Breville Bambino vs Barista Express vs Barista Pro vs Barista Touch

Side-by-Side Specs

The three grinder models have a half-pound bean hopper.

Breville Bambino: An Espresso Machine Without a Grinder

The Bambino is the only one of the four with no built-in grinder. Its component list runs from the water tank and control panel to the portafilter, steam wand and drip tray. Breville’s manual pairs the single-wall filter baskets with freshly ground whole beans and the dual-wall baskets with pre-ground coffee, so it works either way.

It is also the smallest by far: 11.9 inches wide and 6.1 inches deep, against about 16 inches wide and 12.6 to 13.8 inches deep for the grinder models. The trade-off is that fresh-bean espresso needs a separate espresso-capable grinder beside it. Our espresso grinder picks cover that half of the setup.

The Bambino has the smallest water tank here at 47 fl oz and a 1-year limited warranty.

Barista Express: The Grinder Model With a Pressure Gauge

The Barista Express puts a steel conical burr grinder with 16 grind settings on top of the machine. Breville says it grinds the dose on demand with a single touch, and its spec sheet lists an adjustable grind amount with manual override.

It is the only model here with Breville’s Thermocoil heating system rather than ThermoJet. Breville says the Thermocoil system with PID control delivers water at 200°F. It is also the only one of the four with an extraction feedback pressure gauge, which gives feedback on extraction pressure during a shot.

Milk is textured by hand with the steam wand. The tamper is a removable magnetic one, and the warranty is 1 year.

Barista Pro: Faster Heat-Up and a Screen

The Barista Pro also has a built-in conical burr grinder and a manual steam wand, but it differs from the Express in three ways. The grinder has 30 settings instead of 16. Heating moves to ThermoJet, which Breville says reaches extraction temperature in 3 seconds. And the controls add an LCD screen alongside the buttons.

Milk texturing is still manual. Breville lists a 2-year limited warranty, double the Express.

Barista Touch: Touchscreen and Hands-Free Milk

The Barista Touch has the same 30-setting grinder count and ThermoJet heating as the Pro, with hardened steel conical burrs. The controls move to a touchscreen with 5 pre-programmed café drinks, and Breville says you can create, save and name 8 custom coffee settings.

The bigger change is milk. Its automatic steam wand lets you set milk temperature between 104°F and 167°F and choose from 8 texture levels, or texture by hand. It is the only one of the four with hands-free milk texturing. It also carries a 2-year warranty.

Footprint, Weight and Warranty

The Plus and Impress Versions

Breville sells an upgraded version of three of these machines. Check which one a listing is for, because the names are close.

• Breville Bambino Plus BES500 adds hands-free milk texturing with 3 milk temperatures and 3 texture levels, a 64 fl oz tank and a 2-year warranty. It is still a machine without a grinder.
• Breville Barista Express Impress BES876 adds assisted tamping. Breville says it applies a constant 22 lb tamp with a 7° twist and corrects the next dose from the last one. It has 25 grind settings, a 2-liter tank and a 2-year warranty.
• Breville Barista Touch Impress BES881 adds the same Impress Puck System to the touchscreen model, with Baratza European Precision Burrs, alternative milk settings for dairy, almond, oat and soy, and a 12 oz bean hopper. Our Ninja Luxe Café Pro vs Barista Touch Impress comparison covers it against Ninja’s guided machine.

How to Choose

• You already own a good grinder, or want to pick one: the Bambino. It is the smallest and simplest, and the grinder can be upgraded on its own. Our Gevi vs Bambino comparison weighs that choice against a bundled machine.
• You want one machine that grinds and brews, and like a gauge to read each shot: the Barista Express.
• You want the grinder model with finer grind steps and the 3-second heat-up: the Barista Pro.
• Milk drinks are most of what you make, or several people share the machine: the Barista Touch, for the hands-free steam wand and saved drink settings.
• Tamping is the step you want help with: look at the Impress versions instead.

For more machines in this class beyond Breville, see our semi-automatic espresso machine picks . For De’Longhi and Ninja models that also grind beans, see our espresso machines with a built-in grinder .

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Breville Bambino need a separate grinder?

For fresh beans, yes. The Bambino has no built-in grinder. Breville supplies single-wall baskets for freshly ground beans and dual-wall baskets for pre-ground coffee, so it also works with pre-ground coffee.

Which of these Breville machines heats up fastest?

Breville says the ThermoJet system in the Bambino, Barista Pro and Barista Touch reaches extraction temperature in 3 seconds. The Barista Express uses Breville’s Thermocoil heating system instead.

What is the difference between the Barista Touch and the Barista Touch Impress?

The Touch Impress adds Breville’s Impress Puck System for assisted dosing and tamping, Baratza burrs, alternative milk settings for dairy, almond, oat and soy, and a 12 oz bean hopper. Both have a touchscreen and hands-free milk texturing.

Sources

• Breville Bambino BES450 product page
• Breville Bambino BES450 instruction manual (PDF)
• Breville Barista Express BES870 product page
• Breville Barista Pro BES878 product page
• Breville Barista Touch BES880 product page
• Breville Bambino Plus BES500 product page
• Breville Barista Express Impress BES876 product page
• Breville Barista Touch Impress BES881 product page