Breville Bambino Plus (BES500)

The Bambino Plus is for the person who wants to make a proper latte on the first morning and does not want to spend a month learning to steam milk first. It is the beginner pick at Coffee Chronicler, whose guide was updated in July 2026, and at TechGearLab, which names it the top pick for novices, and it heads our beginner espresso machine list for the same reason: it takes the two things beginners get wrong most, water temperature and milk, and handles them itself.

It is not the machine for someone who wants everything in one box. There is no grinder, and Coffee Chronicler is direct that a grinder capable of espresso is as important as the machine. If that second purchase is not going to happen, the Barista Express is the better buy.

Speed and stability come first. Breville's ThermoJet heater reaches extraction temperature in about three seconds, according to the spec page, so there is no warm-up ritual and no wasted shot while the machine settles. Coffee Chronicler credits the machine with PID control, the controller that keeps water within a narrow band, and with adjustable pre-infusion: Breville states that a low-pressure phase precedes the pump's ramp to 9 bar, which wets the puck gently and makes an uneven tamp less punishing.

The automatic steam wand is the second reason to buy it. Breville's spec lists three milk temperatures and three texture levels: fill the 16 oz stainless jug from the box, set it under the wand, pick a setting and the machine stops on its own. TechGearLab describes it as push-button simple and timed a cappuccino from cold at about four minutes. Breville also lets you run the wand manually, with 266°F steam, and Coffee Chronicler calls the wand robust for a machine this size.

The 54 mm portafilter is the third. Breville sizes it for an 18 g dose, so tampers, distribution tools and spare baskets are easy to find, and the box includes a metal tamper and the Razor tool for trimming an overdosed basket. TechGearLab measured an 18 percent extraction yield and called the shots good; it also measured the tank at 64 oz and cup clearance at 5 in. Whole Latte Love lists 11 lb, 1,560 W and a two-year limited warranty, twice what its listings show for the Barista Express.

The grinder is the obvious gap, and it changes the real cost. Coffee Chronicler argues that grind fineness and adjustment range decide whether you can dial in at all, and that a machine this capable is wasted on a blade grinder or a burr grinder built for drip coffee. Plan for the pair; our espresso grinder list is the place to start.

The automatic wand has limits. TechGearLab found it does not adjust well compared with a manual wand, and once you can steam you may want more control over texture than three presets allow. The manual mode exists, but the wand is designed around the presets rather than latte-art foam.

Two smaller points. TechGearLab calls the drip tray very small and notes there is nowhere to store accessories. And Coffee Chronicler says the Bambino Plus ships with a pressurized basket as standard and recommends a single-wall upgrade, while Breville's current US listing shows single-wall baskets included and Whole Latte Love's shows only pressurized ones. If yours arrives with dual-wall only, a single-wall 54 mm basket is an inexpensive first upgrade.

Against the Breville Bambino, the shot is the same: same heater, same portafilter, same pre-infusion, and TechGearLab measured the same 18 percent yield from both. The Plus adds the automatic wand, a 64 oz tank against 47 oz, a metal tamper instead of plastic, and the two-year warranty. TechGearLab found the Bambino's manual wand nearly as good as the Barista Express's, so the question is whether you want to learn to steam or have the machine do it. If the difference can buy most of a proper grinder, the Bambino is the smarter pair.

Against the Barista Express, the Bambino Plus is faster to heat, half the weight, far narrower, and its automatic wand suits a beginner better than the Express's manual one. The Express wins on having everything in one box and on a pressure gauge that shows whether the grind is right; its grinder is slow and modest, per TechGearLab, but it is there.

Against the Casabrews 5418 Pro, the Breville sits a class higher and returns a 54 mm basket, pre-infusion, PID control and a three-way valve so the puck does not drip after the shot. The Casabrews is narrower, faster to steam and far cheaper; it is the right call if the budget cannot stretch to a Breville and a grinder.

The Bambino Plus is the best first espresso machine for most people because it removes the two variables that spoil beginners' coffee: it holds temperature without any ritual, and it steams milk on its own until you are ready to take over. The 54 mm portafilter and pre-infusion mean it will not need replacing as your skills improve. Buy it with a grinder, not instead of one.