✅The Breville names are known for durability and are typically made of stainless steel for the outer make-up of the machine, but many of the inner workings as well, making the machine last longer. Owning a Breville espresso machine means that you will have a great quality product for many years to come. With a wide range of espresso makers from low to high price point, you will find what you are looking for. When it comes to espresso machines, Breville makes some of the best on the market. If you’re looking for a smooth, strong, and full-bodied cup of espresso, these models can deliver. For those who enjoy lattes or other milky beverages, you can set the stream to one of several automatic settings, so you get perfectly velvety milk every time.
A lot of these lever machines are beautiful steam punk-esque works of metal that truly look beautiful on a countertop, but they tend to cost just as much as a nice semi-automatic machine. The lever machines from Flair are still high quality but much more affordable. Piston machines, like Wacaco’s, are another type of manual espresso maker that you force water through by squeezing and are also reasonably priced. Finally, you may hear items like mokapots referred to as manual espresso makers, but we aren’t considering them here because in our experience we just haven’t gotten results we’d consider to actually be espresso. Even though it’s so slim, it’s a solidly built machine—heavy enough that when we went to lock the portafilter in place, it wasn’t sliding all over the countertop. It has an adaptive PID controller, something that is really a must for a good semi-automatic machine, and a pressure gauge front and center to provide real-time feedback about over- and under-extracted shots.
Because the volumetric flow meters in this machine aren’t as precise as their commercial counterparts, espresso shot volume varied drastically from the preset buttons. Our main issue with the Breville Barista Pro was its lack of precision grind settings, and the Barista Express Impress has even fewer. With only 25 grind settings, it was tricky to dial in the espresso perfectly, though we were able to pull great tasting shots of both coffees we used for testing after some fidgeting. While we’d appreciate a little more wiggle room between settings to dial in the perfect shot, most people will still be able to pull a nice tasting shot of espresso without too much trouble. The pre-infusion pressure ramping on this machine might be more forgiving for novices, but made it hard to dial in the grind with precision. When a coffee puck is saturated at a lower pressure, it allows for the water to create a more even pathway through the espresso puck.
Its initial burst of aeration took a little more time to get used to, and I sometimes ended up with fluffier milk than I intended. However, the milk was still silky and sweet, and once I became acquainted with the steam wand’s power and control wheel, I was able to froth milk more specifically tailored to the drink I was making. One major perk is that the steam wand rotates horizontally and vertically, which provides a lot of room to angle the wand’s tip into your milk comfortably and roll the milk correctly while frothing. The Bambino Plus comes with a steam pitcher, two dual-wall filter baskets (the double-shot basket pictured inside the portafilter), a nice tamper, and Breville’s “razor,” meant to help you level the coffee in the portafilter.
Because this guide is for beginners, we placed a premium on approachability and speed. I was less interested in whether I could pull an amazing, distinctive shot and more concerned with consistent extraction and intuitive ease of use. I tested all of the espresso machines with an understanding that whatever hiccups I encountered could be real sources of frustration for someone who is less experienced. As long as you know that hybrid semi-automatic espresso machines are built on compromises — which you’ll notice in their performance.
The Bambino Plus also lacks the hot-water dispenser that’s included with other Breville models. It’s a useful feature if you like making Americanos, but we don’t think it’s essential, since you can always heat water separately in a kettle. Considering the Bambino Plus’s incredibly compact size, we think sacrificing the hot-water dispenser is worth it. During testing, I shared several results with my wife, who is also a former barista, and she was impressed by the balanced espresso shots and excellent milk texture. I was able to prepare cortados that tasted of pure milk chocolate, a rather elusive note captured through the synthesis of sweet microfoam and strong—but not overbearing—espresso crema.
To get hot water with Bambino Plus, you’ll have to simultaneously push the one cup and milk texture button. Overall, this is a good semi-automatic machine for beginners who are on a budget but still want high-quality espresso. It has a 15-bar Italian hamilton coffee maker pump which gives better results compared to steam-based systems. The company soon switched to home appliances, and their sandwich toaster was a big hit. The things needed to make espresso—heat, water, and pressure—are tough on a machine’s parts.
“It doesn’t teach you anything,” summarized my wife Elisabeth, when I was puzzling things out with her. I thought about it and realized that instead of learning to make espresso, you really just learn how to use this machine. Breville’s in a bit of a bind here, as basing it on weight would mean incorporating a couple of scales into the machine. That would put it into an altogether different price bracket and perhaps alienate the beginners it’s looking to attract. Discover useful specs, troubleshooting guides, and brewing tips from our huge support library. Black Ink Coffee is a veteran owned and operated, subscription service and specialty quality coffee business.
Your espresso will be pre-infused with the 9-bar extraction method and temperature control keeps the thermocoil heating at a premium for even strength and flavor. There is an outlet dedicated to hot water with abundant steam pressure and both single and dual wall filters for a breville espresso maker cafe quality beverage. Looking for a top-of-the-line single-serving coffee maker that uses pods? Breville teamed up with Nespresso to make this multifunctional machine that makes both coffee and espresso! Choose between three different sizes for the brew that suits your needs.
Overall, however, I find it a bit strange to spend so much money on an espresso setup and then remain stuck with Breville’s built-in grinder. I would probably instead get a Breville Bambino Plus and a standalone grinder than this combo. That would give me more flexibility in the future in case I wanted to upgrade. At the same time, I would also have room in my budget to splurge on a flat burr grinder from Eureka or an efficient Baratza Sette grinder. You also get the option to adjust the brew temperature easily on the excellent-looking display.