Breville Barista Touch vs Bambino Plus – Check Which One Is Best & Why?

Breville Barista Touch & Breville Bambino Plus share many similarities, but there are also important differences, such as quality, performance, features, design, and connectivity. If you want the best one between them, I Would recommend the Breville Barista Touch rather than the Breville Bambino Plus.

Why Do I Recommend The Breville Barista Touch?

  • The Breville Barista Touch comes with an integrated conical burr grinder for consistent grinding and automatic dosing that simplifies bean-to-cup preparation, whereas the Breville Bambino Plus requires a separate grinder.
  • Breville Barista Touch features a color touchscreen for step-by-step drink guidance and faster drink selection for beginners, while the Breville Bambino Plus uses physical buttons with no guided workflow.
  • It has programmable milk temperature and texture for repeatable microfoam quality and latte art consistency, whereas the Breville Bambino Plus uses automatic steaming with limited customization.
  • The Breville Barista Touch includes customizable café drink presets to save personal recipes for daily convenience, while the Breville Bambino Plus has no drink presets or recipe memory.
  • Breville Barista Touch has a dedicated hot-water spout for seamless Americanos and tea preparation without moving cups, whereas the Breville Bambino Plus has no built-in hot-water dispensing.
  • It features internal dosing logic for consistent puck preparation that reduces mess and improves workflow efficiency, while the Breville Bambino Plus requires manual dosing.
  • The Breville Barista Touch supports a guided bean-to-cup system for faster learning and automated drink consistency, whereas the Breville Bambino Plus uses a hands-on workflow.
  • Breville Barista Touch has an on-screen cleaning alert system for easier maintenance and reduced guesswork, while the Breville Bambino Plus uses indicator lights with no visual cleaning guidance.

Maybe the Breville Bambino Plus can make you comfortable because it’s a little bit cheaper than the Breville Barista Touch. But you have to compromise all the above-mentioned features. Now the Decision is Yours. I hope it was helpful to choose the right one.

Side-by-Side Comparison

FeatureBreville Barista TouchBreville Bambino Plus
Built-in GrinderIntegrated conical burr grinderNo grinder
User InterfaceColor touchscreenPhysical buttons
Preset DrinksMultiple drink presetsNo presets
Recipe SavingCustom drink memoryNo recipe memory
Milk ControlProgrammable milk temp and textureAutomatic steam wand, no advanced control
Hot Water SpoutBuilt-in hot water outletNo hot water outlet
Bean Hopper250 g capacityNo bean hopper
Water Tank~2.0 L~1.9 L
Grind WorkflowBuilt-in grind doseExternal grinder required
Cleaning AlertsOn-screen remindersIndicator lights
Startup SpeedSlower startupFaster ThermoJet heat-up
DimensionsLarger footprintSmaller footprint
Automation LevelHigh automationSemi-automatic
DisplayDigital displayNo display
Brew ControlPID espresso with workflowStandard 15-bar pump
Milk PresetsProgrammable milk textureThree milk texture levels
ProgrammingFull drink customizationLimited customization
Dosing LogicInternal dose controlManual dosing
WorkflowBean-to-cup guidedEspresso-focused manual workflow
Learning CurveBeginner-friendly automationHands-on skill required
PriceCheck Breville Barista Touch PriceCheck Breville Bambino Plus Price

What Common Both Can Do?

  • ThermoJet Heating System: Both machines use the ThermoJet heating system, which allows for near-instant heat-up times compared to traditional boilers. This ensures users can extract espresso and steam milk rapidly without long waiting periods.
  • 54mm Portafilter: Both models use a 54mm portafilter, which provides a larger coffee puck surface area compared to smaller portafilters. This improves flavor extraction and maintains consistency across espresso shots.
  • Stainless Steel Build: Each machine features stainless steel construction, providing durability and a premium appearance. Stainless steel also resists wear and temperature fluctuations, contributing to longevity.
  • PID Temperature Control: Both machines incorporate PID temperature regulation to maintain stable brewing temperatures. Consistent temperature control leads to predictable extraction and balanced espresso flavor.
  • Automatic Milk Steaming: Each machine includes automatic milk steaming capabilities, reducing the learning curve for producing microfoam. This helps beginners create latte-art-ready milk without advanced barista skills.
  • 15-Bar Pump: Both use a 15-bar pump system for espresso extraction, ensuring adequate pressure for consistent crema formation. The shared pump design contributes to reliable extraction under a range of grind sizes.
  • Espresso Shot Options: Each model allows users to choose between single or double espresso shots. This flexibility enables different beverage volumes while maintaining proper extraction ratios.
  • Removable Water Tank: Both machines include a removable water tank, simplifying filling and cleaning. A detachable tank also improves usability for smaller kitchen spaces.
  • Auto Purge Steam Wand: Each machine automatically purges the steam wand after milk steaming to reset internal temperature. This protects espresso extraction quality and reduces manual maintenance.
  • Low-Pressure Pre-Infusion: Both machines apply low-pressure pre-infusion before full extraction, helping saturate the coffee puck evenly. This enhances flavor clarity and reduces channeling.
  • Compatible With Standard Breville Accessories: Each machine supports the same baskets, tampers, and tools used across Breville’s 54mm lineup. This gives users upgrade flexibility without accessory limitations.
  • Hot Milk and Microfoam Capability: Both machines can heat milk and produce fine microfoam suitable for lattes and cappuccinos. This enables café-style beverages without complicated steaming techniques.
  • Cup Warming Top: Each model includes a passive cup-warming surface that helps keep espresso cups pre-heated. Warm cups help preserve crema and maintain beverage temperature after extraction.
  • Drip Tray With Water Level Indicator: Both machines feature removable drip trays with a floating indicator that signals when the tray needs to be emptied. This helps users avoid overflow and simplifies cleanup.
  • Programmable Shot Volume: Both systems allow programming of shot volume for consistent espresso dosing. This ensures repeatable results when brewing the same drink every day.
  • Stainless Steel Steam Wand: Each machine uses a stainless steel steam wand, adding durability and heat stability during milk steaming. Stainless steel wands provide smoother frothing control than plastic alternatives.
  • Compatible With Pressurized and Non-Pressurized Baskets: Both machines support pressurized baskets for beginners and non-pressurized baskets for advanced users. This allows users to improve their barista skills over time without changing machines.
  • Descale and Cleaning Support: Both models include cleaning and descaling features and support regular maintenance routines. This helps preserve machine performance and protects espresso flavor over long-term use.

Common Features

FeatureBreville Barista TouchBreville Bambino Plus
ThermoJet Heating SystemYesYes
54mm PortafilterYesYes
Stainless Steel BuildYesYes
PID Temperature ControlYesYes
Automatic Milk SteamingYesYes
15-Bar PumpYesYes
Espresso Shot OptionsSingle/DoubleSingle/Double
Removable Water TankYesYes
Auto Purge Steam WandYesYes
Low-Pressure Pre-InfusionYesYes
Compatible With Standard Breville AccessoriesYesYes
Hot Milk and Microfoam CapabilityYesYes
Cup Warming TopYesYes
Drip Tray With Water Level IndicatorYesYes
Programmable Shot VolumeYesYes
Stainless Steel Steam WandYesYes
Compatible With Pressurized and Non-Pressurized BasketsYesYes
Descale and Cleaning SupportYesYes
Price Check Breville Barista Touch Price
Check Breville Bambino Plus Price

FAQ

Does the Breville Barista Touch include a grinder?
Yes, the Breville Barista Touch includes a built-in conical burr grinder, which allows you to automate grinding, dosing, and espresso preparation without needing a separate grinder. This makes it a complete bean-to-cup solution and simplifies workflow for beginners.

Does the Bambino Plus require a separate grinder?
Yes, the Bambino Plus does not include a built-in grinder, so you must pair it with an external grinder to achieve consistent espresso results. This gives you more flexibility in grinder choices but requires additional counter space and tools.

Do both machines heat up quickly?
Both machines use Breville’s ThermoJet heating system, which allows near-instant heat-up and steaming readiness. This makes daily espresso preparation faster than machines with thermoblock or boiler systems.

Do both machines support automatic milk frothing?
Yes, both models provide automatic milk texturing using a steam wand. The Barista Touch offers programmable texture and temperature, while the Bambino Plus uses fixed levels, but both can create microfoam suitable for latte art.

Do both machines allow pre-infusion?
Yes, both units include low-pressure pre-infusion, which helps wet the coffee puck before full pressure extraction. This improves flavor consistency and reduces channeling, even with lighter tamping or imperfect puck preparation.

Are both machines suitable for beginners?
Yes, both machines are beginner-friendly and make it easier to create café-style beverages at home. The Barista Touch is more automated and guided, while the Bambino Plus is simpler and teaches users more hands-on barista workflow.

Do both machines use a 54mm portafilter?
Yes, both units use Breville’s 54mm portafilter format, which has a larger puck surface area compared to smaller consumer espresso machines. This improves extraction quality and crema consistency across single or double shots.

Are both machines compatible with pressurized baskets?
Yes, both models work with pressurized baskets for easy extraction using pre-ground coffee or inconsistent grind quality. They can also use non-pressurized baskets for higher-quality espresso when using a precision grinder.

Do both machines allow programmable espresso volume?
Yes, both units support programmable shot volume for single and double espresso. This makes it easy to repeat your preferred beverage size every day without manually timing shots.

Do both machines support steaming for lattes and cappuccinos?
Yes, both machines allow milk heating and microfoam creation using a steam wand. They can make cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites, and similar beverages without purchasing extra accessories.

Do both machines have removable water tanks?
Yes, both units use removable water tanks, making it easier to refill, clean, and install filtration if desired. This improves convenience for small kitchens and simplifies machine maintenance.

Do both machines offer stainless steel construction?
Yes, both machines feature stainless steel exterior components for durability and thermal stability. Stainless steel materials also provide a premium look and withstand long-term use.

Can both machines support latte art?
Yes, both can create microfoam milk suitable for latte art, although the learning curve may differ between the two. With practice, both machines are capable of producing barista-style results.

Do both machines require regular descaling and cleaning?
Yes, both models recommend consistent descaling, cleaning tablets, and steam-wand maintenance to maintain optimal performance. Proper cleaning prevents buildup, protects flavor quality, and extends machine lifespan.

Can both machines make espresso using fresh beans?
Yes, both machines can produce high-quality espresso when paired with fresh coffee beans and a suitable grinder. Fresh beans significantly improve aroma, crema, sweetness, and complexity no matter which machine you choose.