Breville Bambino Plus
Review

The Bambino Plus pulls excellent shots for a machine at this price. The ThermoJet heating system is the standout spec — reaching 200°F in 3 seconds is genuinely useful. Most beginner machines need 15–30 minutes to stabilize. The Bambino Plus is ready before you've finished grinding.

Temperature stability during extraction is solid. We measured shot-to-shot consistency across a week of pulls and found variance within ±2°F — well within what a beginner would notice. More expensive machines do better, but not by enough to matter at this stage.

The non-pressurized basket

The Bambino Plus ships with both a single-wall (non-pressurized) basket and a double-wall (pressurized) basket. The difference matters a lot.

A non-pressurized basket requires a precise grind, proper dose, and even tamp to produce good espresso. It will not forgive a bad grinder or sloppy technique. This is actually a feature for anyone who wants to learn: the machine gives honest feedback on your process.

The pressurized basket is more forgiving and a useful training wheel for your first week. Once you've got your grinder dialed in, switch to the single-wall basket and don't look back.

This is where the Bambino Plus genuinely earns the "Plus" distinction over the base Bambino. The auto-steam wand is one of the most useful features on any beginner machine we've tested.

Auto-steam

You set a texture level (1–4, from silky flat-white microfoam to thick cappuccino foam) and a temperature, drop the wand into the included pitcher, and press start. The machine handles aeration, heating, and stopping at your target temperature automatically. The results are consistently good — better than most beginners produce manually in their first few weeks.

Manual steam

The same wand also operates manually for those who want to learn the technique. It's a smaller, single-hole tip compared to prosumer machines, but it produces latte art-quality microfoam once you develop the feel for it. Expect 2–3 weeks of practice before your microfoam is consistently glossy.

The wand's auto-purge function activates after each steam cycle, clearing residual milk before it dries inside the tip — a thoughtful detail that extends the wand's life and keeps maintenance simple.

The Bambino Plus feels substantially more solid than its price suggests. The brushed stainless exterior is the same material used on Breville's $1,000+ machines — not plastic with a chrome finish. Buttons have a positive click. The portafilter seats firmly with no wobble.

At 7.7 inches wide, it's genuinely compact for a semi-automatic machine. It fits comfortably under most kitchen cabinets.

A few practical notes

The water tank mounts at the rear, which means you need to pull the machine forward to refill it. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing before you decide where to position it on your counter. We recommend leaving 4–6 inches of clearance behind the machine.

The drip tray is removable and dishwasher-safe — clean it weekly. Coffee oils build up fast and make the tray look terrible within days if ignored.

Bambino Plus vs. De'Longhi Dedica Arte

The Dedica Arte costs $300 less and is a genuinely capable beginner machine. Its pressurized basket is more forgiving, which makes the learning curve less steep in the first few weeks. But that same pressurized basket limits your ceiling — you can't dial shots in as precisely, and the espresso quality plateaus below what the Bambino Plus can achieve. If $499 is out of reach, the Dedica Arte is a smart choice. If you can stretch to the Bambino Plus, do it.

Bambino Plus vs. Barista Express

The Barista Express has a built-in grinder, which sounds convenient. In practice, you're locked into that grinder forever — and it's decent but not great. A Bambino Plus paired with a Baratza Encore ESP gives you better grind quality at roughly the same combined price ($499 + $195 = $694 vs. $699). The Bambino Plus setup also lets you upgrade the grinder independently later, while the Barista Express doesn't.

The Breville Bambino Plus is our top pick for anyone serious about home espresso at the $400–500 price point. The 3-second heat-up eliminates one of the biggest daily friction points with home machines. The non-pressurized basket gives you the feedback you need to actually improve. The auto-steam wand removes the steepest part of the learning curve for milk drinks.

The one firm prerequisite: you need a good separate grinder. Budget $150–200 for one alongside this machine and the combined investment will outperform any all-in-one machine at double the price.