Breville Bambino Espresso Machine BES450BSS, Brushed Stainless Steel
Semi-Automatic Espresso Machines
Breville Bambino Espresso Machine BES450BSS, Brushed Stainless Steel
$4.20
| Asin | B0B1JPPG2L |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 13.7"D x 6.3"W x 12"H |
| Weight | 10.9 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Breville |
CliffyPop –
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.
Amazon Customer –
Ive made a few cups now and im still toying around with it to make it just how i like but honestly I’ve made the best cups I’ve ever had with this thing. Granted I’m in rural NM and my two coffee shops have no idea what a flat white is but still excellent coffee. The steaming wand is the best part. I had cheaper quality machine before and man this wand feels much sturdier and can really steam and make some great microfoam. I bought a pretty good grinder like all the Reddit posts say to do, the encore, a scale, and barista tools. Overall, I’m very pleased. The only down side that I’ve noticed is the build quality of the entire unit is a little less than I’d hope for. It feels a little light and when i go to lock the portafilter in place, I have to hold the entire unit down to keep it from moving.
TS –
First time I’ve ever tried making espresso at home, so I was a little nervous about starting with a pretty basic machine like this instead of the fancy ones that cost four or five times more, but will make any espresso drink you want with a simple push of the button.
This is not that machine. Instead, you have to actually learn how to make espresso. It took me half a dozen shots during the first week with this machine to get a coffee from it that I felt was worth the money and time spent making it. I enjoyed reading up about how to make good coffee with one of these machines. For me, learning about how to do it right was part of the appeal, so happy camper here.
I’m now turning out a flat white at home that rivals the ones I get when I travel to Australia.
One thing I didn’t really like about this machine is the tamper. It’s pretty flimsy and light weight, so I’d recommend buying one separately.
Also, you’re going to need a good grinder. We bought a burr grinder for grinding our beans for the automatic drip coffee machine, but it won’t grind fine enough to make a proper espresso shot. We’re going to keep using grinder we have and suffer the less than perfect results, but honestly I wish I’d known how important the grinder is to getting a good espresso shot. Something to consider if you’re a first timer like I was.
Spartee –
You will have to spend some time getting the grind and tamping amount right. If you don’t get it right, you won’t get the coffee (or you get watery non-crema). So give it a week or two of experiments to see where the sweet spots are. I found a 15 grind on my grinder and a light packing works best.
The frother is timed and works well.
I was a bit grouchy at first, but eventually the product won me over.
Jimmy Cash –
This expresso machine is really expensive. I have to say that it does the job but its coffee is not that amazing really. I live in Central America, and it really doesn’t work with the coffee here. I guess you have to buy a special type of coffee for it to work as it should. However, I have bought expresso coffee and it still doesn’t make a good expresso coffee with the coffee of this region. On the other hand, I have made expresso coffee in Miami with this machine and it works perfect. So, I think it’s the coffee of this region that’s problematic. Have that in your mind when buying this machine. Thanks.
Goose –
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.
Del –
iguanamom –
I had to leave behind my Breville Infuser and replace it with a smaller/cheaper version when I moved. Having paid $300 for this Bambino and wanting to stick with Breville seemed like a lot to pay for their lowest priced machine, but I did it anyway.
All I can say is, if you find yourself in the same situation, you’re going to be disappointed with the quality.
Cons:
1. The parts feel cheap and plastic-y which include the portafilter and the tamper. There’s no weight behind either of these.
2. I cannot get the basket out of the portafilter using my nails like I did with my old one. I have to pry it out with the edge of a spoon so it makes cleaning the parts very frustrating.
3. Locking the portafilter into and out of place, I have to hold onto the whole machine and it is a VERY tight fit so I have to forceably lock it and I always feel like I’m going to break it.
4. For $300, you’d think they could at least include a coffee scooper…nope.
5. The steaming wand will shoot out a stream of water first and unlike my other one, doesn’t give you time to avoid that and put it in the jug without causing a huge mess. I have to let it squirt out the water, turn it off for a second and put the pitcher under it and turn it back on.
6. I use the same brand of coffee as I did with my Infuser and it doesn’t taste as good as it used to (is it different water possibly?).
7. There’s no on/off button. To turn off you have to hold down 2 buttons simultaneously.
Pros:
1. It’s small.
2. It heats up fast.
3. It’s better coffee than a Keurig which is what I’d been having before I got this (yuck!!).
4. The milk steams faster than my old one did and it was very clean, so it wasn’t due to that.
That’s where the pros end. I was spoiled with my Infuser which I bought 2nd hand in another country and it worked flawlessly for at least 5 years (and still did when I sold it on). That’s why I chose Breville again. I couldn’t see paying the $600 or whatever they want for a new one, plus I don’t really have the counter space for it. Am I happy with this machine? Sort of but more disappointed after having used one of their better models. More than likely, I’ll end up replacing it if I can find a used one cheaply and then try to sell this one, even if it means taking up more space on the counter.
N-Waterman –
I’ve only made one latte so far just got it today. I used Starbucks espresso beans I had them grind them for espresso and tasted just like the latte I buy there!! Worth the money for sure. It’s not loud at all, performance is great and easy to use after a lot of research. Appearance seems to be durable… I’ll let you know after using this for awhile longer.. but I did a lot of researching espresso machines and definitely recommend this machine.. update- so i’ve made a few more lattes they all come out tasting great a little bit of a water mess but after a lot of research, I realize that just happens with these and you just wanna leave the Portafilter and after you’re done and let it drip while you’re drinking your drink, then it will come out without the water on the top. Also, I realized if you run a 2 cup with the porta filter in before you make your espresso to prime it and make it hot then you take it out and you add your espresso and tamp it and make your drink. I did order a puck screen it seems that you put it on top of your espresso after you tamp it to keep the top clean. You still have to clean it but at least the grind don’t get up there, or so I’ve read. I will update again once I get everything I ordered
Update- I bought a 30 pound tamp and a leveler which did make a big difference, and once i found the right amount of grinds to put in my 2 cup my espresso has tasted better. I’m having a hard time getting the milk to froth correctly but with practice I’m getting better. I’m definitely happy with the bambino but wish I got a better one due to the fact that you have to know what you’re doing and I’m new to this but this one works better each time I make a latte.
Rohith Chandran –
I bought this to save money on cafe trips for soy lattes (especially with inflation and then tipflation on top of that). Unfortunately, after about 2 months of usage, I have to say that it’s somewhat failed on that mission, primarily because the steam is lukewarm and watery, so if you use alternative “milk”s like soy, or a smaller amount of dairy milk, the steamed result will basically be milk flavoured water.
To its credit, it makes decent espresso shots with amazing crema, provided you have an appropriate grinder (Make sure it’s a grinder built for espresso grinds – or else you will have to use the pressurized portafilter basket and settle for so-called “fake” crema). The dial-in process has been very satisfying so far.
As far as build quality, looks and dimensions are concerned – these have all been covered in several YouTube reviews, and I don’t have anything further to add. It looks good, is very compact, and starts up and is ready to go in literally 3 seconds after plugging in. Despite the chrome finish, it is very lightweight, so putting the portafilter in is slightly annoying, since you have to hold the machine down with one hand. Latte art has been very challenging to do with this machine, though I’m not 100% sure yet that it’s not something on my end.
Breville support is awful. I put in a ticket about the issue a week after purchase because I wasn’t sure if I received a defective unit, or if this was par for the course. A month and a half later, it’s still open with no measurable progress, with them responding infrequently to stall by asking details like serial number etc. – which are all available on their support hub website since I registered the machine with them. Everytime they respond, they also trot out the “we’re getting lots of support email, so our responses will be delayed” excuse, which I could have understood had their responses been actual responses, and not obvious stall tactics to ensure my unit falls outside the return window.
I would recommend picking up the Dedica Arte + a naked portafilter for this price. From what I’ve seen on YouTube, the flavour of the coffee that machine brews isn’t far off from this one, and even if that machine also dispensed similarly wet steam, you’d at least have a naked portafilter which will help you in the espresso dial-in process. If you don’t really care about dialing-in, you could forego the portafilter and save $50 instead.
See picture for how watery the steam is. This is after the initial steam purge to get water out of the wand, so this is all condensation.