This little machine makes amazing espresso and cappuccino. True, everything feels a bit flimsy, but for this amount of money you can't beat the results. It performs almost as well as a Rocket Cinquantotto, which costs ten times as much, and the performance is about on par with a Rancilio Silvia, which costs three times as much and is a much more finicky machine. If you are looking for a high performing espresso machine that's to be used in tight quarters and easy to use, look no further.

My Bambino Plus--3 years old--went rogue. lights flashing, refused to let me do cleaning, etc. i "chatted" with Andrew asking which item most closely compared to my old one.At first i was disappointed s old one self cleaned nozzle after each texturing of milk, now i do it. The tank is smaller and I have a hard time getting my hand with dish towel inside to wipe--have hard water that spots. I am used to this now...so OK

It took a little while to dial in the correct grind, and the amount of coffee, but it is delicious. One thing I noticed is how hot the water is when I make an Americano. Much more efficient than my via Vanesia.

Makes great coffee. Affordable, easy option. Great for small spaces.

Lance Hedrick said in a video that really there might not be a huge difference between espresso machines once you hit 9 bars. I decided to go all in on that and get this espresso machine.So far it might have exceeded what I thought.I've had some of the best espresso ever.I'm starting to see how important the larger water tank on this model is.I pull a coffeeless espresso- water only- before ever shot both to clear any coffee grinds from the previous shot and to get the machine up to temperature.So I go through lots of water and appreciate the tank.I'm still figuring out what exact settings work for me.This model has been fantastic.I'm not sure I have any complaints.I would not expect espresso this good this early.You might want to replace the tamper- for me that helped a lot.No regrets, would likely get same model if I had to buy another one.

I've had this machine for 4 months. I continually have to clean the steam nozzle. I've gotten black flakes and light colored flakes out of the nozzle. I *do* flush the nozzle after each use and I *do* run a single out of the brew head as recommended. The symptoms are that the steam doesn't have much pressure and will not froth or heat the milk. When this happens, usually after two or three uses I pull the steam nozzle and clean it. It that doesn't work then I run the decalcification process and clean the steam nozzle. Also be aware this machine does not have a built in filter. On the plus side it's small, nice for the travel trailer and is lightweight. I'm comparing this machine to an older Breville purchased in 2019 which lost the ability to brew in Jan of 2024. The ONLY maintenance I did on it was regular cleaning.

Great little machine. Makes great drinks and is fast and easy. Only knock - it's not very substantial. Too much cheap plastic.

Love it. Great buy at a great price.

Machine looks good and works well. It is pretty much guess work trying to get a strong enough coffee. It excels at foaming milk.

I love this machine! Though its taken me a wile to learn the ropes of espresso, this machine has worked with all of my mistakes in triumphs. Highly suggest for someone getting into the espresso world. What I love:- Quick heating: perfect for rushed mornings- Manual steam wand: allowed me to learn how to properly steam milk (look up Lance Hendrick video)- Customizability: one is able to change timing for espresso buttons and mod machine with new tools easily- Included Steaming pitcherSuggestions/things to keep in mind:- If you're looking to have good shots, make sure you have a good grinder that does proper espresso.- For those hoping to use knock box: get a new, non-pressurized portafilter. The included portafilter does not knock well and is very messy. They made it cheap to lower price of machine!- Tamper: the plastic tamper is not ideal; may be good to invest in a new, heftier one- Hot Water: the hot water spout in the Bambino works, but is very slow. For quicker hot water, think about customizing the time setting for one of the espresso buttons to fill a mug.

I used a manual Saeco espresso maker for about 20 years. Was hoping for a great upgrade experience. The Breville is OK but not what I hoped. I use the machine totally in manual mode.Pros- Small footprint.- Fast heating - really nice!- Frothing is quite good.Cons:- Proprietary 3-tab portafilter that is incompatible with my doserless Rocky Rancilio grinder.- Portafilter basket has slopped sides. If you choose not to fill it completely, you cannot tamp it properly.- For some reason I get small dots of coffee-water on the wall behind the unit. Can't see how or from where they they get there.- Button combinations are not intuitive.

Did not come with the thing to clean the frother/steamer. Also a few weeks in, the button to make a single shot bales a double and vice versa.

So far it?s a nice travel machine. My regular machine is a Barista Pro.

I got this for use in my camper van?.it works great & fits!

I love that it?s ready in three seconds. I love the operation of it. It?s very easy to be successful as a beginner.

Too light. No weight in the base. You have to grip the top to tighten or remove the portafilter. It feels like it will break in half! When pulling a shot the drip tray vibrates and I have to hold the cup under the portafilter to keep it from vibrating off the tray.It's so lightweight it feels cheap. You get what you pay for.The positive is the Bambino makes great espresso, once you get the grind right. Excellent instructions on getting the right size grind. Makes shots very fast. Literally no waiting.

Loving my little Bambino! I live by myself so this is the right machine for me. I have been making espresso at home for years and finally decided to downsize and it works for me! I make a latte every morning and may have a cappuccino sometime during the day. I love that it isn?t a huge monster on my counter??room at last. Very simple?.makes good espresso?..win win??

I have had a big breville for 3 yrs and I bought the bambino to take to my place in Vallarta. Tried it and it works as good as big machine. In fact, better. steaming is a bit stronger. Coffee is pretty much the same quality

Excellent machine for the price.

This is like a toy. Everything about it is cheap. Spend a few hundred bucks more for a real breville or other higher end espresso maker.

I bought the Bambino as a Christmas gift for my partner and he loves it so far (and so do I). This is our first home espresso machine and it is simple, small, and makes great drinks. I was torn trying to decide whether to buy this model or the Plus version. I have no regrets about passing on the Plus. While we enjoy frothed milk drinks, we've found a new passion for Americanos in place of our drip coffee. One note: the machine "counts" drinks and when it reaches a certain number it requires a cleaning cycle before you can use the machine. We were really surprised when the machine required us to put it through a cleaning cycle in its first month of use. So I'm wondering if the hot water we use for Americanos was causing the high count? In any case, we have an electric kettle to get hot water so I'm trying that-- unfortunately, not enough time/drinks have passed for me to give a conclusion about this, but FYI. Overall, we love our Bambino!

Takes up little space on my counter. After about a week of use, I got the hang of it and can now make a great latte.

The bambino has been a great espresso machine so far. It heats up very quickly (for both espresso and the steam wand) and produces good espresso & steamed milk.My only complaint is that it only comes with dual-wall filters rather than single-wall, and there was no frothing pitcher included.

I got this espresso machine for my wife to replace an older Breville machine and she loves it so far, it's only been about a month but she loves the smaller foot print on the counter top. We seem to get 3-4 years out of our espresso machines as my wife is making 2-3 per day, hoping that this one lasts that long!

Love it! Small footprint but great espresso.

Great machine. Simple and sleek look.

It's great ! A perfect first espresso machine. Holds a nice amount of water, doesn't take up lots of space, great espresso, powerful milk steamer.The only caveat I can think of is that, because the machine is very light, you sort of need to hold it while tightening the portafilter in place. But that's really no big deal.I did buy an unpressurized basket per the recommendations.

I have been enjoying the Bambino. I gave it only 4 stars because it’s my first machine. Espresso making is definitely a skill and after much trial and error, I’m finally making a consistently good cup. Tamping in layers rather than following the instructions of filling to the brim, works better for me. I would recommend this product.