- You want foolproof lattes from day one
- The whole household will use it
Not worth it if
- You like to tweak every shot
- You rarely add milk
Good to know
Why each one made the list, and our final recommendation.
Ninja Luxe Café
It's the nearest thing to the Touch Impress's coaching. TechRadar found its grind advice and weight-based dosing gave reliable shots. Ideal Home found it well built, with grind advice for each new bag, but very big on the worktop.
Sage Barista Express
The Barista Express SES875 has been the UK's go-to grind-and-brew machine for years. You get the grinder, but no coaching: tamping, timing and frothing are on you. Reviewers rate its shots and steaming highly once you've learned.
Sage Bambino Plus
The Bambino Plus SES500 keeps automatic milk with set textures and temperatures, in a far smaller body. TechRadar liked its fast heat-up and quiet frothing. Tom's Guide warns the drip tray is small and a capable grinder is a must.
Final recommendation: Want the coaching without the price? The Ninja Luxe Café ES601UK comes closest and makes filter coffee too. The Barista Express SES875 is for anyone who wants to learn properly. The Bambino Plus SES500 gives you auto milk for the least, with your own grinder. Stay with the Touch Impress SES881 for easy lattes from the first day.
Side by side
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Top of the range | Premium | Top of the range | Premium |
| Type | Manual espresso with grinder and touchscreen | Manual espresso with grinder and scale | Manual espresso with grinder | Manual espresso, no grinder |
| Milk | Auto MilQ | Automatic frother with whisk | Steam wand | Automatic steam wand |
| Drinks | – | Espresso, drip coffee, cold brew | – | Espresso, milk drinks |
| Grinder | Burr, 30 settings | Conical burr, 25 settings | 16 settings | None: needs a separate grinder |
| Pump pressure | – | 15 bar | 15 bar | 15 bar |
| Water tank | 2 L | – | 2 L | 1.9 L |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Is the Ninja Luxe Café a good Sage Touch Impress alternative?
Yes, for guided espresso. It recommends the grind and weighs each dose. You give up the touchscreen, assisted tamping and a hot water outlet.
Is the Sage Barista Express harder to use than the Touch Impress?
Yes. You tamp, time shots and steam milk by hand. That suits hobbyists, but beginners get faster results from the Touch Impress.
Do I need a grinder with the Sage Bambino Plus?
Yes. It has no grinder, so budget for a good one or buy coffee ground for espresso.
Related guides
How we reached this
We compared the Sage Barista Touch Impress with the alternatives most often recommended by independent reviewers, then checked each against the makers' own specs and current prices.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Sage: Sage Barista Touch Impress, T3: Sage Barista Touch Impress review: the best coffee machine for barista-style drinks at home, Les Numériques: Test Sage Barista Touch Impress : une jolie cafetière pour les apprentis baristas, Ninja: Luxe Café Premier Espresso Machine, TechRadar: Ninja Luxe Café review, Ideal Home: Ninja Luxe Café Premier ES601UK review, Sage: Sage the Barista Express, TechRadar: Sage the Barista Express espresso coffee maker review, Tom's Guide: Breville Barista Express review, Homes & Gardens: Breville Barista Express review: prepare for impressive espressos, Sage: the Bambino Plus, TechRadar: Breville Bambino Plus review, Tom's Guide: Breville Bambino Plus review.