Breville Bambino Plus Review
Quick Answer
The Bottom Line: Breville Bambino Plus
The Breville Bambino Plus is the top compact espresso machine for beginners and milk drinkers, offering a 3-second heat-up and automatic milk texturing that rivals manual wands. While it lacks advanced customization for experts, its speed, consistent 9-bar extraction, and tiny footprint make it the best value for cafe-quality lattes at home.
The Breville Bambino Plus is a compact, entry-level espresso machine that excels in speed and milk texturing, making it the ideal choice for beginners, busy households, and those with limited counter space who want cafe-quality lattes and cappuccinos without the complexity of manual machines.
Overview
The Breville Bambino Plus sits as the premium sibling in Breville’s compact espresso lineup, distinct from the standard Bambino primarily through its inclusion of automatic milk frothing and a more advanced steam wand. It represents a significant evolution in entry-level home espresso, bridging the gap between simple push-button appliances and traditional manual machines. Expert sources consistently highlight its core value proposition: delivering third-wave specialty coffee capabilities in a footprint comparable to a toaster. The machine features built-in PID temperature control and low-pressure pre-infusion, features typically reserved for much more expensive, professional-grade units. Positioned as a "workhorse" for novices, it removes the biggest barrier to entry for home baristas—milk texture—by automating the steaming process while maintaining the ability to extract high-quality espresso shots manually.
Strengths
Expert reviews and owner feedback consistently praise the Bambino Plus for its unparalleled speed, automated milk texturing, and compact yet powerful design.
Near-Instant Heat-Up and Workflow
The standout feature of the Bambino Plus is its ThermoJet heating system, which allows the machine to reach brewing temperature in just 3 seconds. This eliminates the typical 15–25 minute warm-up wait associated with traditional espresso machines. Reviewers note that the transition from brewing to steaming is virtually instantaneous, taking under 5 seconds, which allows users to pull a shot and steam milk in a continuous, efficient workflow without flushing water or temperature surfing.
Automated Milk Texturing
The automatic steam wand is widely regarded as the machine’s "killer app" for milk drinkers. It offers hands-free frothing with three adjustable temperature settings (warm, ideal, hot) and three texture levels (low, medium, high foam). A small metal sensor at the base detects the milk’s temperature, stopping the process automatically. Experts confirm that this feature produces milk texture comparable to manual wands, making it significantly easier for beginners to create consistent lattes and flat whites without mastering the manual technique.
Compact Footprint with Professional Features
Despite measuring just 7.6 inches wide and 12.6 inches deep, the machine packs professional-grade features. It includes a 9-bar Over Pressure Valve (OPV) to ensure optimal extraction pressure, low-pressure pre-infusion to gently saturate coffee grounds, and a three-way solenoid valve for cleaner puck ejection. Reviewers describe it as an "espresso workhorse" that delivers rich crema and consistent flavor, proving that size does not compromise performance.
Trade-offs
While highly praised for convenience, the Bambino Plus has limitations regarding customization, steam wand mechanics, and the size of its drip tray, which experts note may require frequent maintenance.
Limited Customization for Advanced Users
The machine’s push-button simplicity, while ideal for novices, restricts customization for experienced baristas. Users cannot manually adjust brew pressure or temperature beyond the preset options. While the shot buttons can be held for manual extraction, the lack of granular control over variables like pre-infusion duration or pressure profiling makes it less suitable for those who want to experiment with single-origin beans or fine-tune their extraction to the millisecond.
Steam Wand Mechanics and Drip Tray
The automatic steam wand moves only vertically, lacking the ball-jointed flexibility of the standard Bambino or higher-end machines. This can make it slightly harder to maneuver the wand for precise latte art compared to a fully manual wand. Additionally, the drip tray is notably small. Reviewers consistently report that the tiny tray fills up quickly, especially when steaming milk, requiring regular emptying to prevent overflow. This is a frequent maintenance inconvenience for daily users.
Hot Water Access
While the machine offers instant hot water, the process on the Bambino Plus is less straightforward than on the standard Bambino. On the Plus, users must press and hold two buttons and then press a third to stop, whereas the standard model has a dedicated single-button hot water function. This adds a minor step to the workflow for users who primarily want hot water for Americanos or tea.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Heating System | ThermoJet (3-second heat-up) |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 7.6" x 13.5" x 12.6" |
| Pressure | 9-bar extraction with OPV |
| Steam Wand | Automatic (3 temp, 3 texture levels) + Manual option |
| Portafilter Size | 54mm |
| Pre-infusion | Low-pressure pre-infusion |
| Water Tank Capacity | 64 oz (1.9 L) |
| Shot Buttons | Single and Double (volumetric preset) |
Who Should Buy It
The Breville Bambino Plus is the perfect choice for beginners entering the world of espresso, busy households where one person wants to geek out on beans and the other just wants a quick latte, and anyone with shallow countertops or limited kitchen space. It is ideal for those who prioritize milk drinks like cappuccinos and flat whites and want to avoid the steep learning curve of manual milk steaming.
However, advanced baristas who require full control over pressure, temperature, and pre-infusion should not buy this machine; they would be better served by a semi-automatic machine with more granular controls. Similarly, users who primarily drink black coffee or Americanos and rarely make milk drinks might find the standard Breville Bambino (without auto-frothing) a better value, as it offers the same espresso quality with a simpler hot water interface. If you are looking for the absolute highest espresso quality and don't mind a larger footprint, a dual-boiler machine like the Breville Oracle Touch would be a superior, albeit more expensive, step-up choice.
Sources
- Breville Bambino Plus Review | Tested & Rated - TechGearLab
- Review: Breville Bambino Plus - The Coffee Chronicler
- Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Maker Review [Updated 2026]
- Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus: Which Should You Buy in 2026?
- Breville Bambino Plus: The Honest Truth About This Espresso ...
- Breville Bambino Plus Review - LifeStyle Lab
- Breville Bambino Espresso Machine - CoffeeGeek
- Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine Review: Is This the Best ...
- How good is the bambino plus : r/espresso - Reddit
Alternatives Worth Considering
Breville Bambino (Standard)
The standard Bambino offers identical espresso quality and 3-second heat-up but lacks automatic milk frothing, making it a more affordable option for those who prefer manual steaming or primarily drink black coffee.
It saves money by removing the auto-frothing feature while maintaining the same high-quality espresso extraction and speed.
Breville Oracle Touch
The Oracle Touch is a fully automatic dual-boiler machine that automates grinding, tamping, extraction, and milk texturing, offering a premium 'set it and forget it' experience for those willing to invest more.
It provides a fully automated workflow with a dual-boiler system for superior temperature stability and no learning curve.
De'Longhi La Specialista Arte
The La Specialista Arte offers a manual steam wand with sensor-guided milk temperature and smart tamping, appealing to users who want more control over the process than the Bambino Plus provides.
It features a manual steam wand with sensor guidance and a smart tamping station for better control over espresso quality.
Editorial Verdict
The Verdict
The Breville Bambino Plus is the ideal entry-level machine for households that prioritize milk drinks and speed, delivering specialty-grade espresso and perfect milk texture with minimal effort. Its key trade-off is limited customization for advanced users and a small drip tray that requires frequent emptying.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, the Bambino Plus requires a high-quality grinder capable of producing fine, consistent espresso grounds. The machine's performance is heavily dependent on the grinder, as it cannot adjust pressure or temperature to compensate for poor grind quality.
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Yes, the Bambino Plus allows for manual milk steaming. You can override the automatic sensor by holding the steam button and manually controlling the wand, though the vertical movement is less flexible than a ball-jointed wand.
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The drip tray is small and typically needs to be emptied after every 2–3 milk drinks or daily for heavy users, as it fills up quickly with milk residue and water.
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While it can make black coffee, the Bambino Plus is optimized for milk drinks. The standard Bambino is often a better value for black coffee drinkers since it lacks the auto-frothing feature but offers the same espresso quality.