The dad making flat whites and lattes for a household, and not the black-coffee drinker, who should save the money and take the standard Bambino.
What it is
A compact espresso machine using Breville’s ThermoJet heating system, which reaches temperature in about 3 seconds, with a 54mm stainless steel portafilter taking an 18g dose and a 15 bar Italian pump delivering 9 bar extraction. Auto MilQ hands-free milk texturing offers 3 temperature and 3 texture settings. Model BES500, listed in Sea Salt. It measures 30.3 x 18.8 x 36.2cm and includes a 54mm tamper, the Razor precision dosing tool, a 480ml stainless steel milk jug, single and dual wall 1-cup and 2-cup baskets, a cleaning tool and cleaning disc.
Why we picked it
The Plus exists for one reason, and it is the automatic milk texturing. It steams to a set temperature and a set foam level with no hands on the wand, which is the difference between a dad who makes espresso for himself and a dad who makes flat whites for the whole family before school. Everything else, the three-second heat-up, the 54mm portafilter, the small footprint, it shares with the cheaper standard Bambino. So the decision is simple: if there are kids or a partner ordering milk drinks, buy this one; if he drinks it black, the extra money is wasted.
