The Coffee Lab
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
Welcome to The Coffee Lab, the series where I help you figure out what’s actually important. Forget coffee snobbery — the Coffee Lab is all about fun, flavor, and finesse!
I’m Erin, and I’m Tom’s Guide’s resident coffee expert. With my three-and-a-half years of experience in busy cafes, both independent and chains, and my two years of experience reviewing the best espresso machines, I know my way around the Java juice.
Welcome to the first episode of The Coffee Lab. I’m on a mission to simplify the world of coffee for complete beginners. Forget about things like flow rate and tamping pressure and bloom for now — the only thing newbies need to worry about is taste. If you like how your espresso tastes, that’s all that matters.
All elements of espresso are important — you need a good espresso machine, one of the best grinders, and high-quality beans — but let’s start with the most obvious one: the machine. My favorite entry-level espresso machine is the Breville Bambino, and here’s why.
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Premium features at a budget price
(Image credit: Erin Bashford)
The Breville Bambino may be just $299, but you get two premium, coffee-snob approved premium features for that relatively low price.
You get a PID controller and customizable pre-infusion setting. If you’re looking at the screen and your eyes are falling out of your head, let me explain.
A PID controller is an invisible piece of tech that controls water temperature throughout extraction, making sure your espresso is never burned or weak. This is one of the key components of a high-quality espresso machine, and I would never buy one without this (or equivalent).
Customizable pre-infusion time is a little more nerdy — it’s a hidden setting that lets you adjust how long the machine steeps your coffee in low-pressure water before ramping up the pressure for traditional espresso extraction. You can play with this to find a time that suits your beans and your tastes. Not a lot of espresso machines have this — especially not at this price — so is great if you want to take coffee a little more seriously.
Powerful steam wand
Two flat whites made on the Breville Bambino. (Image credit: Erin Bashford)
As you can see from the image above, you can easily get barista-quality latte art on the Bambino. I made both of these flat whites with just the Bambino, specialty beans, and some 2% milk.
Even though the steam wand only has one hole, it’s immensely powerful. The wand itself is super flexible, meaning you can adjust the angle to whatever suits you. As much as I love the Bambino Plus, I wish the steam wand was a little more flexible. This is not an issue on the Bambino at all — you can hold the jug at any angle and the steam wand will follow you like a loyal Labrador.
Of course, the Bambino doesn’t have the auto-milk-steaming function seen on the Plus version, but it’s all swings and roundabouts. It just depends on what you personally want more — flexibility or hands-free steaming?
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Blows competition out of the water
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And, arguably, the most important factor: how does the Bambino compare?
The answer is simple: it’s heads and shoulders above the rest of the $200-300 crowd.
You’ve got the Casabrews CM5418 Pro ($199), the De’Longhi Dedica Duo ($299), the De’Longhi Linea ($229), and the Casabrews Ultra ($249).
And the Breville Bambino obliterates every single one of them. The CM5418 Pro has a PID controller, but its frustrating boiler issues prevent me from recommending it. Similarly, the Linea is an easy-to-use machine, but its Panarello steam wand (thick, only for frothing milk) means you can’t make latte art. The Dedica Duo only comes with dual-walled portafilters, and the Casabrews Ultra has a pathetically weak steam wand.
The Bambino will win every single round. Espresso? Bambino. Steam? Bambino? Accessories? Bambino. Looks? Bambino.
No matter what angle you look at it from, the Bambino wins. For this reason, it’s the only 5-star rating I’ve ever given an espresso machine. It’s my go-to recommendation for beginners and enthusiasts alike.
The only real competition is another Breville: the Bambino Plus. Should you buy the $299 Bambino or invest in the $499 Bambino Plus? If you are just starting out, I’d go Bambino, but enthusiasts might want to splurge on the more powerful Plus.
What do you think? Which machine would you choose? Do you have a Bambino? Let me know in the comments, and stay tuned for the next episode of The Coffee Lab!
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