Breville Bambino Espresso Machine BES450BSS, Brushed Stainless Steel

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 :)

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.

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'm very happy with this machine. It isn't the best espresso maker but it is quite small and a very reasonable price. It will make you a decent cup of coffee, heats up fast and is easy to use. My only complaints are true nitpicks: 1. You can't use the steam wand and make espresso at the same time. This is quite an annoying limitation on many Breville products but it is fairly justified on this small device with a tiny boiler. It would be nice but it isn't a deal breaker by any means. 2. The steam pressure is a little low. Again, it would be nice to have a bit more juice available here but it is understandable, and by no means insufficient to make great steamed milk. 3. The water tank is at the back. This is again something that is likely the best compromise for such a small machine. This tank-at-the back arrangement ensures that it uses up very little counter space, however it does have downsides. The biggest downside is that it is difficult to see the current water level. I generally need to pull it out a bit to check or lean in and push whatever is beside it on the counter out of the way. This is probably not much of an issue if you will have nothing next to it on one side as you can see the tank from both sides, but if you have it next to a wall and a grinder like I do it is a little annoying. The tank at the back makes filling it a little less convenient, you will typically have to pull it quite far out to fill the tank if you have a cupboard above it. However this also isn't a major issue as you don't need to fill it very often. Overall I am super impressed. At this budget and size it is a great set of tradeoffs. I doubt any of these minor downsides would be a significant problem for most users.

Investigué todo lo que pude y me decidí sobre esta máquina de espresso porque considero que es el que funciona mejor con el mínimo de modificaciones, y salida de la caja ya te puede dar muy buenos resultados. Pros: • La caldera está lista y caliente en literalmente 3 segundos. • Es pequeña, ligera, fácil de usar si quieres algo automático. Flexible y manipulable si quieres intentar hacer tus propias recetas. • El tanque tiene buena capacidad. • Tiene portafiltros de 54 mm, por lo que es fácil encontrar accesorios, filtros y portafiltros adicionales Contras: • Por lo ligera, tienes que detenerla con la otra mano para insertar o retirar el portafiltros. • Breville sacrifica materiales para ofrecerte buenas funciones y calidad con un costo más bajo, no es de metal más allá de las piezas que lo requieren y la cubierta de acero inox, es solo eso, la cubierta. • No tiene manómetro. • La presión de la espumadora no es sorprendente, aunque hace bien su trabajo. Modificaciones que te recomiendo si quieres ñoñear con tu maquina de espresso: • Compra un portafiltros sin fondo. Al no tener manómetro, vas a poder farte una idea de cómo va tu extracción • Evita los filtros presurizados y compra un filtro de precisión. Yo me fui por un IMS, búscalo por el vendedor Verybarista, son los que lo distribuyen en América. Te ayuda a mejorar tu extracción. • Con lo que te vas a ahorrar comprando este modelo vs otros más caros, invierte en un molino más decente. Compré el DF54 de MiiCoffee y lo amo.

La compra me llegó a tiempo, es un excelente producto hasta ahora. Lo único es que la publicación dice que te envían dos bolsas de café de regalo y eso no lo recibí.

I love this machine. My first venture into making cappuccino, espresso, etc. I believe I made a good choice. It appears to be well made, doesn't take up a lot of room on my kitchen counter. The instructions are concise and there are also YouTube vids they recommend. Those are very informative as well. I have always wanted to make my own espresso, cappuccino, cafe au lait, etc., but wasn't sure which machine to go with. I thought the pricing was very good for what you get. And it makes first class beverages. My wife loves it and calls me her personal barista, lol! It comes with both dual and single wall filters for single and double shots. Make sure you read up on when to use the single wall and double wall filters. It's quite interesting and makes your coffee even better. The bottom drain is easy to remove and clean. There is a kit for cleaning the steam nozzle and removing scale. It also includes a nice milk jug and a tamper. It has been an interesting learning curve and I think this machine is probably one of the better ones if you are just getting into it and don't want to invest large amounts of money to get started. And enjoy a great cup of espresso, cappucinno, cafe au lait, etc. (Please note in the pic I included the Breville knockbox. It matches the machine but was a separate purchase.)

Me encanto, en cuestion de estetica el producto se ve como un accesorio mas de una cosina por lo que me estaba decidiendo entre esta y la De'Longhi, tuve mis dudas pero ya al tener la 'Breville Bambino' no me arrepiento de elegirla, se preparan unos expresos y campuchinos super delicionsos en tan solo 3 segundos ya esta lista para empezar a preparar el cafe, el espumador funciona de maravilla como tal aun sigo aprendiendo pero el resuldado con la leche es muy bueno.