Breville Bambino Plus Review

The Bambino Plus is Breville's smallest serious espresso machine. Breville's spec page lists a 54 mm stainless portafilter that takes an 18 gram dose, a 15 bar Italian pump that runs a low-pressure pre-infusion before a 9 bar extraction, PID temperature control and the ThermoJet heater that is ready in about three seconds. The steam wand textures milk automatically at three temperatures and three foam levels, or you can steam by hand.

In the box: single- and dual-wall baskets, the Razor dose trimmer, a tamper, a milk jug and cleaning tablets. What is not in the box is a grinder, which is the main difference between this machine and the Barista Express and the one thing to budget for before you buy.

Tom's Guide measured it at 7.6 inches wide and about 11 pounds. That is half the width of a Barista Express, and the reason the reviewer calls it ideal for compact coffee stations. Tom's Guide also calls it pricey for an entry-level machine, and that is fair if you compare it to budget machines; compared with other machines that make real espresso and real microfoam, it sits at the low end of the tier.

Tom's Guide's verdict is that the Bambino Plus makes espresso that tastes divine, with thick crema and visible layers in the shot. The PID keeps the brew temperature steady so you are only chasing grind and dose, and the low-pressure pre-infusion is the same system Breville uses on its bigger machines.

Out of the box the machine runs volumetric shots: Breville programs about 30 ml for a single and 60 ml for a double, and Tom's Guide measured about 32 to 35 grams of espresso from the double button. You can reprogram either button by holding it down and letting the shot run to your own time. Serious Eats found Breville's automatic volume stops inconsistent on the machines it tested and recommends stopping shots by hand, which the Bambino Plus lets you do with a second press.

The grinder decides everything. Tom's Guide could not get a proper 25 to 28 second shot with Breville's own Dose Control Pro, which bottomed out at about 15 seconds even with the inner burr adjusted. With a Comandante C40 or Eureka Mignon Specialita the reviewer pulled 36 grams in 25 seconds. Plan on an espresso-capable burr grinder such as the Baratza Encore ESP from our coffee grinder guide, and expect to spend a session dialing in.

Two quirks. Tom's Guide found the group head stiff, so you steady the machine with your other hand when locking in the portafilter, and the light body vibrates during extraction. Neither affects the cup, but a scale on the drip tray will wobble.

This is the feature that separates the Plus from the standard Bambino. Fill the jug, drop the wand in, press the steam button and the machine textures the milk to the temperature and foam level you chose, then purges the wand when you swing it back. Tom's Guide timed 200 ml in 1 minute 10 seconds and poured latte art with the result. The texture came out closer to cappuccino foam than a thin flat white, but it poured smoothly.

Manual steaming works too and takes about the same time. Because ThermoJet swaps from brew to steam in a couple of seconds, there is no wait between the shot and the milk. Tom's Guide also singles out Breville's jug: the narrow, angled spout makes latte art easier than the jugs from De'Longhi or KitchenAid.

The limit is the wand's movement. It swings up and down only, not sideways, so you steam at a fixed angle and, in Tom's Guide's experience, without the portafilter locked in. If you already steam confidently and want a wand you can position freely, the Barista Express or a Gaggia Classic Evo Pro give you that.

Upkeep is the usual Breville routine: backflush with the supplied cleaning tablets when the light prompts you, descale on a schedule set by your water hardness, and swap the water filter about every 90 days or 40 liters. Breville sells the ClaroSwiss filter and descaler; a water-filter holder is in the box.

Tom's Guide's practical notes: the drip tray is small and its full indicator lags, so empty it after every session; the stainless finish shows fingerprints and wants a wipe; and the auto-purge after steaming takes care of the one step most beginners forget. The temperature-reading milk jug Breville sells separately is worth it if you steam by hand.

Long term, the Bambino Plus is not a machine you modify. The 54 mm ecosystem is smaller than 58 mm, and there is no PID kit or pressure mod to chase. What you can upgrade is the grinder, and that is the upgrade that matters. Owners who outgrow it usually move to a dual boiler for back-to-back drinks, which Tom's Guide also suggests for purists.