Breville Bambino Plus Vs Barista Express – Which one would be the best?

Breville is a big name in the coffee machine industry. Their coffee machines always have high demand in the market like Breville Bambino and Barista Express. Both of these excellent machines are highly liked by folks, especially the Barista Express. 

If you are confused with those expressos, then this Breville Bambino Plus vs Barista Express article is for you. Both of the machines are mid-tier semi-automatic espresso machines.

And, both have high recommendations from experts and critics. But, if you ask me specifically, I would recommend Breville Barista Express over Breville Bambino Plus. It is also a few hundred dollars less expensive than Bambino Plus. So, let’s see…

Is Breville Barista Express Worth it?

• Breville Barista Express comes with a high-quality, built-in espresso grinder which makes it an all-in-one machine. This quality of grinder alone costs a couple of hundred dollars. However, Bambino Plus doesn’t have any. 
• This espresso machine has more water tank capacity than Bambino plus, which is 67 oz. This will reduce the refilling of the water tank more often. 
• It is a semi-automatic espresso machine which means you can control it manually and automatically as you like. But, as for Bambino Plus, it doesn’t have this kind of control option. 
• The powerful steam wand performance of the best Breville espresso machine allows you to hand texture microfoam milk that enhances the test and enables the creation of latte art. 

These unique features make it worth your money. The built-in materials are also top-notch which enables it to last for several years. And, even on the Amazon customers’ review, you can see how much they loved this machine.

Specification	Breville Bambino Plus	Breville Barista Express
Amazon Review	4.5	4.7
Dimensions	12.5 x 7.6 x 12.2 inches	13.25 x 12.5 x 15.75 inches
Weight (lbs)	13	23
In-built Grinder	No	Yes
Water Reservoir	64 oz	67 oz
Automatic Control	Yes	Yes
Manual Control	No	No
Bean Hopper	No	½ lbs
Fast heating Optio	Yes	No
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What Are Similarities And Differences of Breville Bambino Plus Vs Barista Express Espresso Machine

As they are both from the same brand, they have many similarities and also have some differences. As the materials of both machines are quite the same in quality, they are easy to use and the in-box accessories are the same. But, Barista express has an in-build grinder and you can use it automatically or manually.

The water reservoir is also large in the case of Barista express. There are many more.  Let’s have a detailed overview of the similarities and differences of Breville Bambino Plus Vs Barista Express. 

In-build Grinder

The Barista Express comes with an in-build grinder and ½ lbs bean hooper which itself is a few hundred dollars. So, you can drink fresh ground coffee every time while also saving money. 

Bambino Plus doesn’t come with this kind of fancy feature. So, you have to buy a grinder separately, if you want to enjoy grinding. However, Bambino is cheaper than Barista. So, the overall thing comes to equal if you consider everything

Power Supply

Both of the espresso machines need 1600 watts of power to create proper pressure to make a perfect cup of coffee. After starting the machines, you have to wait a bit as they gradually reach appropriate pressure and will ensure you get a proper flavor of the espresso drawn out while extracting the coffee. So, both machines are the same in regards to power. 

Water Reservoir

With the capacity of a water tank, you can say how often you need to refill it. The bigger the water tank is the better. But, something you have to keep in mind, with a bigger water tank, a coffee machine also gets bigger and starts losing its compatibility.

With Breville Bambino Plus and Barista Express, there is a slightly bigger water tank that comes with Express. It’s 67 oz; where Bambino Plus offers a 64 oz water tank. 

Compact And Light

Size does absolutely matter in the case of a home coffee machine. The Bambino Plus and Express both are home espresso machines. So, they come in a compact design. Breville Bambino measures 12.2 inches wide, 12.5 inches deep, and 7.5 inches thick. On the other hand, Barista Express is 13.1 inches wide, 12.6 inches deep, and 12.5 inches thick. Also, Bambino is 3 pounds lighter than Express. 

User Friendliness

Home machines tend to be user-friendly as most of the home users are not coffee specialists. The machines are also simple to use because of their button control interface.

There are simple button control options available for you like, power button single & double shot options, cleaning button, and hot water steam. Besides those, Barista Express comes with an additional button – grind amount button for the built-in grinder.

Heat-up Time

Simply put, heat-up indicates how fast you can get a cup of coffee after you start your coffee machine. The Bambino Plus is the winner in this case. With its fast heat-up feature, it takes only 3 seconds to offer you the first shot of the day. On the other hand, Barista Express doesn’t have any fast heat-up feature and takes about 30 seconds to properly heat up.

Although Bambino Plus is fast, I don’t think 30 seconds is that much to wait for, is it? However, I would recommend you to wait at least five minutes so that all the components get proper heat and then, take your first shot of the day.

Espresso Extraction

The most important thing for an espresso machine is providing the right precise extraction at the right temperature. For that, Both machines come with digital temperature control for optimal espresso extract. Moreover, these espressos have a steam wand for you to have a perfect milk texture. However, you can also manually control the temperature with Barista Express, which is not offered by Bambino Plus. 

Goodies

Both machines come with the same handy goodies for your convenience. Actually, they come with everything you need and don’t require any additional tools to purchase; except a grinder in the case of Bambino Plus. This includes cleaning tools. So, the includes are stainless steel jug, wall filter basket, razor, tamper, portafilter, and many more. 

Durability

The materials of both machines are quite similar. Even though some people think Bambino Plus is a little better in this case. Also, it has a 2 years warranty; where Barista Express is covered under a 1-year warranty.

But, people who used it for long years suggested, they didn’t even need to look at the warranty after they purchased it. Both machines can easily last for 5-6 years with regular use. 

FAQs About The Breville Bambino Plus Vs Barista Express Espresso Machine

Final Verdict

You can’t precisely say which one is better, as both have something special about them. Like Breville Barista Express offers a built-in grinder and some other features; the Bambino Plus offers a longer warranty and better material quality. Thus, both of them are at the same point at some point. But, as I mentioned, I recommend Barista Express for its extra feature and the built-in grinder. However, you can pick any of them. You won’t regret choosing either one.