Breville Bambino Plus vs Barista Express: which one to buy

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This decision is really about the grinder. Breville lists the Bambino Plus at $499.95 with no grinder, ThermoJet heating that is ready in 3 seconds, and an automatic steam wand. The Barista Express at $699.95 adds an integrated conical burr grinder with 16 grind settings and a Thermocoil heating system with PID control. If you already own a decent espresso grinder or plan to buy a better standalone one, take the Bambino Plus. If you want one box that does everything, take the Express.

Bambino Plus vs Barista Express, head to head

Specs and prices from breville.com product pages, checked August 2026. Where Breville does not publish a figure the row is left out rather than estimated.

The grinder question decides it

Espresso lives or dies on the grinder, and the Express bakes a 16 setting conical burr grinder into the machine for $200 more than the Bambino Plus. That is cheaper than buying the two parts separately, but it also welds your grinder ceiling to your machine. A standalone grinder next to a Bambino Plus can be upgraded, repaired, or replaced on its own. Owners who get serious usually end up wanting more than 16 grind steps between too fast and too slow.

Milk is where the Bambino Plus punches up

The Bambino Plus has the automatic steam wand: pick one of 3 milk temperatures and 3 texture levels, and it purges and textures without you standing there. The Express gives you a manual wand only. Manual texturing is a skill worth learning for latte art, and the Bambino Plus lets you do both, so milk drinkers who want a hands-off morning get more from the smaller machine.

Counter space and heat up time

The Bambino Plus is 11.9 inches wide against 15.9 inches for the Express, and ThermoJet reaches brewing temperature in 3 seconds while the Thermocoil system warms in the background with PID holding 200 F. Day to day, the Bambino Plus is the machine you can walk up to and pull a shot on immediately. Dial-in steps for the Express are in Barista Express dial-in settings.

Which one should you buy

Buy the Bambino Plus if you already own a grinder, plan to buy a standalone grinder, want automatic milk, or have a narrow counter. It is the better long-term platform because the grinder budget stays flexible.

Buy the Barista Express if you want one purchase, one footprint, and one power cord. For a first espresso setup on a fixed budget it remains the default answer, and the built-in grinder is genuinely competent for pressurized and non-pressurized baskets alike.

Check current prices

A $200 gap and a grinder in the balance. Check both current prices before deciding, since Breville runs frequent promotions.

Related reading

• Bambino vs Bambino Plus
• Barista Express Impress vs Barista Express
• Bambino Plus dial-in settings
• Coffee gear guides hub

FAQ

Is the Bambino Plus as good as the Barista Express for espresso? Yes. Both use a 54mm stainless steel portafilter, an 18g dose, low pressure pre-infusion, and 9 bar extraction from a 15 bar Italian pump. The difference is the Express adds a built-in 16 setting grinder and the Bambino Plus adds an automatic steam wand.

Do I need a separate grinder with the Bambino Plus? Yes. The Bambino Plus has no grinder, and pre-ground coffee will not stay fresh enough for consistent espresso. Budget for a burr grinder or choose the Barista Express, which includes one.

Which is faster to heat up? The Bambino Plus. Breville publishes a 3 second heat up for its ThermoJet system, while the Barista Express uses a Thermocoil with PID control that delivers water at 200 F.

Sources: Breville Bambino Plus (breville.com); Breville Barista Express (breville.com). Manufacturer pages fetched August 2026. Specs a maker does not publish are left out rather than estimated.