Bambino Espresso Machine BES450BSS, Brushed Stainless Steel

As described, nice design/looks chic, feels solid, instructions including first start are clear (in English and French), compact size fits well on smaller counter, functions and buttons are clear and feel sturdy, milk froth wand is perfect, accessories are complete and fell solid, wish stamper handle was a bit longer. Wife is thrilled with gift, happy with coffee taste and speed to prepare a cup.

Well, allow me to say, this is the first machine I have had since the 1980s was it and that one Hoovered. Finally tried a unit, one of the many seemingly all variants of the same 51mm units. I had to send it back because, while very nice at the price point I feel it (and they) are probably best - and aimed at - milk coffee drinks and not actually espresso. Some, seems all similar did, have something the Bambino lacks - more metal. In feel (if there is such a thing) they, or at least mine - felt substantially more robust. It felt actually like better quality. But I couldn't adjust the water and couldn't get enough coffee in the portafilter. Maybe, some other options would fit the 51mm unit. I couldn't confirm it. This unit has a lot of plastic in it including the group head. BUT! It can adjust/learn pump-run time (adjust the water volume indirectly). The temperature is non adjustable. But I don't think water temp (as long as it is very near boiling) is really a variable most home espresso drinkers would benefit from - especially the beginners and novices. With the thermocoil design I understand it has, it heats in like 3 literal seconds. Steam is good (but I drink simple espresso so I am honestly not much help in evaluating that part). The wand has good articulation. I do like that Breville is big enough that plenty of 54mm baskets, portafilters, screens and papers are available - including bottomless. While I do like the unit's function and it has everything I wanted, it does feel cheap for the value proposition. I don't think it will hold up well for the length of time I keep appliances. It might. But, I do worry that the fact it knows how long it has been powered up/plugged in - makes me wonder if Breville embedded a count-down timer to planned obsolescence. I hope not, but the manual is clear in disclosure that it's recording usage data. I added a picture of three pucks/cakes (whatever term you like) within the first 24hours of receipt. The two dark ones were with pre-ground 6 month old (or longer) coffee and the third was with Folgers Classic drip grind. Yes, I do wish the entire Breville line was built on a standard 58mm group head (I do prefer a thinner cake per dose). And I do worry if it has an internal count-down to death timer and if the plastic will hold up. Edit: (added a bottomless portafilter and IMS basket) They -- finally -- came today. While these are aftermarket non-Breville parts, I added a video of a shot. (Replaced that because it was a little dark - new video has a little spurt - welcome to aftermarket bottomless portafilters. It happens sometimes) I don't claim to be an expert since it's been 35, idk 40ish years since I have had an espresso machine. I'm just now re-learning how to do it (or learning this machine); but, since I detest coffee snobs who discourage much more than they impress, I wanted to share. No, I'm sure it's not "perfect" but with this machine you really have potential without having to sell a kidney to pay for it (oops, I hope that doesn't violate 'community standards'. I might add some other still pictures later if anyone cares. Not a knock on the OEM portafilter & basket but I do prefer the aftermarket rimless basket because it is possible to make a larger diameter and thinner puck (ceteris paribus). The coffee in the shot was Lavazza Crema e Aroma which I guess from the "use by" was 3 months old. And, yes I prefer some blend of robusto (anywhere between 1/3rd and 2/3rds). If you would like to try your hand at espresso without variable overload and/or no room to experiment, then this machine is a pretty good starter. Edit 2: I added a picture of the IMS basket (2 pucks). Why? Well, so you could compare to the first picture where the stock Breville rimmed basket was used. Really there are only about 2 point. The stock basket has a rim (grips inside the portafilter great) and because the walls have draft - the pucks pop out easy. The downside is, that same taper that turns loose of the post brew coffee is less forgiving on volume of coffee powder. A light dose is hard to tamp and a large one won't fit or gets up into the shower head they call it. The aftermarket I chose is rimless so it tamps better. Not having a taper/draft-walled, your puck can be thinner for the same dose and there are more holes. So, you get more variables to dial in. The downside is, the pucks will eject in their entirety, you just might need an extra whack. The combo of bottomless & basket seems to be a trade-off. I seem to get more Crema and a rare spurt (see the video). So far, spurts have been rare. It's no defect, just a tamp made by a human. THE REASON I added the aftermarket parts to the review isn't to hurt Breville or over criticise them, no quite the opposite. While a little cheaply built like the plastic group head and more expensive than a 51mm manual espresso machine, being slightly larger portafilter size (I wish it was 58mm) - it heats quickly, is semi automatic and you can always add accessories later if you want. Don't have to, but you can.

I’ve been using this espresso machine for over a month and I have no complaints. It makes a fantastic espresso, which made me realize how weak the espresso was with my old espresso machine. The machine is ready to go in 30 seconds which is great for the mornings. The frothing wand works great and heats up very fast. Overall, great value for the money! If you are looking for a no frills, simple espresso machine that does the job well…look no further :)

Only buy this if you want your time and money wasted. I purchased a brand new bambino espresso machine on Nov 29, received it on Dec 2, and noticed almost immediately that it wasn’t putting out water hot enough for espresso (something that appears to be a common issue with this machine), topping out at 143 degrees. I then spoke with Breville rep who was very kind and patient as she helped me trouble shoot my issue. When it was clear that nothing could be done on my end, she had me mail the machine in for repair. The turn-around on that was a handful of days, and I appreciated the expedited shipping. I had sent it back to them in its original box with the original styrofoam for safety, after which it was allegedly repaired, but when it was returned to me the machine was sans the original box; the machine was just loose in a cardboard box with some bubble wrap when it arrived back to me. That was not safe or secure in my opinion. Upon inspection of the “repaired” machine I found that the machine was putting out water exactly as cool as it was before sending it in for repair, topping out at 143 degrees. I spoke with the same rep again, who was again patient and kind, and she said that because the issue was not fixed that I would have to send the machine in yet again, and that they would be sending me a brand new machine in its place. They told me that I would have to put a 40% deposit on the machine to get it back expeditiously, or I woudk have to wait for them to receive the old machine before replacing it. That was on 12/19. I shipped it back to them the next day. By January 6th I still have yet to receive even a notification that they received my machine, though ups says it was delivered to them a week ago. It’s been weeks since I sent the machine back and I am disappointed to say that the machine has now been away from me for significantly longer than it was in my possession at any point. I got one automated response a couple weeks ago to an email I sent them detailing my issues, and only just received a message the other day from a real person who obviously did not read my email before responding saying “I hope and believe that you are enjoying your new machine!” I have written to that person twice since then asking for an update on my machine with no response. I’m very disappointed with the experience I’ve had with this company a their product. I understand that the holidays were upon us but the package not getting the same fast delivery time as the initial return do repair is unacceptable. I should not have had to pay a 40% deposit on a machine I already bought to get my issue resolved expeditiously. At the time of this review I do not know when to expect my espresso machine back or whether the new one will even work as expected when/it it does arrive. If you can afford it I would purchase an espresso machine elsewhere. This company seems committed to wasting their customers’ time.

To say that I was researching what espresso machine, would be the biggest understatement. I have zero experience making espresso's and I was stuck between considering an automatic one, vs one with manual controls, and I decided to purchase this product, and I am so glad I did! I started with a pre ground high quality espresso bean, and from the first cup, to my most recent cup, were perfect each and every time! This machine is great for those that want good espresso's and for the beginners like myself. This machine is so easy to use as in my case, the less is more thought process, yielded dividends! I keep the pre ground espresso in a seal tight vessel to keep freshness, and has been working wonderfully! The machine yielded great creama and the espresso quality was right where it needs to be. When tamping the portafilter, just ensure you get 30 pounds of pressure when using the tamper to ensure you get proper extraction. For the price one can pay for an espresso machine, this machine is built with quality in mind, and does not take up too much counterspace vs the other machines out there. With less going on, there are less issues. This product comes with everything you need including 4 total filters, portafilter, milk frother pitcher and very clear instructions. To clean this product is very easy and if you get stuck with something, there are plenty of videos online that you can refer to as this product gets a lot of positive reviews from other espresso critics. One of the biggest perks is that this product heats very quickly and the volume of espresso can be adjusted per the instructions, which is a big perk. The only, albeit small, downside, is that the frother wand does take time to get the milk up to temperature. The instructions state to froth until the frother pitcher is hot to the touch, but I could not keep my hands on it and when tested the milk was only 136 degrees, so depending on your tolerance of hot to the touch, just test out the milk temperature as you continue using it until you find the amount of time it takes for you to get the milk where you want it to be. The handle does not get hot so you can hold from there until you get to the temperature you want. Very happy with the investment I made choosing this product, and I know other beginners like myself will be very happy with it as well.

I have some experience using the Breville Barista express, but this is the first espresso machine I've ever purchased for my own use at home. Ease of Use: There is a quick start guide that was helpful. Since I had already learned on the Barista Express, it was pretty easy to get going just by scanning the manual and quick start guide for the specifics of how to use this machine. Once you get going, you can even customize the length of the 1-or-2 shot buttons if you'd like. I have not done that yet. I like that it heats up fairly quickly, but it is vital to pour that initial blank shot to help your real shot be more than just lukewarm. I also like that I can pull shot, steam milk, then immediately pull more shots. I passed on a cheaper machine because it explicitly said it would overheat after steaming milk if you tried to pull another shot, which obviously isn't going to cut it for people who want to make more than one hot drink at a time. There are reviews which mention that because of the light weight of this machine, you have to grip the machine to tighten/remove the portafilter. That is true, but once you have worked out a proper grip position that keeps the machine in place, it's really no trouble. Grinder: I've been using a Baratza Encore to grind freshly roasted beans and I find that for my personal taste, this grinder works great with this machine without even having to grind them at the lowest setting possible. I think if you have a decent burr grinder that is not "pro" level, you will be able to make good espresso on this machine. Quality of pulls: I have been drinking espresso drinks for a very long time. I would not call myself a coffee snob nor a coffee conniseur, but I can distinguish between bad, mediocre, and great. You have to do a little experiementing to get the right grind and dose with each new bag of coffee (especially if they are different roasters, different roast dates, etc.) to dial it in, but you would have to do that regardless of the machine. As far as I can tell, the shots I've been pulling rival the drinks I get on a pretty regular basis (but not the extra top-notch places of course), and once you add steamed milk, even if your shot wasn't perfect, most people will not be able to tell the difference at all. Milk steaming: It steams quickly enough for me, and gets hot enough, to enjoy a nice hot espresso drink after I've pulled my shot. I'm not super experienced at this, so I am still working on refining to get the perfect texture for latte art, but as far as I can tell, you absolutely can get the desired microfoam needed for latte art, or if you don't care about that and just want some hot steamed milk with your preferred amount of foam, it will do a fine job at this in an adequate amount of time (I haven't timed it, but I would say it takes ~20 seconds to get up to a good temp). Extra accessories: I don't think it is absolutely necessary to upgrade the accessories, but having a magnetic dosing funnel, WDT distribution tool, and a stainless steel tamper does make the work flow less messy, and more consistent, especially if you want to do a full 18g dose. If nothing else, getting a dosing funnel keeps your workspace from getting messy since the portafilter is a little small at 54mm (instead of 58mm) to do an 18g dose. But it will fit about 16g without a dosing funnel, without getting messy. Overall: I'm pretty happy with this little but mighty machine so far. It's been such a luxury to make such tasty drinks at home. I would actually give this 4.5 stars instead of 4 but there's no option to do that.

There's a reason this is the most recommended espresso brand, and it's pretty obvious when you use even this beginner model for the first time. I'm obviously a beginner, and this espresso maker is extraordinarily easy to use. Had decent espresso by my fourth shot, and it is extraordinarily consistent as long as you give it consistent packs in the portafilter. The machine is extremely easy to clean, and the steamer very effective. The build quality is very high, and it looks really gorgeous. About the only note is that the portafilter is extremely, extremely tight: note that you don't need to get it past, say, 7 oclock, assuming 6oclock is the portafilter handle parallel with the unit sticking straight back at you (good luck if you try for 6 oclock or 5 oclock). For a basic, beginner espresso machine, I'm not sure what more you could want other than consistency, high build quality, and easy to use/clean. I'm not sure this would be the machine for you if you're more experienced or have expectations for lots of features and customization, but if you have experience you probably already know that. The tamp and portafilter it comes with are kinda garbage, but I guess they had to save money somewhere. Nonetheless, what it comes with is certainly serviceable especially for a novice like me, though I've already upgraded the tamp and will upgrade the portafilter as soon as I learn a little more about what I want.

I had low expectations. In the past we've had many consumer, then 'prosumer' grade espresso machines for home use. Today I have a commercial grade double boiler espresso machine.. so again my expectations were low. But I wanted an small machine I could take on trips. Wow! The Breville Bambino is a wonderful espresso machine. Obviously not as fast as a commercial grade machine, but almost. Super easy to get micro-foam steamed milk and the shot quality is excellent using an aftermarket 54mm naked portafilter. When it comes to espresso the big three are 1) water, 2) beans, 3) grinder. I'm using a Mazzer Mini grinder with freshly roasted beans and distilled water in the Bambino. The quality of the shots equals my commercial machine with all things being equal except distilled water vs double filtered water on the plumbed in machine.