Breville Barista Express vs Breville Bambino Plus
Get the Barista Express. Unless you already own a good grinder or your kitchen is small — then the Bambino Plus, with milk that froths itself.
Breville Barista Express
Hands-on espresso with a built-in grinder — the classic first serious machine.
Breville Bambino Plus
Real café-style espresso and automatic milk, if you're happy to learn.
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Both make café-style espresso once you've practised. The Barista Express has the grinder built in, so there's nothing else to buy; the Bambino Plus is small, heats up in seconds and froths milk for you, but you need a separate grinder.
- —You don't own a grinder.
- —You want to tweak dose, grind and temperature.
- —You'd rather not buy a separate grinder.
- —You already have a good grinder.
- —Your kitchen is small.
- —You want the milk frothed for you.
Key differences
Pros and cons
- +Built-in grinder with dose control
- +Rich espresso with good crema
- +Steam wand for proper milk texture
- −It's noisy when grinding.
- −It gets a little messy around the grinder.
- −The filter baskets are fiddly to take out of the portafilter.
- +Better espresso than bean-to-cup
- +Froths milk for you
- +Small and heats up in seconds
- −There's a learning curve — expect a week or two of so-so shots.
- −A good grinder adds to the cost — budget for one.
Ready to choose?
- Is the Barista Express worth it?
- Is the Bambino Plus worth it?
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How we reached this verdict
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: TechRadar, Trusted Reviews, Tom's Guide, manufacturer specifications.