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De'Longhi La Specialista Touch vs Breville Bambino Plus
Which one has the downsides you can live with?
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The short answer
De'Longhi La Specialista Touch ranks higher (#1 vs #3 of 11) and scores better on espresso quality, cleaning & upkeep, durability. Breville Bambino Plus wins on milk frothing.
The biggest complaint about the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch is fiddly hand-steaming; for the Breville Bambino Plus it's stops working within months. Pick the one whose catch bothers you less.
Good for: Beginners who want a guided grinder-and-brewer
Its catch: fiddly hand-steaming
Check price on AmazonGood for: Beginners who want lattes with hands-free milk
Its catch: stops working within months
Check price on AmazonPaid links. We don't list prices — they change daily. Neither one feels right?
Side by side
| De'Longhi La Specialista Touch | Breville Bambino Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank in espresso machines | #1 | #3 |
| Price tier | $$$ | $$ |
| Type | With built-in grinder | Espresso machine (no grinder) |
| Amazon 1–2★ share | 13% | 19% |
| Overall score | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| Espresso quality | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Milk frothing | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Ease of use | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Cleaning & upkeep | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Durability | 3.0 | 2.5 |
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
De'Longhi La Specialista Touch
- Fiddly hand-steaming
Tom's Guide says the wand design, including the temperature gauge, gets in the way when steaming by hand; it got used to it, but found it annoying at first.
- Guided, not built-in, tamping
Tom's Guide says the guided tamping is good, but in-built tamping would be better. It also notes the cold-brew function doesn't make cold espresso.
- Some units arrive faulty
Amazon's summary says owners find it easy to clean and reliable, though some report units that don't work properly.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Who should pick which
Pick the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch if
Beginners who want a guided grinder-and-brewer
Small kitchens
Switching between saved bean settings
Skip it if: You want built-in automatic tamping; You mostly steam milk by hand; You want a long owner track record
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
We don't list prices — they change daily. Paid links.
Neither one feels right?
If both catches are deal-breakers, start here.
Tom's Guide's five-star compact pick: PID, pre-infusion, volumetric shots and a flexible wand that made velvety milk, plus a milk jug in the box. Wirecutter found its shots less flavorful and consistent than the Bambino Plus's, the wand is weaker, there's no auto-froth or auto-purge, and you need a separate grinder.
Its catch: shots and steaming a step below the PlusA 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, rankedEach one's biggest complaint at a glance, with the full ranking.
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