Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine

Pros

• Speed & time-to-cup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.9
• Heating-element power ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.8
  Breville’s thin film, flow through ThermoJet heater draws short bursts of up to about 1560 watts to heat water almost instantly and maintain tight temperature control, while sipping very little power when the machine is idle.
• Espresso & beverage quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.8
• Assembly & Setup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.8
• Popularity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.8
  The Bambino Plus is widely recommended as a beginner friendly home espresso machine, with many reviewers and owners praising it as worth the hype and noting that it quickly becomes one of the most used appliances in the kitchen.
• Milk, steam & frothing ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.6
• Pump pressure consistency ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.6
  A tuned overpressure valve targeting about 9 bar at the grouphead and a full pressure release system that dumps water to the drip tray at the end of a shot support consistent extractions and immediate, mess free portafilter removal, and reviewers note that unlike many compact machines it does not sacrifice brew pressure or purity for its small footprint.
• Mess-free used-puck disposal ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
  Thanks to its 3-way solenoid valve, the Bambino Plus leaves used pucks noticeably drier, allows immediate, mess free portafilter removal and reduces shower screen dripping after each shot.
• Value & Price ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.4
• Overall user experience ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.4
  Fast heat up, simple volumetric shot controls and forgiving auto steaming make the Bambino Plus very approachable for beginners, but everyday workflow quirks like a tiny drip tray that fills quickly from auto purges and a slightly awkward two button hot water sequence can frustrate heavy Americano drinkers even though overall operation remains convenient for milk drink lovers.
• Design, ergonomics & footprint ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.3
• Accessories ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.1
  The Bambino Plus ships with multiple single and dual wall filter baskets, a basic but serviceable 54 mm tamper, a stainless steel steaming pitcher, cleaning tablets, descaler, a Razor dosing tool and a wand cleaning multi tool, giving new owners nearly everything they need except a water filter and grinder, though the lightweight portafilter and somewhat fussy Razor mean some owners upgrade accessories over time.
• Water system, maintenance & descaling ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.0
• Capacity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 3.5
  A 1.9 liter water reservoir with an integrated grip ring offers generous capacity and easy handling for multiple drinks, and in practice it can pull around eight after dinner espressos for guests without refilling, but the very small drip tray underneath still fills quickly, especially when using warm up flushes and the three way valve’s post shot drain.
• Boiler type (single vs dual) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 3.5
  Using Breville’s ThermoJet single heating system instead of a dual boiler keeps the Bambino Plus compact and quick to heat but limits fine grained temperature control, so serious espresso purists may still prefer larger and more expensive dual boiler machines even though the ThermoJet setup is more than adequate for most home users.