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The Sage Bambino Plus occupies a unique position in the home espresso market — it delivers Sage’s premium extraction technology in a compact, relatively affordable package, and its automatic steam wand makes café-quality milk drinks genuinely accessible to beginners. At around £399, it’s one of the most capable machines available at the price. This full review covers everything you need to know, including who it’s really for and who should consider alternatives.
🔗 Choosing between the Bambino Plus and Barista Express? Read our detailed head-to-head comparison — it covers every meaningful difference between the two machines.
Our Rating
Key Specifications
| Machine Type | Semi-automatic (no grinder) |
| Price (UK) | ~£399 (Amazon / Sage Direct) |
| Pump Pressure | 15 bar (9 bar extraction) |
| Boiler Type | ThermoJet (3-second heat up) |
| Water Tank | 1.9 litres |
| Portafilter Size | 54mm |
| Steam Wand | Automatic (auto temperature sensing) |
| Dimensions | 195 × 290 × 305mm |
| Weight | 5.3kg |
| Grinder Required | Yes — sold separately |
| Warranty | 2 years (UK) |
Espresso Quality
The Bambino Plus produces espresso that matches or exceeds machines costing significantly more. Sage’s ThermoJet heating system reaches operating temperature in approximately 3 seconds — genuinely impressive — and delivers consistent water temperature throughout extraction. The 54mm portafilter and precision basket system extract coffee evenly, producing rich crema and proper body.
The espresso quality ceiling of the Bambino Plus is essentially identical to the Barista Express. The limiting factor in both cases is the grinder — which is why pairing the Bambino Plus with a quality burr grinder like the Baratza Encore or Sage Smart Grinder Pro is so important. A Bambino Plus with a good grinder will match the Barista Express shot for shot.
The pre-infusion feature — a brief low-pressure phase before full extraction — is present here too, reducing channelling and improving consistency particularly with lighter roast beans. This is a feature usually reserved for much more expensive machines.
The Automatic Steam Wand — The Bambino Plus’s Defining Feature
This is what separates the Bambino Plus from everything else at the price. The automatic steam wand senses milk temperature and stops automatically, producing consistently well-textured milk with no skill required. Set the jug under the wand, press the button, and the machine does the rest.
The results are genuinely impressive — smooth, microfoam-quality milk suitable for lattes and flat whites straight from day one. There’s no practice required, no burned milk, no guesswork about when to stop. For households that primarily drink milk-based drinks and want café-quality results without learning steam wand technique, this is a transformative feature.
The wand offers two texture settings — fine for flat whites and lattes, coarser for cappuccinos — which covers every milk drink you’re likely to make. The only limitation is that you can’t achieve the very finest microfoam of a perfectly executed manual wand — but the automatic output comfortably beats what most beginners achieve manually.
Speed and Convenience
The Bambino Plus’s 3-second ThermoJet heat-up is a genuine practical advantage over the Barista Express’s 30-second warm-up. On busy mornings, this matters. You can go from cold machine to espresso in the cup in under two minutes — a workflow that genuinely fits into a busy morning routine.
The compact footprint (195mm wide vs 395mm for the Barista Express) is also significant for smaller kitchens. The Bambino Plus sits unobtrusively on a counter where the Barista Express dominates one.
The Grinder Question
The Bambino Plus has no built-in grinder — you need to factor in the cost of a quality burr grinder separately. This changes the total cost calculation meaningfully. Our recommendations:
- Sage Smart Grinder Pro (~£179) — the natural pairing. Integrates perfectly with the Bambino Plus’s portafilter and matches the aesthetic.
- Baratza Encore (~£145) — slightly cheaper, equally capable, works with any machine. Our preferred choice for value.
- 1Zpresso JX-Pro (~£149) — best grind quality available at the price if you’re happy grinding manually.
See our full grinder guide for detailed comparisons. Adding a Baratza Encore brings your total to approximately £544 — meaningfully less than the £699 Barista Express while delivering equivalent or better espresso quality.
Pros and Cons
✓ Pros
- Exceptional espresso quality for the price
- Automatic steam wand — beginner friendly
- 3-second heat up — genuinely fast
- Compact footprint
- Outstanding build quality
- Pre-infusion for better extraction
Cons
- Requires separate grinder purchase
- Automatic steam wand limits fine control
- Small 1.9L water tank
- Total cost with grinder approaches Barista Express
Who Should Buy the Bambino Plus?
- Perfect for: Milk drink lovers who want automatic frothing from day one. People who value speed and compact size. Anyone who already owns a quality grinder. Those upgrading from a capsule machine who want a step-change in quality without maximum complexity.
- Not ideal for: People who want everything in one box (Barista Express instead). Espresso purists who want complete manual control. Anyone on a strict budget who can’t factor in a grinder.
Our Verdict — Is the Sage Bambino Plus Worth £399?
Yes — clearly. The Bambino Plus is one of the best-value semi-automatic espresso machines available in the UK at any price. The combination of Sage’s thermocoil extraction technology and the automatic steam wand produces results that beginners simply cannot achieve with manual alternatives at this price point.
Factor in a quality grinder and the total outlay sits around £544-£578 — still less than the Barista Express, with the advantage of the automatic steam wand and a more compact machine. For milk drink lovers especially, this combination is hard to argue against.
Our score: 9.0/10. Highly recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grinder should I buy with the Sage Bambino Plus?
The Sage Smart Grinder Pro (£179) is the natural companion — it integrates seamlessly with the Bambino Plus’s portafilter and matches the aesthetic. The Baratza Encore (£145) is a slightly cheaper alternative with equal capability. See our full grinder guide for detailed comparisons of both.
Can the Bambino Plus make latte art?
The automatic steam wand produces good microfoam — suitable for basic latte art like hearts and rosettas. For more complex designs, a manual wand with more control would be needed. For most home users, the automatic wand’s output is more than sufficient for attractive drinks.
Is the Bambino Plus better than the original Bambino?
Yes — the Plus adds the automatic steam wand (the original has manual only), which is the defining difference. If you primarily drink milk drinks, the Plus is worth the additional cost. If you mainly drink black espresso, the original Bambino saves money without meaningful sacrifice.
How does the Bambino Plus compare to the Barista Express?
The Bambino Plus wins on milk steaming, speed, and compact size. The Barista Express wins on all-in-one convenience (built-in grinder) and gives more manual control. Espresso quality is essentially identical when both are paired with a good grinder. See our full comparison for the complete picture.