It's been 10 months since I ditched my $900 bean-to-cup for this $399 Breville — and it makes perfect espresso every time

the breville bambino plus espresso machine shown pulling a shot of caramel espresso with a tom's guide presidents' day deal badge — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

As an ex-barista and now Tom's Guide's resident coffee expert (read: coffee snob), I've tested loads of the best espresso machines. I've reviewed $3000 superautomatics, $99 budget models, and everything in between.

So you can imagine that the espresso machine I chose to welcome into my home is a darn good one. And you'd be right. I gave up my $900 De'Longhi La Specialista Opera for the Breville Bambino Plus — a $399 compact workhorse that makes espresso like a professional barista.

Although the Bambino Plus's MSRP is $499, it's just $399 on Amazon right now, which, incidentally, is its lowest-ever price. I love my Bambino Plus — and I'm so sure you will, too.

This compact little machine packs way more of a punch than appearances might let on. With a coffee snob-approved PID controller that controls the temperature of your water (therefore no burned or weak espresso), a powerful 4-hole steam wand, and customizable pre-infusion time, this is the perfect machine for cash-strapped or space-strapped coffee nerds like me.

And Breville is also giving out two free bags of coffee with every purchase — score.

Price check: $399 @ Williams Sonoma | $399 @ Best Buy

Premium features with a budget-friendly price

the breville bambino plus / sage bambino plus in stainless steel silver photographed against a blue background shown with its accessories including milk jug, tamper, portafilter, and shown in use extracting espresso — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The Breville Bambino Plus is Breville's second-cheapest espresso machine, but you wouldn't be able to guess just from tasting its coffee.

Some brands save premium features for pricey machines, but not Breville. Every single Breville has a PID controller — yes, even the $299 Bambino — which is one of the most important things to look for in an espresso machine.

A PID controller is a nifty piece of engineering that controls water temperature at every point during espresso extraction. You don't want your water hotter or colder than around 197°F-206°F. Any hotter, and your coffee will taste burnt. Any colder, and your coffee will taste weak.

Other cheap espresso machines rely on internal boilers to heat water to a preset temperature, but not PID machines. PID machines have a separate device that takes care of this, so you can put your faith in the machine.

Now, I'm not saying every machine with a PID controller is immediately the best espresso machine to grace our planet, but the Venn diagram of "Machines with PID" and "Machines that make barista-quality espresso" is nearly a perfect circle.

Steam wand of pure power

One of the biggest pitfalls of a cheap espresso machine is weak steam power. So often, I test out a budget model and am really impressed by its espresso capabilities. But, then, its weak steam wand lets it down — like the Casabrews Ultra.

But not the Bambino Plus. This model has a four-hole steam wand that can make professional-quality latte art (depending on your skills, of course). When steaming milk, you should be aiming for a 'vortex' in the jug that aerates the milk to the texture of melted ice cream.

With a spluttery, weak steam wand, this is basically impossible. But Breville has installed a darn powerful steam wand on the Bambino Plus, and I'm sure you'll be on your way to making Instagrammable lattes in no time.

The Bambino Plus also has an auto milk frothing function if you're not fussed about making your own milk, so it's ideal for every member of the household. I always steam my milk manually, but my boyfriend only ever uses the auto setting. Guess whose latte art is better? Me, obviously, but I've got 3 1/2 years of barista experience up on him, so it's not really a fair competition.

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Erin Bashford is a senior writer at Tom's Guide, focusing on reviews. She has a Masters in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the University of East Anglia. As an ex-barista, she knows her way around a coffee machine, and as a music lover, she's constantly chipping away at her dream of having a multi-room home sound system. In her spare time you can find her reading, practising yoga, writing, or stressing over today’s NYT Games.

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