Breville Bambino Plus vs Barista Express
Same espresso heart, different philosophy. The Bambino Plus is tiny and automates milk; the Barista Express is bigger and builds in a grinder. Pick the Bambino Plus if counter space and easy lattes matter most; pick the Barista Express if you want everything in one box.
Head to headHighest overall score: Breville Bambino Plus (8.5 vs 8.1) — but pick by how you brew.
What the extra money buys — The Barista Express costs about $200 more than the Bambino Plus. That difference is the built-in conical grinder: with the Express there is nothing else to buy, while the Bambino Plus has no grinder and needs a quality burr grinder budgeted alongside it. What the extra money costs you is space, since the Bambino Plus is under 8 inches wide and the Express has a much larger footprint.
Approximate — verify the latest price
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Approximate — verify the latest price
BrewSift earns a commission on some purchases. It never changes our scores. Why you can trust us
Which one wins — for you
Under 8 inches wide vs the Express's much larger footprint.
Built-in conical grinder means nothing else to buy.
Automatic steam wand textures milk to a set temp and foam — hands-free.
Score by dimension
BrewSift sub-scores for espresso. The longer bar wins each row.
Specs side by side
The bottom line
The right pick depends on how you brew — match the machine to your actual use case using the “which one wins” cards above. If you just want the stronger all-rounder, the Breville Bambino Plus edges it on our overall score (8.5 vs 8.1).
Common questions
Do I need a separate grinder for the Bambino Plus?
Yes — it has no built-in grinder, so budget for a quality burr grinder. The Barista Express includes one, which is why it costs more.