Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus: What the Extra Money Buys

Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus, from both manuals and independent reviews: auto milk, tank size, 3-way valve, hot water, and who should pay more.

By Maksud · Published Oct 3, 2026

In the Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus choice, the espresso side is the same. Both Breville US manuals list ThermoJet heating in 3 seconds, PID, pre-infusion, a 54mm portafilter and 1560 W. The Plus buys hands-free milk texturing, a bigger tank (64 vs 47 fl oz) and a stainless portafilter. Buy the Plus for walk-away lattes; buy the Bambino for straight espresso, learning to steam, or saving toward a grinder.

Prices on Oct 3, 2026: the Bambino was $249.95 at Breville (list $299.95, shown sold out), and the Plus $399.95 at Breville (list $499.95). CoffeeGeek and espressoAF also credit the Plus with a 3-way valve that dumps water to the drip tray, which the Bambino lacks. The Bambino keeps a dedicated hot-water button.

Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus specs side by side

Sources disagree on size. Tom’s Guide lists 6.3 x 13.7 x 12 in against 7.6 x 14.2 x 11.9 in, and TechGearLab lists 6.3 x 13.7 x 12 in against 7.6 x 14 x 12 in. Homes & Gardens lists 7.7 x 12.6 x 12.2 in and 9.6 x 16.3 x 16.9 in, larger than every other source. The table uses Breville’s own figures; if space is tight, measure against the largest set.

What’s the same: the espresso engine, baskets and pressure

The BES450 manual and BES500 manual describe the same espresso hardware. Both have ThermoJet heating in 3 seconds, PID temperature control, low-pressure pre-infusion, volumetric 1 and 2 cup buttons and a 54mm portafilter. Both ship single-wall and dual-wall baskets in 1 and 2 cup sizes. Coffee Chronicler says the Bambino ships only an unpressurized basket and the US Plus only a pressurized one; both claims conflict with the US manuals, so I go with the manuals.

Breville’s product pages state 9-bar extraction from a 15-bar pump for both machines. Tom’s Guide’s face-off table lists 9 bar for the Bambino and 15 bar for the Plus, which mixes the two figures; I use Breville’s. The background is in espresso machine bar pressure explained.

Shot-quality evidence is close. TechGearLab scored espresso 6.0 for the Bambino and 6.5 for the Plus, and Tom’s Guide called the espresso a draw.

The real Bambino vs Bambino Plus difference: automatic milk

The Plus textures milk for you. Per the BES500 manual, MILK TEMP has Warm, Ideal and Hot settings and MILK FOAM has Low, Medium and High. The jug sits on a temperature sensor on the drip tray, steaming stops at the set temperature, and the wand purges itself when lowered. On the Bambino you steam by hand, and its manual targets 140-149°F (60-65°C).

Automatic doesn’t guarantee better milk, though. TechGearLab scored milk steaming 8.6 for the Bambino and 7.7 for the Plus, and timed a cappuccino at 3:36 against 4:03. TechGearLab lists “steam wand doesn’t adjust well” as a Plus con, and espressoAF says the auto-froth design leaves the wand less free to move. Coffee Chronicler calls the auto milk consistent and hands-free, but not as silky as a pro barista on a pro machine.

The evidence on milk quality is split. Tom’s Guide calls the Plus’s wand more powerful and picks it as the winner on milk; TechGearLab’s scores go the other way. The clear gain is convenience: per the BES500 manual, steaming stops on its own at the set temperature, so you can walk away.

Smaller differences: 3-way valve, hot water, tank and cleaning

3-way valve and puck

CoffeeGeek says the Bambino lacks the Plus’s 3-way solenoid valve and that removing its portafilter right after a shot can be messy. espressoAF says the Plus’s valve diverts water away from the puck at the end of the shot, giving a drier puck and minimal drips, while the Bambino drips after stopping and leaves “wetter” pucks in theory. espressoAF’s footnote adds that, per a teardown, the Bambino does have a 3-way valve internally; the Plus adds a fourth path from the group head to the drip tray. Breville’s manuals don’t mention a valve on either.

Hot water

The Bambino has a dedicated hot-water button, and its manual puts the water at 194°F. On the Plus you press 1 CUP and MILK FOAM together, per the BES500 manual, which CoffeeGeek calls awkward.

Tank and portafilter

The tank is 47 fl oz on the Bambino and 64 fl oz on the Plus, per the manuals. The BES500 manual lists a stainless steel portafilter and the BES450 an aluminum one. CoffeeGeek and espressoAF agree, and CoffeeGeek notes the Bambino’s box wrongly calls its portafilter stainless.

Cleaning alerts

The Plus flags a group-head cleaning cycle after 200 shots by flashing 1 CUP and 2 CUP alternately, and ships a cleaning disc and tablets, per its manual. The Bambino flags a combined clean and descale by flashing the 2 Cup button. Light codes are in the Bambino Plus flashing lights guide, and the routine is in how to descale an espresso machine.

Accessories

Only the Plus includes the Razor dosing tool, per both manuals.

Complaints about both Bambinos: tippy body, loud pump, stiff wand

• CNET says the Plus is light and a little tippy, with a vibration pump louder than pricier models.
• TechRadar measured the Plus averaging 53 dB while making espresso and reaching 51 dB while frothing.
• Tom’s Guide’s Plus review lists a lightweight design and a sometimes fiddly portafilter.
• TechGearLab lists a “dinky tamp” as a Bambino con and a steam wand that doesn’t adjust well as a Plus con. espressoAF says the included tamper doesn’t fill the basket on either machine.

CoffeeGeek says the Bambino lacks the Plus’s low-water sensor. The BES450 manual says its lights flash 6 times when no water is detected, so the sources disagree.

Is the Bambino Plus worth the extra?

• Buy the Plus if most of your drinks are lattes or cappuccinos and you want to walk away while the milk steams, or you want the bigger tank and, per espressoAF, a drier puck.
• Buy the Bambino if you drink straight espresso or Americanos, want to learn to steam milk, or would rather put the savings into a grinder. Tom’s Guide recommends it for US buyers who don’t need auto milk.
• Want a grinder built in? Neither has one; see the Breville Barista Express review.

TechGearLab estimates lifetime cost per shot at $0.67 for the Bambino and $0.75 for the Plus, from list price plus 300 shots a year for 8 years.

BES450 vs BES500: model numbers and colors

BES450 is the Bambino and BES500 is the Bambino Plus. The Bambino we track is the brushed stainless BES450BSS. CNET and TechRadar say the Plus comes in 8 US colors and Home Coffee Expert says 9; Breville’s US product page listed 13 BES500 variants on Oct 3, 2026, so check there for current finishes. To tell them apart, the Plus has MILK TEMP and MILK FOAM buttons; the Bambino has a hot-water button instead.

More on Breville espresso machines

• Best espresso machines
• Breville Bambino Plus review
• Pressurized vs non-pressurized baskets
• Single vs double boiler espresso machines
• How we research