Bambino Plus vs Barista Express comes down to one question: do you already have a good grinder? Choose the Breville Bambino Plus if you already own (or plan to buy) a good espresso grinder and want fast heat-up and hands-off milk steaming. Choose the Barista Express if you want an all-in-one machine with a built-in grinder and a manual steam wand you can learn latte art on. On espresso quality alone they’re close, and the grinder you pair with the Bambino Plus usually decides which setup pulls better shots.
Both are 54 mm Breville machines that appear in our best espresso machines under $500 guide (the Barista Express often sits right at or above that line, depending on sales). Here’s how they differ in practice.
Quick verdict
- Pick the Bambino Plus if counter space is tight, you want a latte in under 2 minutes from cold, or you want automatic milk.
- Pick the Barista Express if you want one box with a grinder, a pressure gauge, and manual control over milk.
- Total cost: Bambino Plus (around $500) plus a capable espresso grinder (around $150–350) usually costs more than a Barista Express (around $600–750, often discounted).
Table of Contents
Bambino Plus vs Barista Express: specs at a glance
| Breville Bambino Plus (BES500) | Breville Barista Express (BES870) | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | Around $500 | Around $600–750 |
| Heating | ThermoJet, about 3 seconds | Thermocoil with PID, roughly a minute or two to be shot-ready |
| Built-in grinder | No | Yes, conical burr with a grind-size dial |
| Portafilter | 54 mm | 54 mm |
| Baskets | Single and dual wall (pressurized and non-pressurized) | Single and dual wall |
| Pre-infusion | Low-pressure, automatic | Low-pressure, automatic |
| Steam wand | Automatic with temperature and texture settings, plus manual use | Manual |
| Pressure gauge | No | Yes |
| Water tank | About 1.9 L | About 2 L |
| Footprint | Narrow, about 7.7 in wide | Wide, about 13 in wide |
Specs are from Breville’s published listings at the time of writing; regional versions (Sage in the UK and EU) can differ slightly.
Espresso quality
Both machines use the same 54 mm portafilter, similar baskets, low-pressure pre-infusion and PID-controlled brew temperature. Fed the same grounds, they make very similar espresso. The real difference is the grinder.
The Barista Express grinder is good enough to pull proper espresso with fresh beans, and it has an internal upper-burr adjustment for when the external dial runs out of range. But it’s an entry-level grinder: some light roasts are hard to grind fine enough, and there’s limited fine adjustment between steps. You’ll find the full workflow in our beginner machine guide.
With the Bambino Plus, shot quality depends on what you pair it with. A capable espresso grinder from our budget grinders under $200 list will roughly match the Barista Express. A stronger grinder from our best espresso grinders guide will beat it, and that grinder can move with you when you upgrade the machine later.
Heat-up time and workflow
This is where the Bambino Plus clearly wins. Its ThermoJet heats in about 3 seconds, and switching from brewing to steaming takes seconds too. You can go from switched-off to latte in a couple of minutes.
The Barista Express uses a thermocoil. It heats quickly compared with boiler machines, but you’ll want to let it warm up with the portafilter in place before your first shot, and it takes noticeably longer to move from brewing to steaming. For one drink a morning that’s fine; for back-to-back milk drinks, it’s slower.
The Barista Express does save steps in one way: grind straight into the portafilter, tamp with the built-in magnetic tamper, brew. With the Bambino Plus you’re working between two machines.
Milk steaming
The Bambino Plus’s party trick is automatic milk. Put the stainless pitcher on the temperature sensor, choose temperature and foam level, and the wand steams and stops on its own. Results are good for lattes and cappuccinos with minimal skill. You can also steam manually when you want finer microfoam for latte art. The catch: the auto mode is tuned for the included pitcher and dairy milk, and some users find the default temperature hot or the foam bubbly with plant milks.
The Barista Express has a manual wand with a single-hole tip. It’s slower and takes practice, but it gives you full control and is a fine tool for learning latte art.
Bambino Plus wins
- Hands-off, repeatable milk
- Faster steam-ready time
Barista Express wins
- Full manual control from day one
- No pitcher-sensor dependence
Size and counter space
The Bambino Plus is one of the narrowest real espresso machines you can buy, at well under 8 inches wide. Even with a compact grinder next to it, it usually takes less width than the Barista Express. The Barista Express is wider and deeper, and the bean hopper on top adds height, so check clearance under your cabinets.
Ease of use for beginners
Both ship with dual-wall (pressurized) baskets, which are forgiving when your grind isn’t dialed in. The Barista Express adds a pressure gauge, which helps beginners see whether a shot is under- or over-extracting, and a built-in grinder so there’s one less buying decision. The Bambino Plus is simpler on the brewing side and easier on the milk side. For a step-by-step method that applies to both, see our guide to making espresso at home.
Total cost of ownership
Sticker price is only part of the comparison. Here’s a realistic picture of what each setup costs to get started:
| Bambino Plus setup | Barista Express setup | |
|---|---|---|
| Machine | Around $500 | Around $600–750 |
| Grinder | Around $150–350 (separate) | Included |
| Scale | Around $60–120 | Around $60–120 |
| Tamper, WDT tool, funnel | Around $50–80 | Around $50–80 |
| Rough total | Around $760–1,050 | Around $710–950 |
Ongoing costs are similar: both use Breville water filters (or filtered water), a descaler every couple of months depending on your water hardness, and espresso machine cleaning tablets. The Barista Express adds occasional grinder cleaning, and its burrs will eventually need replacing after heavy use. The Bambino Plus’s separate grinder has its own upkeep but can be replaced independently if it fails, which is one reason many people prefer a two-box setup over the long term.
Reliability and repairs
Both machines are mass-market Breville appliances rather than repairable commercial-style machines. Parts like gaskets, shower screens and baskets are easy to buy for both. With the Barista Express, a grinder fault takes your whole espresso setup out of action until it’s fixed, while with the Bambino Plus you can keep using the grinder (or the machine with pre-ground coffee) if one half fails. Regular descaling and backflushing with the cleaning disc, as the manuals describe, are the best way to keep either running for years.
Breville Bambino Plus: pros and cons
Pros
- About 3-second heat-up
- Automatic milk texturing
- Very compact
- Pairs with any grinder, so you can upgrade separately
Cons
- No grinder included, so total cost is higher
- No pressure gauge
- Small drip tray needs frequent emptying
Breville Barista Express: pros and cons
Pros
- All-in-one with a grinder that can make real espresso
- Pressure gauge for feedback
- Manual steam wand for learning latte art
- Often discounted
Cons
- Built-in grinder limits future upgrades
- Slower to switch from brewing to steaming
- Larger footprint
What about the Barista Express Impress?
Breville also sells the Barista Express Impress, which adds assisted tamping and dose guidance to the same basic platform. It costs more and is aimed at people who want fewer variables. If tamping and dosing feel intimidating, it’s worth a look; if you’re happy learning, the standard Barista Express plus a good espresso scale gets you most of the same consistency.
Which should you buy?
- You already own a good grinder: Bambino Plus.
- You want one machine and the lowest total cost: Barista Express.
- You mostly drink lattes and flat whites and want them fast: Bambino Plus.
- You want to learn the full manual workflow: Barista Express, or Bambino Plus used in manual-steam mode.
- Small kitchen: Bambino Plus.
Still undecided? See how both compare with the rest of the field in our espresso machines under $500 roundup, or consider the Barista Express vs De’Longhi La Specialista comparison if you’re set on an all-in-one.
For background on how pump machines like these build pressure, see the espresso machine article on Wikipedia.
FAQ
Is the Bambino Plus better than the Barista Express?
Not in a simple way. With an equal or better grinder, the Bambino Plus makes equally good espresso and steams milk faster and more easily. Without one, the Barista Express is the more complete package.
Do the Bambino Plus and Barista Express use the same portafilter?
Both use a 54 mm portafilter, so baskets, tampers and dosing funnels sized for 54 mm Breville machines generally fit both.
Can the Barista Express grinder grind for other brew methods?
It is designed for espresso. It can grind somewhat coarser but isn’t a good choice for pour-over or French press.
What grinder should I pair with the Bambino Plus?
Any grinder that can grind fine enough for espresso and adjust in small steps. See our budget espresso grinders and best espresso grinders guides for options.
Which machine heats up faster?
The Bambino Plus. Its ThermoJet system is ready in about 3 seconds, while the Barista Express needs more time to warm up properly and to switch to steam.
