Breville Bambino Plus: Review From a Real User

The best part of my morning routine is my cup of coffee. And not just the coffee but the entire process of brewing it. Many people get their morning coffee from their local cafe shops, but that takes a ton of pleasure out for me. So I got the Breville Bambino Plus home coffee machine to make my coffee in the comfort of my home.

Having used it for about a year now, I am certain that it is among the best home coffee machines capable of delivering cafe-quality espresso drinks. Look no further if you want a budget-friendly yet impressive espresso machine for personal use. It is not without a few minor frustrations. In this guide, I break down everything you must know about the device before purchase, so stay with me.

Quick Overview

The Bambino Plus is Breville’s compact, semi-automatic espresso machine for beginner baristas and experts alike. It is an upgrade on the traditional Bambino model offered by Breville, with a slightly higher price point from the additional features. Among these are the pre-set push buttons and incredible 3-second heat time. I delve deep into this below.

The espresso machine also took up very little space on my counter. And just like traditional espresso machines, it is packed with core features to make rich, flavourful espresso and foam milk. It is a modern-looking, full-featured machine that allows you to play around with shot volume and techniques like pre-infusion.

Breville's Bambino Plus is easy to use. On purchase, it came with a detailed manual and a quick-start instruction guide that helped me set up and operate the machine efficiently. From experience, it’s difficult to do wrong with the Breville Bambino Plus due to its consistent and high-quality shot pull.

Specifications and Features

Below are the key features and specifications of the Breville Bambino Plus espresso machine.

You have a good overview of what to expect from the Breville Bambino Plus. Still, it’s not enough to pass judgment yet. Read below my experience using the home espresso machine over the last two years to make a more informed decision about the beginner-friendly device; the best parts, what could improve, and everything else.

In-Depth Review: What Is the Breville Bambino Plus Like?

I broke my review into five main subheadings; design, performance, features, ease of use and price to help you easily read through. Let’s get into it.

1. Design

The Breville Bambino Plus is built from stainless steel and has a slim, curvy, modern, and aesthetically pleasing design. You can get it in the brushed stainless steel colour or matte black finish. The Bambino Plus isn’t a dual boiler machine; as a result, it takes up very little space on your counter. It is also lightweight compared to many other options on the market, making it easy to transport in your kitchen space.

The device's interface features three main buttons that control the shot size; single shot, double shot, and steam buttons, and an additional two control the milk temperature and foam amount. You can choose between warm, ideal, and hot for your milk temperature and low (50^o C), medium (70^o C), and high (90^o C) for your milk foam. It takes an average of 38 seconds to reach 60^o C, which is faster than the Dynamic Duo and Barista Express.

And with no display, the espresso machine communicates using different elements and colour indicators. For example, the buttons flash differently when you need to descale or run a cleaning cycle, and the buttons dim when there isn’t enough water in the tank. It also comes without a power button, a problem that is solved by simultaneously pressing the single shot and steam buttons.

On purchase, the machine comes with all the necessary accessories to brew your coffee. You get four filter baskets, a razor precision dosing tool to level off your coffee grounds when preparing for tamping, a water filter to improve your coffee’s taste, and a removable 54mm portafilter. Due to its lightweight, you will need to steady the machine when inserting the portafilter, especially when the water tank is not full. It is something you get used to and do automatically after a few days.

Breville’s Bambino Plus has a premium look and feel. This, combined with the metal, four-hole steam wand, quality portafilter, minimal design, and interface, stands out for me. The espresso machine is designed for anyone who wants a good experience and quality coffee from their home coffee machine.

2. Performance

What immediately caught my attention while preparing to use the Breville Bambino Plus for the first time was how quickly you can get started once you’ve powered the machine. It takes only three seconds to heat up. This is an exceptional feature that isn’t offered by many other home coffee machines; most espresso machines take between 10 and 30 minutes to heat up.

Similarly, the pre-infusion settings on the espresso machine came in very handy. Combined with quality beans, a precise grind, and the non-pressurized basket, I could experiment until I was experienced enough to pull well-balanced shots. I could taste the difference in quality anytime I tweaked the pre-infusion time on the Bambino Plus.

The Breville Bambino Plus comes without a dedicated or built-in coffee grinder. And without a quality coffee grinder, you’re unlikely to get the best out of the espresso machine. For the average Australian coffee lover I recommend the Breville Smart Pro Grinder; it features a hopper capacity of 450g, 60 different grind settings, and can grind directly into the portafilter. For freshly pre-ground coffee, the Bambino Plus can still pull excellent shots.

You could argue that the space saved by making the espresso machine slim and compact is lost by placing a grinder next to it, and you’ll be right, however, the flexibility works great in our small walk-in pantry as I have the coffee machine visible in front as you walk in and the grinder off to the right.

It took me an average of 25 seconds to brew an espresso shot. And while the coffee was smooth and full of flavour. The espresso machine has a noise level similar to that of a hair dryer when making espresso.

a. Brewing Process

The Bambino Plus is beginner friendly. To begin your brewing, fill the basket with your ground coffee. Then level the excess, tamp and insert the portafilter into the machine. Press single or double shots (one or two cups) depending on how much coffee you’re making, and the espresso machine will do the rest of the work.

If you’re a pro, who wants more from the home coffee machine and wants to experiment further, hold down either shot button after you’ve inserted the portafilter in the machine. This sends the machine into manual mode, thereby starting the extraction with a lower-pressure pre-infusion. Once released, the espresso machine moves up its full 15-bar pressure potential for a flavourable extraction.

From here, allow the espresso to pour and only press the button again if you need to stop the extraction. The manual process is ideal for users who like to measure their processes for consistent, high-quality espresso shots.

b. Taste and Consistency

Breville’s Bambino Plus comes with all the basic tools needed to make consistently high-quality espresso in the comfort of your home. It brings the best out of the coffee ground and beans. The pressure from the espresso machine is consistent during the extraction process, allowing you to make tastier espresso unlike any other budget or mid-range espresso machine I have used.

To get the most out of the Bambino Plus and churn out flavourable coffee for yourself and your family daily, consider adding a non-pressurized basket, a scale, and a timer to your home coffee-making setup. These allow you to get into precise details that further help you experiment and develop your coffee-making expertise.

c. Milk Steaming

The Bambino Plus is the best automatic milk-frothing espresso machine I’ve seen. It works excellently well, and only with a touch of a button. The espresso machine allows you to froth milk that almost matches that latte and cappuccino you get from your local cafe shop. I found that the middle temperature setting, combined with the low foam setting, produced the best latte you could expect from an automatic milk-frothing home coffee machine.

You can manually texturise milk if that’s your preference. But if you’re happy to let the Bambino Plus do its thing, then all you need to do is place your milk jug on the sensor button that measures the temperature. You must ensure that the milk jug covers the ‘auto milk sensor’ for the device to detect the milk temperature. Once the milk reaches your desired temperature, the steam wand shuts off.

For manual steaming, the biggest challenge with the steam wand is it's adjustable in only two positions, neither of which is ideal for milk steaming. You will have to angle your jug to get the best of it. I should mention that the metal steam wand on the Bambino Plus is a nice touch and feel; many home espresso machines come with plastic steam wands. Note you do not and should not hold your milk jug during the automatic process.

3. Features

Without a doubt, my favourite feature of the Breville Bambino Plus is its milk-frothing system. Unlike many semi-automatic coffee machines, the Bambino model truly works. It automatically steams your milk to your desired temperature, creating a similar texture and micro-foam typical with commercial coffee machines. You can also manually steam your milk if that’s your preference.

My second favourite is the machine's heat time. Three seconds to heat or warm up is ridiculously good for quick brewing. This is possible since the Breville Bambino Plus has the more advanced ThermoJet heating system.

The low-pressure pre-infusion is also an excellent addition by Breville to the Bambino Plus coffee machine. The feature ensures a consistent flow rate that positively affects the flavour balance by dampening the coffee grounds. It takes eight seconds to dampen coffee grounds, but you can adjust this to your preference. And by pressing and holding the extraction start button, you also can experiment with different pre-infusion settings.

Using the Bambino Plus, you notice little improvements, automated features, and customisation settings that reduce the hassle of brewing while maintaining the quality, flavour, and taste of your espresso. Suppose you’re new to brewing coffee for yourself but also want the freedom to grow your barista skills with the same machine. In that case, the Bambino Plus is the only home coffee machine I recommend.

4. Ease of Use

Breville’s Bambino Plus is not the easiest to use, though you can get by quite well even if you’re using it for the first time. I had a similar experience or convenience as I have had with other semi-automatic espresso machines in the past. And compared to super-automatic machines, it falls short in terms of convenience.

Opening the box, you find Breville’s manual and a quick start guide. The manual includes various suggestions and guides that help ease the process of getting to know and use the coffee machine. For example, it suggests that your espresso should pour 7-10 seconds after you press the brew button. I found this helpful when getting every other factor dialled in.

Like every semi-automatic machine, you must clean the drip tray and portafilter after use. But the process is fairly easy. The milk wand purges itself after every use. So all you have to do is wipe down the milk from the outside after use. All in all, the normal cleaning process of the Bambino Plus takes only a few minutes.

This is, however, different from descaling; thoroughly cleaning your coffee machine. It takes me about 30 minutes to descale the Bambino Plus. I detail how to clean and descale the Bambino Plus below.

Breville’s pre-infusion feature makes the espresso machine more tolerant of inconsistencies in grinding and tamping. Thus, you’re less likely to mess up the taste of your espresso shot. Combined with its automatic milk steaming function, which is convenient to use, the 1.9 L water tank capacity, which is easy to fill, and its easy-to-use and minimalistic control panel, Breville’s Bambino Plus offer plenty of nicety to its users.

But if you’re looking to avoid the work that comes with grinding, tamping, brewing, and steaming, I recommend getting a super-automatic espresso machine. The downside is you will lose a bit of taste for all that convenience.

5. Price

The Breville Bambino Plus is a mid-range espresso machine that includes all the essential features you require to brew your espresso easily and conveniently. If you’re starting out, the initial cost may put you off, especially since more budget options are available. But none truly offers good value for your money.  

Compared to the other models in its price point, the Bambino Plus puts up a fierce challenge. It includes many features that are even difficult to find on higher-end espresso machines. The minimal design, three-second heat time, and numerous other customisation and features have all come together to make it an excellent coffee machine for everyday use.

And though it comes with 2 years repair warranty. I haven’t needed to use it since I purchased it. Compare the price options of the Breville Bambino Plus from various vendors below.

Compare Price

What Can Improve With the Breville Bambino Plus?

Being lightweight, it is susceptible to moving when inserting the portafilter. Its smaller drip dray is challenging if you want to make coffee for a group as it fills up very quickly.

I also find that the portafilter included during purchase looks a little bit cheap and plasticky. Luckily, it fits with the 54 mm portafilter included with other Breville products, so you can swap it out for a more quality option if you have one available.

What’s also missing from a more prosumer-grade machine is a hot water nozzle, a digital display, a pressure or milk temperature gauge, cold storage, and an adjustable steam pump rate. However, all these little flaws are easy to live with given the price and the petiteness of it.

The Competition: Other Options to Consider

Ultimately, you came across many other espresso machines in your search. While not many can compete with the Bambino Plus at its price point, there are other models that can also help you make the best espresso for yourself and your family. If I weren’t using the Bambino Plus, I’d be using one of these.

1. Breville Barista Express: The Barista Express is another complete espresso machine, costing around the same price as the Bambino Plus. And unlike the Bambino Plus, it includes a built-in dose and grind system. Users also get, in addition, a digital temperature control (PID), a fast heat time, and is fairly quiet during operation. Despite its price, the Barista Express lacks features like milk frothing control which is available in the Bambino Plus, and similarly priced home coffee machines.
2. Breville Dynamic Duo: The Dynamic Duo is a high-end espresso machine that packs more features and uses cases than the Bambino Plus—and it costs over thrice as much too. If you’re willing to spend more on your home coffee setup, I recommend the Dynamic Duo as the next option. Unlike the Bambino Plus, it includes the Smart Grinder Pro and an LCD. It's also a dual boiler machine that gives you more control over the temperature of the brew boiler. The Breville Dynamic Duo is also the largest of the two. Both models feature a two-year warranty. The Bambino Plus is a limited warranty, and the Dynamic Duo is a repair warranty.
3. Sunbeam Barista Max: The Sunbeam Barista Max is also an affordable home espresso machine in the range of the Bambino Plus. It is easy to use and features a simple push-button control system. It also includes an inbuilt grinder and takes up a larger space than the Bambino Plus. Sunbeam’s Barista Max espresso machine also features an exclusive Temp IQ Shot Control 3-way system that ensures that your coffee is consistently brewed at the perfect temperature.

Should You Buy the Breville Bambino Plus?

The Breville Bambino Plus is an excellent home coffee machine. But it isn’t for anyone. If you’re considering the machine because of its automatic milk-frothing system, then you’ll get your money’s worth. Similarly, users—newbies or expert baristas—looking to extract quality espresso consistently from their home coffee machine can also do no wrong with the Bambino Plus. It offers a smooth learning curve with good experimenting features for pro baristas to explore further. Plus, it takes up very little space on the counter. So, if space is a crucial requirement, the Bambino Plus fits the bill.

However, if you’re looking to use coffee pods, you might consider getting a different model. You can only use ground coffee with the Bambino Plus. So, you’ll need to get, in addition to it, a coffee grinder or purchase ground coffee from your local shop. And while it’s one of the best value home coffee machines available, it’s not any cheaper. So if you’re after a budget espresso machine, the price point might disappoint.

FAQs: Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine

1. How to clean the Breville Bambino Plus?

Always clean the Bambino Plus after every use to get the best out of it. Here’s how to do so.

1. First, remove the portafilter, then run water through the espresso machine. Afterwards, get a microfiber cloth to clean the surface and outside of the machine, not forgetting to dump the drip tray if necessary.
2. From here, discard any used espresso and grounds from the filter basket. You can hit the basket slightly on a surface, and any puck will fall out. Rinse the filter baskets afterwards to ensure there are no leftovers.
3. Finally, clean the surface of the steam wand and push it back in. The Bambino Plus will further run a rinse cycle to prevent it from clogging. However, if it becomes clogged, you will find a small pin-like cleaning tool beneath the water tank to unclog it.

2. How to descale the Breville Bambino Plus?

If there’s a need for a thorough clean, the Breville Bambino Plus will alert you by flashing the one-shot, steam button, and two-shot buttons alternatively. This is typically between 60 to 90 days of regular use. Here’s how to go by it.

1. First, fill the water tank to the descale line and add the descaler. Then power off the espresso machine, and place a bowl on the drip tray with the steam wand inside it.
2. To begin the descaling process, hold the single shot button and steam button together for about 5 seconds. Both buttons will illuminate.
3. Now, press either the single shot or steam button to begin descaling. The espresso machine will purge water for close to 5 minutes. It’s important to get a large bowl for the purging, as interrupting the process would mean you have to start over.
4. After the purge is complete, empty the water tank, refill it with clean water, and run the rinse cycle using either buttons from step three.
5. Once done, all the lights on the Breville Bambino Plus illuminate. Discard the water in the drip tray and refill your tank again.

3. What is the difference between Bambino and Bambino Plus?

Both models are pretty similar. The Bambino Plus is an upgrade on the Bambino and features more functionalities, notably the automated milk steaming feature, which allows you to froth your milk without hassle. The former also includes extra filler baskets and a razor dosing tool. The tamper end on the Bambino is plastic, while the Bambino Plus is metallic. Also, the Bambino model is slightly smaller than the Bambino Plus.

4. How to backflush the Breville Bambino Plus?

To backflush the Breville Bambino Plus, you must first remove the water from the drip tray. Ensure your water tank is filled to the max before beginning the process. Then, insert a 1-cup cleaning basket and disc inside the 54mm portafilter. Place a bowl on the drip tray and press the single or double shot button concurrently until both lights illuminate. Then press either button to begin the flushing process. Your machine is good to go when all the lights illuminate.

The process takes about five minutes. To know when to backflush the espresso machine, the one-shot and two-shot buttons flash alternatively.

Final Verdict

It took me a little while to unlock the full potential of Breville’s Bambino Plus. But that’s expected with every new device. Once I had a hang of it. I began pulling consistently high-quality espresso shots. And truly, that is the most impressive feature of the Bambino Plus, all while doing the hard work of pressure and temperature control on my behalf. You do not even need to hold the milk jug while frothing; talk about convenience.

It is an excellent coffee machine that makes you feel like a pro barista in the comfort of your home. It packs every essential detail and remains compact enough for the smallest counter spaces. It is almost the most consistent I’ve found for making espresso drinks. Really, my only problem with it is the lack of a built-in grinder. But besides this, it’s one of the best home espresso machines I’ve used in a while.

Overall, the Breville Bambino Plus is an excellent all-in-one espresso machine that covers the basics and essentials while offering high-grade customisation and features not regularly found at its price point.