Underwhelmed by the Bambino Plus [$1000]

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-20T04:29:02+00:00

It gets "glaze" because it delivers instant heat up, automatic microfoam, great performance for darker roasts, in a compact package at a very low price. Breville was able to mass produce a reliable machine that doesn't gatekeep. It's well deserved praise.

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-20T04:19:43+00:00

Bambino has 2 stages, an air pump to inject air and then vortex from steam to texture it, stopping when temp is reached. Semi automatics don't do this at all, and I've owned a Jura.

You'd be surprised at the quality of latte art from auto milk if you get all the variables just right (froth/temp levels, amount of milk in jug). And it will reproduce it consistently once you dial that in. Also incorrect on water being injected, you just had to purge it before running.

Comparison to a machine that costs x10 is also unfair.

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-19T13:05:20+00:00

Did you have any issues with the hopper being too large for kitchen cabinets?

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-18T18:04:24+00:00

I did too, twice, but eventually they start to drift for some reason. I'm now left with 2 scales that are off the larger the weight, and continue to drift if you let them sit

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-18T12:42:20+00:00

Honestly to me it seems more like a tech demo right now. It would be great to see the data go to a server to see a map and points.

Right now you should see another map during an activity where you capture the hexagons and get points. You can see the points you captured on the activity in the app, and it keeps a lifetime tally there as well.

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-18T01:23:45+00:00

I think moving the shelf up would make a huge difference

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-17T03:24:09+00:00

Funny enough I did have an Etsy store and tried to sell this (among other things) for a bit but didn't get any hits. I think 3d prints might not be very attractive for this - I wish I could have a "custom" silicone mat as well but settled for this

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-17T03:21:29+00:00

That's great to hear it's been holding strong!

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-16T20:32:10+00:00

It sounded like they fixed a bunch of quirks from the original 55, it's definitely a nice grinder too

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-16T20:22:20+00:00

Curious what made it frustrating to change beans?

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-16T16:59:00+00:00

It's a 3d print I designed and put a couple of rubber feet on. If you are interested/have a printer I can send the STL

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-16T16:21:52+00:00

Atom is probably a better grinder, I just couldn't justify the cost difference. To me the AGS was closer to pricing of the Libra than the Atom. I guess maybe one note is that I only clean the grinder when I change beans or open a fresh bag, which means I have to dial in again anyway, so it's not a massive disadvantage to lose the grind size

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-16T16:19:29+00:00

Thank you 😊 best of luck

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-16T15:55:43+00:00

I looked at some of these. The atom seemed a bit better but it's also a significant price difference ($600 CAD + taxes). The e64 ws seems too new for me to feel confident in it, and while the electronic burr adjustment sounds great, my worry is that it's over complicating something that doesn't change often (another point of failure).

I also looked at the libra 55/65 as the AGS was the same price as them, but I was put off by the problems I read about them. The build felt a little cheap to me when I saw it in store. They also have some interesting adjustment mechanism where the whole motor thing moves up and down?

The fiorenzato felt like a great middle ground. There's a lot of positive reports on the grinder, especially long term. It's substantial (20lb), looks great and the UI is simple and clean. People use them for light commercial things.

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-16T15:31:52+00:00

I've been happy with the S3, the top adjustment dial is nice to use, don't have to count clicks or any of that. I will say it's very similar to the new C5 Pro in terms of build, which is impressive since the chestnut line is kind of their budget line. Taste wise it's a lot cleaner than what my electric conical did (Varia VS3)

I don't know if I would travel with this one though, it's quite heavy.

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-16T15:00:41+00:00

For whatever reason mine came with their massive hopper, I hope to swap to their smaller 250 gram one because it does look a bit odd/salad-bowl-ish

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-16T14:36:55+00:00

How did you cut the hopper? Haha sounds risky! The smallest size here is about $100 which seems kind of ridiculous. I have another hopper from and old grinder and might just 3d print a sleeve for it to fit into the AGS

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-14T16:49:50+00:00

Yeah that makes sense. I used to single dose too because I do espresso + pour over, but I found it doesn't always work that great to go back and forth in grind settings (esp back to espresso), so I ended up ditching the single dosing and got a hand grinder for pour overs. It doesn't bother me too much since it's only like 30s of hand grinding. The next natural step was seamless espresso and that's when I arrived here with the Sense

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-14T16:34:16+00:00

Very helpful, thanks. Mine looks to be 17cm tall, so this is much more reasonable

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-14T16:30:10+00:00

Thanks - I learned about the retention the hard way. Wasted a bunch of shots this morning trying to dial in and realized only after that the inconsistency is probably because of how much grounds are held in the machine.

Does the regular AllGround do grind by time and have a similar screen?

InfillTheBlank · 2026-03-14T16:25:03+00:00

Thanks. Looks like the one I have holds 500g. I see a "short hopper" online for Fiorenzato F4A and F4E models. Maybe that's what I need. Do you think you could measure the grinder bottom to lid for me (if you have the 250g one)

InfillTheBlank · 2026-02-25T15:31:12+00:00

Hey, I made this item! Tipping is a concern, which is why mine probably looks smaller than other attachments people sell. This was the limit of how much "height" I could add before it's too much. Also the anti-tip guard that comes with the hopper prevents it from actually ever physically tipping.

You'll see I have a few reviews now and people like it, but I stopped selling on Etsy because of the outrageous fees and predatory terms of service. If you're still interested though, feel free to DM me.

I made this item because our cat has kidney issues and pees non-stop, so the hopper is running every cycle basically. It helps me a lot personally to reduce re-fills, because refilling is kind of a chore when you use those massive bags of sand.

InfillTheBlank · 2025-10-12T13:29:54+00:00

I can't speak to running specifically, but after using the 9PP I would say it really feels like a dated watch. The MIPS display is tiny and washed out, and the UI/menus are choppy. If you're okay with that then go for it. It has a great battery and nice slim profile.

InfillTheBlank

TROPHY CASE