Home › Compare › Breville Bambino vs Breville Bambino Plus
⚖️ Head-to-Head · 2026Same ThermoJet heater, same 54 mm portafilter, same 9-bar pump, no grinder in either. The Bambino Plus costs more for one headline reason - an automatic steam wand - and this page is the two review records side by side so you can decide whether that reason is yours. Both machines were evaluated on the same published rubric, from documented evidence, and this page is those two records side by side. We have not physically tested either.
Written and reviewed by the CoffeeLabAdvisor editorial team · Published 7 September 2026
The whole comparison sits in one row of the spec table: steam wand, manual on the Breville Bambino, automatic on the Breville Bambino Plus. Almost everything else is shared - the 3-second ThermoJet heater with PID control, the 54 mm portafilter, the 9-bar pump, the two-year warranty, and the fact that neither machine grinds coffee. What separates them is milk.
Every row below is resolved from the two catalog records, not from a preference of ours; where the records tie, the row says so.
| If what matters most to you is… | Then | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Milk drinks without learning to steam | Breville Bambino Plus | its steam wand is recorded as automatic |
| Oat, soy or almond milk most days | Breville Bambino Plus | it carries the higher plant-milk rating in our records |
| The smallest possible footprint | Breville Bambino | it is the narrower machine on the catalog dimensions |
| Spending the least on the machine so more goes to the grinder | Breville Bambino | it is the lower catalog price, and both need a grinder |
| Learning to texture milk by hand for latte art | Breville Bambino | its manual wand is the one you control from start to finish |
| Fastest heat-up | Breville Bambino | both are recorded at about 3 seconds, so this row is a tie |
We publish a score only for award winners, on the award page that justifies it, so this comparison is decided on what the two machines do rather than on a number. In the words of the two review records: the Breville Bambino is The best ultra-compact espresso machine under $400: 3-second heat-up and a 54mm group in the smallest footprint, but no grinder and a modest steam wand. Espresso-first buyers on a budget should start here. The Breville Bambino Plus is The best entry-level espresso machine with an automatic steam wand: 3-second heat-up, 54mm group and excellent plant-milk support in a compact footprint. The ideal pick for milk-forward home drinkers.
| Breville Bambino | Breville Bambino Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Machine type | Semi-Automatic | Semi-Automatic |
| Model number | BES450 | BES500 |
| Heating system | ThermoJet | ThermoJet |
| Heat-up (manufacturer) | About 3 seconds | Not stated |
| PID temperature control | Not listed | Not listed |
| Manufacturer pressure figure | 9 bar pump rating* | 9 bar pump rating* |
| Portafilter | 54 mm | 54 mm |
| Built-in grinder | No | No |
| Steam wand | Manual | Automatic |
| Plant-milk rating (ours) | 4 / 5 | 5 / 5 |
| Water tank | 1.9 L | 1.9 L |
| Dimensions (W×D×H) | 16.0 x 32.0 x 31.8 cm | 19.6 x 32.0 x 31.8 cm |
| Weight | 5.4 kg | 5.7 kg |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
| Catalog price | $300 | $499 |
* Pressure figures are manufacturer-published pump ratings. A pump rating is the pump's maximum, not the pressure at the coffee during a shot, and we have not measured brew pressure on either machine, so the two numbers are shown because the manufacturers publish them, not as comparable measures of extraction. † Marked figures are not confirmed on a manufacturer source for the exact model number listed above; we have left our tracked value in place rather than substitute an unverified one. Catalog prices are our tracked figures; the live price at retail applies. Plant-milk ratings are our own documented 1–5 scoring, published on each review page.
Portafilter sizes for every machine we cover, with sources, are on our portafilter size chart; footprints are on the dimensions chart.
Neither machine has a built-in grinder — Breville Bambino: No; Breville Bambino Plus: No — so the honest comparison is between two complete setups. The table adds the same reference grinder to both: the Baratza Encore ESP, the entry espresso-positioned grinder in our catalog that we hold a full review of.
| Setup | What it is | Total, at live prices |
|---|---|---|
| Breville Bambino + Baratza Encore ESP | Machine plus the reference grinder | $500 |
| Breville Bambino Plus + Baratza Encore ESP | Machine plus the same grinder | $700 |
Because the grinder is identical on both sides, the setup gap is exactly the machine gap: about $200 more for the Breville Bambino Plus at live prices. What changes with the grinder is the proportion — the same difference is a larger share of a modest setup and a smaller share of an ambitious one:
| Pair either machine with… | Grinder price | Breville Bambino setup | Breville Bambino Plus setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIMEMORE Chestnut C3 ESP | $99 | $399 | $599 |
| Baratza Encore ESP | $200 | $500 | $700 |
| Option-O Lagom P80 | $1,595 | $1,895 | $2,095 |
Cheapest, mid and dearest of the espresso-capable grinders we track, taken by price rank rather than chosen — so the spread is our catalog's, not a selection made to suit the conclusion. The dearest row is the edge of that range, not a pairing we would suggest for a first setup.
Breville built the Bambino line as one espresso platform with two milk systems, and our records read that way. Both machines use the ThermoJet heater, which Breville states reaches extraction temperature in about 3 seconds, with PID temperature control - a point worth stating plainly because it is commonly misreported: our review standard records that the standard Breville Bambino has PID, fixed at its factory temperature, and that the Breville Bambino Plus has PID too. Both pump at a 9-bar rating, both use the 54 mm portafilter shared across Breville's home range, both are single-heater machines that brew first and steam second, and both carry a two-year warranty in our catalog.
And both have no grinder. That sentence does more work than any other on this page: whichever Bambino you buy, the shot quality will be set mostly by the grinder beside it, and the grinder is a separate purchase that our records list as a con on both machines. The arithmetic section below adds that cost to both sides so the comparison is between complete setups, not between two boxes.
The Breville Bambino has a manual steam wand: you position the jug, open the steam, stretch the milk with the tip near the surface for the first seconds, then submerge to spin and heat, and you stop when the jug is too hot to hold. Our record describes it as capable of decent microfoam, and lists it as less powerful than the Breville Bambino Plus's. The Breville Bambino Plus has an automatic wand: you set the temperature and the foam level, lower the jug onto the sensor, and the machine steams to the target and stops, then purges itself. Our record lists that consistency as the headline pro, and the review notes it can be switched to manual mode when you want control.
Which is better depends on what you want from milk. If the goal is a reliable latte or flat white every morning with no learning curve, the automatic wand is the whole reason the Breville Bambino Plus exists, and it is the reason our record marks it as best for milk-drinkers who want consistent café-style lattes. If the goal is to learn milk - to pour a rosetta, to texture a cappuccino cap that is stiffer than a latte's, to steam a 3-oz cortado pour - a manual wand is the tool you learn on, and the Breville Bambino's is recorded as capable of it. The Breville Bambino Plus can do the manual job as well; the Breville Bambino cannot do the automatic one. That asymmetry is what the price difference buys.
A practical note on the automatic wand that our review records and that buyers often miss: it steams to a set temperature and foam level, so it produces a consistent latte-style microfoam. A thick cappuccino cap is a different texture, and on the Breville Bambino Plus you get there either by choosing the higher foam setting or by switching to manual. Our cappuccino vs latte guide explains why the two drinks ask different things of the wand.
This site rates every reviewed machine for plant-milk suitability on a 1-to-5 scale, documented per machine. The Breville Bambino carries 4; the Breville Bambino Plus carries 5, the highest rating in our catalog, which the review attributes to the automatic wand's consistency with barista-formulation oat and soy milks. Plant milks are less forgiving of over-heating and of too much air than dairy, so a wand that stops at a set temperature removes the two most common ways an oat latte goes wrong. If most of your milk is plant milk, the Breville Bambino Plus's rating is a documented reason to pay the premium rather than a marketing one.
Our catalog records the Breville Bambino at 16.0 cm wide against 19.6 cm for the Breville Bambino Plus, with the same 32.0 cm depth and 31.8 cm height, and the Breville Bambino lighter at 5.4 kg against 5.7 kg. Both are compact by any standard - our Breville Bambino record calls it the smallest footprint of any quality espresso machine we cover, and our Breville Bambino Plus record lists a compact footprint among its pros - but on a counter where every centimetre is spoken for, the Breville Bambino's extra 3.6 cm of clearance is real. Remember that either machine needs a grinder beside it: the true footprint of a Bambino setup is the machine plus whatever grinder you choose, which our dimensions chart lets you add up.
Neither Bambino grinds, and our records list that as a con on both. It is also the reason the Bambino architecture appeals to people who expect espresso to become a hobby: the grinder is separate, so it can be chosen well and upgraded later without replacing the machine. The table above prices each Bambino with the entry espresso-positioned grinder we hold a review of, so the two totals are comparable complete setups; change the grinder and both totals move by the same amount, which is why the gap between the two setups stays exactly the gap between the two machines.
Which grinder to pair is its own evaluated question. Our compatibility study for the Breville Bambino and its sibling for the Breville Bambino Plus rank the candidates from the same compatibility data, and the grinder pairing tool answers it interactively. The short version: any grinder that can grind fine enough for espresso works with either Bambino, because the machine side of the pairing is identical.
Buy the Breville Bambino if you drink espresso, americanos or the occasional cortado, if counter width is the constraint, or if you want to put the savings into a better grinder - which, on a machine without one, is where the shot quality lives. Our record marks it as best for espresso-first buyers in small kitchens. Buy the Breville Bambino Plus if lattes, flat whites or oat-milk drinks are most of what you make, if more than one person will use the machine and not all of them want to learn a steam wand, or if consistency matters more to you than control. Our record marks it as best for milk-drinkers who want consistent café-style lattes, and the automatic wand is the documented reason.
If you are choosing between a Bambino and an all-in-one with a built-in grinder, that is a different architecture decision - our Barista Express vs Barista Pro comparison covers the other Breville pair, and the machine finder asks the five questions that decide it.
| Breville Bambino | Breville Bambino Plus |
|---|---|
| Smallest footprint of any quality espresso machine | ThermoJet heating reaches optimal temperature in 3 seconds |
| 3-second ThermoJet heat-up time | Automatic steam wand produces microfoam consistently |
| Surprisingly good espresso for its size | PID temperature control for stable extraction |
| Manual steam wand capable of decent microfoam | Compact footprint fits small kitchens |
And where each loses — from the same review records:
| Breville Bambino | Breville Bambino Plus |
|---|---|
| No built-in grinder (separate purchase required) | Single boiler — cannot steam and brew simultaneously |
| Single boiler limits workflow | No built-in grinder (requires separate purchase) |
| Steam wand is less powerful than the Bambino Plus | Small drip tray requires frequent emptying |
| Small drip tray |
Semi-Automatic · 54 mm portafilter · No grinder · Manual steam
The best ultra-compact espresso machine under $400: 3-second heat-up and a 54mm group in the smallest footprint, but no grinder and a modest steam wand. Espresso-first buyers on a budget should start here.
Check price on Amazon →
Semi-Automatic · 54 mm portafilter · No grinder · Automatic steam
The best entry-level espresso machine with an automatic steam wand: 3-second heat-up, 54mm group and excellent plant-milk support in a compact footprint. The ideal pick for milk-forward home drinkers.
Check price on Amazon →For milk drinkers, our records say yes: the Breville Bambino Plus adds an automatic steam wand that textures microfoam consistently, and it carries the highest plant-milk rating in our catalog. For espresso-first buyers who steam rarely, the standard Breville Bambino pulls the same ThermoJet, PID-controlled 54 mm shot for less, and the saving is better spent on the grinder both machines need.
Yes. Our review standard records that the standard Breville Bambino has PID temperature control, fixed at its factory brew temperature, and that the Breville Bambino Plus has PID as well. Both use Breville's ThermoJet heater, which Breville states reaches extraction temperature in about 3 seconds. The two machines differ in their steam systems, not in how they heat brew water.
On the records we hold, yes: same 54 mm portafilter, same 9-bar pump rating, same ThermoJet heating with PID, and no grinder in either, so the shot depends mostly on the grinder you pair. Both sit on the same rubric, and the difference is the milk system and its consequences, not the extraction.
Yes. Our Breville Bambino Plus review records that the automatic wand can be switched to manual mode when you want more control, so the Breville Bambino Plus can do everything the Breville Bambino's manual wand does and add the automatic option on top. The Breville Bambino cannot be upgraded to automatic steaming; that asymmetry is what the price difference buys.
The Breville Bambino Plus. Our per-machine plant-milk rating puts it at 5 out of 5, the highest in the catalog, against 4 for the Breville Bambino. Plant milks are less forgiving of over-heating and excess air than dairy, and an automatic wand that stops at a set temperature and foam level removes the two most common ways an oat latte goes wrong.
Any grinder capable of a true espresso grind - the machine side of the pairing is identical for both Bambinos. Our compatibility studies for the Breville Bambino and the Breville Bambino Plus rank the candidates from the same data, and the setup table on this page prices each machine with the entry espresso-positioned grinder we hold a review of, so you are comparing complete setups rather than bare machines.
Sources for this page: every score, spec, pro and con is rendered from the same two records that produce the Breville Bambino review and the Breville Bambino Plus review; manufacturer figures carry the spec source recorded on each catalog entry. We have not physically tested either machine.