What it is
The Bambino Plus sits in a specific and useful place: a serious espresso machine that has given up the grinder and given up counter space, and spent the difference on heating speed and milk automation. It is not a compromise version of a bigger machine; it is a different set of priorities.
The published specification
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Breville does not publish wattage or water tank capacity on the product page, and we have not filled those rows in with figures from elsewhere. A specification we cannot source from the manufacturer stays blank.
Quick picks
The answer first. Tap any row to jump to the full reasoning for that pick.
1. The machine reviewed
Breville Bambino Plus
Entry tier · The Bambino with automatic milk texturing added.
The best small-footprint machine for someone who does not want to learn milk.
The Bambino Plus is a compact 54 mm espresso machine with a ThermoJet heating system that reaches extraction temperature in three seconds, a 15 bar pump delivering 9 bar at the puck, low-pressure pre-infusion, automatic milk texturing and a 480 ml stainless jug, in a body measuring 11.9 x 7.4 x 14.3 inches.
The 18 g dose capacity in a 54 mm basket puts it squarely in the modern home-espresso mainstream, and the basket is unpressurized - so the shot responds honestly to your grind, which is what makes this a machine you can learn on rather than merely operate.
The three-second heat-up is the specification that changes daily behavior. Machines that need a warm-up get used on weekends; this one gets used on Tuesdays, and shot count is what makes people better.
The automatic milk texturing is the reason to buy it and the reason not to. It produces genuinely usable microfoam with no technique, and it does not let you control the texture, so latte art is off the table permanently.
Specification
- Portafilter
- 54 mm stainless, 18 g dose
- Heating
- ThermoJet, ready in 3 seconds
- Pump
- 15 bar Italian pump, 9 bar extraction
- Milk
- Automatic texturing, 16 fl oz / 480 ml jug
- Footprint
- 11.9 x 7.4 x 14.3 in
What it does well
- Automatic milk texturing gets a usable microfoam without practice
- Same three-second heat-up as the standard Bambino
- Fits a narrow counter with a grinder beside it
Where it gives ground
- You are paying for the milk automation, not better espresso
- Still no grinder
- Auto-steam removes the control an enthusiast eventually wants
Skip it if
Skip it if you want to learn to steam milk, if you drink espresso straight, or if you have no grinder and no plan to buy one.
2. The alternative to consider
Breville Bambino
Entry tier · A compact 54 mm espresso machine with a manual steam wand and no grinder.
The same machine with the milk left to you - cheaper, and better if you want to learn.
The standard Bambino shares the entire espresso specification: 54 mm portafilter, 18 g dose, ThermoJet heating in three seconds, low-pressure pre-infusion, 9 bar extraction. It is also slightly smaller at 11.9 x 6.1 x 13.5 inches.
The one difference is a manual steam wand in place of the automatic system, and that difference decides which model is right for you far more than the price does.
A manual wand is harder for the first month and better for the rest of the machine's life, because it gives you the control latte art depends on.
We have written the choice up properly in Bambino versus Bambino Plus.
Specification
- Portafilter
- 54 mm, 18 g dose
- Heating
- ThermoJet, ready in 3 seconds
- Extraction
- Low-pressure pre-infusion, then 9 bar
- Footprint
- 11.9 x 6.1 x 13.5 in
- Grinder
- None - buy separately
What it does well
- Three-second heat-up means it is genuinely usable on a weekday
- The narrowest footprint of any machine here
- Real steam wand you control yourself
Where it gives ground
- No grinder, so the real budget is machine plus grinder
- Manual milk texturing has a learning curve
- Small tank means frequent refills if you pull several drinks
Skip it if
Skip it if nobody in the household intends to learn milk texturing. The Plus exists precisely for that case.
3. The purchase this machine requires
Baratza Encore ESP
Entry tier · The Encore re-geared for espresso: the same 40 mm burrs on a dual-resolution collar.
The Bambino Plus has no grinder, and this is the sensible one to pair with it.
There is no grinder in the box, and the machine cannot make espresso without one. Any review that discusses the Bambino Plus without discussing this is describing half a purchase.
The Encore ESP is the natural pairing because it solves the specific problem an espresso machine creates: adjustment resolution. Its 40 mm M2 conical burrs run on a dual-resolution collar where the first twenty steps move the burrs about 20 microns per click - fine enough to actually dial a shot - while steps 21 to 40 move about 90 microns each for filter.
Burr speed is held at 550 rpm to limit heat and static, and the redesigned burr housing makes cleaning and shimming straightforward. Shims are included.
It is a stepped grinder, so you cannot land between clicks, and retention is ordinary rather than low. Neither of those is a problem at this level.
Specification
- Burrs
- 40 mm M2 steel conical (Etzinger)
- Settings
- 40 stepped, dual resolution
- Espresso range
- Steps 1-20, 20 microns per click
- Filter range
- Steps 21-40, 90 microns per click
- Burr speed
- 550 rpm
What it does well
- 20 microns per click in the espresso range is real dialing resolution
- Redesigned burr housing makes cleaning and shimming easy
- Shims included in the box
Where it gives ground
- Still a stepped grinder - you cannot land between clicks
- Retention is normal-for-the-class, not low
- Same plastic body and noise as the Encore
Skip it if
Skip it if you already own a grinder that reaches espresso-fine with usable resolution. Do not buy a second one out of habit.
The ThermoJet heater is the underrated part
Three seconds to extraction temperature reads as marketing and behaves as a change in habit. The gap between deciding to make coffee and having coffee is the thing that determines whether you make espresso on a weekday. Traditional boiler machines need a genuine warm-up, and a machine that needs planning is a machine used less often.
Since the number of shots you pull is the single largest factor in how quickly you get consistent, a fast heater has an indirect effect on cup quality that no spec sheet captures.
The automatic milk system, assessed honestly
The system heats and aerates to a temperature and texture you select, then stops. It produces microfoam that is genuinely pourable and genuinely consistent, without any of the technique that manual texturing requires.
For a household where more than one person makes drinks, this is worth real money. Manual steaming has a learning curve measured in weeks and liters of wasted milk, and in most households exactly one person is prepared to go through it.
The cost is that automatic means automatic. There is no manual mode, so the texture decisions are the machine's, and pouring latte art - which depends on controlling exactly how much air goes in and when - is not something this machine supports. If that matters to you, buy the standard Bambino.
The 54 mm basket and what it opens
A 54 mm unpressurized basket has two consequences. First, the shot responds honestly to your grind - too coarse runs fast and thin, too fine chokes - which is the feedback you need to improve. Second, it puts you in Breville's accessory ecosystem, which is smaller than the 58 mm commercial one but genuinely healthy. A 54 mm bottomless portafilter is the first upgrade worth making and it costs very little.
What it is not good at
- Volume. The reservoir is small for a machine that makes milk drinks, and four drinks means a refill.
- Simultaneous brew and steam. One thermoblock, so texturing happens after brewing, not during.
- Latte art. Structurally, not marginally - the automation is the obstacle.
- Making up for a bad grinder. An unpressurized basket has no mechanism for hiding a poor grind, and that is by design.
Verdict
If you have or will buy a capable grinder, want good milk drinks without a learning curve, and have limited counter space, this is close to an ideal machine and we would recommend it without reservation. If you want to learn to texture milk, buy the cheaper standard Bambino instead - the espresso is identical and the wand is better for your purposes. If you have no grinder and no budget for one, buy an all-in-one; this machine will disappoint you and it will not be the machine's fault.