Breville Bambino Plus: Automatic Milk Texturing in a Compact Machine
The Breville Bambino Plus is a small machine that steams milk by itself. You pick one of 3 temperatures and 3 foam levels, and the wand stops on its own. Breville lists a 54 mm portafilter and a 3 second start. It is our pick for latte and flat white drinkers who do not want to learn the wand first, and it still needs a separate grinder.
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Buy the Bambino Plus if most of your coffee has milk in it and you want good texture without practicing the wand. Skip it if you drink straight espresso, because the plain Bambino does that part for less, or if you want a grinder in the box. Budget for a grinder and a scale, and keep the jug that comes with it.
On this page
This machine takes the wand off your hands. You still grind, dose, tamp and weigh, which is why it counts as a semi-automatic machine.
Breville Bambino Plus
The small machine that textures milk by itself: 3 temperatures and 3 texture levels, or by hand.
Why here: The hands-free wand is the reason to pay for this model: 3 temperatures, 3 foam levels, and a manual mode for later.
Best for: Latte and flat white drinkers who do not want to learn the wand first
- Hands-free steam wand with 3 milk temperatures and 3 textures (Breville)
- Ready to start in 3 seconds (Breville)
- America's Test Kitchen's compact pick of 2 July 2025
- Needs a separate espresso-capable grinder
- Breville's product page does not mention PID, though its BES500 instruction book does
- Heating
- ThermoJet
- Pump, as stated
- 15 bar
- Brew pressure, as stated
- 9 bar
- Portafilter
- 54 mm
- PID
- Yes, per the instruction book
- Built-in grinder
- No
- Milk
- Hands-free or manual
- Price class
- Mid-range
Who it suits, and who it doesn't
- You drink lattes and flat whites most days
- You want repeatable milk before you have learned the wand
- You have little counter space and can fit a grinder beside it
- You want to keep the option of steaming by hand later
- You drink espresso straight, so the automatic wand sits idle
- You want one box with a grinder inside
- You want to choose your own milk jug: the booklet says to use the supplied one
- You make several milk drinks in a row and want brewing and steaming at once
If that last point is your morning, read what a dual boiler does before you decide. If the wand doesn't scare you, the plain Bambino is the same idea with a manual wand.
Technical data
| Value | What we found | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 11.9 x 7.4 x 14.3 in, labeled width x depth x height, a label that looks mixed up | Breville product page |
| Heating | ThermoJet, ready to start in 3 seconds | Breville product page |
| Pump and brew pressure | 15 bar pump, low-pressure pre-infusion, then 9 bar extraction | Breville product page |
| Portafilter | 54 mm stainless steel | Breville product page |
| Dose | 18 g on the page; 2 cup basket designed for 16 to 19 g | Page; 2020 booklet |
| Milk | Automatic or manual; 3 temperatures, 3 foam levels; steam at 266 °F | Breville product page |
| Water tank | 64 fl oz (1.9 L) | 2020 booklet |
| Rating | 120 V, 60 Hz, 1560 W | 2020 booklet |
| PID | “Electronic PID temperature control” | US manual; the product page doesn't mention it |
The 15 bar is what the pump can reach. Espresso is brewed at about 9 bar, and Breville prints both numbers side by side, so the bar number on the box tells you little here.
The box holds a 54 mm tamper, the Razor dose trimming tool, a 16 fl oz stainless steel jug, 1 and 2 cup baskets, a cleaning tool and a cleaning disc. The product page lists single wall and dual wall baskets, while the 2020 booklet shows only dual wall, so check what is in your box. Breville's Barista Express manual says single wall baskets are for freshly ground beans, and dual wall ones are for pre-ground coffee.
The machine is for these two. Milk first, then everything else.
How the automatic wand works
Fill the jug
Use fresh cold milk, and fill to between the MIN and MAX marks inside the supplied jug.Seat the jug
Lift the wand, put the jug in place and lower the wand fully. The jug has to rest on the temperature sensor on the drip tray, and the milk has to cover the wand tip.Choose and start
Press MILK TEMP for Warm, Ideal or Hot, press MILK FOAM for Low, Medium or High, then press STEAM.Let it finish
The wand stops by itself at the selected temperature. Wipe the tip with a damp cloth, then lower the wand so that it purges.
Skip the purge and the booklet warns the wand can block. Breville also warns that pressurized steam can still come out after the machine is switched off.
Steaming by hand, when you want to
Auto texturing and auto shut-off switch off in manual mode. Start with the tip 3/4 inch below the surface near the side of the jug, get the milk spinning, then lower the jug to let air in. Stop when the jug is hot to the touch.
Daily use and care
- Before a shot. Run a short flow of water through the group by pressing the 1 CUP button. The booklet says this stabilizes the temperature before extraction.
- Cleaning cycle. The machine counts 200 extractions, then flashes the 1 CUP and 2 CUP buttons. You run a flush with the cleaning disc and a tablet. This is separate from descaling.
- Descaling. The machine flashes its own alert. Follow the booklet's cycle, and never remove or fully empty the tank during it.
What others report
America's Test Kitchen named it the best compact model on July 2, 2025. It recorded a 3 second ready time, said the automatic mode made well-textured milk, and liked the large heatproof handle on the wand. Serious Eats, in a copy dated May 2, 2023, calls it the best small machine overall, and also lists its limits: the shot buttons weren't very accurate, and the microfoam didn't quite match a skilled barista on a manual wand. It lists a 2-year limited warranty. We don't pass on buyer reviews.
How we compare explains how we work.
What you still need
You need a grinder that can go fine and move in small steps. The Breville Smart Grinder Pro* has a cradle for 50 to 54 mm portafilters (Breville), and our espresso grinder guide has the other routes. A scale comes next, such as the Maestri House S2*, listed with a timer and 0.1 g steps. Then dial in the coffee one change at a time.
The Plus also comes in other colors, such as Damson Blue*. Compare the model number on the day you buy.
Alternatives
- Happy to learn the wand? The Breville Bambino* is smaller, per Breville, and has a manual wand.
- Tight on counter space? Our compact machine comparison sets the sizes side by side.
- Want one box? The Bambino against the Barista Express sorts out that decision.
- Still choosing a drink? Read flat white or latte.
- Comparing the whole brand? Our Breville overview lines up the range.
Asked at the bar
What is the difference between the Bambino and the Bambino Plus?
The steam wand is the main one. The Bambino has a manual wand, and the Plus adds automatic texturing with 3 temperatures and 3 foam levels, while still letting you steam by hand. America's Test Kitchen describes the two as otherwise the same machine. Breville prints the Plus at 11.9 x 7.4 x 14.3 in and the Bambino at 11.9 x 6.1 x 13.5 in.
Can I use my own milk pitcher with the Bambino Plus?
Breville's 2020 US instruction booklet says to use only the supplied stainless steel jug, and warns that other containers may lead to dangerous conditions. The automatic mode also relies on the jug resting on a temperature sensor on the drip tray. So read your own manual before you buy a different pitcher, and treat the included 16 fl oz jug as the default.
What temperature does the Bambino Plus steam milk to?
The booklet names its 3 settings Warm, Ideal and Hot and gives no temperature for them. For steaming by hand it says the milk is ready at 60 to 65 °C, or about 140 to 149 °F, when the jug feels hot to the touch. Different milks and milk alternatives texture differently, so you may need to adjust the foam level.
How big is the water tank on the Bambino Plus?
Breville's 2020 US booklet lists a 64 fl oz (1.9 L) removable tank. The current product page does not state the size in what we read, so check the booklet for your unit. The booklet also lists a rating of 120 V, 60 Hz and 1560 W.
Is the Bambino Plus a good machine for beginners?
It is a good one if milk is the part that worries you. Serious Eats, in a copy dated May 2, 2023, calls it its best small machine overall, and America's Test Kitchen made it its compact pick on July 2, 2025. You still have to grind, dose and tamp, so the learning curve on the shot itself stays the same.
Where this comes from
Next round
- Breville BambinoBreville Bambino BES450: 54 mm portafilter, 3-second ThermoJet, one-touch shots and a manual wand. What the manual asks of you, and who should pick something else.
BrevilleEvery Breville semi-automatic espresso machine we cover, from Bambino to Dual Boiler: how they differ, what Breville states and omits, and which one to pick.
Compact machinesCompact espresso machines compared by width, depth and height, with sources. Why “compact” on a listing means little, what to measure, and which machine to pick.
Steam milkHow to steam milk at home: purge, stretch 5 to 10 seconds, spin, stop near 140 to 145 °F. Steps, the temperatures sources disagree on, and fixes for big bubbles.- Flat white vs latteFlat white vs latte: less milk and a thin layer of microfoam against a larger, milkier drink. What sources agree on, where they differ, and how to steam for each.
semiautomaticespressomachine.com Editorial Team
Espresso gear & shot craft
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