Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus: Which Should You Choose?

Quick Verdict

Choose Breville Bambino If…

Choose the Bambino if you drink espresso, Americanos or the occasional cappuccino and want the lowest entry price to Breville's compact format. It shares the fast heat up and PID control of the Plus, includes a hot water button, and leaves more of your budget for a proper burr grinder. The compromise is fewer milk settings and a shorter warranty.

Choose Bambino Plus If…

Choose the Bambino Plus if lattes and flat whites are your daily drinks and you want repeatable milk without practicing steaming technique. Its listing describes adjustable milk temperature and texture levels plus an automatic purge, and Breville backs it with a 2 year limited warranty. The compromise is the higher price for the same espresso hardware.

Scope and Side-by-Side Table

Both machines are 110 to 120 volt US versions rated at 1560 watts, and both use ground coffee in a 54mm portafilter with a 19 gram dose. Neither has a built-in grinder, so the full setup cost includes one. The pairing is fair: same family, same espresso core, different milk features and price.

Feature	Bambino (BES450)	Bambino Plus (BES500)
Coffee format	Ground coffee, 54mm portafilter	Ground coffee, 54mm portafilter
Heating	ThermoJet, PID temperature control	ThermoJet, PID temperature control
Extraction	Low pressure pre-infusion	Low pressure pre-infusion
Controls listed	1 or 2 cups, hot water and steam button	1 or 2 cups, steam button, milk temperature and texture levels
Milk extras	Steam wand, milk jug included	Adjustable automatic texturing, auto purge after steaming
Width	Compact (exact width on listing)	7.7 inches
Warranty	1 year limited	2 year limited
Grinder needed	Yes	Yes
Machine price	Around $250	Around $400

How We Compared These Options

We compared the two machines on equal terms: current Amazon US listings for the brushed stainless versions, Breville's published settings and included accessories, and the full setup each one needs to make espresso from whole beans. Buyer feedback was read in aggregate to spot recurring strengths and complaints.

We did not pull shots or steam milk on these units, so this page makes no taste or texture claims of its own. Statements about features cite the listing for the exact model, and judgments about who suits which machine are labeled as our assessment. Where the listings use similar wording for both machines, we point that out rather than guessing at a difference.

Coffee Preparation and Adjustment

What Each Option Supports

On the espresso side, the two machines are close to identical on paper. Both use the ThermoJet heating system, which Breville says reaches extraction temperature in 3 seconds, and both use digital PID temperature control for steady water temperature. Both apply low pressure pre-infusion before full pressure, and both offer one and two cup buttons with a 54mm portafilter dosed at about 19 grams.

That shared core means the shot quality you get depends far more on beans, grind and tamping than on which badge is on the front. Neither listing mentions a pressure gauge or adjustable shot temperature, so both keep the controls simple: you change the grind and the dose, and the machine handles temperature.

What Changes in Everyday Use

Since neither machine grinds, your daily routine is the same: grind, dose, tamp, lock in the portafilter and press a cup button. Grind size is the main adjustment you control, which is why the grinder matters as much as the machine. The dual wall baskets included with the Bambino help with pre-ground coffee, while single wall baskets reward a good grinder.

A realistic morning looks like this: the machine is ready within seconds, you grind about 19 grams, tamp, and pull a double. Most of your time goes into dialing in a new bag of beans, which can take a few shots on either machine. If that sounds like a chore rather than a hobby, a machine with a built-in grinder or a super automatic may suit you better.

Who Benefits from the Difference

For espresso alone, there is little reason to pay more for the Plus. Proprietary names such as ThermoJet describe a heating design, not a measured flavor advantage over other machines. Our takeaway: espresso drinkers should put the savings toward a capable espresso grinder.

The hot water button on the Bambino is a small but real perk for Americano drinkers, since you can top up a shot without a kettle. The Plus listing does not mention a hot water function, so check the manual if Americanos are your main drink.

Milk and Drink Options

What Each Option Supports

Here the listings separate the machines. The Bambino Plus lists a steam button with adjustable milk temperature and texture levels, so you choose a setting and let the wand work while the jug rests on the tray. It also purges the heating system automatically after steaming, so the next shot starts at the right temperature.

The Bambino listing also describes automatic milk texturing, but it does not list temperature or texture levels, and much of its milk wording mirrors the Plus copy. Check the current Breville US product page before buying if hands-free milk is the reason you are shopping.

What Changes in Everyday Use

With adjustable settings, a household can repeat the same latte or flat white every morning with less attention. On the Bambino, expect to watch the jug, judge the temperature and develop your own technique. Either machine handles espresso, Americano, cappuccino and latte; the difference is effort and consistency, not the drink menu.

Milk alternatives are worth a thought too. Oat and almond drinks foam differently from dairy, and preset texture levels may need adjusting for them. A manual wand lets you react in the moment, while presets are quicker once you find the setting that works for your usual milk.

Who Benefits from the Difference

Neither machine makes cold brew. Iced lattes are simply espresso poured over ice with cold milk, which both can do. If several people make milk drinks, the Plus is likely the better fit; if one patient person steams, the Bambino can work well.

Daily Use and Maintenance

What Each Option Supports

Both machines use a small button panel and a removable drip tray. The Bambino includes a steam wand tip cleaning tool and descaling powder in the box, along with a milk jug, tamper and four filter baskets. The Plus adds automatic purging after steaming, which removes one manual step.

What Changes in Everyday Use

Daily care is the same: knock out the puck, rinse the portafilter, wipe the steam wand straight after use and empty the drip tray. Periodic descaling follows the manual's prompt and schedule. Optional extras include a knock box, a milk thermometer for the Bambino and a scale for consistent doses.

Who Benefits from the Difference

We cannot say one machine lasts longer than the other, and we would be wary of anyone who claims to know. The longer 2 year warranty on the Plus is the clearest ownership difference. Buyers who value that extra coverage, or who want fewer manual steps, lean toward the Plus.

Water quality matters for both. Hard water speeds up scale, so follow the descaling prompt and consider filtered water if your area has hard tap water. Neither listing mentions a built-in water filter, so plan on regular descaling as part of ownership.

Complete Price and Value

What Each Option Supports

Checked on the same day for the brushed stainless versions sold new, the Bambino lists at around $250 and the Bambino Plus at around $400. Other colors of the Plus are priced about the same. Prices change often, so confirm the live price in the product table.

What Changes in Everyday Use

A complete setup adds an espresso capable grinder. The Baratza Encore ESP, at around $200, offers 20 fine steps for espresso and 20 coarser steps for filter coffee. Breville also sells the Plus in a bundle with the Encore ESP for around $550. Budget for descaler, a cleaning brush and fresh beans.

Running costs are similar for both machines, since they use the same baskets and the same dose. The real recurring spend is coffee: an espresso habit uses beans quickly, and freshly roasted beans cost more than supermarket ground coffee. That cost dwarfs the price gap between the machines within a year or two of daily use.

Who Benefits from the Difference

A Bambino plus Encore ESP costs about the same as the Plus alone with a cheaper grinder. For value, we would rather see buyers pair the Bambino with a good grinder than pair the Plus with a weak one. US support is the same for both, since both are Breville models sold through the same channels.

Representative Products and Pairing Limits

A Verified Pair at a Relevant Price Level

The Breville Bambino BES450 wins on price and includes a hot water button, which helps with Americanos. Its limitation is the basic milk control and the 1 year warranty. The Breville Bambino Plus BES500 wins on milk convenience thanks to adjustable temperature and texture plus auto purge. Its limitation is the price gap for the same espresso hardware.

Both still need a grinder, and both have small drip trays and tanks that need frequent attention in a busy household. Neither offers the built-in grinder of a Barista Express.

If you are torn, the Plus bundle with the Encore ESP grinder is the simplest complete purchase, since it removes the guesswork about grinder compatibility. Buying the Bambino and grinder separately costs less and gives the same espresso capability, with manual milk as the trade-off.

What the Pair Does Not Prove

This pairing compares two closely related machines. It does not show how either performs against a machine with a built-in grinder, a dual boiler or a super automatic design. If you want one touch drinks with no tamping, these are not the right category at all.

It also says nothing about long term reliability. Owner feedback for both machines is broadly positive in aggregate, but feedback is not a controlled measure, and individual units vary. Treat the warranty length as the only firm ownership difference between the two.

Results also depend heavily on beans, grind and technique. That is why the Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus question has a narrow answer: it settles milk convenience and warranty within one family, not which espresso machine is best overall. Our guide to the best Breville espresso machine compares the wider range, and the best espresso machine roundup covers other brands.

Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus: Which Should You Choose?

For Convenience-First Buyers

If you want milk drinks with the least effort and still enjoy a manual espresso workflow, the Plus is the better fit. If you want no manual steps at all, look at a best super automatic espresso machine instead, since both Bambinos require grinding and tamping.

Convenience also includes cleanup. The automatic purge on the Plus means one less thing to remember after steaming, and preset milk settings shorten the learning period for everyone in the house. For a shared kitchen, those small savings add up across a week.

For Buyers Seeking Control or Different Drinks

Buyers who enjoy learning milk technique, or who mostly drink espresso and Americanos, get the same extraction controls from the cheaper Bambino. Put the savings toward a grinder with fine adjustment, plus a simple scale so every dose is repeatable.

If you later want more control, such as a built-in grinder or a larger tank, the Bambino's lower price makes it easier to treat as a first machine and upgrade later.

For Budget and Space Constraints

Both machines fit small counters, and the Plus is 7.7 inches wide according to its listing. On a tight budget, a Bambino and a separate grinder give the more complete setup, at the cost of manual milk steaming.

Leave room above and behind the machine for filling the tank and steaming milk with a jug under the wand. A small machine still needs a few inches of clearance to work comfortably.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these options the same type of machine?

Yes, both are compact semi-automatic espresso machines with the same 54mm portafilter, ThermoJet heating and PID control. You grind, dose and tamp on both. The difference is in milk handling: the Plus lists adjustable temperature and texture levels and automatic purging, while the Bambino offers simpler steam control and a hot water button.

Which is easier to use and maintain?

The Bambino Plus is easier for milk drinks because its settings let you repeat the same milk without watching the jug, and it purges itself after steaming. Daily maintenance is otherwise the same for both: rinse the portafilter, wipe the wand, empty the tray and descale when the manual says to.

What accessories or coffee formats do they require?

Both use ground coffee, not pods, so you need a burr grinder that can grind fine enough for espresso, or pre-ground espresso with the dual wall baskets. A milk jug and tamper come with the machines. A scale, knock box and descaler are useful extras for regular use.

Which offers better value for my routine?

For mostly espresso or Americanos, the Bambino offers better value, especially paired with a good grinder. For daily lattes or flat whites made by several people, the extra cost of the Plus buys convenience and consistency. Count the grinder in either budget before deciding.

Final Verdict

In the Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus decision, the espresso side is a tie and milk decides it. Pick the Bambino if you drink espresso based drinks without much milk or want to spend more on a grinder. Pick the Plus if adjustable, hands-free milk and a longer warranty are worth around $150 to you. For more options at different prices, see our best Breville espresso machine guide.