Bambino Plus

Breville’s great, though most people here won’t recommend a machine with a built in grinder. That one comes with a Smart Grinder Pro, which is great for most bean types specially if you’re into Italian espresso/based drinks. You could go for a Bambino Plus and spend the rest ($600ish) on a much bett

Breville Bambino Plus is convenient and just about fits the budget with some stretching. Can't go wrong at that price point, HOWEVER you may want to budget for a grinder to go with it as well

used gaggia classic pro is prob the best bang for buck imo. built like a tank, easy to mod later if u get obsessed, and holds resale value. paired with a decent grinder it’ll easily give you real espresso without spending breville dual boiler money. for something simpler, the breville bambino or bam

The grinder matters more than the machine, and you should budget a decent amount for that too. You also will likely need to budget $100-150 or so for accessories like a scale, decent tamper, distribution tools, and in some cases a nicer portafilter and basket. Some recommended combos: De’Longhi Stil

Some top tips for the Bambino Plus, and in no particular order: -- With all due respect to it, no need to pay Breville prices for Breville (or via Breville, other) branded cleaning products. Urnex brand gets recommended here and has worked well for me, at a lower price, and buying larger-sized conta

I’m super new and bought a Breville Bambino Plus. I love it lol. However, I have to upgrade my grinder haha.

If you want to keep things simple (and keep your sanity), here’s the cleanest Bambino Plus setup Grinder: DF54 or Encore ESP. Super straightforward, very forgiving, won’t make you spiral. Portafilter: A 54mm bottomless. Makes dialing in way easier no more guessing if the shot is good or if the machi

Same for me mate. Budget aside, the convenience of the bambino plus outweighs the improvements I would get with more expensive machines. I can turn the machine on anytime of the day and get a better shot than in most cafes 2minutes later. If Breville comes up with a premium version of the Bambino pl

Buy a Breville Bambino Plus (a variety of colors) for $399 and a DF64 Version 2.5 (also a variety of colors now) from EspressoOutlet.com (pre-order) for $359. These two machines will have you making outstanding espresso and will last you five years + (at a minimum) while you learn to become an exper

The semi-automatic and fully manual machines discussed in this sub are for hobbyists who prioritize the ability to "experiment with flavor" over "ease of use". There is a bit of a learning curve that must be climbed to get good results from them. If this sounds like you, consider a Breville Bambino