Breville Barista Express vs Bambino Plus
Both make espresso with a 54 mm portafilter and PID temperature control. They differ on the grinder, how milk is steamed, and how much counter space they take.
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Choose the Barista Express if you want one machine that grinds the beans for you and you're happy to learn to steam milk by hand.
Choose the Bambino Plus if you want milk frothed automatically, need a small machine that's ready in seconds, and are fine buying a grinder separately (or using pre-ground coffee).
Side by side
| Barista Express | Bambino Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Grinder | Built-in conical burr grinder with a grind size dial | None; needs a separate grinder or pre-ground coffee |
| Milk | Manual steam wand: you texture the milk yourself | Automatic steam wand with adjustable milk temperature and texture |
| Heat-up | Not stated on the listing | ThermoJet heating, extraction temperature in 3 seconds |
| Pre-infusion | Low-pressure pre-infusion | Low-pressure pre-infusion |
| Temperature control | Digital (PID) | Digital (PID) |
| Portafilter | 54 mm | 54 mm |
| Size and capacity | 1/2 lb bean hopper, 67 oz water tank | 7.7 inches wide |
| After steaming | Not stated on the listing | Auto purge, so the next shot starts at the right temperature |
| In the box | Milk jug, integrated tamper, dose trimming tool, single and dual wall baskets | See the listing |
| Power | 1600 W | 1560 W |
| Warranty | 1-year limited | 2-year limited |
The grinder
Espresso needs a fine, fresh grind, because the grind size controls how fast water runs through the coffee. The Barista Express has a conical burr grinder built in: you set the grind with a dial and grind straight into the portafilter, going from beans to espresso in under a minute, according to Breville.
The Bambino Plus has no grinder. You'll either buy pre-ground coffee, which goes stale quickly, or pair it with a separate espresso grinder. A grinder built for espresso, such as the Baratza Encore ESP with 20 fine micro-steps, takes extra counter space and adds to the total. Compare the price of the Bambino Plus plus a grinder against the Barista Express before you decide.
Steaming milk
The Barista Express gives you a manual steam wand. It takes practice, but it's how you learn latte art. The Bambino Plus has an automatic steam wand: you choose the milk temperature and texture, and it does the work. If more than one person in the house will make drinks, the automatic wand is the easier machine to share.
Size and speed
The Bambino Plus is the smaller machine at 7.7 inches wide, and its ThermoJet heating reaches extraction temperature in three seconds, so it suits a small kitchen and a quick morning. The Barista Express is bigger because the grinder and hopper sit on top, but that's one machine instead of two.
Who should buy which
- Barista Express: you want an all-in-one, you enjoy the process, and you have room for a larger machine.
- Bambino Plus: you want automatic milk, have a small counter, already own a grinder, or want the longer 2-year warranty.
Baratza Encore ESP grinder
20 micro-steps for espresso grinding, 40 mm hardened steel burrs and a quick-release burr for cleaning.
More espresso machines
Our beginner's guide compares six machines, from a compact first espresso maker to fully automatic bean-to-cup. Or browse The Espresso Corner on our Amazon storefront.
How we wrote this guide
We compared the two machines using the feature lists Breville publishes on their Amazon product pages, checked on October 29, 2026. We haven't used them hands-on, and we don't quote prices because they change often; the buttons above show today's price. Links go to Amazon in the US or Canada, depending on the country you pick at the top of the page.