The Breville Bambino: The BEST Budget Espresso Machine? - Full Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ธ.ค. 2024
- This is the Breville Bambino. It’s an espresso machine that costs just $350, which is relatively low in the world of espresso machines. And I’m gonna say it. This just very well might be the best espresso machine for beginners on a budget.
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This is a GREAT machine! All I want is a good Americano or Latte in the morning and this machine fulfills the purpose. It does not take up a lot of space on a kitchen counter and is not obtrusive. It has good build quality. I'll never go back to drip coffee. Thank you Breville!!
I'm so excited! Got mine off a Facebook community group for $25! Although it only came with the machine and portafilter with dual wall filter (no tamper, missing drip tray grate and the single wall filters) - but still! Spent almost $200 for upgrades tho omg.
Picked one up for $175 from Homegoods!
I started my coffee journey with a bambino plus and a comadante c40. It was the best appliance to start due to the price and the ease of it. This machine offers you quite a bit of control in a compact form factor.
Now, after two years of usage with 2-4 daily pulls, I'm looking for my new espresso machine, can't wait to see what's next :)
Great review
get a flair 58 for espresso and then keep the Bambino+ for milk!
What grind setting did you use for the bambino? Was it the pressurized baskets or the unpressurized?
@@Btrl8thnNvr if you grind your own beans, then do not use the pressurised basket, unless if you can't grind fine enough for espresso. In terms of grind size it depends on the beans, for the comadante c40 that would be around 9-12 clicks and for the niche zero around 20-23 step. I have tried the Wilfa classic as well, on the very very first setting it can produce relatively fine coffee for espresso but it's not the best. Hope that's helpful :)
@@vtsormpa with or without red clix?
@@SONICYOUTHHHH without
The light portafilter is actually super nice for a newbie machine. Heavier portafilters take longer to heat up and newbies don't know about brew temperatures.
This review of the Breville Bambino is incredibly detailed and helpful! I love how you break down the features and performance of the machine, making it easy to understand why it’s a great budget option. The comparison with other espresso machines really highlights its value. Thanks for the practical tips on getting the best results, especially for beginners. Can’t wait to try making my own espresso with the Bambino! ☕👏
Breville or Sage ,they just forgot to add a temperature change feature, which is not very complicated if they want, it's useful for light roast, I hope they will think about that in the futur , apart from that I have this machine for 1 year very satisfied, I don't think to change it,for me it's a high game machine for home expresso .
Well I just bought the Bambino brand new for $250 based on this review. Now to start looking for all the accessories. Grinder, bottomless portafilter, pucks, etc.
Nice review! I 100% agree on a good option vs a Gaggia. Whenever I’ve used one I’ve always been surprised with how good it is. I make it my standard recommendation for a non-nerd that I know wants to avoid the rabbit hole that espresso can be. Bambino and an Eureka Facile to get started.
I agree! This is my new go-to recommendation for beginners for sure!
I started with a high-end machine with its own water connection. It took a long time to heat up and I could not justify leaving it on all the time for a few shots a day. I offloaded the machine when I switched over to French press for several years. A month ago, I started craving home-made espresso instead of the occasional shot at a stand. I found an "open-box" new DeLonghi Stilosa for $50 on e-bay. IMHO, it produces a BETTER shot more consistently than my previous high-end machine. It is ready to go in under two minutes and the pressurized portafilter makes a consistent shot with excellent crema. But yeah... when/if it burns out in a year or less, I will be buying a Bambino, no doubt about it. :):)
If you want an easy to set/use great tasting espresso that doesn’t take an eternity to make in the AM before going to work, this one is impossible to beat when coupled with a good grinder and a WDT tool. I make a latte/cappuccino in less than 2min: beans to mug (kinda cheat by using an electric frother as I usually don’t have time for the wand process). If you have 7 more minutes to spare the Profitec Go is also amazing. After that, I feel it’s “hardcore” diminishing law of return since you’ll have to spend x times more $$$$, x times more time and deal with various issues that might arise for the subjective possibility of a slightly better end product which is hobby/rabbit hole territory.
Just wanted to add that we have a very high end super automatic made by a well known European manufacturer that shall remain nameless here (think Rolex😅) at work and my humble setup that costs almost 10 times less easily beats it consistently. FYI, I tend to like darker chocolaty roasts. Hope this helps! Thank you for the content and I totally agree with you: upgrading the portafilter is a must on this machine! You don’t want hot coffee to go through a combo of aluminum and plastic before filling your cup. 😉
Living in a NYC apartment, with tiny kitchens and limited counterspace, this machine is just PERFECT. I combine it with a manual grinder which takes no space at all. This can fit almost anywhere on your countertop, or you can take it out of a regular size cabinet. And, it does make a REAL espresso. Its not a great espresso, though. The video said it will be as good or better than your favorite coffee shop... no. The body and texture is a bit inferior to a really good coffee shop espresso but its real. You can actually drink it straight and be satisfied, and not make lattes or some other drinks to hide the flavor and texture of the naked shot.
well professional and clean, love the content, you got a sub from me, can't wait to see this channel grow.
I've realized the hard way that using a 54mm portafilter on this machine is not good, and every attempt always spat out coffee inconsistantly, whether it's using different bean grinds amount, different baskets etc - even in this video which Xris say this but I can clearly noticce that the elegant wooden portafilter also spat out the coffee as you can see @ 6:49 - where the result of the crema is weak/sour looking whereas that cheap plastic one Xris doesn't like would have given him a much better result.
I have bought an official bambino 54mm portafilter on the breville website that although it looks identical to the aluminium one, the difference is that it's a lot heavier and has a premium feel. One thing you should never do with your aluminium basic portafilter is remove with the Plastic insert since this actually helps properly distribute the coffee evenly giving you a nice crema base to work with - any moron that tells you to just remove it are most likely coffee snobs and didn't use the machine enough to give that silly judgement. I've used this for over a year creating delicious cups and wonderful latte art, which I have mostly loved the results it delivers overall- just don't get hyped in modifying it with a different portafilter hoping your coffee will taste better because it won't. Hope this helps future buyers
I have the Bambino Plus paired with Eureka Mignon for almost two years now and simply cannot justify to myself switching to a setup that would be up to 10 times the price..
I do like Lelit Bianca v3, but again..
at 1:38 he says single & dual shot size, pressurized & non-pressurized. does this mean there are 4 baskets it comes with, or that the single=pressurized, and dual=non pressurized? If anyone has pics they can point me to, I'd appreciate it!
I just got the Bambino and it comes with 4 baskets.
FYI, in Canada I only got 2 pressurized baskets
I think I'm encountering a limit to either the shot duration or shot volume. The extraction stopped at 60 seconds, 160mL. Before you think I'm out of my mind, I'm trying to use it with a pressurised basket to extract tea. Can someone else confirm if their manually programmed shots can exceed 60 seconds?
Thanks for the rundown!!
Thanks! Great review!
Owner of Silvia, gcp, bambino plus, and bambino. This is a fine machine. Can compete with any of my others. Sure the gcp with the Gaggiuino mod is fun, but really not much better. Sure I can change temps vs this…but typically don’t. Same with the Silvia with the auber pid. The plus with auto steam is one benefit over this. Can you tell I’m lazy…
Yay on stocking the 54mm puck screens. I've been looking. I think I'm going for the Bambino Plus and a high end single dose like the Niche. It seems to be the most low fuss home setup.
I love my Bambino, it's small, easy to use, affordable, and my shots taste 10x better than Starbucks.
Nice review!
Any issues dialing in light roast? I want to get a machine, not too concerned with budget. While I want to go for a lelit Mara x or Bianca, I know that would be a waste of money given I don’t have the schedule/time to play with a machine other than maybe a day a week. So I was thinking either the bambino or the infuser, really the only difference I can see is the infuser has the adjustable PID which would be beneficial for lighter roasts, but 93c on bambino seems like it could be sufficient. Thanks man 🙏🏽
Bed bath beyond has this for $280 in store. Use their 25% coupon on it and bam you get it for $210. Just picked it up yesterday. Can’t wait to try with my j max that shows up tomorrow
thats a steal! congrats!
Shit I just bought it for $370 at crate and barrel. Going to check this out! Thanks!
Me tooooo😂😂❤❤❤
With store closing its $350 retail plus 40% off
Not anymore :(
I like having iced coffee. I had one in a cafe that they made with a shot of espresso poured over ice and they added some milk. I liked it and want to make my own espresso at home to make me iced coffee. Is this good enough for such kind of coffee? I haven't gone down the coffee machine rabbit hole yet, I'm still a beginner.
just scored one for 235 euro, combining it with a baratza encore esp :)
Any thoughts on the Bambino Plus? Does it resolve any of the issues you have with this unit?
I will pick one up to test out!
if you had to pick between the bambino and the Gaggia Clasico which one would you pick?
Nice video in review! I've owned this machine or appliance if you prefer. For about 2 years now. I pulled thousands of shots on it. I think it's pretty decent for the type of person that wants to make home espresso, but does not necessarily want to become a professional barista at home. I have upgraded my experience with some of the crema products. I think my next big upgrade and will probably make a huge difference. Will be a quality grinder. Most likely the niche zero.
HI Chris. I've recently purchased this machine. I'm having trouble with the quality of the shot. On checking the puck, not all is wet, and channels in just two small sections, with the rest of the coffee dry.
What am I doing wrong?
We have a very good quality expensive coffee too. Next to no crema and I feel too long a pour. I have a small very basic coffee grinder that I suspect is the problem. You mentioned the niche zero.
We live on a boat so space is at the maximum.
I'm so looking forward to having coffee like in the Breville tutorials, lovely crema, smooth and silky.
Life is too short to drink bad coffee, especially on a boat!
@@anneatkinson6262 I've actually thought a lot about what grinder I'm going to go with and may not go with an inch zero. Rather the grinder that I'm currently considering his the mignon zero by eureka. You might check that out.
Thank you for your tutorial.
I've recently purchased this machine because we live on a boat and space is precious.
I have a small cheap Breville grinder too, which I suspect is not grinding as the Bambino would like. It feels like pepper/sand although I have no real way of knowing what the machine works better on. Not too course, not too fine, but its hard to work out with this small grinder.
My shots have no crema. Nothing like the ones in your video. Milk is great, no complaints.
Also when inspecting the basket the puck is only wet in two small round areas. Is this called channelling? The rest of the puck is dry. Our coffee beans are excellent quality and fresh with a roasted on date. Also how many grams of coffee?
I love the machine, and it works well in our galley kitchen.
Hoping you can help.
Anne
Excellent video.
Only comment, it can be turned on by pressing any single button, including water or steam buttons.
Does this machine have plastic or aluminium parts coming in contact with hot water?
Currently doin pour overs at home with a baratza encore. I’d like to upgrade the grinder to something that can handle both filter and espresso using the bambino. Can’t keep track of all these new grinders. What would you recommend? For price reference I was considering the Niche
'Beginners'? I've had a number of Espresso machines over about the past 15 years. I too had Gaggia, DeLonghi and one or two others, but by far the best was one of the higher-end Breville machines. Anyway (as result of not cleaning it properly for years) my trusty Breville finally started behaving in an uncooperative manner, recently. So, I'm not understanding the 'beginner' thing you speak of, unless owning a $3000 machine means one is then a 'professional' Espresso maker? Anyway, I'm about to get a Breville Bambino, beginner or not.
@xris I have a bambino for 2 years now and thinking of upgrading to a rocket. How much of a difference is the espresso quality? I drink latte around 70% of the time so was wondering if there are any justification in spending that extra money to upgrade.
Okay… I’m getting it 😭 my last espresso machine just randomly stopped heating and I thinks it’s time for a step up
Thanks for the video ! Please which grinder do you recommend ? My budget is 200 dollar
The OXO canonical burr is fantastic.
Where's the link for the stream wand cleaning tool??
Been wavering between this and the GCP to get started with espresso. I want something that performs well with the ability go more primitive if I decide I want to become more nerdy with it. Thinking of pearing this with tje breville smart grinder and frother. I seldom drink milk drinks myself but my gf likes them. If I want a cap or a latte I'd be happy to let a separate frother do the heavy lifting. I would like to get a complete set up and I think I also need to get a scale and would like having a wood accent accessory station with a wood handle portafilter, tamp, leveler, wdt tool and knock box. Would that make for a good starter setup I could get several years use from?
The quality of the Gaggia appeals to me, the 9 bar mod looks easy but the PID mod scares me. ( Since the PID and pressure bar mod seem almost mandatory, (the internet says so..) why doesn't Gaggia just make a version with that stuff built in? Seems it would be very simple at the manufacturer level. They could probably easily do that stuff for about 50$ or less and sell that version for 100$ more.
Finally some budget options
Hey, that wooden station, where'd you get that??
saint anthony industries bloc
I recommend this machine to all wanting a semi auto without breaking the bank, in case the want milk drinks. But for 1-2 shots a day, If milk drinks are not required, I think the 9barista will provide a better cup and even more consistency 😉
i had a 9barista but it is quite a bit of work to get it going! plus a stovetop needed!
@@itsxris that is true, probably I underestimate the workflow because I’ve only had manual makers 🤣
Only $280 for cyber monday on Amazon. had to grab it
sweet deal!
Same here. Finally pulled the trigger.
Me as well.
Damn I missed out. Got it for $370 at C & B.
How much in the.philippines peso?
Is the portafilter basket pressurized or non-pressurized?
They send both.
Im finding i love my cheaper coffee equipment, as long as it works. There are some good brands for cheap stuff and some not good ones. Im getting just as good of lattes out of my $100 machine as I am with my $775 machine. Modifying cheap machines is where its at!
Name of $100 machine? Also what mods have you done to it?
@@njdavis696 Its just a delonghi ecp 3420 but i havent modded it at all. Ive watched videos of another youtuber that modded his.
I live in the 'burbs now, so there 'aint no 'freshly roasted coffee' in town. I'll stick to the Frenchie press and spice grinder for now with deeply un fresh supermarket beans. I could go about three miles to a shop that did 'em but I'm not sure if it survived the pandemic and their beans were small and very pricey. There's always a bigger fish. At least I'm a maestro on the Frenchie.
What was the steam wand cleaning tool that was used?
It's from Artpresso
There's a reason it's getting so hard to recommend other machines in that price point. The meme dream was almost on my counter until instead of the Bambino, a Flair 58, and a Bentwood, I found a Breville Dual Boiler for way too good a deal in a day trip away.
Otherwise... If it's your first machine I just can't stop recommending the Bambino/+ so much so that we call it Bambi. It's cute. It's small. It's endearing.
I just HATE the portafilter...
My sentiment exactly, down to the portafilter!
Are the pucks dry from this machine?
No because there is no discharge valve. But honestly it's more of a feature than a buck. you can do longer preinfusions and blooming shots. pucks still knock out easy after couple of minutes
Every beginner should start with a Flair lever, Pavoni lever or the like. They will learn far more about the relationship between temp, pressure, and grind than they will from a pump machine. I think you made a balanced review - well done.
i think it depends on how deep into the hobby you want to go, for someone that wants this as a hobby - for sure!
but as someone who just wants a good cup of coffee, then I think the bambino still wins :)
The answer is no. The delonghi dedica is cheaper and the steam pipe shuts off instantly. I have both machines. I bought the bambino because its filter is bigger but have gone back to the dedica as it meant adjusting drink volumes. They’re both good but the dedica pips it on price, stability and steam control
I just got rid of my Dedica and bought the Bambino. The Dedica never got hot enough. Drove me nuts.
I bought this one to start with, but after half a year I don't even understand why I should pay more and buy something else)
The Breville Bambino does have PID
Even if I can afford the 3000+ machine I still want the fast heating time
same, but it makes sense you cant heat a huge boiler that fast especially with pid control
Breville bambino makes a good latte. There are issues with the milk frother. I need to clean the tip before and after each cup. I would not buy again.
Just getting into espresso as I’m tired of spending hundreds on Starbucks/Dutch bros for my wife 😂 I’m going to make my own drinks, what is the steam wand cleaner you mentioned called? Great video!
Same! I spend too much at Starbucks/Dutch/local shops. This is my first machine. Hoping to make better coffee at home and save some money too
@@angelagrumpy962 I purchased and have been loving it! I saved hundreds already!
It’s thermojet technology, literally says it on the box dude..
▪️
A dog is a man's best friend.
🟥
my coffee keeps being souurrrr
This dude is hilarious
How much does it cost
One correction. Appliance, not machine
Rancilio Silvia is a budget beginner machine
Wow... just $350. They're practically giving it away. How can they keep on business? That's chicken food, but unfortunately not for me and for many others neither.
delongi are better and some are cheaper
nah, I love my BDB more than I would this
The problem with the Bambino is that it sits at a price point that doesn't make sense. If you want Great espresso, you can get a Flair Pro 2 for less money, and have a lot more control, or get a Flair 58 for not that much more, and get pound for pound better results. One could also get a Gaggia Classic Pro, and with a little effort, get similar great results without spending that much more. All of these options give you a 58mm portafilter as well. I think beginners should probably look elsewhere for something to start their journey with.
While I do love the flair machines, the bambino also comes with a milk steaming wand. It is probably best for those who want to get into latte art/enjoy lattes whereas the flair is better for those who are okay with purely espresso drinks or like camping. I’ve tried the gaggia as a beginner and found the bambino way more user friendly. I think this machine serves its purpose and the price point definitely can’t be beat. I had this machine and would highly recommend it for those who are on a budget but want to gauge if this hobby is for them. I think this video makes all the points I feel about this machine. Excellent review Xris!
Funny because I recently had family in the following situation - bought the Flair and realized immediately they were not nerds and wanted something easy. So I steered them toward the Bambino [Plus]. That’s the distinction - ease of use and reduced time and manual effort.
The Bambino (not plus) has a two or three wat lack of , portafilter I rarely dislike about the model design for a weiraiede spouts if a has less basket size maybe , second it may or may not the temperature setting but it tend to focus on medium to dark roast not light roast for the brew exptraction , third the water tank has small liter about 1 around for brew and steamer and fourth it doesn't have a power button icon the instructions show where to turn on and off just press one cup button and wand steam at time just about 3-6 sec to turn on/off that it on four missing problem, now on good part it a less fair price range for this machine it has quality steam milk and ok for the shot little close same as breville barista pro and express and u can focus the best pair for a best grinder such as niche zero or df64 Yadda but it quite a decent machine and it best for latte art lover for starter if you want something more suitable I highly suggested getting breville barista express or pro quality for espresso shot and steam quality. Bonus tip if u want get best tool for Bambino starter two thing u can get tamp or dual distribution tool and a small pitcher about 350 gram about 12 Oz volume
Comparing a manual machine to a semi auto makes quite literally no sense. You can't steam milk with them, and the workflow is alot more involved and no where near as convenient.
a Bambino is 250-300. a gcp is 429, the OPV kit is another 15 and a PID kit cost 110.
So it's very nearly double the price (at which point you should consider the profitec go) , not to mention you have to do all the installation and modding yourself, along with voiding your warranty. You still don't get preinfusion, and have to deal with the standard heat up time for single boilers.
If someone wants to move on from a nespresso, this is perfect. Heats up super quickly. Use a pressurized portafilter, start steaming some milk drinks, great entryway. This is not for a person that knows a flair exists…
I love espresso in the mornings but I would not pay more than $300 for an espresso machine