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Breville Barista Touch vs Breville Bambino Plus

Which one has the downsides you can live with?

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The short answer

Breville Barista Touch ranks higher (#2 vs #3 of 11) and scores better on cleaning & upkeep.

The biggest complaint about the Breville Barista Touch is durability is mixed; for the Breville Bambino Plus it's stops working within months. Pick the one whose catch bothers you less.

#2 of 11 · $$Breville Barista Touch

Good for: Beginners who want guidance and a grinder in one

Its catch: durability is mixed

Check price on Amazon
#3 of 11 · $$Breville Bambino Plus

Good for: Beginners who want lattes with hands-free milk

Its catch: stops working within months

Check price on Amazon

Paid links. We don't list prices — they change daily. Neither one feels right?

Side by side

Breville Barista TouchBreville Bambino Plus
Rank in espresso machines#2#3
Price tier$$$$
TypeWith built-in grinderEspresso machine (no grinder)
Amazon 1–2★ share16%19%
Overall score3.83.7
Espresso quality3.53.5
Milk frothing4.54.5
Ease of use4.54.5
Cleaning & upkeep4.03.5
Durability2.52.5

Price tiers: $ under $300 · $$ $300–800 · $$$ over $800. Highlighted = clearly better (a score gap of 0.3 or more, or a 1–2★ share at least 3 points lower). Scores are explained, with sources, on each product's page.

Top complaints

Breville Barista Touch

  • Durability is mixed

    Amazon's review summary says durability gets mixed reviews, with several customers reporting it broke within 7 months, and some find it overpriced.

    Source: Amazon.com product page (Customers say)
  • Harder to dial in, less nuance

    Wirecutter says it offers less control and makes less-nuanced espresso than its top pick, and its narrower, deeper portafilter introduces more variability into each shot.

    Source: Wirecutter (NYT)
  • Small annoyances

    Wirecutter says the pitcher can sit slightly off balance on the auto-froth sensor, and a long-term tester finds repeated filter and descale reminders annoying.

    Source: Wirecutter (NYT)

Breville Bambino Plus

  • Stops working within months

    Durability is a negative aspect in Amazon's review summary, with multiple owners saying it broke after about 5 months. Reliability gets mixed feedback, with some saying it stopped working after a month.

    Source: Amazon.com product page (Customers say)
  • Forced cleaning cycles; frother can over-foam

    Amazon owners give maintenance mixed marks and say they are forced through cleaning cycles. Food Network found the frother can over-foam and the portafilter prone to dripping.

    Source: Amazon.com product page (Customers say), Food Network
  • Light body, limited wand reach, pricey for entry level

    Walmart reviewers say it is so light you have to hold the machine down to remove the portafilter. Tom's Guide lists the limited steam wand movement and an entry-level price that is still high as its cons.

    Source: Walmart reviews (lowest rated), Tom's Guide review

Who should pick which

Pick the Breville Barista Touch if

  • Beginners who want guidance and a grinder in one

  • Hands-free milk at different temperatures

  • Households that want to grow into manual settings

Skip it if: You want the most nuanced shots for the money; You want a strong long-term reliability record; You want a standard-size portafilter

Check price on AmazonAll complaints →

Pick the Breville Bambino Plus if

  • Beginners who want lattes with hands-free milk

  • Small kitchens (about 7 inches wide)

  • Pairing with a separate grinder

Skip it if: You want a built-in grinder; You want a machine with a strong long-term reliability record; You want to tinker with every shot variable

Check price on AmazonAll complaints →

We don't list prices — they change daily. Paid links.

Neither one feels right?

If both catches are deal-breakers, start here.

#1 in espresso machinesDe'Longhi La Specialista Touch

Tom's Guide's best espresso machine overall: a compact all-in-one whose Bean Adapt guidance, smart tamper and touchscreen make good shots easy, with manual or automatic milk. Hand-steaming is fiddly around the temperature probe, tamping is guided rather than built in, and Amazon's sample is still small.

Its catch: fiddly hand-steamingA third option · #4Gaggia Classic Evo Pro (E24)

The budget enthusiast's pick, and it pulls more nuanced shots than pricier Brevilles. You'll need a separate grinder and a better tamper, plus practice: it has no PID, and testers disagree on how good the steam wand is.

Its catch: no PID: inconsistent temperature and shotsAll 11 comparedSee every espresso machine, ranked

Each one's biggest complaint at a glance, with the full ranking.

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