Breville Bambino Plus vs Breville Bambino
Quick take: The Breville Bambino costs $200 less.
| Spec | Breville Bambino Plus | Breville Bambino |
|---|---|---|
| Standout features | Auto Milk Texturing, 3-Second Heat Up | Pre-Infusion |
| Approx. price | ~$500 | ~$300 |
| Type | Semi-Automatic | Semi-Automatic |
| Boiler | Thermoblock | Thermoblock |
| Built-in grinder | No | No |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar | 15 bar |
| Water capacity | 64 oz | 47 oz |
| Warm-up time | 3 seconds | 3 seconds |
| Steam wand | Auto | Manual |
| Basket type | Pressurized & Unpressurized | Pressurized & Unpressurized |
| Best for | Beginners | Beginners |
| Dimensions | 7.7 x 12.6 x 12.2 in | 7.7 x 12.6 x 12.2 in |
| Weight | 11 lbs | 10 lbs |
| Warranty | 2 years | 1 year |
Pros & cons
Breville Bambino Plus
- ✓Very fast heat-up
- ✓Compact footprint
- ✓Automatic milk steaming
- ✓Great starter machine
- ✗No built-in grinder
- ✗Small water tank
- ✗Auto steam offers less control than a manual wand
Breville Bambino
- ✓Cheapest entry into real espresso
- ✓Tiny footprint
- ✓Manual wand great for learning latte art
- ✓Heats up almost instantly
- ✗No grinder
- ✗Plastic build
- ✗Small drip tray fills fast
- ✗Steam pressure weaker than Bambino Plus
What owners say
Breville Bambino Plus
The Bambino Plus is the $500 version of the same tiny Thermojet machine, and the extra $200 buys the milk. Its steam wand carries a temperature and texture sensor, so you drop it into the pitcher, press once, and it shuts off on its own at a chosen warmth and foam level - which is why it is the machine most often suggested to someone buying their very first setup, and the one that keeps showing up in households where a partner, a roommate or a teenager also has to be able to make a latte. It also adds a solenoid valve for drier pucks and no post-shot dripping, a 64 oz tank instead of 47 oz, and a second year of warranty. Heat-up is still about three seconds, the basket is still 54mm, and it still takes up almost no counter. Full owner insights →
Breville Bambino
At $300 the Bambino is the cheapest way into real 54mm espresso from a mainstream brand, and it has quietly become the default first machine in the hobby. Breville's Thermojet block brings brew water to temperature in about three seconds, the shot button doubles as a manual low-pressure pre-infusion control if you hold it down, and the steam wand swivels freely so you can set whatever pitcher angle you want. The build is honest about its price - light chassis, aluminium portafilter, plastic dispersion block, tiny drip tray - but every large community survey of home setups keeps landing on the same conclusion: a Bambino sitting next to a $230-ish flat-burr grinder is the most common budget rig in the hobby, and the machine turns up in more discussion than anything else in its class. Full owner insights →
Breville Bambino Plus vs Breville Bambino: common questions
Which is cheaper, the Breville Bambino Plus or the Breville Bambino?
The Breville Bambino is the cheaper of the two at roughly $300, about $200 less than the Breville Bambino Plus at ~$500. Both figures are approximate list prices and street prices move with sales.
Which is better for lattes and cappuccinos, the Breville Bambino Plus or the Breville Bambino?
The Breville Bambino Plus steams and textures milk automatically, while the Breville Bambino uses a manual steam wand you texture milk with yourself. An automatic system gets you a consistent milk drink with no practice; a manual wand takes a few weeks to learn but gives you proper microfoam and latte art once it clicks.