Bambino Plus Espresso Machine BES500DBL, Damson Blue

A beginner here. It took very little to get fairly proficient at all the aspects needed to work this machine. It is aesthetically pleasing and a nice compact size for beginners looking to make a couple of espressos a day. The portafilter will be a little bit tight, at first, making it a little difficult to put on and take off. Ours loosened up after a few uses and works great. A tip is to be sure the portafilter is flat and pushed up tight to the machine before you try to put it on. It warms up and brews very quickly and is easy to clean. I do recommend a nice aftermarket tamper as the one this comes with is inconsistent when tamping. I also recommend a dosing funnel and puck screen. With a decent grinder, this is an affordable, easy way to home espresso.

I'd been using a Saeco Intelia semi-automatic espresso machine for over a decade when it started going belly up recently. I was ready for a change anyway. I first considered models more similar to the Saeco, but the more I shopped machine after machine with features upon features, the more I realized I wanted to simplify everything and have a more "hands-on" experience with the brewing. I own other Breville products that I'm super happy with, so the Bambino Plus ticked my few boxes, especially at the sale price. It took me about 100 grams of coffee or so before I had my shots "dialed in" as they say. It's a bit of a learning curve but doable in an afternoon of trial and error between your dose, your grinder, and extraction times. Don't be put off, because this process is so worth it for the end product: rich, sweet espresso topped with a thickish layer of deep golden brown crema. I had to ask myself what vile swill I'd been sucking down every morning prior to pulling my own shots! The auto milk frother does a good job in my opinion. I'm not a barista and don't know or care much about microfoam blah blah blah, but I do appreciate that I can fill my little pitcher with milk, set heat and foam at 3 different levels, press a button, and my latte is ready about a minute later. The frothing wand is really easy to clean, but be aware of its auto-purge function after foaming your milk. I suggest emptying the pitcher into your drink first, then placing the wand back into it before lowering the wand, which triggers the auto-purge function. Your pitcher will contain the residual milk, steam, and hot water that will be shooting out for about 10 seconds. This will save you from having to wipe the splatter off of everything. You're welcome LOL I love this machine and have zero buyer's remorse. I hope it lasts for many years.

The Wizard says "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain".....the Breville Bambino Plus is indeed from the "Twilight Zone" with a mind of its own. I really wanted to love this given all the YouTube raves and other reviews etc. I love their solid juicer so I thought I would give this a go. Maybe I received a repackaged or defective one but it is nothing but a TOY...it's a way overpriced lightweight, plastic espresso/cappuccino machine that you actually have to "hug" in order to place the portafilter on due to the lightweight of the Bambino Plus. The shallow tray is the biggest joke....the tamper and portafilter will have to be upgraded if you decide to deal with this at all. My 10+ year old Saeco SIN015 is on its last legs but it is a steel tank compared to this. Right out of the box when plugged in, H2O unit full and sitting in place, the lights do not blink/illuminate as they are supposed to when first plugged in. Tried a few times, nothing. Pulled the plug out to reset etc. When it decides to "work" after pressing the SINGLE button it does NOT turn off ....it just keeps pumping water out. Maybe it actually was a used unit and was going through the cleaning cycle. Not a good start. I had to unplug it before it flooded my counter. Other reviewers have said the same. How absurd. At my age I really don't need the aggravation for an espresso/cappuccino. I will NOT be going down the deep dark expensive rabbit hole just to have some COFFEE in the morning. Because folks, that's all it is, it's just coffee. It should not be that hard to pull a decent shot without being such a pain in the ..... I'll keep my old Saeco, French Press, and Bialetti stovetop Moka pot with Zulay milk frother and enjoy my mornings with minimal hassle. I packed this Bambino Plus up and SENT IT BACK. Do yourself a favor and take the time to read the ONE and TWO star reviews here. I do not have the time to call Breville, send it back for a new one...do the back and forth on the phone for customer service as some here had the patience to do. Call me a stickler but for me If something does not work right out of the box.....something is wrong. I am well aware of the supposed "learning curve" for the Bambino Plus but as per my experience here I do NOT recommend the Breville Bambino Plus. Finally I think you have to spend upwards of $1,000 to get a decent unit as everything today you get what you pay for. This is not it.

I spent 15 years burning through a series of $150 -$300 dollar espresso makers, a nice used Saeco, a couple DeLonghis) and recently a Delonghi that had a pump failure after three weeks. I was so upset about the DeLonghi failing that I impulsively bought this machine, which with accessories alwas about twice what I wanted to pay after reading reviews that made it clear that in this price range, for the best quality non-automatic machines, it's between this and a Gaggia Classic Pro. I went with the Breville as the reviews indicated it may not be easily hacked, but it works consistently and very well out of the box. Well, now I am kicking myself for not having bought this machine a decade earlier. It produces amazing shots reliably, every time. I use the stock basket, about 19 grams of espresso.grounds, tamp it with moderate pressure, and let the pour run about 14-15 seconds. I use top quality beans from a local roaster and grind to the second most fine setting on my Capresso Infinity grinder. The shots are superb without going down the obsessive espresso geek path of modifying the heater, the pump etc. I can't say anything more about that. It heats quickly (5 seconds) and has an auto shutoff, though it's smart to warm the portafilter by running a shot of just water through it, and it's easy enough to shut off with a simultaneous press of the single shot and the milk frother buttons. There are a few key accessories that make it more convenient. A cheap knock box helps unload the portafilter quicker and make it more convenient to pull multiple shots -imoortant if this high quality coffee accidentally turns your spouse and kid into espresso junkies. A magnetic portafilter funnel helps make it easy to get the grounds in, evenly distributed and tamped. A nice little stainless putcher for steaming milk helps with making A+ lattes and cappuccinos. And an open faced basket produces some interesting flavor variations though I have not mastered it well enough to produce consistent excellent taste. You will need to get really good quality beans and should have at least a decent low speed burr grinder to get best results, though foreground beans do alright if they are fresh enough - the Illy brand grounds produce a very nice flavorful shot and the Lavazza beans produce a great, traditional strong Italian type shot but fresh local beans may give a much nicer flavor. I've had it for about two months so far and have pulled at least four or five shots daily between Americanos for my wife and double shots for myself. The taste is great, the shots have a lovely smooth crema, and I am incredibly happy with it. This machine gets criticized as it's not a soulful Italian machine with endless hacking and customization opportunities, it is just a turnkey appliance that makes great espresso with no muss, no fuss. Look, I've owned an MGB and an old Plymouth muscle car, and fussy Italian espresso makers. I loved them and I loved tinkering. But I have a Toyota 4 Runner now that "lacks soul" but it is as reliable as a stone axe, I never worry about it starting when I get in, it's good in all conditions. It doesn't lose its lights in the rain (MGB) and it doesn't have weird features like reverse threaded lug nuts and this oddball relay that fails at weird times leaving me stranded unless I can install the spare (Plymouth). It just works right every dang time. You might be able to find a better machine that takes your espresso shots from a 99 grade to 100 but I doubt it. Once in a while my local roaster - which has won national competitions - pulls off a 100 shot. But usually they are 99's. Using the same beans this Breville is always a 99, no hassles. The only downside is we are drinking more coffee because this machine makes such tasty shots. It has eliminated coffee stops on the way to work and maybe in the long run pays for itself. But the real reason to buy is that life is too short to drink bad coffee. You are going to drink coffee anyhow; you might as well drink coffee that astounds you and puts a smile on your face every morning. Buy once, cry once.

The Bambino indeed has a super-fast startup time for both making espresso and steaming milk. A machine that starts up quickly is much less harmful for the environment than one that you need to leave powered up over night, which most of the higher-end machines do. While the Bambino does start up in 3 seconds, the instructions specify that run a single-cup cycle without the filter before actually starting to make your first shot. This is not going to slow you down if you start up your machine and hit the single shot button before grinding your beans, and the Bambino will be ready before you've finished tamping. I love the materials and the ease with which the base slides off for cleaning and back on again. It's got a deep tray for water so I haven't had any spills carrying it over to my sink. However, you should know before you buy that: (1) There's a good deal of necessary friction to overcome as the filter needs to lock in tight to be sealed under pressure, and the machine is so light that it will slide around your counter before accepting the filter. There's no handle to grab, so the only way I've been able to make this work is by wrapping my arms around the whole (fortunately small) machine. Don't welcome a Bambino into your home unless you're prepared to give it two bear hugs for every espresso you drink. (It gets easier--see update below. A commenter suggested using olive oil as a lubricant, which seems sensible since water boils at 100C and olive oil doesn't burn until ~190C.) (2) When the steamer self-cleans the tip of the wand, the initial spray often hits the edges of the hole it's supposed to land in. That initial spray contains milk that is being cleared, and the milk splatters. You'll need to keep the towel you used to clean the wand handy to play defense, and prepare to clean up splatter that you miss. Hopefully in v2 the hole will be slightly bigger and the alignment more precise. (Aside from this, the self cleaning function is great.) (3) The minimum amount of milk required to steam (the min line in the included steel milk jug) is a bit more than will fit in an 8oz mug, especially on the frothiest mode. Fortunately, I've not had any problems after filling a bit below the min line. I'd definitely buy this again as all the flaws are manageable and I love the quality of the espresso it creates, the ease with which it does it, the ease of cleaning, and the petite size. Having originally eyed the Barista Express, I have no regrets about getting a smaller machine that's easier to clean and starts up more quickly. If my grinder breaks, I can replace it without replacing my espresso maker, and vice versa. I also have no regrets about not getting a double boiler, as having two fast sequential steps (espresso and steam) is just as good as two slower parallel ones. If really I wanted to make multiple espressos faster, I'd get another filter unit so that I can grind one cup while another is brewing. - - - - - Update April 21 2020 After a few months the group head started locking in with less friction (but still makes a good seal), and so the bear hugs are now optional. I recently had the chance to compare the Bambino with the Barista Express, which I bought as a gift for friends I stayed with for a week. The Barista Express is a more impressive looking machine, also worked beautifully, and when offered for less than the Bambino as it was in January, it might be a better value. The one feature I missed was the automated milk steaming on the Bambino. With the Bambino, I can start milk frothing and move to another task, but steaming is a strictly manual operation on the Express. While the Bambino has a manual option, if I wanted to steam manually, I confess that if I were steaming manually each morning, I'd much prefer the more spacious Express which provides a more ergonomic experience if steaming manually is important to you. The Bambino's automatic steaming does a great job, so manual vs. automatic may simply be a matter of preference. Only after a year into ownership did I re-read the part of the manual that mentioned tool for cleaning the four holes in the steam wand, hidden under the water tank. It's beautiful industrial design to embed useful but rarely-needed tools where nobody has to see them, but Breville was a little too successful in hiding from. Don't miss it. I had been using a needle from a sewing kit. When using the two-shot mode to make two small lattes, I found it helpful to have a 600ml (20oz) steaming pitcher so that I can steam enough milk for both. For shot glasses, I've come to greatly appreciate ones with spouts that help me cleanly pour the espresso shots into cup. I use these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GL55KSN. I've now descaled a few times. Step 8 in the manual instructs that "once the descale solution has been used up, the descale mode will pause." It will actually pause BEFORE all the descale solution has been used up. I believe you can just toss the remaining liquid left in your tank. After my second descale, the machine started barely producing any espresso during a cycle. I tried another descale, with no luck. Then I tried the instructions under "reset factory espresso volume settings" at the bottom right of page 17 of the manual and everything suddenly worked like new.

After a couple of months of obsessive research, I decided the Bambino Plus in Black Truffle was the espresso maker for me. My local stores often have the more expensive and advanced models of Breville Espresso machines that also have built in grinders for the same price as the normal price of this model at every retailer. That made paying full price for this model not an option to me, I just couldn't bring myself to buy "less" for more. That led to to taking a chance and purchasing a "like new" Bambino Plus from Amazon. The one I received must have just been open box only with the machine itself never having been removed from the box and other wrapping materials, as it was wrapped exactly as they are from the factory (I verified by watching multiple unboxing videos on YouTube, prior to unboxing mine). Keep in mind I have only owned it for 6 days so far but I have ran a lot of shots, probably around 30 at a minimum, trying to learn as much as possible and it has worked flawlessly. I learned pretty quickly to make extra sure, that the temperature sensor is dry and that the milk pitcher is placed far back on the drip tray and well on the sensor prior to auto steaming or you will likely end up with milk all over, regardless of how little you may have had in the pitcher, don't make that mistake. The black truffle looks great next to my turquoise Moccamaster and black DF54 grinder. Negatives: -Small drip tray BUT you really need to empty and clean it well after every time you steam milk anyway, as it purges into the drip tray--so is it truly a negative? -It could be made to weigh a little more, so there isn't a need to hold onto it while locking the portafilter in. Positives/Reasons I purchased it: -It's small, hardly takes up any room, easy to take in my horse trailer on camping trips. -No built in subpar grinder to deal with like most other Breville models. The grinder is the most important part of espresso, a great quality grinder will make better espresso that a high end commercial espresso maker and low quality grinder. -Auto milk frothing works great, I can start cleaning up and doing other stuff in the kitchen while my milk steams. I can get great at dialing in espresso before I get around to learning the art of steaming milk. -3 way solenoid, prevents soupy pucks, allows backflushing of the group head. -PID -Heats up in 3 seconds! I will update my review in the future.

I bought this machine to replace my very old classic Rancillio Sylvia; although it is easy to work on, the parts that it now needs are hard to find and expensive. The Bambino Plus makes better shots than the Rancillio did in the last couple years of its life. The instruction manual is excellent. Pre-infusion time and shot size are adjustable. Two types of baskets for both one and two cup shots is a nice feature for ensuring quality when beans are not the best. Foaming can be done either automatically with three settings for foam quantity and three for temperature. I really appreciate that the machine needs no warmup time. My Amzchef bean grinder works well for the Bambino Plus. I feel like making another double right now. (probably shouldn't)

This is a fantastic espresso machine! Small, heating up fast and produces coffee drinks on another level! Exactly what i've been wanting for a long time. I did so much research, read so many reviews and finally decided to give a try to this one. Expensive, but absolutely worth the money! My coffee, lattes and cappuccinos taste so good, i am absolutely enjoying my Bambino! Buy-buy Starbucks with your $10 drinks that are more of a desert, not a delicious coffee drink. Purchased the coffee grinder too, started buying freshly roasted coffee and it makes such a difference! Still mastering the latte art :) Very happy with my Bambino Plus, highly recommend!

This espresso maker is the best appliance I have ever purchased. From the sensors that never allow the water tank to pump dry, to the easily cleaned base and steaming wand. Perfect foam on every cup. Rich brews time and time again. My cups of magic now foolproof with the push of a few simple buttons. Highly recommend.

Desde hacía meses estaba buscando una cafetera nueva para sustituir una Krups Gusto. Vi de todos tipos, desde las Oster de gama baja hasta las DeLongi superautomáticas. Ninguna me convencía porque no quería gastarme un dineral pero también quería una cafetera que diera una buena experiencia del café. La Bambino Plus cumple por mucho con su propósito. Entrega una taza bastante correcta, mejor que muchas cafeterías que no son de especialidad. La extracción es buena y la crema es consistente y duradera. La espuma de la leche es bastante buena y sedosa; ahora mismo estoy tratando de aprender arte latte. La cafetera es sencilla de usar. Seleccionas carga sencilla o doble de expreso y la máquina hace el resto. El espumador se puede usar de forma manual pero la función automática trabaja bastante bien y puedes escoger la temperatura y textura de la leche. Hay que jugar con la Bambino Plus los primeros días. Tienes que probar distintos tipos de molido hasta obtener el que buscas. Si es muy grueso, la extracción será pobre, aguada y sin crema. Si es demasiado fino entonces el agua no pasará porque la canastilla estará tapada. Con la leche es lo mismo: es importante probar con distintos tipos hasta encontrar la textura que buscas -la recomendación es que sea lo más entera posible y de preferencia esté fría-. Eso sí, la barita espumadora es bastante sensible. Si no la limpias al momento, la leche se seca muy rápido y tapa los orificios, que son realmente pequeños. Cuando notas que ya no espuma bien es momento de limpiarla a profundidad. La caja incluye varios accesorios de muy buena calidad, desde un portafiltros robusto con cuatro canastillas distintas hasta el tamper y una herramienta para asegurarse que la dosis de café es la correcta. También viene con pastillas de limpieza y descalcificador. Hasta ahora, el único punto negativo que encuentro es el precio. Aunque yo la encontré con descuento, se trata de cualquier forma de un gasto mayor. Ciertamente hay cafeteras que cuestan cuatro o cinco veces más y esta se encuentra en un rango intermedio de precios. Dependerá de la durabilidad del producto para saber si valió la pena.

This is our second one that was sent out as a replacement. The first one wasn't working correctly within the first month and returned it. This one seems fine at the moment and makes an excellent cappuccino. We also have the Smart grinder. It doesn't come with a single wall basket which you will have to order separately to make the perfect shot.

I am happy in general, it does make a great coffee and foam, no complaints here. But there are some little annoying design quirks. Like when it signals that a backflush cleaning is needed, there is no heads up ahead of time, so if I need to make 2 espressos and after the first one it decides it needs cleaning - that's it, it won't make a second one - you MUST clean it then and there. I worked around it by calculating the average amount of days between cleanings and I am cleaning it on schedule now. Also, when that cleaning process expels water, it does it through the hole on the bottom, not through the portafilter, which is a bit awkward to catch, but I got used to it. Still, it is a great machine and I am not sorry I've bought it.

I really like the ease of use and the good Breville quality. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a home brewed fresh cup of expresso, its nice to treat myself on weekends.