Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus: Which Should You Buy?

Short answer: on paper, the two machines make espresso the same way. The difference is milk. The Bambino has a manual steam wand: you learn to texture milk yourself. The Bambino Plus has an automatic steam wand that textures milk for you, with adjustable temperature and texture.

• Want to learn latte art, or mostly drink straight espresso? → Breville Bambino
• Want great lattes with no practice? → Breville Bambino Plus

Side-by-side specs

What’s the same

Both machines use Breville’s ThermoJet heating system. Breville says it reaches extraction temperature in 3 seconds and uses up to 32% less energy annually than a Thermoblock system (Breville’s internal benchmark). Both use a 54 mm portafilter designed around an 18 g dose, start each shot with low-pressure pre-infusion, then extract at 9 bar. Both have simple one-touch 1 and 2 shot buttons.

If you only drink straight espresso or Americanos, the spec sheet gives no reason to pay for the Plus.

The big difference: milk

Bambino: manual steam wand

You control the steam wand and the pitcher. That means a learning curve: getting smooth microfoam takes practice. But it’s also how you learn latte art, and many hobbyists enjoy it.

Bambino Plus: automatic steam wand

Set the pitcher on the tray, choose one of 3 milk temperatures and 3 texture levels, and the wand textures the milk for you. Breville says it produces microfoam ready for latte art. You can still switch to manual steaming when you want to practice.

Who benefits most: people who mainly drink lattes or cappuccinos, households where more than one person makes drinks, and gift recipients who aren’t coffee hobbyists.

Other differences

• Accessories: the Plus adds Breville’s Razor dosing tool and a 16 oz stainless jug.
• Size: the Plus is a bit deeper and taller (7.4 in vs 6.1 in deep; 14.3 in vs 13.5 in tall).
• Hot water: Breville lists “steam and hot water” on the Bambino’s interface but doesn’t mention hot water on the Plus page. If you drink Americanos, confirm before buying.

Neither has a grinder

Both machines need finely ground coffee. You can use pre-ground espresso coffee, or add a burr grinder: - OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder: stainless conical burrs, 15 settings plus micro-settings (OXO marks 1–5 for espresso) - Breville Smart Grinder Pro: 60 settings, Dosing iQ in 0.2-second steps, grinds straight into a 54 mm portafilter with the included cradle

If you’d rather have the grinder built in, look at the Breville Barista Express (16 grind settings) instead.

Verdict

Whichever you choose, budget for a grinder or good pre-ground espresso. That makes as much difference as the machine.

See the Breville Bambino → · See the Breville Bambino Plus →

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Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Specs from breville.com as of October 2026 and may change.