Breville Espresso Machine Comparison
Breville espresso machine comparison: five models compared on grinder, heating, milk texturing, controls, size, and warranty, and which one to buy.
By Gary Gray
Updated October 21, 2026
Breville’s home espresso lineup splits into two groups. The Bambino and Bambino Plus are compact machines without a grinder, so you pair them with a separate grinder. The Barista Express, Barista Pro, and Barista Touch add a built-in conical burr grinder that doses straight into the portafilter. All five use a 54mm portafilter, a 15 bar Italian pump, and PID temperature control, so the real differences come down to the grinder, the heating system, how milk is handled, and the controls.
Quick verdict: choose a Bambino model if you already own a capable espresso grinder or want the smallest machine; the Bambino Plus adds hands-free milk. Choose a Barista model if you want grinder and machine in one: the Barista Express for the classic button-and-gauge layout, the Barista Pro for faster heat-up and finer grind steps, and the Barista Touch for a touch screen and automatic milk.
This Breville espresso machine comparison draws on Breville’s published specifications, the Amazon product listings, and Amazon owner reviews. Where a listing and Breville’s page disagree, we follow the manufacturer or leave the number out.
The Machines in This Comparison
We cover five Breville espresso machines: two without a built-in grinder and three with one. Nespresso machines made by Breville use capsules and belong to a different category; see our best Nespresso and capsule espresso machines for those.
Without a built-in grinder: Bambino and Bambino Plus
Breville Bambino BES450 Espresso Machine
The Bambino (BES450) is the smallest machine in the lineup. It uses Breville’s ThermoJet heating system, rated as ready in 3 seconds, a manual steam wand, a 47 fl oz water tank, and four buttons: 1 cup, 2 cup, hot water, and steam.
Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine
The Bambino Plus (BES500) keeps the ThermoJet system and adds an automatic steam wand with 3 milk temperatures and 3 texture levels, a larger 64 fl oz tank, and a 2 year limited warranty. Hot water comes through the steam wand instead of a dedicated button.
With a built-in grinder: Barista Express, Barista Pro, and Barista Touch
Breville Barista Express BES870XL Espresso Machine
The Barista Express (BES870) pairs a conical burr grinder with 16 grind settings and a Thermocoil heating system. Button controls, an analog pressure gauge, and a manual steam wand make it the most traditional of the three grinder models.
Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine with Grinder
The Barista Pro (BES878) moves to the ThermoJet system, adds an LCD screen, and lists 30 grind settings. Milk texturing stays manual. The Amazon data available to us did not include written owner reviews for this listing, so we rely on Breville’s specifications for it.
Breville Barista Touch BES880BSS Espresso Machine
The Barista Touch (BES880) adds a touch screen with 5 pre-programmed drinks, up to 8 saved custom settings, and an automatic steam wand with milk temperature from 104°F to 167°F and 8 texture levels.
Breville Espresso Machines at a Glance
| Spec | Without a built-in grinder | With a built-in grinder |
|---|---|---|
| Models | Bambino, Bambino Plus | Barista Express, Barista Pro, Barista Touch |
| Grinder | None; you need a separate espresso-capable grinder | Integrated conical burrs that dose into the portafilter |
| Footprint | Narrow and light | Wider and heavier, with a bean hopper on top |
| Milk | Manual wand (Bambino) or automatic wand (Bambino Plus) | Manual wand (Express, Pro) or automatic wand (Touch) |
| Shared features | 54mm portafilter, 15 bar Italian pump, PID temperature control, low-pressure pre-infusion | |
| Spec | Bambino | Bambino Plus | Barista Express | Barista Pro | Barista Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | BES450 | BES500 | BES870 | BES878 | BES880 |
| Grind settings | No grinder | No grinder | 16 | 30 | 30 |
| Heating system | ThermoJet | ThermoJet | Thermocoil | ThermoJet | ThermoJet |
| Milk texturing | Manual | Automatic | Manual | Manual | Automatic |
| Controls | Buttons | Buttons | Buttons and pressure gauge | LCD screen and buttons | Touch screen |
| Water tank | 47 fl oz | 64 fl oz | 67 oz | 67 oz | 67 oz |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 11.9 x 6.1 x 13.5 in | 11.9 x 7.4 x 14.3 in | 15.9 x 13.1 x 12.4 in | 16.1 x 13.8 x 13.1 in | 15.7 x 12.6 x 12.4 in |
| Weight | 10.42 lb | 10.91 lb | 22.09 lb | 20.92 lb | 21.8 lb |
| Warranty | 1 year limited | 2 year limited | 1 year limited | 2 year limited | 2 year |
How the Breville Lineup Differs
Built-in grinder or separate grinder
This is the biggest decision. A Barista model saves counter space and gets you started with one purchase, but the grinder cannot be upgraded on its own. A Bambino model needs a separate grinder that can grind fine enough for espresso, which adds cost and space but lets you upgrade the grinder later. Our best espresso grinders covers options for the Bambino models, and our best espresso machines with grinder compares all-in-one machines from other brands.
Heating system
Four of the five machines use ThermoJet, which Breville rates as reaching extraction temperature in 3 seconds. The Barista Express uses the older Thermocoil system, with Breville listing brew water delivered at 200°F under PID control.
Milk texturing
The Bambino, Barista Express, and Barista Pro have manual steam wands, so you control the milk yourself. The Bambino Plus and Barista Touch have automatic steam wands that texture milk to the temperature and texture you choose, and the Barista Touch offers the widest range of settings. Owners of the Bambino Plus note that the automatic setting works well when the wand is kept clean.
Controls and learning curve
All five are semi-automatic machines: you grind or dose, tamp, and start the shot. The Barista Express shows extraction on a pressure gauge, the Barista Pro shows settings on an LCD screen, and the Barista Touch walks you through drinks on a touch screen and lets you save your own. Owners of every model describe a learning period while they dial in grind size and dose. Our guide on how to use an espresso machine covers the basics.
Size and warranty
The Bambino models weigh about half as much as the Barista models and take far less counter depth. Breville lists 2 years of coverage on the Bambino Plus, Barista Pro, and Barista Touch, and 1 year on the Bambino and Barista Express.
What Owners Report
- Bambino: owners praise the quick start and the small footprint. A home barista with shop experience recommends upgrading the tamper, portafilter, and basket over time, and some one-star reviews describe units that arrived faulty or stopped heating within a year. Its listing carries the largest share of one-star ratings in this comparison.
- Bambino Plus: owners like the automatic frothing and fast heat-up. One owner notes the steam wand needs careful purging. The listing linked here has far fewer owner ratings than the others, so its average rests on a smaller sample.
- Barista Express: long-term owners report years of daily use with regular cleaning. Complaints include a grinder that needs adjusting for certain beans, loud steaming, and a 1 year warranty.
- Barista Pro: the Amazon data available to us did not include written owner reviews, so we rely on Breville’s specifications.
- Barista Touch: owners like the saved drink settings and automatic milk. Complaints include a grinder that struggled with very light roasts and units that failed early; one owner says they would choose a more manual model for long-term reliability.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose the Bambino if you want the smallest Breville machine, already own a good grinder, and are happy to texture milk by hand.
Choose the Bambino Plus if you want the same compact machine with automatic milk texturing and a longer warranty.
Choose the Barista Express if you want a grinder built in and like seeing extraction on a pressure gauge, and you are comfortable with manual milk.
Choose the Barista Pro if you want a built-in grinder with finer grind steps, faster heat-up, and a longer warranty than the Barista Express.
Choose the Barista Touch if you want a built-in grinder and automatic milk with drink settings you can save, and you prefer a touch screen to buttons.
Skip all five if you want one-touch drinks with no tamping at all. See our best super automatic espresso machines. For how these machines rank against other brands, see our best semi-automatic espresso machines, our best Breville espresso machines, or browse all espresso machines.
Why You Should Trust Us
We do not conduct our own product trials. Our picks draw on published specifications, independent reviews, and Amazon owner ratings.
The CML Score is calculated with the published method on our How We Review page.
Affiliate commissions do not affect our rankings or scores.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Breville espresso machines have a built-in grinder?
In this comparison, the Barista Express, Barista Pro, and Barista Touch have built-in conical burr grinders. The Bambino and Bambino Plus do not.
Which Breville espresso machines froth milk automatically?
The Bambino Plus and the Barista Touch have automatic steam wands. The Bambino, Barista Express, and Barista Pro have manual steam wands.
Do all Breville espresso machines use the same portafilter size?
All five machines in this comparison use a 54mm portafilter, so tampers and baskets made for 54mm fit each of them. See our best espresso tampers for options.
What is the difference between the Barista Express and the Barista Pro?
Both have a built-in grinder and a manual steam wand. The Barista Pro adds a ThermoJet heating system, an LCD screen, 30 grind settings instead of 16, and a 2 year warranty instead of 1 year.
Which Breville espresso machine is easiest for beginners?
The Bambino Plus and the Barista Touch take milk texturing off your hands, which removes one of the harder skills. The Barista Touch also guides drinks on its screen, while the Bambino Plus is simpler and smaller but needs a separate grinder.
About the author
Covers home espresso machines, from capsule models to semi-automatic setups, for CoffeeMakerLab.