About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the espresso machine, which I purchased with my own money in 2023.

My take

The Breville Bambino is a great first at-home espresso machine, and it is (chef’s kiss) the best entry-level machine on the market. It is a great machine to cut one’s teeth on, but creates an environment with room to play, experiment, and grow.

About the gear

• Model: 2023 Breville Bambino
• Boiler Type: Thermojet
• Pump Type: Vibratory

About me

• Experience: I have been in the coffee industry on and off for over 10 years and have held my Q-grader certification for four. I have an academic foundation in coffee from my MBA (I wrote my Master’s thesis on the coffee value-add supply chain and helped a Costa Rican coffee farm develop a global export/marketing strategy). After my MBA, I spent several years as a professional barista at a specialty multi-roaster coffee shop in Austin and went on to receive my Q-grader certification and import coffee for Cafe Imports, an international green coffee buying company.

Test conditions

• When I bought it: Mid-2023
• Days used: 100+
• Cups per day: 1-2
• Grinder used: Baratza Encore
• Coffee beans used: Medium to Light from a variety of specialty roasters, including Merit, Olympia
• Milk used: Full, Oatly Barista Blend Oat Milk
• Drink made: Americano, cortado, cappuccino, latte (hot and iced)

How it performs

What I was looking for

I enjoy a variety of brew methods when preparing coffee for myself at home, but up until this point, all of them have been manual brew methods. Don’t get me wrong. I love a juicy Kenyan on the Kalita Wave, but I am an espresso girl at heart. There is nothing like the complex and rich goodness that is a beautiful shot of espresso. And as much as I love the Aeropress, I was ready to take my at-home ‘spro game to the next level.

Why I chose this gear

I did a ton of research before choosing this machine. As a former barista, extraction and shot quality are super important to me. I wanted a machine that I could play with, dial in coffee with, and get started with at-home espresso without a wild price tag. My dream machine has always been the La Marzocco Linea, but my budget does not yet accommodate that dream. In my search, I considered the DeLonghi Arte and also thought about waiting until I could purchase a machine with more features, such as the Breville Barista Pro; however, after seeing the quality of coffee the Bambino could produce, I decided to choose fewer features with the lower price point and save a bit more to upgrade my grinder instead.

What I love about it

• Durability: Breville is a brand leader in terms of at-home espresso machines. The upkeep on the Bambino is minimal, and the warranty is great. Parts are easily and inexpensively replaced, which is a huge plus. My one critique of the Bambino is the use of plastic in the accessories. Both the tamp and the portafilter are made with lightweight plastic, giving the tools a little bit of a toy-like feel. It took me a little while to adjust to the weight of the portafilter compared to what I was accustomed to in the shop setting.
• Time to heat up: This machine is ready when I am. Because it is built with a Thermojet, the Breville Bambino heats up in a matter of seconds, almost instantly, and is ready to go by the time I tamp my grinds. From sleep to a smooth cap in two minutes.
• Efficiency: The Bambino is unique in that it contains a Thermojet, allowing the machine to steam immediately after pulling a shot and steam continuously until my heart's content.
• Heat control: The Bambino comes with a non-adjustable PID temperature control. I don’t make many back-to-back drinks, so it’s difficult to compare the longevity of the heat control; however, I use a similar dosing/recipe for my coffee every day, and the shots seem quite consistent.
• Size: This machine is a little “chicken nugget.” The footprint is quite small, which I’m happy to accommodate as I have a small kitchen. It fits easily alongside my grinder and kettle and snuggly under my kitchen cabinets. The water reservoir is in the back of the machine but is still easy to access; I usually just pull the machine forward, take the small lid off the reservoir, and pour straight from my Brita pitcher into the machine without pulling out the reservoir itself. Easy. The downside of this size is the machine's weight or lack thereof. Because it is fairly small and not very heavy, it doesn’t offer much resistance when locking in the portafilter. I have found I need to stabilize the machine with my right hand as I lock in the portafilter.
• Pre-infusion/Post-infusion: One of my favorite features about the Bambino is the pre-infusion control. The two buttons on the machine are programmable for volumetric-based shots (one or two shots) but with the option for a manual override and custom pre-infusion time. I can decide whether I want to lean on my volumetrics or play around with the pre-infusion myself without needing to reprogram or adjust anything on the machine.
• Ease of use: Easy. Straightforward. Maybe it’s because there are literally only four buttons on the face of the machine, but I don’t think one can get much simpler than this. As I said, it is a perfect beginner machine. It is not intimidating and has an incredibly low barrier to entry, but still able to produce delicious espresso. I was worried that the budget I wanted to respect would force me to compromise on shot quality, but it definitely did not.
• Features: Breville has done a great job packing thoughtful elements and features into this machine. One of my favorite features is the variety of portafilter baskets. Different baskets are designed to accommodate different shot amounts and different levels of barista precision. The double-wall basket smooths over some of the edges of a less-than-ideal shot or a less-than-experienced barista. Or if someone is like me, coffee that is from the back of their freezer, their backup coffee, because they forgot to go to the store last night and are now in desperate need of a caffeine fix before their Zoom meeting in three minutes and still need to wash their face, but I digress. It allows even “that” coffee to taste decent.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Steam Wand: My biggest complaint with the Bambino (and it’s not even that big of a complaint) is with the steam wand system. The Thermojet allows instantaneous steaming for my milk drink after a quick wand purge, which is awesome. It creates a beautiful microfoam. I can get milk texture almost the way I want it, to the point where I can pour latte art at home. The arm swivels easily and can quickly be put into an ideal position for steaming. However, at the end of the steam, the machine seems to do a small self-purge/ramp down at the end of my run that pushes much bigger bubbles into my milk, sometimes negating some of the beautiful milk texture work I’ve done. It takes a few extra swirls and taps to groom my milk back to where I would prefer for my beverage. Aside from this annoying quality, I find the steam wand to be plenty powerful, and the milk texture it creates is just lovely.
• Home/Commercial: While this is an amazing at-home “soldier,” it is definitely not intended to accommodate a commercial space. While the Thermojet feature would give one the ability to steam drinks on end, the weight of the machine, the smallish reservoir, and the overall durability are not ready for any sort of volume.

Favorite moment with this machine

I made cappuccinos for my mother-in-law and her sister three years ago, and she still tells me every time we go out that my drinks are better than any coffee shop's.

There comes a time in a former barista’s life when they wonder, “Do I still have it? It has been years since I have pulled a shot of espresso, steamed milk, and poured a tulip. Is it like riding a bike? Or have those talents, which I once so carefully honed and grew, fallen to the wayside?” I’m here to report that years of slinging ‘spro in a high-volume shop fostered some serious muscle memory in me. It took a few funny-looking cappuccinos before I could generate the melody of milk-steaming whispers that produce the microfoam necessary for latte art. Still, that first two-tiered tulip in the mug I brought home from Turkey this summer renewed my fervor for espresso expression, and now I can’t wait to force everyone who comes over to let me make them a cortado or cappuccino. I’m back, baby.

Value for the money vs. other options

Value is the name of the game. Although it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of some of the more feature-laden machines in the line, the Bambino is equipped with the same quality espresso system as its more expensive counterparts. (It’s like getting the espresso system from a $1,000 machine for a $300 price tag.) In short, the espresso from the Bambino is still the bomb. The Bambino has a built-in PID (a feature not seen in other machines at this price point), programmable volumetric buttons, and a very decent steam system. At an accessible price point, the Bambino pulls a stand-out shot to be sure.

When compared to machines around or under $300, such as the De'Longhi Dedica Arte Espresso Machine or the Espressione Automatic Pump Espresso Machine, the consistency (supported by the PID) when pulling consecutive shots and overall shot quality pushes it head and shoulders above the rest. First-time purchasers considering a machine in the $100-200 range will also notice a large difference in shot quality and consistency when comparing the Bambino to a less expensive espresso machine. The $100-200 dollars can be the difference between the machine they cut their teeth on but quickly outgrow and replace in a year or the machine that keeps pace and affords them the legroom to stretch and grow in their espresso skill and knowledge for years to come.

The Breville Bambino offers features usually not included at this price point, making it a value-packed purchase. It has definitely kept me pouring drinks at home rather than too-regular trips to the nearby cafe.

Final verdict

The Breville Bambino is a great at-home machine, even for a former barista. The Bambino’s volumetrics, PID, and double-walled basket lend themselves to making a delicious drink on even my laziest days. Still, its capabilities, temp regulations, and manual options create a playground where I can experiment and grow my at-home espresso game. I have zero regrets about this purchase.