Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine
Breville’s Bambino Plus strikes a perfect balance between performance and convenience. Designed with precision and speed in mind, this machine is equipped with Breville’s signature ThermoJet heating system, which delivers optimum brewing temperature in just 3 seconds. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned espresso aficionado, the Bambino Plus makes it easy to prepare espresso, lattes, and cappuccinos that rival your local coffee shop.
Its stainless steel construction gives it a premium look and feel, while its compact footprint ensures it fits comfortably on even the most crowded countertops. The intuitive interface, automatic milk texturing, and consistent espresso extraction make it a standout in the mid-range espresso machine market.
Product Highlights & Features
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ThermoJet Heating System: Achieves the ideal extraction temperature in just 3 seconds—one of the fastest in its class.
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Automatic Milk Frothing: The automatic steam wand delivers microfoam texture for professional latte art and balanced taste.
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Low-Pressure Pre-Infusion: Gently expands the coffee grounds before high-pressure extraction, ensuring even flavor extraction.
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Compact Design: Slim profile (under 8 inches wide) makes it ideal for small kitchens or tight spaces.
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Durable Build: Brushed stainless steel exterior provides durability with an elegant aesthetic.
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Volumetric Control: Pre-programmed single and double shot options with manual override for custom brew control.
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Removable Water Tank: 64 oz capacity tank with easy access for refills and cleaning.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | Breville BES500BSS |
| Dimensions | 7.7” W x 12.6” D x 12.2” H |
| Weight | 10.4 lbs |
| Heating System | ThermoJet (3-second heat-up) |
| Pump Pressure | 15 bar Italian pump |
| Water Tank Capacity | 64 oz (1.9 liters) |
| Portafilter Size | 54 mm |
| Milk Frothing | Automatic steam wand with 3 texture levels |
| Material | Brushed stainless steel |
| Drip Tray | Removable with overflow indicator |
| Included Accessories | Tamper, milk jug, cleaning tools, baskets |
Final Verdict
The Breville Bambino Plus is a powerhouse in a small package, making it ideal for home baristas who value both speed and quality. Its commercial-grade features like automatic milk frothing and ultra-fast heat-up time are typically found in higher-end machines, making it excellent value for money. While it may lack more advanced customization options found in professional machines, the Bambino Plus excels in ease of use, reliability, and delivering consistently great espresso.
If you’re looking for a stylish, compact espresso machine that delivers excellent performance without the steep learning curve, the Breville BES500BSS Bambino Plus is a smart investment.
B. Ben Dor –
Perfect espresso machine
I looked for a long time for a quality non expensive espresso machine and couldn’t be happier with this machine. Beyond perfect espresso the milk frothing is super simple with professional quality. I bought a separate Brevile grinder (followed the advice to have them separate). My family now complain about store bought coffee as worse than our home coffee!!! 10 out of 10!!!
jessica delgadojessica delgado –
This is a great machine
I love this espresso machine. It’s not only beautiful, has a small footprint and doesnt take up too much counter space. Functionality wise it completely changes the coffee game, when upgrading from a cheap machine (like I did). You really can taste the difference in quality, when paired with a quality coffee bean.I’m not a huge fan of the portafilter, I wish it didn’t have a plastic piece inside it. The plastic doesnt come out and I have to assume it gets dirty underneath, so I bought a bottomless one. It comes with everything you need to get you started, but I would recommend getting a tamping station that comes with the WDT tool and coffee distributor tool.It doesnt indicate when the water gets low, so you turn it on to find the espresso buttons don’t light up, only the temperature indicators do. I thought it was malfunctioning until I noticed the low water reservoir. I even read the manual and it didn’t mention this in troubleshooting.I don’t use the milk steamer so I don’t often clean the water tray underneath. It still somehow gets filled with water, so I think it drips out from the internal parts of the machine. I assume this is just how it’s meant to function, as many others claim the machine leaks. I haven’t had any leaking onto the counter until I tried to brew without the water tray underneath.Overall it’s a spendy machine, but it works wonderfully and brews a really nice espresso. Be prepared to spend a lot more on other accessories on your journey to the perfect espresso shot. I have since bought a tamping station, puck bucket, puck screens, 3 grinders, crema mat, espresso shot glasses and latte glasses, a kitchen scale, aftermarket portafilter, and a monthly subscription to Atlas Coffee Club. Worth every penny.
One person found this helpful
Josh –
wow i got a deal!
Editing old review because I’ve owned this for like a year now.I’ve had 1 or 2 cups of espresso + steamed milk out of this thing daily for a year and it has performed almost flawlessly with no issues. The learning curve was very low and maintenance is very simple.The only issue I’ve ever had is on occasion the auto-steam function will just stop halfway for some reason. When that happens your milk will obviously still be cold or partially warm but you can’t just hit the button to restart, you have to take your cup of milk out, set it aside, run the steamer again just to clear the wand – but then you still can’t put the milk and and hit start because the device thinks you’ve just steamed your milk so it has to run its cleaning cycle… I’d say there is a 10-20% chance that happens every time I make a cup so it’s actually almost worth docking a star but since the issue is easy enough to ‘fix’ (just pushing the button to restart with no milk followed by allowing it to run its cleaning cycle I only waste like 30 seconds once or twice a week). I’ll throw these guys a bone and keep it 5 stars because I’ve had a fantastic cup of coffee every day for a year. This machine has paid for itself.So yeah just that 1 weird quirk but aside from that I couldn’t be happier with my machine. Looks nice on the kitchen counter as well.Can’t say this will be the same for you but for me I use WAY less cream and 0 added sugar using this over my old drip coffee set up. I do drink more milk obviously with just the tiniest bit of cream but compared to what I was used to with drip coffee this is so much better and more satisfying.EDIT: owned for about 2 years now – easily have brewed over 1000 times and never had any issues with this machine. It’s been flawless. Probably one of my best value purchases in terms of actual usefulness in my life… The amount of money I’ve saved at this point, never needing or wanting to purchase coffees from shops has made this one of my best purchases of my life – that sounds crazy to say but honestly it’s that good. I drink a double shot every morning 7 days a week 365 days a year and some times I do a second one around lunch. It’s also a great option when you have guests to make some good drinks.
6 people found this helpful
HannahrainHannahrain –
Loving My Bambino Plus
After a couple of months of obsessive research, I decided the Bambino Plus in Black Truffle was the espresso maker for me. My local stores often have the more expensive and advanced models of Breville Espresso machines that also have built in grinders for the same price as the normal price of this model at every retailer. That made paying full price for this model not an option to me, I just couldn’t bring myself to buy “less” for more. That led to to taking a chance and purchasing a “like new” Bambino Plus from Amazon. The one I received must have just been open box only with the machine itself never having been removed from the box and other wrapping materials, as it was wrapped exactly as they are from the factory (I verified by watching multiple unboxing videos on YouTube, prior to unboxing mine).Keep in mind I have only owned it for 6 days so far but I have ran a lot of shots, probably around 30 at a minimum, trying to learn as much as possible and it has worked flawlessly. I learned pretty quickly to make extra sure, that the temperature sensor is dry and that the milk pitcher is placed far back on the drip tray and well on the sensor prior to auto steaming or you will likely end up with milk all over, regardless of how little you may have had in the pitcher, don’t make that mistake. The black truffle looks great next to my turquoise Moccamaster and black DF54 grinder.Negatives:-Small drip tray BUT you really need to empty and clean it well after every time you steam milk anyway, as it purges into the drip tray–so is it truly a negative?-It could be made to weigh a little more, so there isn’t a need to hold onto it while locking the portafilter in.Positives/Reasons I purchased it:-It’s small, hardly takes up any room, easy to take in my horse trailer on camping trips.-No built in subpar grinder to deal with like most other Breville models. The grinder is the most important part of espresso, a great quality grinder will make better espresso that a high end commercial espresso maker and low quality grinder.-Auto milk frothing works great, I can start cleaning up and doing other stuff in the kitchen while my milk steams. I can get great at dialing in espresso before I get around to learning the art of steaming milk.-3 way solenoid, prevents soupy pucks, allows backflushing of the group head.-PID-Heats up in 3 seconds!I will update my review in the future.
5 people found this helpful
Long Time Prime Member –
Excellent quality, excellent coffee
I just got mine today and I had pre-learned about it. I had watched a lot of videos on it. Some people didn’t like it. So adjusted mine grind size differently. Watched a lot of barista’s talk about grind size what you need to do if you like this flavor profile or that, so I selected a medium grind I got organic coffee Low acid beans and 1st cup was perfect. I like to do about what’s considered three shots and a 16 ounce cup put my monk fruit in it in my half-and-half milk and cream and it was absolutely wonderful smooth delicious. coffee as good as I’ve ever gotten out of a absolutely. My coffee now is just really good! My advice is choose your beans carefully they make more difference than you may think. Always use filtered water learn about it before you get it. I was very impressed with the quality and the great results. It’s the best coffee Machine I’ve ever had. It looks very high-quality. I’m sure it’ll function perfectly for many years to come. A great investment for my morning delightful cupOf coffee. I absolutely recommend this product. If you want to become knowledgeable on it you will enjoy it.
4 people found this helpful
Iowagardener –
I’m in love!
My 20 year old Rancillio Silva finally bit the dust so decided to purchase a Breville. Much smaller than my old machine which makes for more counter space. Easy to use and made a perfect espresso on the very first pull! Steam wand works well and the machine is easy to clean. Really glad I decided to buy.
One person found this helpful
Adeep Reader –
Great Espresso, Reliably, Simply with No Hassles
I spent 15 years burning through a series of $150 -$300 dollar espresso makers, a nice used Saeco, a couple DeLonghis) and recently a Delonghi that had a pump failure after three weeks. I was so upset about the DeLonghi failing that I impulsively bought this machine, which with accessories alwas about twice what I wanted to pay after reading reviews that made it clear that in this price range, for the best quality non-automatic machines, it’s between this and a Gaggia Classic Pro. I went with the Breville as the reviews indicated it may not be easily hacked, but it works consistently and very well out of the box.Well, now I am kicking myself for not having bought this machine a decade earlier. It produces amazing shots reliably, every time. I use the stock basket, about 19 grams of espresso.grounds, tamp it with moderate pressure, and let the pour run about 14-15 seconds. I use top quality beans from a local roaster and grind to the second most fine setting on my Capresso Infinity grinder.The shots are superb without going down the obsessive espresso geek path of modifying the heater, the pump etc. I can’t say anything more about that. It heats quickly (5 seconds) and has an auto shutoff, though it’s smart to warm the portafilter by running a shot of just water through it, and it’s easy enough to shut off with a simultaneous press of the single shot and the milk frother buttons.There are a few key accessories that make it more convenient. A cheap knock box helps unload the portafilter quicker and make it more convenient to pull multiple shots -imoortant if this high quality coffee accidentally turns your spouse and kid into espresso junkies. A magnetic portafilter funnel helps make it easy to get the grounds in, evenly distributed and tamped. A nice little stainless putcher for steaming milk helps with making A+ lattes and cappuccinos. And an open faced basket produces some interesting flavor variations though I have not mastered it well enough to produce consistent excellent taste.You will need to get really good quality beans and should have at least a decent low speed burr grinder to get best results, though foreground beans do alright if they are fresh enough – the Illy brand grounds produce a very nice flavorful shot and the Lavazza beans produce a great, traditional strong Italian type shot but fresh local beans may give a much nicer flavor.I’ve had it for about two months so far and have pulled at least four or five shots daily between Americanos for my wife and double shots for myself. The taste is great, the shots have a lovely smooth crema, and I am incredibly happy with it. This machine gets criticized as it’s not a soulful Italian machine with endless hacking and customization opportunities, it is just a turnkey appliance that makes great espresso with no muss, no fuss. Look, I’ve owned an MGB and an old Plymouth muscle car, and fussy Italian espresso makers. I loved them and I loved tinkering. But I have a Toyota 4 Runner now that “lacks soul” but it is as reliable as a stone axe, I never worry about it starting when I get in, it’s good in all conditions. It doesn’t lose its lights in the rain (MGB) and it doesn’t have weird features like reverse threaded lug nuts and this oddball relay that fails at weird times leaving me stranded unless I can install the spare (Plymouth). It just works right every dang time. You might be able to find a better machine that takes your espresso shots from a 99 grade to 100 but I doubt it. Once in a while my local roaster – which has won national competitions – pulls off a 100 shot. But usually they are 99’s. Using the same beans this Breville is always a 99, no hassles.The only downside is we are drinking more coffee because this machine makes such tasty shots. It has eliminated coffee stops on the way to work and maybe in the long run pays for itself. But the real reason to buy is that life is too short to drink bad coffee. You are going to drink coffee anyhow; you might as well drink coffee that astounds you and puts a smile on your face every morning. Buy once, cry once.
82 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
Simple and fancy, and it makes amazing espresso.
I’m 3 months in and I love the machine. Like you, I read all the reviews because I want the best but don’t want to pay for garbage. For context, I used a fully automatic (competitor brand) unit for years, but downgraded to a manual (same competitor brand) because I grew up with Cuban coffee and it took forever to make 4 shots. If you are upgrading from a manual, this will feel natural. The only thing I have can comment on is the one or two shot settings are based on time not flow, so because us humans can’t get exactly the same amount of grind in the cup every time, I may have to push the buttons once more to top it off. I have changed the timing settings now that I have my grind texture dialed in, and it works perfect.Things I have noticed that many others have complained about; the whole issue with the wand wanting to do a flush, not sure why everyone is making a big deal. Just use the same cup you frothed your milk with to catch the water and it’s a done deal. It does use a lot of water, so if for some reason it stops halfway through a cycle or refuses to make more after you press the button, check the water level, because there is no indication that it’s empty even though it has a float sensor.Also, I chose this brand because the other manual cup only had a single pin hole to make pressure and routinely clogged. This one comes with many cups for both pre-grind or home grind, and the cup has all the holes so clogging won’t be an issue, although if you overstuff the grinds it will have difficulty pumping through and end up purging into the tray.It has heat settings for both steam and brew temperature, and because it is an instant-heat machine, you’ll have consistent brew temps and won’t have hot-then-cold like those with a tank. The auto froth feature works perfect. It recommends purging it right before you steam, and I agree. It’ll push out a bunch of water before it starts to steam.Speaking of brew quality, it’s perfect. I have no complaints on the actual taste. Once you learn how to work the machine and get your grind texture down, you’ll be well on your way to a happy morning. Quality seems fine, it has enough metal where it matters and the trim plastic seems durable enough to last. I love the dark red and chrome design, it goes well with my black and stainless kitchen. If I had any complaints, I wish the pump was a little stronger to be able to push through finer grind without bogging down, but I like my espresso extra thick, so if you’re fine with anything finer than the coarse texture with pre-ground, you’ll be fine. Also, the controls are simple yet intuitive, but like I said I wish it had an indication for an empty tank besides just sitting there staring at me staring at it.
12 people found this helpful
JSScott –
Best espresso machine I’ve ever owned
Rise and shine, espresso aficionados! Let the Breville beast awaken your senses with the promise of liquid gold. This isn’t just a coffee maker; it’s a meticulously engineered caffeine delivery system, designed for both speed and sublime taste.Forget those drawn-out, agonizing warm-up times. This machine springs to life in a mere three seconds, like a caffeinated cheetah unleashed from its starting blocks. Functionality is paramount here; the intuitive interface allows for precise control over your brew, from grind size to extraction time, putting the power of a barista in your hands.And the espresso? It’s a symphony of flavor, a rich, velvety elixir that dances on your palate. The consistency and quality are undeniable, a testament to the machine’s precision.Ease of use extends beyond the brewing process. Cleaning is a breeze, with easily removable components and a design that minimizes mess. No more wrestling with intricate parts or spending precious minutes scrubbing. It’s designed to be efficient, allowing you to focus on what matters most: enjoying your perfect cup.While it might represent a significant investment, the Breville delivers on its promises. It’s a marriage of functionality and ease of use, resulting in a consistently exceptional espresso experience. This machine isn’t just a purchase; it’s an upgrade to your daily ritual, a testament to the value of quality and convenience. It’s a worthy investment for anyone who appreciates the art of a perfect espresso.
3 people found this helpful
toozdrthy –
Great espresso at home
My first at home espresso machine! Easy to set up, use, clean, and the automatic milk frother is so convenient. It’s pretty narrow footprint fits on the small countertop space I have available. And being so compact you might need to hold it still when turning the portafilter into place. Love using so far, great for daily use.