The Bambino Plus suits anyone who mostly drinks flat whites and lattes and wants the milk done for them. The standard Bambino makes the same espresso for about $170 less and suits black-coffee drinkers, or anyone happy to learn the steam wand.
Both machines share the same 54mm portafilter, the same three-second ThermoJet heater and the same PID temperature control, so the shot in the cup is the same. What you pay extra for on the Plus is the automatic steam wand, a bigger tank and a longer warranty.
Breville Bambino
The cheapest way into Breville's 54mm system. It heats in three seconds, pulls a proper 18-gram double, and the steam wand is manual, so texturing milk is on you. Owners rate it 4.4 stars from more than 150 reviews at The Good Guys and 4.4 from more than 200 on Breville's site, which is the lowest score in the Breville range, mostly over the learning curve on milk.
The tank is 1.4 litres, enough for a household of two, and the warranty is one year rather than the two years on every other Breville espresso machine. It ships with dual-wall baskets, which forgive a cheap grinder but cap how good the shot can get.
What We Like:
- Three-second heat-up
- Same 54mm portafilter as the Barista range
- Narrow, about 19cm wide
What We Don't Like:
- One-year warranty
Breville Bambino Plus
Same espresso side, different milk side. The Plus textures milk hands-free with three temperature and three texture settings, then purges the wand itself. It also gets a 1.9-litre tank, the Razor dosing tool in the box and a two-year repair warranty. Owners give it 4.5 stars from more than 550 reviews on Breville's site; the smaller pool at The Good Guys sits at 4.3.
The trade-off is a missing button. There is no dedicated hot-water outlet, so a long black means running hot water through the steam wand. It still needs a separate grinder, the same as the Bambino.
What We Like:
- Hands-free milk texturing
- Two-year warranty
- Bigger 1.9L tank
What We Don't Like:
- No dedicated hot-water button
Side by side
| Bambino | Bambino Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $350–400 | $500–600 |
| Heating | ThermoJet, 3 seconds, PID | ThermoJet, 3 seconds, PID |
| Portafilter | 54mm, dual-wall baskets | 54mm, dual-wall baskets |
| Milk | Manual steam wand | Automatic, 3 temps × 3 textures, auto purge |
| Hot water | Dedicated button | Through the steam wand |
| Water tank | 1.4L | 1.9L |
| Grinder | None, buy separately | None, buy separately |
| Size (W×D×H) | 19.5 × 32 × 31cm | 19.5 × 32 × 31cm |
| Weight | 4.9kg | 6.1kg |
| Warranty | 1 year | 2 years |
| Owner rating | 4.4 (Breville, 210 reviews) | 4.5 (Breville, 566 reviews) |
What actually differs
Milk. This is the whole gap. On the Bambino you hold the jug, find the angle and stop when it feels right; owners say it takes a couple of weeks to get consistent microfoam. On the Plus you pick a temperature and a texture, press the button and walk away. If milk drinks are most of what you make, the Plus pays for itself in mornings.
Warranty. One year against two. On a machine with a pump and a heater, the second year is worth something, and it narrows the real price gap.
Hot water. The Bambino has a hot-water button; the Plus routes hot water through the steam wand. Long-black drinkers notice this every day.
Everything else is identical: heater, pressure, portafilter, baskets, footprint. Neither includes a grinder, and both work best with single-wall baskets and a burr grinder such as Breville's own Smart Grinder Pro, which adds around $350 to either budget. If that grinder is out of reach, the Barista Express bundles one in for less than the Plus plus a grinder.
FAQs
Does the Bambino Plus make better espresso than the Bambino?
No. The heater, pump, pressure control and portafilter are the same, so espresso quality is the same. The Plus only changes how the milk gets textured.
Do I need a grinder with either machine?
Yes, for good results. Both come with dual-wall baskets that work with pre-ground coffee, but a burr grinder and single-wall baskets is where the Breville 54mm system does its best work.
Which one is quieter?
Both use the same pump and heater, so they sound the same. The auto wand on the Plus runs for a fixed time, which some owners find less noisy than a long manual steam.
