Breville Bambino vs. Bambino Plus: Which Should You Buy?

Bambino vs Bambino Plus: The Short Answer

Both are compact Breville espresso machines with ThermoJet heating ("3 seconds"), PID temperature control, low-pressure pre-infusion and a 54 mm portafilter. Neither has a grinder or a screen. The difference is milk:

• Bambino (BES450): a manual steam wand. You texture the milk yourself, and the STEAM button starts and stops it. It also has a HOT WATER button.
• Bambino Plus (BES500): automatic milk texturing. Rest the jug on the sensor in the drip tray, choose MILK TEMP (Warm, Ideal, Hot) and MILK FOAM (Low, Medium, High), and it stops by itself. You can still texture manually.

The Plus also has the bigger tank: 64 fl oz (1.9 L) against 47 fl oz (1.4 L).

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Side by Side

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Bambino: Manual Milk, Simple Panel

• Steam: press STEAM to start, and any button to stop. Manual purge: hold STEAM for 3 seconds.
• Hot water: the HOT WATER button, at a cup temperature of 194 °F (90 °C).
• No water: the lights flash 6 times for 3 seconds. Press the tank down until it sits flush.
• Factory volumes reset: in standby, hold 1 Cup + 2 Cup for 10 seconds.

More: Bambino not working.

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Bambino Plus: Hands-Free Milk

• The jug must rest on the milk temperature sensor on the drip tray, with milk covering the wand tip.
• Texturing stops at the temperature you chose. Lower the wand afterwards and it purges automatically. The book warns that skipping this "could result in the steam wand blocking."
• Manual purge: wand lowered, hold STEAM for 5 seconds.
• MILK TEMP and MILK FOAM flashing together means the steam function has an error and the tank may be empty. Hold STEAM 3 seconds to purge, and fill the tank.

More: Bambino Plus auto steam.

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Shots, Cleaning and Descaling: Mostly the Same

• Dose: 8-11 g (1 CUP) and 16-19 g (2 CUP). Flow should start after 8-12 seconds.
• Program volumes: hold 1 CUP + 2 CUP for 2 seconds on both.
• Descaling: both use Breville's descaling agent, filled to the DESCALE line, with a 2 L container under the group head and the wand.
• Bambino: one combined Clean & Descale cycle, started with 2 CUP + STEAM for 5 seconds.
• Bambino Plus: a separate cleaning cycle (cleaning disc and tablet) and descale cycle, each with its own alert.
• Neither book mentions vinegar or gives an interval in months; the machine flags it.

More: Bambino Plus descaling.

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Which Should You Buy?

• Choose the Bambino if you want to learn milk texturing by hand, or mostly drink espresso and Americanos. Its dedicated HOT WATER button helps with Americanos.
• Choose the Bambino Plus if you make milk drinks often and want them hands-free, or want the bigger tank.

We haven't compared prices, warranty terms or reliability: the BES450 book doesn't print a warranty length, and neither book covers reliability.

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FAQ

Does the Bambino Plus make better espresso than the Bambino?

The books describe the same espresso system on both: ThermoJet, PID, pre-infusion and a 54 mm portafilter. The difference is milk and tank size.

Which has the bigger water tank?

The Bambino Plus: 64 fl oz (1.9 L), against the Bambino's 47 fl oz (1.4 L).

Can the Bambino make hot water for tea or Americanos?

Yes. It has a HOT WATER button, at a cup temperature of 194 °F (90 °C). The Bambino Plus delivers hot water through the steam wand (1 CUP + MILK FOAM).

Can I texture milk manually on the Bambino Plus?

Yes. Manual texturing mode turns off the automatic texturing and shut-off.

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Related Breville Guides

• Barista Express vs Bambino Plus
• Bambino Plus Error Lights
• Breville Bambino Not Working?
• Bambino Plus Leaking?

Sources: Breville instruction books for the Bambino BES450 (USCM M26) and Bambino Plus BES500 (USCM X25).