Breville Bambino Review: The Cheapest Way Into Real Espresso

ThermoJet heating and PID at under $500, with the milk left to you.

Specifications

Specifications above come from Breville's published product specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

If you would rather not learn the steam wand yet, the best milk frothers page compares hot, thick foam against true microfoam.

The cheapest good grinder for this machine is manual: our best hand grinders for espresso starts at under $100.

What it does well

• PID temperature control at $300, which is not something the competition offers at this price.
• Three second heat up, so it gets used on weekday mornings rather than only at weekends.
• It is small enough to live beside a kettle and a grinder without owning the counter.
• The same 54mm group and 19 gram dose as the more expensive Bambino Plus, so the espresso itself is not the compromise.
• Because there is no automatic milk system, there is less to go wrong.

Where it falls short

• You steam the milk yourself, and the wand is short and close to the drip tray, which makes learning harder than it needs to be.
• One thermocoil means a cycle between brewing and steaming. Two drinks is comfortable, four is a wait.
• Small water tank, so a session means a refill.
• One year warranty, half of what the Bambino Plus carries.
• It ships without a grinder, and a $300 machine fed supermarket pre-ground will disappoint you. Budget at least $100 to $200 more for a hand grinder.

What owners report

Owners consistently rate the espresso itself as indistinguishable from the Bambino Plus, which is what you would expect given the same group and the same heating system. The steam wand is the recurring criticism: not the power so much as the position and the short wand, which makes jug angle awkward. People who came to it after a pod machine describe the change as larger than they expected, and people who came to it with no grinder describe being underwhelmed until they bought one.

The one decision to get right is Plus or not, covered at Bambino vs Bambino Plus, and against De'Longhi at De'Longhi Dedica vs Breville Bambino. Since the grinder is where the remaining budget should go, the grinder versus machine budget calculator is worth five minutes before you order.

Who it suits

• First espresso machines on a real budget, where the grinder still needs funding.
• Small kitchens and shared flats.
• Anyone who wants to learn to steam milk properly rather than have it automated.
• Households drinking one or two coffees at a time.

Who should skip it

• Anyone who wants latte art without practice, who should pay the extra for the Plus.
• Households making rounds of drinks, who need a dual boiler.
• Buyers with no grinder budget, who should look at the Barista Express instead.

Alternatives worth considering

Keep reading

• Bambino vs Bambino Plus
• De'Longhi Dedica vs Breville Bambino
• Grinder vs machine budget calculator
• Best espresso machines under $500
• Breville Bambino Plus review
• TIMEMORE Chestnut C3 ESP Pro review

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.