Just like the professional machines, the Breville Bambino can deliver barista quality performance with rich, full flavor and perfectly balanced taste. The Bambino is designed to use the right dose of freshly ground beans, ensure precise temperature control, optimal water pressure and create true microfoam milk essential for latte art.
We wanted a cheap espresso machine that would make great tasting coffee at home, and after much research, we decided that the Breville Bambino is the best home espresso machine. Keep reading to learn why we chose it, and to get our impressions on it after almost 2 years of daily use.
If you're looking for an espresso machine with more contrl, Breville now has a Bambino Plus model. Or, if you aren't sure what type of home espresso machine you want, check out our writeup on the best espresso machine.
Find the Breville Bambino Canada from these retailers:
Amazon.caMaking coffee is quick and easy with the Breville Bambino. There’s no need to plan ahead because, unlike some other espresso machines that can take up to 5 minutes to warm up, the Bambino is hot and ready to go in only 3 seconds!
Breville Bambino Review
We first started looking for an espresso machine so that we could make the fancy coffees that we would often order from Starbucks. Some in our house are dairy free, so we wanted to get an espresso machine so we could froth up the heavier non-dairy creamers to get a more authentic latte at home.
After much research, we quickly realized that we could spend upwards of $1000 on a home espresso machine. We started to compare machines to see what was important to us.
Since we really only make 2 drinks (either black Americano coffee or oat-lattes) with 2 different types of coffee beans (decaf and regular), we realized that many of the features on the more expensive machines weren’t needed.
The Bambino also had a really cool feature – a 3 second heating cycle. Some other home espresso machines can take minutes to warm up, while some of the fancier machines (which seem to be designed for a small coffee shop) can take 15 minutes to warm up.
Another feature of the Bambino is that we could customize the length of time it would pull the shots, so we knew that we had enough control to get the flavor we wanted.
Breville Bambino Features
The Bambino home espresso machine uses a proprietary thermojet heating system to get up to temperature in only 3 seconds.
The 1.4L water container holds enough water for multiple coffees, and the thermojet system heats the water to the precise 200°F temperature needed for maximum flavor extraction using 1560 watts of power, and the extraction process is completed by the 15 bar pressure Italian pump.
Full bodied coffee with complex and rich flavors is created using the ideal 18 grams of coffee delivered by a commercial style 54mm portafilter.
When it comes time to steam, the steam wand creates silky microfoam milk with a powerful 266°F steam pressure.
With a small footprint and beautiful stainless steel finish, this home espresso machine can live on your counter, and yet it still fits a 5″ tall mug under the portafilter.
Frothing milk with the Bambino
From this YouTube video, Morgan explains how to froth the milk on the Bambino espresso machine, and then pours it into the espresso shot and even ends by saying “Based on this pour alone, the steam wand is perhaps the best feature of this espresso machine.” Not bad for a home based espresso machine that is at the lower end of the cost spectrum!
