I swore by drip filter coffee for years, but I finally caved and ordered this for a personal gift. Let's just say, I didn't know what I was missing out on. The bambino is well reviewed online, and for good reason. Right out of the box, I was impressed by how easy it was to set up. The Breville Bambino comes with a fantastic 3D interactive setup guide through the Tilt app. This app made everything so straightforward—no confusing manuals or trial and error! Just a few taps on my phone, and I was ready to start brewing like a pro. Here's a pithy list of pros and cons. Pros: Quick Heat-Up: The machine is ready to brew in just 3 seconds. Now I can enjoy my espresso almost instantly, which is a lifesaver on busy mornings Compact Design: The Bambino’s small footprint fits perfectly on our small apartment counter without taking up too much space—ideal for cramped living situations Barista-Quality Microfoam: The steam wand is powerful enough to create that velvety microfoam we all love for lattes and cappuccinos. I'm not great at the art stuff, but its fun to test it out. User-Friendly: Even if you’re new to espresso-making, this machine is super intuitive and easy to use. Cons: No Built-in Grinder: You’ll need to invest in a separate grinder if you want fresh coffee beans, which can be an extra expense. Lightweight Materials: Some parts feel a bit less sturdy than I expected, but they still perform well. The tamper is plastic, so feels kinda cheap, but it has held up. Small Drip Tray: It fills up quickly, so be prepared to empty it more often than you might like. TLDR: Great machine, lives up the hype, some plastic / cheaper components, but they appear to work well.

I've made and drunk a lot of fine espresso via professional machines from California to Italy over decades, yet I've never owned any type of countertop espresso maker. I can't accept inferior espresso an assumed they were all mediocre at best. I read many reviews and articles on tiny machines and the Bambino consistently rates high so I took a chance. SATISFIED After a month of use I'm satisfied with the results. According to reviews, the power and materials are sufficient to make decent espresso without the warmup time of big machines. It seems to work quite well so far. I like how it's computer controlled to ramp up steam and sustain for specific periods and temperature for optimal extraction from grounds (the amount of time steam is applied can be custom set too in its memory). CLOSE COMPARISON I suspect it's not quite as steamy and high enough pressure to match a massive, multi-thousand dollar coffee bar machine, but it's awfully close. I've used those machines and the difference in taste is negligible here. I can definitely make a satisfactory espresso or americano with the Bambino. Probably if you're a super aficionado or professional manufacturer, you might be spoiled enough to care. Regular folks will likely not notice. STEAMED MILK The steamed milk wand works well. It's about as powerful and simple to steam milk as any large machine. I’ve made fluffier steamed milk on pro machines but the Bambino does a good enough job. HOT WATER I thought I'd use the hot water feature more because I prefer americanos. I never use it though because it's too slow. The water gets hot enough but the stream is so thin that I have to stand there waiting too long. I just use an electric kettle instead. This was one reason I went with the first gen Bambino (the newer version doesn’t have a separate hot water spout). Now I kind of wish I went with the second gen since that seems to be more powerful. SMALL FOOTPRINT I also love how small the Bambino is. It sticks out pretty far but other wise length/width is surprisingly tiny. I can hardly believe how small it is and fits in even the tiniest kitchens. AUTOMATED CLEANING There's a convenient cleaning feature too where you put de-caking powder or vinegar/water in the reservoir and then run the cycle. It takes care of the process and flushing. CUTENESS You gotta love the name Bambino! It's cute and familiar just like the name suggests. It looks great too. It has a satisfying steel coffee machine style that’s both modern and traditional. EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS In short, Breville exceeds expectations with a solid machine utilizing thoughtful and useful design resulting in great coffee in a quick and convenient package. I can make a perfect cup of coffee in about 3 minutes, including a quick grind of beans. It's hard to put a price on that level of convenience and quality. FUTURE DIY I notice some people on forums upgrading parts for better performance. Maybe after the warranty expires, I’ll try enhancement since it can use at least a bit more heat and pressure.

I’ve been using the Breville Bambino for a while now, and I absolutely love it! This machine is perfect for anyone who wants high-quality espresso without taking up too much counter space. The sleek design fits beautifully in my kitchen, and the build quality feels premium. One of the best things about the Bambino is how quickly it heats up—within seconds, it’s ready to go! The extraction process is smooth and consistent, producing rich, flavorful espresso with a great crema. The steam wand is also impressive, allowing me to create silky microfoam for lattes and cappuccinos. Cleaning is easy, and the overall experience is seamless. It’s a fantastic choice for beginners and experienced home baristas alike. Highly recommend!

I am a first time espresso machine user. I did a lot of research to figure out what would be a good first time machine and Bambino was always highly rated. I am so happy I purchased this. It's so easy to use and the app they gave to help with install made it less intimidating. I am not a morning person but I wake up at least an hour before I usually do to make my latte (horrible at the latte art) and sit with my cats and I am so happy. I've tried Italian press, french press, pour over etc. but this is my absolute favourite. I drink way less coffee too which is honestly better for my body so while that's probably not what Breville wants to hear, I feel like I am not amped on caffeine or get the jitters and once nice latte keeps me going all day. Anyway, I like to compact size, ease of clean and how it looks with my kitchen's appliances.

Muy buen equipo de facil uso y buenos resultados para preparar tu cafecito!!

Compacta, versátil, bonita y de gran calidad. Cuesta un poco llegar a un espesso perfecto pero con algunos aditamentos lograrás unos excelentes cafés

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.)

This machine offers a partial solution to approaching the top-notch espresso making experience. I bought this machine to see if I could make a truly outstanding cup of espresso myself, by practicing all the elements that a good barista uses. Pros: - well-made - ready to go after 3 seconds of pre-heating - pump produces consistently high pressure for extraction and excellent crema. - quality of output is almost directly equated to user skill (this can easily be a con 😃). - steam wand for latte is very well designed and can easily be adjusted to virtually any angle. - the guts of this machine (boiler and pressure output) are identical to models costing hundreds more. - it is possible to make outstanding espresso - far better than any local big box coffee shop. Cons: - it requires a specialized grinder (obviously not included) to ensure consistent extraction once the head is mounted. I ended up buying grinder from the same manufacturer. - the steam wand and coffee head use the same boiler, so you can’t steam milk while extracting coffee. The wand control is not sharp and crisp to turn the steam on and off like a lever-valve design. You have to wait until the steam stops before removing the tip from the milk or you will get spattering everywhere. - you have to weigh your beans on a digital scale for the size of shot you want, or you will get inconsistent and unsatisfactory results. - tamping has to be consistent and the correct pressure. I use an accessory tamp that allows me to screw a metal tamp to the exact height the tamped beans should be within the extraction cup. -cleanup and using a knock box is an extra step you should be prepared for. - it’s hard to do latte art with the imprecise wand control, although I can make a somewhat respectable heart. If I were to do this again, I would have just purchased the model with the grinder built in to the same unit, because both are critical for high quality. An ordinary blade grinder, or cheap burr grinder would not be useable with this machine if your whole intention would be to produce an outstanding cup of coffee. I can now buy my favourite Starbucks blend of whole beans and wow anyone who tries my coffee. After making hundreds of cups, it makes me really appreciate the high degree of skill a really good barista needs to have, and how practicing on this fully manual machine is essential. If you want quick, fast, and fully automatic, look elsewhere.