The dad with a small kitchen or an apartment who wants real espresso, and not the one without a grinder and no intention of buying one.
What it is
A compact espresso machine in brushed stainless steel, model BES450BSS, using Breville’s ThermoJet heating system which reaches espresso temperature in about 3 seconds. It has a 54mm commercial-style portafilter holding a 19g dose and an automatic steam wand, and measures 19 x 32 x 31cm at 4.9kg. It is supplied with 1-cup and 2-cup dual wall filter baskets, a milk jug, portafilter, tamper and steam wand cleaning tool, with a 1-year repair warranty; RRP is listed as $499.
Why we picked it
The Bambino answers the most common objection to home espresso, which is bench space. It is 19cm wide and hot in about three seconds, so it fits the gap beside the kettle and needs no planning ahead, which is the difference between a machine that gets used and one that gets resented. It has no grinder, and that is the trade-off that makes it small and affordable, so pair it with one or it will be fed stale pre-ground coffee and disappoint everybody. For a dad in a unit or a small kitchen this is a far more realistic gift than a full-size machine he has nowhere to put.
