Breville Bambino Plus Review 2020 (BES500BSS Espresso Machine)

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There are some great options if you want professional quality espresso at home, but most machines take up too much counter space. For many, it’s just one too many small appliances to fit into an already crowded area. A good solution is the Breville Bambino Plus BES500BSS espresso machine.

This machine comes with almost everything you need to make great espresso, including a milk jug, tamper, and a built-in steam wand and this model is still available at one of the lowest prices on Amazon in its category. It isn’t equipped with a grinder though, so you will have to opt for either pre-ground beans or purchase a grinder separately.

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We’ve reviewed all of its features and we cover our findings in detail below. To make things easier we looked at four distinct aspects of the Breville Bambino Plus:

CoffeeVerdict Breville BES500BSS Review Criteria

• User-Friendly Design of the Breville Bambino Plus Reviewed
• Making Great Coffee with the Breville BES500BSS
• Exploring the Features of the Breville Bambino Plus
• Maintaining and Cleaning Your Bambino Plus Espresso Machine

Overall we were impressed with the performance of the Bambino Plus for such an affordable espresso machine. This compact machine makes great Espresso every time. Here’s a quick break down of how we rated it:

Compares Favorably With More Expensive Espresso Machines

The Breville Bambino Plus compares well against other espresso machines that we’ve reviewed. It may not have some of the features of more expensive models and it isn’t equipped with a grinder, but it makes a great cup of espresso for such a compact machine.

User-Friendly Design of the Breville Bambino Plus Reviewed

Using the Breville Bambino Plus is about as straightforward as it can be. There are five large buttons on the top front display that controls all of its functions. In the manual, you’ll find an explanation of what each button does – there isn’t much of a learning curve.

When you push a button the backlights up to indicate that it’s working properly and the buttons are large, making an easy target even for large fingers. The machine itself is made from durable stainless steel that’s designed to last through years of use, although that does mean fingerprints are more noticeable than on plastic machines. It comes with a standard 1-year warranty.

Making Great Coffee with the Breville BES500BSS

All of Breville’s espresso machines have one thing in common – they consistently make a beverage full of flavor and the Bambino Plus is no exception. It takes just a few seconds to bring the machine up to temperature and about a minute to brew the espresso. 

This model brews espresso at the ideal temperature and in our review it produced espresso that matched expectations every time. It is too bad that the machine doesn’t include a grinder, but that’s also one of the reasons for its compact design. It’s up to the purchaser to decide if this will affect their buying decision, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that the BES00BSS makes a great cup of espresso.

Exploring the Features of the Breville Bambino Plus

For an espresso maker that’s available at the lowest price on Amazon you might expect the manufacturer to cut too many corners, but that isn’t the case with the Breville Bambino Plus. In our review, we found that it had everything you need for a great cup of espresso.

The water tank holds an impressive 64 ounces of water and the portafilter holds 54 millimeters of ground coffee. Each shot of espresso is 19 grams per dose and that’s enough for a strong flavorful cup. One and two cup dual-wall baskets are included for the ground coffee and Breville includes a razor level for skimming off any excess.

You can choose between a one-shot dose, a double dose, or you can use the manual override to add extra. The steam wand is to the right-hand side of the portafilter and it’s easy to use. There are two buttons – one for measuring the temperature of the milk and the other for choosing the amount of milk you want in your beverage. You have 3 different options for temperature and 3 different amounts of milk to choose from for your espresso. 

To froth the milk all you have to do is place the included milk jug underneath the steam wand, lower the wand, select the desired temperature and amount and the machine will automatically stop once the process is completed. There’s a sensor underneath the milk jug tray that senses when the required temperature is reached.

Maintaining and Cleaning Your Bambino Plus Espresso Machine

One of the first things Breville suggests you do after purchasing the machine is to run a shot of water through it to clean it out before use. It’s a good idea to do this every time you use the machine if you’re not in a rush.

For more thorough cleaning the Breville Bambino Plus also comes with cleaning discs and tablets. The machine should be given a thorough cleaning every two to three months. The drip tray can be removed for cleaning and the portafilter baskets are easily removable. 

It also has an automated descaling feature as well for removing minerals that build up over time as water runs through the machine. The steam wand is self-cleaning with an auto-purge feature that runs water through the system after use to remove any milk residue left behind.

Breville Bambino Espresso Machine Specs

Comparing the Bambino Plus to the Breville Barista Express

The Breville Bambino Plus and the Barista Express both brew a great cup of espresso and have many of the same features.  One key difference between the two is that the Barista Express has a built-in grinder and because of that it has a larger footprint.

What we Liked Best About the Bambino Plus:

• Simplicity – The fact there are only 5 buttons to work all of the BES00BSS’s features is a blessing. In our review, we found it took just a few minutes to figure out all of this machine’s key features with the help of the manufacturer’s manual.

• Steam Wand with Temperature Sensor – It’s great that they’ve included a steam wand for milk with this machine and that it has a built-in temperature sensor. With three different temperature settings to choose from it’s easy to make espresso just the way you like it.

• Build Quality – Most small appliance makers opt for plastics these days, but not Breville. This is a quality machine made from stainless steel and that means it’s built to last.

The Pros & Cons

Our Review Verdict

The Breville Bambino Plus is ideal for homeowners that want to make professional-quality espresso at home, but don’t have a lot of counter space. Its compact design means it won’t take up much room and it still makes a great espresso.

We were impressed with its range of features and ease of use. The only major issue is that it isn’t equipped with a grinder, but overall this is a great espresso machine at an affordable price.

Frequently Asked Questions