The Breville Bambino Plus earns praise as an entry-level champ, with Tom's Guide calling it an 'ideal espresso machine for beginners.' Reviewers highlight its advanced features like built-in PID control and preinfusion, which deliver excellent shots despite its simple appearance. The thermo jet heating system provides fast warmup times, enhancing user experience. However, some reviewers note that Breville's modern design sacrifices durability and repairability. The machine appeals to coffee enthusiasts seeking quality without the complexity of higher-end models, though those wanting robust build quality may want to look elsewhere.
Full review
ThermoJet is ready in about three seconds
The ThermoJet block flash-heats water on demand instead of bringing a boiler up to temperature, so the machine is ready to pull within seconds of switching on rather than minutes. That changes how it gets used: espresso and steamed milk in immediate succession, with no planning around a warm-up. The Independent's tester, working in a small apartment, found this was the feature that made the machine viable for everyday mornings rather than weekend projects.
PID control and a ten-second pressure ramp
A PID holds brew temperature steady, and the pump ramps to nine bars across roughly ten seconds rather than slamming straight to full pressure. That gradual saturation widens the range of grind settings that still produce a drinkable shot, which is exactly what makes the machine forgiving for someone without a precision grinder. The Coffee Chronicler found it pulled well across both light Nordic roasts and oily Italian blends, which is the practical test of whether the electronics are doing real work.
Nine automatic milk settings, or take the wand yourself
The Plus in the name is the automatic steam wand: nine combinations of temperature and foam texture, run by the machine, producing microfoam without the user learning wand position. For a beginner that removes the steepest part of the curve. The Independent's tester, a former barista, was clear that automatic steaming does not match hand texturing for control, and the manual override exists for people who want a specific pour - it simply asks for the skill the automation was hiding.
Plastic panels, and Breville parts are hard to get
This is a light machine at around 7.5 pounds, built with plastic panels and illuminated buttons that look closer to a blender than to a cafe machine. The Coffee Chronicler's objection is not the aesthetics but the servicing: replacement parts are often unavailable, service costs are high, and Breville's answer to a fault is frequently a whole replacement unit. Against a stainless-steel machine at similar money, that is the trade being made.
No grinder in the box, and it needs a good one
There is no grinder, and pre-infusion only helps if the grind is consistent to begin with. Coffee Drinker puts a workable burr grinder at roughly $150 to $250 for a beginner, which is real money on top of the $499.95 machine and more counter space than the compact footprint suggests. The Independent's tester also found Breville's own built-in grinders choked on oily dark roasts, which is an argument for buying the grinder separately rather than stepping up to a combined model.
A deep clean every 200 shots
A shot counter prompts a cleaning cycle every 200 shots, and the instructions are printed on the back of the water tank, which is the sort of detail that decides whether maintenance actually happens. Daily upkeep is a group-head flush plus the wand's auto-purge. The programmed volumetric buttons are the weak point: the stops are not precise, so anyone who cares about shot weight ends up holding the button and stopping the pour by hand.
Strengths
- +Built-in PID and preinfusion technology for consistent extraction
- +Thermo jet heating system reaches temperature in under 3 seconds
- +Compact and lightweight design suitable for small kitchens
- +Includes useful accessories like a tamper and milk pitcher
Watch-outs
- −Limited repair support and high replacement part costs
- −Single-wall filter basket not included in US version
- −Buttons lack tactile feedback compared to traditional machines
How it compares
Unlike the Gaggia Classic Pro, which requires significant technique to master, the Breville Bambino Plus delivers consistent results right out of the box with its built-in PID and preinfusion technology. While the DeLonghi Dedica offers simplicity, the Bambino Plus provides more advanced features like thermo jet heating without sacrificing usability. Compared to the DeLonghi La Specialista Arte Evo, it lacks a built-in grinder but compensates with superior temperature control and faster warmup times.
Rating sources
Our 4.6 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.
