Updated 1 Nov 2026
Is the Sage Barista Express Impress worth it?
Yes — if you want real espresso without the mess.
It grinds, checks the dose and tamps it evenly with a lever, then corrects the next dose by itself, so you get rich espresso with good crema without spilling grounds everywhere. The steam wand makes good microfoam once you've practised. You still dial in the grind for each new bag of beans, it's big and loud when steaming, and it costs more than the plain Barista Express.
99%of 108 owners give it 4 or 5 stars
- Doses and tamps for you
- Rich espresso with thick crema
- Far less mess than a manual tamp
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What owners say
Owners love the coffee and how easy the built-in tamping makes it. The unhappy few found it harder to dial in than they expected.
Good to know
- The first few shots on new beans take some trial and error.
- The jug in the box has no temperature strip, so judging hot milk takes practice.
- It's loud while steaming milk.
From 108 buyer ratings at Currys, every complaint read by us, November 2026. How we do this
What they love
- Makes great, café-style coffeeMentioned a lot
- Easy to use, even for a beginnerMentioned a lot
- The built-in tamping: consistent and no messAlso mentioned
What they complain about
- Hard to set up and dial inRare
Get it if…
- You want café-style espresso but not the mess of tamping by hand.
- You're new to espresso and want a head start.
- You'd rather not buy a separate grinder.
Skip it if…
- You want coffee at the press of a button.
- You'd rather save money and tamp by hand: the Barista Express makes the same kind of coffee.
- You want the milk frothed for you.
More on the Barista Express Impress
How we reached this verdict
TechRadar found rich, full-bodied shots with thick crema and liked the dose indicator and assisted tamp, though it took about ten cups to learn the dose, the tank is small and the jug has no temperature strip. Ideal Home calls it a triumph for tidy kitchens: even tamping, no wiping the counter, a powerful steam wand and a pressure gauge, at the cost of a high price and a few re-tamps. Coffee Blog likes it as a way into real espresso with less frustration.
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: TechRadar, Ideal Home, Coffee Blog, Sage (specs), Breville (specs), TechRadar, Trusted Reviews, Tom's Guide, manufacturer specifications.
Updated 1 Nov 2026How we decide