Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine Review: The Smartest Way Into Real Espresso Without a Barista Express
The Breville Bambino Plus (BES500BSS) is what happens when Breville strips the Barista Express down to the parts that matter for espresso quality and leaves the grinder out of the box. You get the same 54mm portafilter, the same ThermoJet heating, and an automatic steam wand — in a footprint barely wider than a stand mixer. For most people getting serious about espresso at home, this is the smarter buy.
What you're actually buying
The Bambino Plus is a single-boiler-style espresso machine with Breville's ThermoJet heating system, which Breville claims reaches extraction temperature in about 3 seconds. It uses a 54mm portafilter — the same size as the Barista Express and Barista Pro — which matters because that puck size pulls noticeably better shots than the 51mm pucks you find on most entry-level machines.
In the box you get the machine itself, single- and double-wall pressurized portafilter baskets, a 54mm metal tamper, the Razor precision dosing tool, a 16 oz stainless steel milk pitcher, a cleaning disc, and cleaning tablets. There is no grinder. That's the entire point of the Bambino Plus versus the Barista Express — Breville assumes you either already have a grinder or you'll buy one separately, which most coffee people will tell you is the right way to spend the money anyway.
The "Plus" in the name refers to the automatic steam wand. You can choose milk temperature (3 settings) and texture (3 settings), then walk away while the wand stretches and heats the milk for you. There's also a manual mode if you want to texture by hand.
Performance and real-world use
Pull quality is the headline. The 54mm basket plus 9-bar pressure plus a 3-second warm-up means you can be pulling a real shot from a cold start in under 30 seconds, and the shots themselves are well-extracted, not the watery mess you get from cheaper pump machines. Pre-infusion is built in — the machine soaks the puck at low pressure before stepping up — and that helps a lot with channeling on lighter roasts.
The automatic milk texturing is the other story. Set it to 60°C (or whatever you prefer) and the texture you want (microfoam for flat whites, more foam for cappuccinos), tap the steam icon, and it just does it. The result is consistently good — not as nuanced as what an experienced barista pulls by hand, but better than what most home users would produce on a manual wand at 6 a.m. before their first coffee.
Footprint is small. The machine is roughly 7.5" wide, which is genuinely countertop-friendly in a way the Barista Express isn't. Water tank is 64 oz, refillable from the back. Heat-up time means you're not leaving the machine on all day to warm it up.
- 54mm portafilter pulls noticeably better shots than the 51mm baskets on entry-level competitors
- ThermoJet heating system goes from cold to ready in roughly 3 seconds — no waiting around
- Automatic steam wand actually works; consistent microfoam without barista skill
- Compact 7.5" wide footprint fits where a Barista Express won't
- Built-in pre-infusion helps with tricky lighter roasts and uneven distribution
- $500 price point sits in a real sweet spot between toy machines and prosumer territory
- No grinder included — you'll need to budget another $150–$300 for a decent one (Baratza Encore ESP, Eureka Mignon, or similar)
- Pressurized double-wall basket ships by default; serious users will want to buy unpressurized "professional" baskets separately for better extraction with fresh-ground beans
- Single boiler architecture means a brief wait between pulling a shot and steaming milk — fine for one or two drinks, not great for a houseful
- Plastic drip tray and lower-cost build materials show their price point next to dual-boiler machines
- Steam wand is fixed-position, which limits pitcher angles for latte art compared to a swiveling wand
- No PID temperature display or shot timer — what you see is what you get
People who want espresso quality that's actually competitive with a coffee shop, in a kitchen footprint that doesn't dominate the counter, and who already own (or are willing to buy) a real burr grinder. If you drink one or two milk drinks a day and want a machine that won't be the limiting factor on shot quality for years, this is the one.
If you don't want to think about grinders, doses, or tamping, get a super-automatic machine instead and accept the quality ceiling that comes with it. If you're regularly making milk drinks for three or more people back-to-back, you'll outgrow the single-boiler limitations fast — look at the Breville Dual Boiler or step up to a prosumer machine. And if your budget is below $400 all-in, the Bambino Plus plus a grinder will blow past it.
