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Last checked: 14 October 2026. This guide is research-based: it draws on Breville’s official specifications, owner reviews and long-term owner reports. We haven’t run our own hands-on tests of these machines.
If you’re shopping for your first proper espresso machine, there’s a good chance you’ve ended up staring at two Breville models: the Bambino Plus and the Barista Express. They’re two of the most recommended beginner machines around, they sit close together in price, and they both promise cafe-style drinks at home.
But they’re built for quite different people. One is a compact, fast, milk-friendly machine that expects you to bring your own grinder. The other is an all-in-one with a grinder built in. Picking the wrong one is one of the most common reasons people end up frustrated, or upgrading sooner than they planned.
Here’s how they compare on paper, what owners say after living with them, and which one you’re more likely to keep.
Quick answer
- Choose the Bambino Plus if you mostly drink lattes and flat whites, want hands-free milk frothing, have limited counter space, and either own a good grinder already or are willing to buy one.
- Choose the Barista Express if you want everything in one box, don’t own a grinder, and enjoy a more hands-on routine, including steaming milk yourself.
Bambino Plus vs Barista Express: specs side by side
| Feature | Bambino Plus (BES500) | Barista Express (BES870) |
|---|---|---|
| US list price (Breville.com, Oct 2026) | $499.95 | $699.95 |
| Built-in grinder | No | Yes, conical burr with dose control |
| Heating system | ThermoJet, rated ready in about 3 seconds | Thermocoil with PID temperature control |
| Extraction | Low-pressure pre-infusion, then 9 bar (15-bar pump) | Low-pressure pre-infusion, then 9 bar (15-bar pump) |
| Portafilter | 54 mm, 18 g dose | 54 mm, 18 g dose |
| Milk | Automatic steam wand (adjustable temperature and texture) or manual | Manual steam wand |
| Water tank | 64 fl oz | 67 fl oz |
| Bean hopper | None | 1/2 lb |
| Pressure gauge | No | Yes |
| Dedicated hot water outlet | No (hot water via steam wand) | Yes |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | About 7.7 x 12.6 x 12.2 in | About 12.5 x 13.8 x 15.9 in |
Prices and specs from Breville’s official US pages. Prices change often, and sale prices are common, so check the current price before you buy. Dimensions vary slightly between sources.
The real difference: the grinder
On the price tag, the Bambino Plus looks like the cheaper option. In practice, that’s only true if you already own a capable espresso grinder.
Espresso is very sensitive to grind size. To pull a good shot with fresh beans, you need a burr grinder that can make small, consistent adjustments. Most blade grinders and many cheap burr grinders can’t do this well. Owners on coffee forums repeat the same advice again and again: the grinder matters at least as much as the machine.
So the fair comparison is not “Bambino Plus vs Barista Express.” It’s “Bambino Plus plus a good grinder vs Barista Express.” Once you add a decent espresso grinder, the Bambino setup often costs about the same as the Barista Express, or a little more.
That said, a separate grinder has real advantages. You can upgrade the machine or the grinder independently, and a dedicated grinder usually offers finer, more consistent adjustment than the built-in one on the Barista Express. Long-term owners of the Barista Express sometimes mention outgrowing the built-in grinder, especially when they move to lighter roasts.
If you don’t want to deal with any of that, the Bambino Plus also comes with dual-wall (pressurized) baskets that are more forgiving with pre-ground coffee. That’s a reasonable way to start, although you won’t get the full potential of the machine.
Milk drinks: the Bambino Plus’s party trick
The feature that sells the Bambino Plus to a lot of households is its automatic steam wand. You put the jug under the wand, press a button, and the machine textures the milk and stops on its own. Breville lets you adjust both the milk temperature and the amount of foam.
Owner reviews consistently praise this. It’s especially popular in homes where more than one person makes drinks, or where someone simply doesn’t want to learn manual steaming. Many owners also say the wand is powerful enough for proper microfoam when you use it manually.
The Barista Express has a manual steam wand only. It works well once you learn it, and plenty of people enjoy the skill involved, but there’s a learning curve. You’ll waste some milk at first. If lattes are your main drink and you want consistency with no fuss, this is a big point in the Bambino’s favor.
Speed and convenience
Breville rates the Bambino Plus’s ThermoJet system as ready in about three seconds. That’s one of the reasons owners describe it as easy to use on busy mornings. You switch it on and you’re nearly ready to go.
The Barista Express needs a short warm-up before the first shot. It isn’t long, but it’s noticeable compared with the Bambino. Owners also note that switching from brewing to steaming takes a moment on both machines, since each uses a single heating system rather than a dual boiler.
The Barista Express does have two handy extras: a pressure gauge on the front, which helps beginners understand whether their grind is too fine or too coarse, and a dedicated hot water outlet for Americanos or warming cups.
Counter space
This one is easy. The Bambino Plus is much smaller, at roughly 7.7 inches wide. The Barista Express is about 12.5 inches wide and taller, with a bean hopper on top, so check the clearance under your cabinets.
Remember that a Bambino setup also needs room for a separate grinder. Together, the two may take up a similar amount of space to the Barista Express, just in a different shape.
What long-term owners report
Because both machines have been on the market for years, there’s a lot of owner feedback to learn from. Here are the themes that come up most often.
Bambino Plus
- Loved: the automatic milk frothing, the quick heat-up, the small footprint and how easy it is for the whole family to use.
- Complaints: a fairly small drip tray that needs emptying often, a lightweight body that can shift when you lock in the portafilter, and no hot water spout.
- Kept? Owners who paired it with a good grinder tend to be happy for a long time. Frustration usually comes from using it with poor or stale pre-ground coffee.
Barista Express
- Loved: the all-in-one convenience, the pressure gauge for learning, and its reputation as a reliable “first serious machine.”
- Complaints: the built-in grinder has a limited adjustment range for some beans, it can be messy to grind directly into the portafilter, and the machine needs a bigger footprint.
- Kept? Many owners use it for years. Those who get deep into the hobby sometimes add a separate grinder later and use the Express mainly as a brewer.
Maintenance and running costs
Both machines need the same basic care: regular descaling, backflushing with a cleaning disc and tablets, and wiping the steam wand after every use. Breville includes a cleaning disc and tool with both. If you have hard water, using filtered water and keeping up with descaling is one of the best ways to help either machine last.
Warranty terms vary by country, so check the warranty listed for your region on Breville’s site before you buy. Some third-party sources report a longer standard warranty on the Bambino Plus in the US, but confirm it on the official page for your market.
Which one should you buy?
Get the Bambino Plus if:
- You mainly drink milk-based coffee and want frothing to be push-button simple.
- Your kitchen is small.
- You already own a capable espresso grinder, or you want to choose your own.
- Several people in your home will use it.
Get the Barista Express if:
- You don’t have a grinder and want one box that does it all.
- You enjoy learning the craft, including manual milk steaming.
- You like the pressure gauge and hot water outlet.
- You have the counter space.
Our take: for most people who drink lattes and don’t want a hobby, the Bambino Plus with a good grinder is the setup that’s most likely to stay on the counter. For people who want a single machine and enjoy tinkering, the Barista Express remains a sensible, well-proven choice.
FAQ
Can I use pre-ground coffee in the Bambino Plus?
Yes. It comes with dual-wall (pressurized) baskets designed to be more forgiving with pre-ground coffee. For the best flavor, though, freshly ground beans from a good burr grinder make a big difference.
Is the Barista Express grinder good enough?
For most medium and dark roasts, especially in milk drinks, owners say it does the job well. People who move to light roasts or want very fine control sometimes upgrade to a separate grinder later.
Do both machines make “real” espresso?
Yes. Both use a 54 mm portafilter, an 18 g dose, and low-pressure pre-infusion followed by 9-bar extraction, according to Breville.
Which is easier for a complete beginner?
The Bambino Plus is easier for milk drinks thanks to its automatic steam wand. The Barista Express is easier if you don’t want to buy and set up a separate grinder.
Which lasts longer?
There’s no reliable data showing one outlasts the other. Owner reports suggest both can last for years with regular descaling and cleaning. Water quality and maintenance matter more than which model you pick.
Sources
- Breville, official comparison: Barista Express vs Bambino Plus
- Breville, Bambino Plus product page
- Coffee Gear Hub, Bambino Plus vs Barista Express (dimensions and warranty notes)
- Owner reviews on retailer sites and long-term owner discussions in home espresso communities
Surendar Kumar