Breville Espresso Machines, From Bambino to Oracle Jet

Read down the table of Breville espresso machines and watch what changes at each rung: the heater, whether a grinder is built in and how many settings it has, and the milk system. The portafilter stays at 54 mm until the Dual Boiler and Oracle Jet, which move to 58 mm.

Two columns are missing from the table because they rarely decide the purchase, but they matter once the machine is home. Tank size runs from 47 fl oz on the Bambino and 64 fl oz on the Bambino Plus, through about 67 fl oz on the Barista Express, Pro, Touch and Touch Impress and 2 L on the Express Impress, up to 77 fl oz on the Oracle Jet and 84 oz on the Dual Boiler. Weight climbs from about 10.4 lb for the Bambino to 22 lb for the Barista Express and nearly 28 lb for the Oracle Jet and Dual Boiler, per Breville's figures. A heavier machine is harder to slide out from under a cabinet to refill.

Both use ThermoJet heating, which Breville says is ready in 3 seconds, PID, low-pressure pre-infusion before a 9 bar extraction, and a 54 mm portafilter dosed with 18 g. Both ship with single- and dual-wall baskets, so they work with pre-ground coffee and with fresh-ground beans.

The Plus adds the automatic steam wand and a larger tank, 64 fl oz against 47. If you drink espresso straight, the Bambino keeps the same brewing hardware and leaves money for a grinder. Our Breville Bambino vs Bambino Plus page goes through every difference.

Both are small in every direction: Breville's listings give about 12.5 to 12.6 in of depth and 12.2 in of height, and both draw 1560 W. The Bambino's controls are four buttons, which Breville lists as 1 Cup, 2 Cup, Hot Water and Steam. That simplicity is the point of the pair, and also the limit: neither lists a pressure gauge or a temperature setting you can change.

The Barista Express is the oldest design in the range: a 16-setting conical burr grinder above a Thermocoil heater, which Breville describes as an integrated stainless steel water coil. The Express Impress keeps the Thermocoil but raises the grinder to 25 settings and adds the Impress Puck System, which Breville says assists tamping and adjusts the next dose with Auto Dose Correct.

The Barista Pro moves to ThermoJet with a 3-second heat-up and a 30-setting grinder, and adds an LCD interface. All three keep the 54 mm portafilter, so baskets and tampers carry over. The cost is size: every built-in-grinder Breville stands 15.7 to 16.6 in tall on Breville's Amazon listings, against 12.2 in for a Bambino, before you open the hopper lid.

The bean hoppers are similar: half a pound on the Barista Express and Barista Pro, 250 g on the Express Impress. Power ranges from 1600 W on the Barista Express to 1750 W on the Express Impress. If you are torn between one of these and a Bambino with a separate grinder, our Bambino Plus vs Barista Express page sets the two approaches against each other, including what each costs once the grinder is counted.

The Barista Touch pairs the Barista Pro's 30-setting grinder and ThermoJet heater with a touch screen and a pre-programmed drinks menu, plus hands-free milk texturing. The Touch Impress adds the Impress Puck System with assisted 22 lb tamping, Baratza European Precision Burrs and Auto MilQ, which Breville lists with settings for dairy, almond, oat and soy milk.

One detail: Breville's page and listing for the Touch Impress do not use the word PID or state a pump pressure, so our table says 'not stated'. Breville does say its ThermoJet reaches the optimum extraction temperature in 3 seconds. Breville also claims it is up to 32% more energy efficient than a thermoblock, based on its own internal testing; that is the maker's figure, not an independent one.

The Dual Boiler is built for a different job: making milk drinks without waiting. It has a dedicated espresso boiler with digital PID, a separate steam boiler and dual 15 bar pumps, so Breville says you can texture milk while extracting. Its group head is PID-controlled and heated, and Breville notes an over-pressure valve that limits maximum pressure during extraction.

Its own manual treats a gauge 'not reaching 9 bars' as a tamping fault, which shows that the 15 bar pump rating is a maximum, not the brewing pressure. With no grinder inside, it needs a capable separate one; our espresso grinder hub lists grinders by burr type and adjustment.

Plan for its size as well. Breville publishes the Dual Boiler's dimensions in centimetres, which convert to about 14.9 in wide, 15.9 in deep and 14.6 in tall, and it weighs 28.35 lb with an 84 oz tank. That depth is the one to check against your counter, since a portafilter handle sticks out further still. It draws 1700 W, so avoid sharing the circuit with a kettle or toaster if your kitchen trips breakers easily.

At the top, the Oracle Jet automates the steps that the other models leave to you. Breville says it grinds, doses and tamps into a 58 mm portafilter, uses Baratza European Precision Burrs with 45 grind settings, and lets you set the ThermoJet-heated group in 1-degree steps. Auto MilQ textures dairy, soy, almond and oat milk hands-free.

Breville publishes its power as a range, 1400 to 1600 W, and gives no numeric heat-up time, only 'fast heat up'. It ships with single-wall baskets only, which suits a machine that grinds fresh every time.

Its tank holds 2.3 L (77 fl oz) and its hopper 340 g (12 oz). Breville's product page prints its size as 16.6 x 14.2 x 14.9 in under a width x depth x height label, but Breville's own Amazon listing gives 16.6 in as the height, so we don't state a width or depth. It weighs 27.78 lb. At 16.6 in tall before you open the hopper lid, it ties with the Barista Express Impress as the tallest Breville in our catalogue, so measure the gap under your wall cabinets first.

Grinder resolution is one of the clearest differences between the all-in-one Brevilles. More settings mean smaller steps between them, which helps when a shot runs slightly fast or slow. The Bambino, Bambino Plus and Dual Boiler have no built-in grinder, so they are not charted.

If you already know your habits, this shortcut gets you to two or three models fast:

The comparison tool below is filtered to Breville. Tick two or three models to see their published specs in columns, with today's prices. To compare a Breville with another brand, clear the brand filter; our Gaggia Classic Pro vs Bambino and Bambino Plus vs Barista Express pages cover the two most-asked match-ups.

Choosing between Breville espresso machines often comes down to two neighbouring rungs, and the deciding question is one feature. Between the Bambino and Bambino Plus it is automatic milk. Between the Barista Express and Barista Pro it is the heater and grinder resolution. Between the Barista Touch and Dual Boiler it is a built-in grinder against brewing and steaming at the same time. Settle that one question and the price difference usually settles itself.