Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine - Stainless Steel

The good part is that it has run well for me for several years at 2-5 cups per day with generally good quality pulls (as long as the grounds are not too finely ground), with easy daily cleanup. The design flaws/improvements include:1) Cleaning and descaling light flashing combinations are quite convoluted (I still have to regularly dive into the documentation to sort out what the overly-specialized light blinking codes and cleaning cheat codes are...). It would be nicer/elegant if there was a simpler "clean" and "descale" LED (maybe a single colored LED depending on state), with a button to trigger cleaning, descaling, and wand maintenance operations (maybe a single discrete button on the side) rather than front-panel cheat codes.2) Slightly ... MoreThe good part is that it has run well for me for several years at 2-5 cups per day with generally good quality pulls (as long as the grounds are not too finely ground), with easy daily cleanup. The design flaws/improvements include:1) Cleaning and descaling light flashing combinations are quite convoluted (I still have to regularly dive into the documentation to sort out what the overly-specialized light blinking codes and cleaning cheat codes are...). It would be nicer/elegant if there was a simpler "clean" and "descale" LED (maybe a single colored LED depending on state), with a button to trigger cleaning, descaling, and wand maintenance operations (maybe a single discrete button on the side) rather than front-panel cheat codes.2) Slightly underpowered/underpressured. If you have a fine ground (powdery) coffee that is made for professional machines it simply doesn't have the power (struggles even if you swap in a non-pressurized basket, though it helps). Pulls remain somewhat inconsistent (most grounds need some combination of 1-cup or 2-cup or both, depending on ground, and even with pull calibration its just consistently inconsistent).3) Base is underweighted, so when turning/torquing the portafilter, the entire machine turns/slides. I suspect this lightweight construction is to minimize shipping/transport weight, but it does make for a bit of a fussy daily insertion of the portafilter as you have to stabilize the machine with your forearm. It would be nice if the base was rubberized, and if threaded holes were machined into the base to receive a simple add-on base weight for those who require it.4) The stock metal milk jug top opening is a bit narrow, making milk cleaning a bit difficult unless you have small hands or a cleaning wand (or wash it immediately after emptying). Wider mouth would be a nice improvement.

I purchased Bambino Plus and Breville grinder in November 2023. I was quite satisfied initially with both items, quality, and functionality. After 6 months of daily use making 2 double espresso lattes every morning and diligently doing daily purges and scheduled cleanings and descaling, the auto steam function on the Bambino Plus has failed. I was on the phone with Breville rep 2 days ago and she was very nice and we did a factory reset and tried steaming milk using auto cycle and it worked. However, it only worked the one time and now its back to starting cycle, hesitating mid cycle, stopping, restarting and then purging into steam cup until I shut machine off. After all that, the steamed milk is not hot or steamed to correct foam level. I've tried everything, even ... MoreI purchased Bambino Plus and Breville grinder in November 2023. I was quite satisfied initially with both items, quality, and functionality. After 6 months of daily use making 2 double espresso lattes every morning and diligently doing daily purges and scheduled cleanings and descaling, the auto steam function on the Bambino Plus has failed. I was on the phone with Breville rep 2 days ago and she was very nice and we did a factory reset and tried steaming milk using auto cycle and it worked. However, it only worked the one time and now its back to starting cycle, hesitating mid cycle, stopping, restarting and then purging into steam cup until I shut machine off. After all that, the steamed milk is not hot or steamed to correct foam level. I've tried everything, even manual steaming to no avail. The machine worked great for 6 months. One nit is the cleaning cycle has no warning and twice now the machine has allowed me to pull espresso shot only to call for cleaning cycle prior to steaming milk. There should be a counter built in that tells the user "cleaning cycle to start after x more uses"...I have a feeling this machine has either heat sensor issue or some other defect that only appears after a few months of use. While I'm not ok with most products nowadays being designed to be obsolete after a few short years, obsolete after 6 months is unacceptable. If it lasted for 3 years without any issues and then died, I could accept that. I have a feeling I'm going to be on the phone a lot this week trying to resolve this issue.

My first realization (after decades of life) that coffee can actually taste delightful, was on a trip to Sicily, Italy. Thereafter, I remained an occasional coffee drinker, since I was convinced that the best coffee experiences were only to be had in Europe. Over the course of the last year however, and thanks to friends who shared their Bambino Plus machine with the office, my personal unpaid review is that Breville has taken me back to Europe with each cup!This machine, in combination with a dialed-in Breville Smart Grinder Pro, makes easy, consistent, and delightful cups of latte; complete with silky micro-foam. I never use sugar and don’t experience the burnt, acrid, and off-putting taste formerly associated with drinking coffee locally.After doing plenty of ... MoreMy first realization (after decades of life) that coffee can actually taste delightful, was on a trip to Sicily, Italy. Thereafter, I remained an occasional coffee drinker, since I was convinced that the best coffee experiences were only to be had in Europe. Over the course of the last year however, and thanks to friends who shared their Bambino Plus machine with the office, my personal unpaid review is that Breville has taken me back to Europe with each cup!This machine, in combination with a dialed-in Breville Smart Grinder Pro, makes easy, consistent, and delightful cups of latte; complete with silky micro-foam. I never use sugar and don’t experience the burnt, acrid, and off-putting taste formerly associated with drinking coffee locally.After doing plenty of research and shopping, I kept my eye on these Breville machines. When the Bambino Plus went on sale, I knew the time had come! My first machine leaked, which you will read has happened to others. Undeterred, I immediately returned it through Amazon and ordered a replacement that continues to work as expected, now for the last couple of months. (The determination was based on knowledge that despite the machine at work being several years old and extensively used, it continues to perform well along with a good maintenance program.)If you have space for a cute machine that performs as well as it looks and have budgeted appropriately, I’d recommend the setup without hesitation. Breville designs thoughtfully and delivers good quality products. Be prepared to start the day with a brief mental transport to Europe!Next mission, learning the art of latte… Now that is a continual work in progress.