Breville Bambino Plus Review: The Tiny Power House Espresso Machine

Breville Bambino Plus Review

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So, are you looking to buy a jazzy and super-efficient espresso machine? If you’re thinking of getting the Bambino Plus, undoubtedly, it’s a great choice, especially for an espresso lover who cannot afford a large space.

But, like all things in life, it has a set of both pros and cons that you should consider before buying. To make an informed decision, bring a suitable machine home, and make coffee similar to coffee shops in your comfort and beyond!

In this article, I’ll show you a complete Breville Bambino Plus review by guiding you through all of the best features and downsides, interesting facts, and comparisons with other potential alternatives.


Breville Bambino Plus Review – The Details

Who needs to go to the shops every day for overpriced espresso drinks when you have the Breville Bambino Plus espresso machine at home?

From pulling a shot to making espresso-based milky beverages such as latte and cappuccino, this convenient device can become your best friend at home.

Function

There isn’t much negative about this Breville coffee maker. Though the absence of a grinder makes the Bambino Plus machine a bit incomplete, it has other valuable functions that can cover whatever it misses.

First, the dose control brings the right amount each time for a consistent coffee-to-water ratio. The Bambino Plus can make super-tasty coffee without a hitch using a 3-second heat-up time mechanism and temperature regulation methods.

Also, the pre-infusion technology slowly increases the pressure initially and draws out the intense taste. Be it in the sleepy morning or tiresome evening, the Breville Bambino Plus can help you pull awesome espresso shots.

This compact Bambino Plus machine from Breville can also prepare a smooth and silky microfoam. As the milk is steamed under adequate pressure, the coffee ensures a great taste similar to that at the cafe.

Additionally, the incorporated automatic steam wand helps make the entire coffee-making process hassle-free, from brewing espresso to preparing textured milk.

Appearance

The highlight of this Breville model is the compact footprint. Taking up only 7.7 inches in width, you can easily make third-wave specialty coffee on narrow counter spaces.

The round corners and small size make it easy to handle yet still chic and professional-looking on your counter thanks to the reflective brushed stainless steel.

The Specs

  • Weighs 3.1 pounds (1.4 kg).
  • 12.5 x 7.6 x 12.2 inches.
  • Stainless Steel.
  • Removable water reservoir capacity: 64 oz.
  • Pre-infusion function for an even coffee extraction.
  • Purge function to restore the right temperature for the next cup.
  • Automatic and adjustable micro-foam milk texturing.
  • 15 bar Italian pump for high-pressure extraction.
  • Comes with a set of accessories.

Best Features Of The Breville Bambino Plus

Part of the well-known coffee gear brand Breville’s Bambino Series that can deliver third-wave coffee quality at a faster speed and smaller size, the Bambino Plus makes it abundantly clear why you should get one with its following spectacular features.

Can It Be Any Smaller

The Breville Bambino Plus espresso machine is built using hard-core stainless steel material with a 64 oz capacity for over 30 espresso shots, yet all packed inside the dimension of 12.5 x 7.6 x 12.2 inches, very small footprint.

It’s even considered the narrowest of all Bambino products. Thus, it’s perfect for less spacious kitchens such as apartments and small homes. Some even call it the “Little Espresso Champ” for its small footprint.

Moreover, the large tank filling capacity prevents refilling it again and again after every cup, enabling it to compete with even bigger espresso machines.

Automation Is The Key

Human error can never be completely eliminated. That’s why automation comes in handy at times like this, pulling a perfect shot of espresso.

Dose Control

The manufacturer has figured out that a dose of 19-22 g of freshly ground coffee is the optimal amount to fully bring out all of the favorable qualities of coffee – the signature aroma, the deep and rich flavors, as well as the aftertaste.

By filling the 54mm porta-filter, you get a consistent brew each time for a single or double-shot of barista-quality performance.

Dose Control

Water Pressure

The pre-infusion function of the Bambino Plus gradually builds up the pressure as the grind expands to ensure one even and balanced brew is extracted from the beginning to the end.

Temperature Control

Other than the pressure, this Breville machine also has precise digital temperature control (PID) to further optimize the extraction process, effectively drawing out all of the sweet and delightful flavor notes.

Milk Steaming

No more struggling with adjusting the angle you hold the pitcher to steam the milk. No more worrying about whether the bubbles or the sputtering sound are like what they wrote in the tutorial you read online.

Automation is here to make whatever micro-foam milk texturing you desire. Pick the temperature and texture you want and let Bambino Plus help you prepare milk for barista-quality espresso-based drinks and making latte art.

Milk Steaming

The result is a silky, velvety, sweet, and mouthful layer of microfoam milk blending with the delicious espresso.

Purge Function

Some may worry about the grounds getting burnt by the initial flow of hot water from using the steam function earlier. The device brings the answer to this.

The auto-purge function released the too hot water internally to keep the thermocoil at a suitable temperature, ready to brew the next cup of espresso. The milk steamer wand itself also has an auto purging function to prevent blocking as well.

Fast And Furious

As aforementioned, this Breville model offers a faster way to get café-quality espresso. Incorporated with the ThermoJet heating system, a 3-second heat-up time is all it takes for the machine to reach the optimal extraction temperature.

Anyone Can Brew

This is one of the best beginner-friendly coffee makers. If you’re comfortable with drip coffee machines, you’ll have an even easier time with the Bambino Plus of Breville.

This machine has five easy-to-understand and highly functional buttons – single shot and double shot, brew temperature, milk temperature, steam on and off.

How do you turn on the device? Once you plug the power cord into the power outlet and switch it on, press the 1 CUP, 2 CUP, or STEAM buttons to turn it on. Then, within 3 seconds, it sets to the adequate brewing temperature.

This is one of the best beginner-friendly coffee makers

Grind beans, add to the filter basket of choice and tamp the ground. Pick your preferable settings and that’s it. The rest is taken care of by the machine. If you’re not a paper-instruction person, don’t dread it.

Breville has developed an easy step-by-step 3D interactive setup application to help you get the espresso maker up and running in no time. All you have to do is downloading the app to get access to their seamless virtual instructions.

On-The-House Accessories

This product also comes with the following useful accessories for more precise espresso extraction:

  • A 54mm tamper
  • A Razor trimming tool
  • A 16 oz (480 ml) stainless steel milk jug
  • 1 & 2 cup dual-wall filter baskets
  • A cleaning tool
  • A cleaning disc

So all you need is your own grind, water, and a cup to make coffee.

Assistance At Hand

This coffee machine also with a 2-year warranty. Breville is well-known for customer service and reliability. So you get hassle-free customer care services upon damage to any part of the espresso.


The Downsides Of The Breville Bambino Plus

Where’s My Grinder

If you’re specifically looking for a machine that comes with a built-in grinder, this Breville one sadly cannot accommodate you in that aspect. You need to get pre-ground beans or use a separate grinder to grind them, the better option, before popping them into the filter basket.

Nevertheless, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a huge drawback for those who’ve already owned a quality grinder at home. Experimenting with the grind size on your own specialized machine can be the silver lining.

If you don’t mind this shortcoming and will look for a separate grinder anyway, check out our latest reviews for grinders here.

Not Low-Maintenance

The maintenance of this little espresso champ is much similar to the other coffee machines. Cleaning can be annoying sometimes but you have to put in the effort to keep the machine in the best shape.

Generally, you need to run a cleaning cycle after around 200 extractions. In addition, the machine will also signal when you need to descale the machine to get rid of the mineral build-ups over time of regular use.

And after each use, always clean the steam wand, the baskets, portafilter, and the drip tray, so that the machine is ready to make the next person’s cup.

Get Your Microfoam Together

To coffee aficionados, the automatic milk frothing feature on this machine may be considered too thin, hence, not much appreciated, sadly.

Nevertheless, when manually texturing the milk, users can still easily and quickly make beautiful microfoam with this compact machine.

But if you’re not super-choosy and keen on their milk foam texture and thickness, this frothing function is good enough to practice latte art.

Get Your Microfoam Together

How To Clean The Breville Bambino Plus

Regularly, after every use, make sure to rinse the filter baskets and portafilter with hot water to remove any residual coffee oils. Remove and clean the drip tray with soap and warm water after each use as well. Avoid using abrasive cleaners.

Periodically, wipe the group head interior and the shower screen with a damp cloth and run an empty cycle (no grounds) to get rid of any residual particles.

And, wipe the outer housing with a damp cloth to keep the machine looking its best. Other than general maintenance, you also need to run a cleaning and descaling cycle once in a while.

Cleaning

As I’ve mentioned above, the machine will signal you to run a cleaning cycle after 200 shots have been pulled by flashing the one cup and two cup buttons alternately. Here are the instructions to perform a thorough cycle:

  • Insert the cleaning disc into the filter basket in the portafilter. Put a cleaning tablet on top of the cleaning disc. Lock the portafilter into the group head.
  • Empty the drip tray and put it back in place. Place a 68 oz (2 l) container under the portafilter and let the steam wand sit on the tray.
  • Fill the water tank to the MAX line.
  • Press and hold the 1 CUP and 2 CUP buttons for 5 seconds to enter the cleaning mode. Press either of those two to start the cleaning cycle.
  • The machine goes back to the ready mode when the cycle is complete. Remove and rinse the portafilter, cleaning disc, drip tray, and container.

Descaling

When the 1 CUP, 2 CUP, and STEAM button flash alternately for 15 seconds, the Bambino machine indicates that it needs descaling. Here is how to perform a cycle:

  • Empty the drip tray and put it back in place.
  • Fill the water tank to the DESCALE line and add a descaling agent to the water.
  • Place a 68 oz (2 l) container under the portafilter.
  • Simultaneously press 1 CUP and STEAM buttons to turn the machine off and let it cool down.
  • Press and hold 1 CUP and STEAM buttons to enter the descaling mode. Press either of those two to start the descaling cycle.
  • When the descaling solution is used up, the descale mode is paused. Refill the tank to the MAX line, discard the wastewater in the 68 oz (2 l) container, and put them back in place. Press either 1 CUP or STEAM button again to resume.
  • The machine goes to standby mode when the cycle is complete.
  • Remove and rinse the drip tray, tank, and container.

Main Competitor – How Does It Compare?

Bambino Plus Vs Barista Express

Bambino Plus Vs Barista Express

In terms of taste, generally, both Breville espresso machines can produce a café quality and rich brew. The thoughtful extraction mechanism draws a flavourful brew within a couple of minutes. The main differences between these two masterpieces mostly lie in the enticing milk steaming and grinding processes. 

Barista Express makes a perfect all-in-one espresso machine with a built-in grinder, high-quality manual milk steaming, and latte functions. You can make espresso with the freshest beans every time with this device while saving money from getting an extra grinder.

On the other hand, though the Bambino Plus lacks the built-in grinder feature, it makes milk-steaming effortless thanks to the automated steam wand with adjustable milk temperature and texture, relieving you from almost 80% to 90% of the work.

Another big difference is the size. The Bambino Plus is designed to be super compact and light, a field the Barista Express doesn’t compete in. Next, the ThermoJet heating system of Bambino Plus is hard to beat, ready to brew in only 3 seconds, while the Barista Express takes the usual 10 times that. 

So if you’re super busy in the morning and every second is precious, you know who the winner is. Overall, it’s a bit tricky to evaluate these two espresso machines. 

If you’ve got a good coffee bean grinder already, Bambino is an ideal choice that’s easy to use and compact. Otherwise, Barista Express comes less expensive with all functionalities, including a grinder.


Our Final Verdict

Although the Breville Bambino Plus espresso machine is expensive, it’s worth buying, especially if you have limited space and have already invested in or are looking to buy a separate grinder.

The hassle-free brewing process and semi-automatic technology make the product outshines the rest. Moreover, Bambino Plus’s best suited for beginners and is often termed an entry-level machine.

In a nutshell, the espresso machine, Breville Bambino Plus, is one of the must-buys for home baristas that ensures high comfort, convenience, and tasty brews.

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