I should have read an earlier NYT article. It warned readers, "Of all the ways to make coffee, the espresso machine is the most intimidating." My wife was intimidated. After three full months, she has yet to pull one shot of espresso. That said, the Touch still gets lots of use. I am now my wife's personal barista.
I made a very common mistake, I bought a machine that did not match my wife's lifestyle. Many who make this mistake will enjoy their purchase for a few weeks and, when the novelty wears off, the coffee-making ritual will begin to feel like work and the machine is abandoned. It is left to sit on the counter-top looking imposing and gathering dust.
The Touch is more machine than I need. Clearly, it is more machine than my wife needs. I bought a very beautiful, café-quality espresso machine at a price that was also a beaut. I should have looked for a simpler, less expensive machine. I had lots of options. I turned to ChatGPT.
I learned of the Airmsen 7.9'' Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine With Grinder was 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 similarly mixed reviews. I asked ChatGPT to loosen the purse strings and move upscale a little.
One of its suggestions found a lot of support, the Breville Bambino Plus at $500. Online espresso experts spoke highly of it and, even more importantly, a very sophisticated friend bought one.
There is also a non-plus Bambino at $360 but my advice is spend the extra $140 for the Plus.
It has a better steam wand. It has four-holes in the tip rather than just a single-hole and it auto-purges and self-cleans. There are some other perks but I believe the improved milk heating/frothing wand is the decider.
Worth a mention is the three-way solenoid. It releases the pressure after
drawing a shot, making for a drier puck and less dripping after
extraction.
Now, what about a coffee grinder? I stayed with the Breville brand. I believe a Breville Smart Grinder Pro at $240 paired with a Breville Bambino Plus would make a fine team. They work well together, and just as importantly, they look good together. Looking good on the kitchen counter is important to a lot of people. My wife being one of them.
When comparing the two Bambino models, the actual espresso brewing systems are the same. Therefore, the shot quality is essentially the same.
Still, depending upon your skill level, lattes and other milk drinks from the Plus might be a notch up in quality compared to its less expensive soulmate. The Plus offers multiple milk temperature options and different foam levels. The Plus may make your inner barista shine.
Rather than spending $1280 for the all-in-one Breville Barista Touch, now I believe it would have been wiser to buy a grinder separate from the brewing machine. Not only would I have saved money but it would simplify doing repairs in the future.
I found a good review comparing the Breville Barista Touch, my machine, to the Breville Bambino Plus, my friend's choice. Here is the link: Breville Barista Touch vs Breville Bambino Plus reviewed by Eli for Coffee Drinker Net.
I found one error in the review. The Bambino Plus milk frothing wand has a four hole tip and not a single hole tip, as I pointed out earlier.
If you do not value matching looks, there are other coffee grinders you can consider. Here are two: MiiCoffee DF54 and Baratza Encore ESP. Use ChatGPT to compare grinders. Each has its own pluses and minuses.
As for which espresso machine to buy, I have switched my vote to the Breville Bambino Plus. For home use it holds its own quite nicely and my oh-so-bright, never-makes-a-mistake friend bought a Plus. Now, that's a solid endorsement.
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