I got my wife a Breville Barista Touch espresso machine for Christmas. She never uses it. I do. For an "easy" machine, it is somewhat complicated. Along with the espresso machine, I also included a barista -- me!
I have come to believe the Touch is more machine than I need. First, there is the price. It was a lot of money ($1275) to spend just to have a latte now and then. A simpler, less expensive machine might have done the job just fine. I turned to ChatGPT.
I learned of the Airmsen 7.9'' Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine With Grinder on sale at Walmart for $249.99. The reviews were mixed and, although most buyers seemed happy, those who were not happy had some excellent reasons for giving the Airmsen only one star. I found all the low priced units had very mixed reviews. I moved on and up.
In the end I decided buying a separate coffee grinder might be the best option. I found myself staying with the Breville brand. I teamed a Breville Smart Grinder Pro at $240 with either a Breville Bambino or its more expensive soulmate the Bambino Plus.
All these Breville products are available at Best Buy. The lower priced Bambino is $360, while the Plus is $500. For the extra $140, the Plus adds automatic milk frothing and a better steam wand. It has a four-hole tip rather than a single-hole and it auto-purges and self-cleans.
Also, the Plus has a three-way solenoid that releases the pressure after drawing a shot, making for a drier puck and less dripping after extraction.
In both Breville Bambino models, the actual espresso brewing system is the same. Therefore, the shot quality is essentially the same.
Still, latte and other milk drinks from the Plus might be a notch up in quality when compared to its less expensive soulmate. The Plus offers multiple milk temperature options and different foam levels.
Rather than spending $1275 for the all-in-one Breville Barista Touch, I might have been wiser buying a grinder separate from the brewing machine.
