Two Approaches to Home Espresso
If you're new to making espresso at home, the Breville Barista Express Impress and the Breville Bambino represent two different starting points. Both can deliver third wave specialty coffee, but they aim at different parts of the learning curve. The Impress focuses on guiding you through grinding, dosing, and tamping, while the Bambino prioritizes speed and simplicity with a separate grinder.
This comparison helps you decide which machine fits your space, budget, and willingness to learn the espresso workflow.
Quick Look at the Contenders
- the Barista Express® Impress: Create third wave specialty coffee at home from bean to espresso in less than a minute. The best of the Barista Express with the Impress™ Puck System. Helping you to achieve the perfect dose and a precise tamp while reducing the grinds on the machine and countertop. The Impress is an all-in-one machine with a built-in grinder and the Impress Puck System that assists with dosing and tamping, making it especially beginner-friendly.
the Barista Express® Impress - the Bambino®: The faster way to professional results at home. Like professional machines, the Bambino can deliver third wave specialty coffee. This is made possible by the 4 keys formula. Delivering barista quality performance using a 54mm portafilter with 18 grams of coffee for full flavor and a powerful steam wand to create microfoam required for latte art. With a proprietary ThermoJet heating system the machine is ready to start in 3 seconds. The Bambino is a compact, fast-heating machine that requires a separate grinder but offers professional-level steam power and a lower entry price.
the Bambino®
Key Differences at a Glance
The most important difference is workflow. The Impress combines grinding, dosing, and tamping into one guided process. The Bambino leaves those steps to you and your grinder, but heats up in just 3 seconds.
- Built-in grinder: The Barista Express Impress has a built-in grinder with the Impress Puck System to help you dose and tamp consistently. The Bambino has no grinder, so you'll need a separate espresso grinder.
- Heat-up time: The Bambino uses a ThermoJet heating system and is ready in about 3 seconds. The Impress takes a bit longer to warm up, typical of traditional thermoblock machines.
- Price: The Impress has a catalog price of USD 543.97 (compared to USD 799.95). The Bambino is more affordable at USD 194.97 (compared to USD 299.95). The Bambino's lower price leaves room to buy a quality grinder.
- Learning curve: The Impress actively assists with dose and tamp, reducing wasted coffee and mess for beginners. The Bambino requires you to master grinding and tamping separately, but offers professional steam for milk drinks.
- Milk steaming: Both machines have a powerful steam wand. The Bambino's wand is designed to create microfoam for latte art. The Impress also includes a steam wand, though the supplied information does not detail its performance.
- Size and footprint: The Impress is a larger all-in-one unit. The Bambino is compact and takes up less counter space, ideal for smaller kitchens.
Which Beginner Should Choose Which?
Choose the Barista Express Impress if you want an all-in-one solution that reduces mess and guides you through dosing and tamping. It's ideal if you're willing to invest more upfront for a more guided experience and don't want to buy a separate grinder.
Choose the Bambino if you prefer a faster heat-up, a smaller machine, and a lower starting price, and you're ready to pair it with a good grinder. It's also a strong choice if you plan to focus on milk drinks and want professional steam performance.
Neither machine is a wrong choice for a beginner — they just support different paths to the same goal: great espresso at home.
