Which Breville belongs on your counter?
My pick for someone who wants lattes with less milk-steaming fuss is the Bambino Plus. Choose the Bambino if you would rather spend less and learn to steam by hand. Choose the Barista Express if a built-in grinder matters more than automatic milk. That is the decision, Honey: which job do you want the machine to do before you have had enough coffee to supervise it?
These are hands-on espresso machines, not push-a-button-and-wander-off latte dispensers. Both Bambinos need a separate grinder if you want to grind whole beans at home. The Barista Express includes one, but you still prepare the shot and steam the milk. Buy for your actual morning, not the imaginary version where you have forty minutes and a linen apron.
Bambino vs Bambino Plus vs Barista Express
Bambino · BES450
Breville reference price: $299.95 before current promotional pricing.
Milk: manual steam wand. Grinder: not built in.
Heating: ThermoJet; Breville advertises a three-second heater startup, not a finished drink in three seconds.
Best fit: a smaller starting budget and someone willing to learn the milk technique.
Bambino Plus · BES500
Breville reference price: $499.95 before current promotional pricing.
Milk: automatic texturing with three temperature and three texture settings; manual control is also available. Grinder: not built in.
Heating: ThermoJet with the same advertised three-second heater startup.
Best fit: frequent latte or cappuccino drinkers who want help with milk.
Barista Express · BES870
Breville reference price: $699.95 before current promotional pricing.
Milk: manual steam wand. Grinder: integrated conical burr grinder with 16 settings.
Heating: Thermocoil with temperature control.
Best fit: someone who wants the grinder and espresso machine together and enjoys a hands-on routine.
Breville’s U.S. pages checked September 29, 2026 showed promotional prices of $249.95, $399.95 and $499.95 respectively. The Barista Express page showed out of stock for the displayed configuration. Those are Breville’s displayed offers, not guaranteed Amazon prices; finish, seller, tax and availability can change the total.
Is the Bambino Plus worth the extra money?
Against the reference prices above, the Plus costs $200 more than the Bambino. You are paying chiefly for convenience in the milk routine. If most of your drinks are straight espresso or you enjoy learning to steam, that upgrade may not earn its place. If milk drinks are the daily event, it deserves a closer look. More expensive is not a flavor setting.
Do not forget the grinder bill
Price the whole setup before declaring a winner. A separate espresso-capable grinder adds cost and counter space to either Bambino. The Express includes its grinder, which makes its larger upfront price a different kind of purchase. If you already have a suitable grinder, paying for another one inside a machine may solve a problem you do not have.
The basic Bambino plus a separately chosen grinder also lets you replace or upgrade those pieces independently. That flexibility is useful; so is having fewer separate appliances. Neither preference needs a forty-comment argument from a man who weighs his feelings in grams.
What beginners should check before buying
Measure the counter and overhead clearance, including room to refill water and, on the Express, reach the bean hopper. Read the exact model’s cleaning instructions. A shiny machine still needs a cleaned wand, an emptied drip tray and routine care. Automatic milk does not mean automatic housekeeping.
Check the listing’s model number and included accessories. Barista Express BES870 is the machine compared here; Express Impress is a different model. A similar name and a nice discount banner are not enough information to click Buy.
Check the exact models
Bambino Plus BES500 (paid link)
Barista Express BES870 (paid link)
The manufacturer details
Breville Bambino specifications
Breville Bambino Plus specifications
Breville Barista Express specifications
The fantasy has latte art. Tuesday has a missing shoe.
Picture it: you buy the machine, arrange the mugs, and briefly become the kind of woman whose morning has a soundtrack. Then Tuesday arrives. Somebody cannot find a shoe. Your coffee is cooling while you negotiate with a milk pitcher. Suddenly the feature you care about is not how impressive the counter looks; it is how much attention breakfast is demanding.
That is why I would match the machine to the drink first. Bambino for keeping the entry cost down, Plus for help with the milk, Express for the built-in grinder. The machine can make espresso. It cannot make the rest of the house act right.
Love, Honey
Disclosures
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links marked paid link may earn HBH a commission at no extra cost to you.
Editorial disclosure: This is a research-based comparison of manufacturer specifications, not a claim that Honey owns or has personally tested all three machines. The morning scene is illustrative.
Artwork and pricing: The AI-generated HBH cover is an editorial illustration, not a photo of these machines. U.S. manufacturer prices were checked September 29, 2026; confirm the seller’s final price, exact model and availability before purchasing.
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