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.
Part of our guide to the best espresso machines.
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).
More comparisons in espresso machines
Other matchups we have run side by side, same scoring, same spec sheet.
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.