Breville Bambino Plus

Breville Bambino Plus

By Breville · Espresso Machines · Kitchen & Cooking

  • 3-second heat-up via ThermoJet heating system
  • Automatic milk texturing wand (also has manual mode)
  • 54mm portafilter, 15-bar pump, PID-style digital temperature control
  • Compact footprint, no built-in grinder

Lowest price seen
$399.95
from $399.95 at Breville · Checked Sep 28, 2026

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Problems, parts and running costs

Summary

The Breville Bambino Plus is a compact semi-automatic espresso machine with a 54 mm portafilter, a ThermoJet heater Breville claims is ready in three seconds, and an automatic steam wand that also works in manual mode. Two things to sort out before buying: there is no built-in grinder and Breville’s own entry-level grinder could not grind fine enough for it, and the machine only makes sense at a sale price rather than its list price.

Strengths

  • The automatic steam wand produces usable microfoam without technique and can also be used manually.
  • Heat-up is genuinely fast: the test measured under 10 seconds from cold and about 4 seconds from standby.
  • Once dialled in with a good grinder, the test pulled 36.1 g in 25 seconds with thick crema and good taste.
  • Recovery between pulling a shot and steaming is a couple of seconds, so the wand is usable almost immediately.
  • The machine is narrow, about 7 in wide, and the included milk jug has a good angled spout.
  • The wand purges itself when returned to position after steaming.

Weaknesses

  • There is no grinder built in, so budget for a separate one; Breville’s own Dose Control Pro could not reach a proper shot.
  • The group head is stiff and awkward to insert the portafilter into.
  • The machine vibrates heavily during extraction and steaming, so don’t leave accessories on top of it.
  • The stainless exterior tarnishes quickly and needs regular wiping.
  • The drip tray is small and its full indicator is slow, which risks overflow.
  • The steam wand only moves up and down, so it cannot be used with the portafilter locked in.

Verified specifications

ModelBambino Plus, code BES500; the US brushed-stainless SKU is BES500BSS1BUS1.
Typesemi-automatic, ground coffee, no built-in grinder.
Pump and pressure15-bar Italian pump; Breville states a 9-bar extraction after low-pressure pre-infusion.
Portafilter and dose54 mm stainless steel portafilter dosed at 18 g.
Basketssingle-wall and dual-wall in 1-cup and 2-cup sizes.
HeatingThermoJet, claimed ready in three seconds; the one hands-on test measured under 10 seconds from cold and about 4 seconds from standby.
Steam266°F steam; automatic mode with 3 milk temperatures and 3 texture levels, plus manual texturing.
Interfaceone-touch 1-cup and 2-cup volumetric buttons plus steam; volumes are user-programmable.
Default volumes30 ml single and 60 ml double, though the hands-on test measured about 32–35 g from the auto setting.
Temperature controlBreville says “precise temperature control”; the hands-on test says the machine has a PID, which the manual could not confirm.
Water tank64 fl oz (about 1.9 L).
DimensionsBreville lists 11.9 × 7.4 × 14.3 in and the hands-on review lists the same three numbers in a different order, so read width as roughly 7.4–7.6 in, height 11.9 in and depth 14.2–14.3 in.
Weightnot published by Breville, and the one source with a figure contradicts itself, so no weight is quoted here.
Included54 mm tamper, Razor Precision Dosing Tool, 16 fl oz (480 ml) milk jug, 1-cup and 2-cup filter baskets, cleaning tool and cleaning disc.
Full research notes and sources

Heat-up, shots and steam

The mechanism is the well-documented part. A 15-bar Italian pump feeds a 54 mm stainless steel portafilter that Breville doses at 18 g, with low-pressure pre-infusion ahead of a stated 9-bar extraction. That 15-bar figure is a pump rating, and Breville’s own page is clear the puck sees 9 bar. Heating is ThermoJet, claimed ready in three seconds, and the one readable hands-on review measured under 10 seconds from cold and around 4 seconds from standby, so expect a cold first shot to take longer than the headline. The steam side is the reason this machine costs what it does: 266°F steam with an automatic wand offering 3 milk temperatures and 3 texture levels, plus full manual texturing when you want it.

In the test, the reviewer pulled 36.1 g in 25 seconds on auto mode with third-party grinders and reported good crema and taste. Automatic steaming handled 200 ml of milk in 1 minute 10 seconds, manual steaming took about the same, and recovery between pulling a shot and using the wand was a couple of seconds. The auto-froth texture came out denser than a flat white needs. The default volumes, 30 ml single and 60 ml double, tend to overshoot slightly, with the test measuring about 32–35 g from the auto setting.

Grinder and running costs

A separate grinder is a real cost, not an optional extra. The machine has no integrated grinder, and the review found Breville’s own entry-level Dose Control Pro could not grind fine enough to hit a 25–28 second extraction, reaching only 15 seconds even after burr adjustment. Breville publishes maintenance guides for cleaning the portafilter and basket, the shower screen and the drip tray, for purging the group head, running a cleaning cycle, descaling, backflushing and clearing the steam wand, and it sells cleaning tablets and descaling solution for routine upkeep.

Warranty and upkeep

Breville’s Limited Product Warranty covers defects in materials or workmanship from the date of purchase or delivery, with repair, replacement or reimbursement at Breville’s discretion. It requires the original or a copy of the retailer receipt as proof of purchase, is non-transferable, and is valid only for products bought and used in North America. It is void for commercial use, unauthorized sellers, wear and tear, corrosion, misuse, or use against the instruction manual. Typical turnaround is up to 10 business days plus shipping, parts and paid repair remain available after expiry through authorized servicers, and after-warranty parts carry the balance of the original period or 90 days, whichever is longer. The document does not state a duration in years and points to the product page instead, so the warranty length is unresolved.

Is it worth it?

Wait for a sale. At the list price this is expensive for the entry tier, and the hands-on review names cheaper machines with broadly similar specifications. At the sale price it is defensible for someone who wants a narrow footprint and genuinely automatic milk texturing that works. Above the list price it is not defensible on the evidence available, and the same review’s conclusion is that this is a good first proper espresso machine but not one for an enthusiast, who should buy a dual-boiler to brew and steam at the same time. Budget for a grinder either way.

Which model this is

This page covers the Breville Bambino Plus, model code BES500. The Amazon listing for the brushed-stainless US variant is ASIN B07JVD78TT. It is not the non-Plus Bambino (BES450), which has no automatic milk function, and not Breville’s grinder-equipped models such as the Barista Express. In the UK and Australia the same machine is branded Sage Bambino Plus.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

  • No owner forum or Reddit discussion of this exact model could be retrieved.

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