Coffee bar
Breville Bambino, 54 mm espresso
"Compact espresso for a small kitchen: ready in about 3 seconds, and its 54 mm accessories are easy to find."
Why we picked it
We chose it for small kitchens: it heats in about 3 seconds and takes 54 mm accessories, which are easy to find.
- Compact footprint for a tight counter
- Fast heat-up for weekday mornings
- 54 mm portafilter: tampers and baskets are easy to find
- Size
- 6.3 in wide, 12 in tall, 13.7 in deep; 10.9 lb
- Fits
- 54 mm baskets and tampers; four baskets, a tamper and a steel milk jug come in the box
- Tank
- 47 oz, lifts out at the back
Skip it if you want a built-in grinder. Measure your cabinet clearance first.
Before you buy
- Counter and cabinet clearance: it is 12 in tall and 13.7 in deep, and the 47 oz tank lifts out at the back, so leave a gap behind it or plan to reach over.
- Accessory size: 54 mm. Buy tampers, baskets and funnels sold for Breville 54 mm, not 'universal' 58 mm ones.
- Grind plan: no built-in grinder. It ships with pressurized and non-pressurized baskets, so you can start on pre-ground and add an espresso grinder later.
Fits: A small kitchen that wants cafe-style milk drinks from a machine that is hot in about 3 seconds.
Not for: Anyone who wants a grinder built in, or who already owns 58 mm tools.
Goes with
- Baratza Encore ESP burr grinder: the grinder with a real espresso range
- Escali Primo digital kitchen scale: weigh the beans and the shot
- Chemex 8-cup pour-over coffeemaker: a pot on the slow mornings
Full guide: read it
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Coffee bar
- Breville Bambino, 54 mm espressoCompact espresso for a small kitchen: ready in about 3 seconds, and its 54 mm accessories are easy to find.
Baratza Encore ESP burr grinderOne burr grinder for espresso and filter coffee: settings 1 to 20 for espresso, 21 to 40 for drip, and 13.4 in tall with the hopper on.
CASABREWS espresso machine, 51 mmA first espresso machine at a starter price, with one catch: it takes 51 mm baskets, and most accessory kits do not.
Chemex 8-cup pour-over coffeemakerThe glass pour-over for people who like the ritual: 40 oz, borosilicate glass, wood collar, a gift that looks the part.
Breville Barista Express, 54 mm with built-in grinderThe whole espresso bar in one 16-inch machine: a built-in burr grinder that doses straight into the 54 mm portafilter, a steam wand for milk, and the rest in the box.
De'Longhi Magnifica Duo, one-touch hot and icedBean-to-cup at one touch, hot or iced: it grinds, brews and froths milk on its own, with 20 preset drinks and two milk carafes, one for hot foam and one for cold.
Nespresso Vertuo Pop+, one-touch pod coffeeOne-touch coffee or espresso from a pod, hot in 30 seconds, from a machine only 10.4 inches tall: the fast setup that still fits under a low cabinet.
From the same guide
- Baratza Encore ESP burr grinderOne burr grinder for espresso and filter coffee: settings 1 to 20 for espresso, 21 to 40 for drip, and 13.4 in tall with the hopper on.
- CASABREWS espresso machine, 51 mmA first espresso machine at a starter price, with one catch: it takes 51 mm baskets, and most accessory kits do not.
- Chemex 8-cup pour-over coffeemakerThe glass pour-over for people who like the ritual: 40 oz, borosilicate glass, wood collar, a gift that looks the part.
- Breville Barista Express, 54 mm with built-in grinderThe whole espresso bar in one 16-inch machine: a built-in burr grinder that doses straight into the 54 mm portafilter, a steam wand for milk, and the rest in the box.
- De'Longhi Magnifica Duo, one-touch hot and icedBean-to-cup at one touch, hot or iced: it grinds, brews and froths milk on its own, with 20 preset drinks and two milk carafes, one for hot foam and one for cold.
- Nespresso Vertuo Pop+, one-touch pod coffeeOne-touch coffee or espresso from a pod, hot in 30 seconds, from a machine only 10.4 inches tall: the fast setup that still fits under a low cabinet.