If You want to use Bambino plus for light-medium roast beans you should pre-heating machine with 2 blank shots using single dose pressure basket. I saw this tip on Reddit and it's great.
I also heard to lift the wand out to do manual steaming, make sure you fully Purge the wand and it gets up to full blast steam temperature, stop the steam and immediately pull your shot and it'll start out hotter!
Thanks Asser! I wondered why the shots on my Infuser seemed to either choke or channel outside a pretty narrow range of grind size. I’ll give a precision basket a try. 🤞🏻
This is so helpful! I'm brand new to this and your way of presenting the information is easier to digest than a lot of the videos I've watched over the past week. You speak in general enough terms while also being specific about what you mean and what we should try, without becoming overwhelming. I also love that your equipment suggestions are links to cost effective options, not the everything-top-of-the-line suggestions I've seen from other experts.
Thanks for the video! I recently got the MHW-Bomber Sniper electric burr grinder to grind for espresso in my Bambino. It seems to me that it might not grind fine enough. I am using 18g of 1-2 weeks light roasted coffee from Sey/Onyx/Bebright and alike, with solid puck screen, in a IMS 18g precision basket, using needle WDT, and tamping with the constant pressure MHW tamper, preheating everything, and even at the finer settings (2 or 3) I keep getting very fast shots 15-20 secs (including 12s of pre infusion, default in the bambino) and very watery. I tried increasing qty by 0.5g, but it doesnt seem to solve the issue. Did you have similar results with this grinder? Any suggestions of what I could adjust? One thing I noticed is that using the non pressurized basket that comes with the bambino the results improve (25-27 secs and more creamy), but it still feels a bit odd that I have to grind all the way down to 2-3 in the MHW Sniper. Any thoughts?? Thanks!!
I have the bambino plus (purchased 6 months from amazon) with a Baratza Encore Grinder, scale and all the bells and whistles, equipment. I also have a crema 54 mm bottomless porta filter/basket. My issue is I keep getting coffee spitting out of the bottom of porta filter all over the back of the machine and countertop when brewing single and/or double shot expresso. I tried the original porta filter that came with the machine as well, different grind size, same results. Any recommendations?
➡ *IMS Precision Baskets* : 14-17 G: amzn.to/44qcYeX | 18-22 G: amzn.to/3PMbUOm ➡ *Puck Screen:* MHW-3Bomber: amzn.to/3pygVzB | Mesh type: amzn.to/43Y91yp As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you
Other than the attached grinder, is there a major difference between the bambino plus and the other breville? Also ,do either of those machines produce a “dry” puck , and should it? I’m not sure which machine to buy.
Thanks! What about temperature? How do you brew different roasting levels with no option to change temperature? And do you preheat the portafilter? How?
I got one of these and the thermal imager revealed several things: There are supposedly 4 different temperature settings, but the difference between the high and low is 170F to 178F, so the temperature does not appear to get hot enough. It does render crema though... Next is that I can't get a draw with the grinder set to the expresso range.. I have to set it much coarser. Another issue is that the bean hopper is a whopping 120F at the base! I'm pretty sure heating the beans is not ideal while they are in the hopper... For $300, I'm taking it back. I'd at least expect it to have a reliable temperature setting and cool beans. The low water alarm didn't seem to work either... Overall it did render crema, but as far as getting different temps, that's a no go, unless there is something wrong with mine... When I get a drink from Starbucks, I literally have to wait a few minutes before I can drink it... This doesn't get that hot on the Max setting.
First thing when you turn the machine on, have the portafilter and basket locked in and pull a single and leave it sit there while you're getting everything else prepared with the hot water in it. When you're about ready, pull a second shot through it to get that temperature piping hot and have your ground beans already to go. Pull the portafilter, shake it out and wipe it with a dry towel and immediately put your beans in. Lock it in. The Bambino Plus allows for stretching a preinfusion by keeping the shop button depressed, but if you just press it once then wait three seconds and press it again it will stop at the preinfusion stage so the puck will wet for a bit longer. I've tried this and you can do it a couple three times to heck with system for a more thoroughly confused puck. If you need a higher temperature for the extraction, initiate a manual steam cycle and wait till everything's up completely to temperature before you stop it then immediately pull your shot. This will have the initial temperature hitting your Puck a bit higher and the thermal mass of the pre infused Puck will drop it down to where it won't burn your coffee but you'll get a higher extraction. Seems like a hassle but it wasn't all that much more effort to try to make my medium roast coffee a bit last hour and I think it worked. I'm going to keep trying with my baby no plus. As a daily driver is a pretty amazing machine and I knew I was compromising a bit I'm not having the ability to adjust my temperature when I committed to buying it but he just didn't have a huge budget
Please can you tell me if buying the J-ULTRA MANUAL COFFEE GRINDER would be a good option purely for making espresso with the Bambino Plus? Do you prefer the manual grinders for espresso? Thank you
Encore ESP is pretty good, but has a few downsides. Check out one of my recent videos where I compare it to the DF54. Sorry, don't know about that particular basket.
I couldn’t agree with you more about puck screens… all videos i have seen says it doesn’t do much when indeed it is a major necessity for home machines to get a good puck at the end and most definitely a constant extraction from your coffee…
The reason I like it is that you can grind finer and extract more. There are actually two different sizes of the IMS basket. I don't have any preference here; just choose the one suitable for your desired dose.
I don't have a puck screen but plan to try one. How much would you recommend lowering the dose by to accommodate the size of the puck? Just an estimate to start somewhere. I don't want to make contact with the shower screen and damage it. I am using 17 grams of medium-dark roast (in modern 3rd wave terms) in the stock basket at the moment. I'd say I have just enough headspace now. Maybe a gram difference? As an aside, I'll have to try that IMS basket (24) because the 26 is massive. As is the generic one that came with my bottomless portafilter. It isn't happy with less than 19.5 grams and across 6 shots a day I can almost get an extra shot with a smaller dose. Saving money where you can is always nice, lol. Thanks.
Yes, 1 gram is a good place to start with mesh puck screens. The one from Bomber is thinner, so that would be even less. I actually think puck screens give you a bit more flexibility in terms of downsizing shots since they make headspace less of a concern.
What are your thoughts on holding down the button on the Express for the entire shot (aka a pre-infuse shot)? I prefer this over letting the machine go to the full 15 bars, it ends up staying between 7 to 9 bar.
For BaristaExpress this is the only way to get a decent shot, regardless of lungo etc. Otherwise you will either plug the puck by grinding too fine to get a shot in 30 seconds or you will grind too course and have a waterfall. There is no middle ground with this machine.. Or you can open the machine, un-tighten the pressure screw inside the pump until it is barely holding. Another method is to add a dimmer, which solves all your problems, you will unlock the world of desired pressure with this mod
bit shocked to see the breville doing that at the begining. have had my for quite a few years and didnt ever see that happen. All my issues were resolved when I got a very good level/ tamper. everything has been stock and I have had great results. But have loved by Breville. Now ready for an upgrade from the Breville
The one reason I've reconsidered purchasing the Bambino plus but I love this steam wand and I shockingly blow through my water way more often than I realized I would so I appreciate having the larger water reservoir... I do love being able to back flush though❤
@@coffeechronicler yes! Thank you. I already started to try wdt and tamping myself (instead of the automated tamping in the machine) with normcore tools but I'll for sure try these two upgrades as well.
You can easily unscrew the brewing head to clean it, works fantastic, philips screwdriver. Even with regular cleaning it can get super clogged on the inside!
Great video! Love it when people do vids like this on entry machines! Here’s two more tips: 1.use a wetted paper filter in the bottom of the basket 2. hold the extraction button for longer pre-infusions! I use the breville barista express with a slayer mod and DF64 and have been getting amazing results, Beyond amazing! I will only consider an upgrade when I can afford the Decent or maybe if I get a good deal on a Silvia so I can do a Gagguino mod.
@@DemirJPN Great tips, Demir! I agree that you have to spend a lot of extra cash to get more in terms of performance. Sometimes I even wonder if even the Dual Boiler is worth it considering the size and warm-up time of the Bambino.
@@DemirJPN I've been using paper filters on the bottom of the basket too and found it makes a really big difference. I never tried wetting it first though, would have assumed it would mess with the extraction. I must give it a go and see if I notice a difference!
Another way to help with light roasts is to use a dimmer mod and do a long preinfusion until you see drips, then blast it. I modified my old Infuser with a dimmer switch. Definitely opens new possibilities. Also, Asser, what's your opinion on paper filters at the bottom of the basket?
Also, a good suggestion. I wanted to keep the tips in this video very straightforward since many newbies blame their Brevilles and buy an E61 box for no good reason. If I have to rate the importance of "mods" I would say that precision basket+grinder is the biggest ROI and mods and preinfusion are "fun" things to experiment with after you have fixed the basics. Filter paper in the bottom gives you a similar effect to the precision basket, but I find it's more difficult to find a suitable paper for 54 mm vs 58 mm, where you can just use moka pot filters.
On the Bambino line all we have are buttons, I heard you can extend the preinfusion by timing it just right to turn off the Brew before the pump ramps up. Do it a couple three times and it'll fully saturate the puck, then initiate a manual steam cycle on the Bambino Plus and once that gets up to full blast steam, turn the steam off and immediately pull the shocked. Kind of a hassle but it's supposed to work a lot better for pulling a light roast because it gets your temperature up higher than Brew temperature
I have the one on the left, about the buy the one on the right, haha. I wanted something that does better at pulling shots, with newer tech. I also wanted my own grinder because no one has stated the grinder is good on the BBE
If You want to use Bambino plus for light-medium roast beans you should pre-heating machine with 2 blank shots using single dose pressure basket. I saw this tip on Reddit and it's great.
I also heard to lift the wand out to do manual steaming, make sure you fully Purge the wand and it gets up to full blast steam temperature, stop the steam and immediately pull your shot and it'll start out hotter!
have you tried this yet? did it work?@@NoZenith
Thanks Asser! I wondered why the shots on my Infuser seemed to either choke or channel outside a pretty narrow range of grind size. I’ll give a precision basket a try. 🤞🏻
This is so helpful! I'm brand new to this and your way of presenting the information is easier to digest than a lot of the videos I've watched over the past week. You speak in general enough terms while also being specific about what you mean and what we should try, without becoming overwhelming. I also love that your equipment suggestions are links to cost effective options, not the everything-top-of-the-line suggestions I've seen from other experts.
Thanks for the video! I recently got the MHW-Bomber Sniper electric burr grinder to grind for espresso in my Bambino. It seems to me that it might not grind fine enough. I am using 18g of 1-2 weeks light roasted coffee from Sey/Onyx/Bebright and alike, with solid puck screen, in a IMS 18g precision basket, using needle WDT, and tamping with the constant pressure MHW tamper, preheating everything, and even at the finer settings (2 or 3) I keep getting very fast shots 15-20 secs (including 12s of pre infusion, default in the bambino) and very watery. I tried increasing qty by 0.5g, but it doesnt seem to solve the issue. Did you have similar results with this grinder? Any suggestions of what I could adjust?
One thing I noticed is that using the non pressurized basket that comes with the bambino the results improve (25-27 secs and more creamy), but it still feels a bit odd that I have to grind all the way down to 2-3 in the MHW Sniper. Any thoughts??
Thanks!!
I have the bambino plus (purchased 6 months from amazon) with a Baratza Encore Grinder, scale and all the bells and whistles, equipment. I also have a crema 54 mm bottomless porta filter/basket. My issue is I keep getting coffee spitting out of the bottom of porta filter all over the back of the machine and countertop when brewing single and/or double shot expresso. I tried the original porta filter that came with the machine as well, different grind size, same results. Any recommendations?
➡ *IMS Precision Baskets* : 14-17 G: amzn.to/44qcYeX | 18-22 G: amzn.to/3PMbUOm
➡ *Puck Screen:* MHW-3Bomber: amzn.to/3pygVzB | Mesh type: amzn.to/43Y91yp
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you
Other than the attached grinder, is there a major difference between the bambino plus and the other breville? Also ,do either of those machines produce a “dry” puck , and should it?
I’m not sure which machine to buy.
What do you think of precision portafilters, they really make such a big difference compared to the standard portafilters of the Breville
Just got an express today, and had the worst coffee ever😂 so hopefully some practice and tips will improve this over time.
My first one tasted so sour haha, but getting much better with it now.
My first one was trash too. Like literally undrinkable lol
what do you think about the MHW-3BOMBER bottomless portafilter for barrista express?
Very helpful vodeo. Thank you. Just subscribed!
Thanks!
What about temperature? How do you brew different roasting levels with no option to change temperature?
And do you preheat the portafilter? How?
I got one of these and the thermal imager revealed several things: There are supposedly 4 different temperature settings, but the difference between the high and low is 170F to 178F, so the temperature does not appear to get hot enough. It does render crema though... Next is that I can't get a draw with the grinder set to the expresso range.. I have to set it much coarser. Another issue is that the bean hopper is a whopping 120F at the base! I'm pretty sure heating the beans is not ideal while they are in the hopper... For $300, I'm taking it back. I'd at least expect it to have a reliable temperature setting and cool beans. The low water alarm didn't seem to work either... Overall it did render crema, but as far as getting different temps, that's a no go, unless there is something wrong with mine... When I get a drink from Starbucks, I literally have to wait a few minutes before I can drink it... This doesn't get that hot on the Max setting.
First thing when you turn the machine on, have the portafilter and basket locked in and pull a single and leave it sit there while you're getting everything else prepared with the hot water in it. When you're about ready, pull a second shot through it to get that temperature piping hot and have your ground beans already to go. Pull the portafilter, shake it out and wipe it with a dry towel and immediately put your beans in. Lock it in. The Bambino Plus allows for stretching a preinfusion by keeping the shop button depressed, but if you just press it once then wait three seconds and press it again it will stop at the preinfusion stage so the puck will wet for a bit longer. I've tried this and you can do it a couple three times to heck with system for a more thoroughly confused puck. If you need a higher temperature for the extraction, initiate a manual steam cycle and wait till everything's up completely to temperature before you stop it then immediately pull your shot. This will have the initial temperature hitting your Puck a bit higher and the thermal mass of the pre infused Puck will drop it down to where it won't burn your coffee but you'll get a higher extraction. Seems like a hassle but it wasn't all that much more effort to try to make my medium roast coffee a bit last hour and I think it worked. I'm going to keep trying with my baby no plus. As a daily driver is a pretty amazing machine and I knew I was compromising a bit I'm not having the ability to adjust my temperature when I committed to buying it but he just didn't have a huge budget
I ended up keeping it after all... still renders crema, and I just single dose the hopper and am adding a bellows.
Please can you tell me if buying the J-ULTRA MANUAL COFFEE GRINDER would be a good option purely for making espresso with the Bambino Plus? Do you prefer the manual grinders for espresso? Thank you
What do you think about the basket that ships with normcore 54mm bottomless portafilter?
Do you consider the Baratza Encore ESP a good coffee grinder?
Encore ESP is pretty good, but has a few downsides. Check out one of my recent videos where I compare it to the DF54. Sorry, don't know about that particular basket.
I couldn’t agree with you more about puck screens… all videos i have seen says it doesn’t do much when indeed it is a major necessity for home machines to get a good puck at the end and most definitely a constant extraction from your coffee…
Why do you like the bigger basket if you typically use 15 grams?
The reason I like it is that you can grind finer and extract more. There are actually two different sizes of the IMS basket. I don't have any preference here; just choose the one suitable for your desired dose.
I don't have a puck screen but plan to try one. How much would you recommend lowering the dose by to accommodate the size of the puck? Just an estimate to start somewhere. I don't want to make contact with the shower screen and damage it. I am using 17 grams of medium-dark roast (in modern 3rd wave terms) in the stock basket at the moment. I'd say I have just enough headspace now. Maybe a gram difference?
As an aside, I'll have to try that IMS basket (24) because the 26 is massive. As is the generic one that came with my bottomless portafilter. It isn't happy with less than 19.5 grams and across 6 shots a day I can almost get an extra shot with a smaller dose. Saving money where you can is always nice, lol.
Thanks.
Yes, 1 gram is a good place to start with mesh puck screens. The one from Bomber is thinner, so that would be even less. I actually think puck screens give you a bit more flexibility in terms of downsizing shots since they make headspace less of a concern.
@@coffeechronicler Thank you!
With my Bambino 450, with bottmless PF using IMS 18-24g & a standard 1.77mm puck screen, plus IMS Shower Head for dose between 18 to 19g
Sorry meant IMS 18-22g basket (not the nano which some report needing a finer grind)
Also, would suggest you clean your puck screens about every 2 weeks with Urnex Cafiza, (depending on usage)
What are your thoughts on holding down the button on the Express for the entire shot (aka a pre-infuse shot)? I prefer this over letting the machine go to the full 15 bars, it ends up staying between 7 to 9 bar.
It's good for lungos or a certain style of shot, but prefer to just use it for a longish preinfusion around 10-15 seconds
For BaristaExpress this is the only way to get a decent shot, regardless of lungo etc. Otherwise you will either plug the puck by grinding too fine to get a shot in 30 seconds or you will grind too course and have a waterfall. There is no middle ground with this machine.. Or you can open the machine, un-tighten the pressure screw inside the pump until it is barely holding. Another method is to add a dimmer, which solves all your problems, you will unlock the world of desired pressure with this mod
That glass you poured the shot into at the end looks fantastic!! Can I ask for a link please?
This is Kruve Imagine (cortado version)
bit shocked to see the breville doing that at the begining. have had my for quite a few years and didnt ever see that happen. All my issues were resolved when I got a very good level/ tamper. everything has been stock and I have had great results. But have loved by Breville. Now ready for an upgrade from the Breville
My puck won't fit in my Bambino Plus. Any advice
Blooming shots work great on the bambino (non plus) since the 3-way-valve is not active.
I never tried the non-plus, but it seems like a very cool technique!
The one reason I've reconsidered purchasing the Bambino plus but I love this steam wand and I shockingly blow through my water way more often than I realized I would so I appreciate having the larger water reservoir... I do love being able to back flush though❤
I think these are the exact tips I need, but I use a oracle touch, which of course is different to the machines in this video
Luckily, both the basket and puck screen are available in the correct size 58 mm, so it's an easy upgrade.
@@coffeechronicler yes! Thank you. I already started to try wdt and tamping myself (instead of the automated tamping in the machine) with normcore tools but I'll for sure try these two upgrades as well.
God video som altid! Fedt med lidt baggrundsmusik
Tak! :)
You can easily unscrew the brewing head to clean it, works fantastic, philips screwdriver. Even with regular cleaning it can get super clogged on the inside!
If you have any other Breville tips, then please drop them below 👌☕
Great video! Love it when people do vids like this on entry machines!
Here’s two more tips:
1.use a wetted paper filter in the bottom of the basket
2. hold the extraction button for longer pre-infusions!
I use the breville barista express with a slayer mod and DF64 and have been getting amazing results, Beyond amazing!
I will only consider an upgrade when I can afford the Decent or maybe if I get a good deal on a Silvia so I can do a Gagguino mod.
@@DemirJPN Great tips, Demir! I agree that you have to spend a lot of extra cash to get more in terms of performance. Sometimes I even wonder if even the Dual Boiler is worth it considering the size and warm-up time of the Bambino.
@@DemirJPN I've been using paper filters on the bottom of the basket too and found it makes a really big difference. I never tried wetting it first though, would have assumed it would mess with the extraction. I must give it a go and see if I notice a difference!
For lighter roasts it's better to aim for a 1:3+ ratio to compensate for the lower/declining temperature.
@@adi2082 100% agree!
Another way to help with light roasts is to use a dimmer mod and do a long preinfusion until you see drips, then blast it. I modified my old Infuser with a dimmer switch. Definitely opens new possibilities. Also, Asser, what's your opinion on paper filters at the bottom of the basket?
Also, a good suggestion. I wanted to keep the tips in this video very straightforward since many newbies blame their Brevilles and buy an E61 box for no good reason. If I have to rate the importance of "mods" I would say that precision basket+grinder is the biggest ROI and mods and preinfusion are "fun" things to experiment with after you have fixed the basics. Filter paper in the bottom gives you a similar effect to the precision basket, but I find it's more difficult to find a suitable paper for 54 mm vs 58 mm, where you can just use moka pot filters.
On the Bambino line all we have are buttons, I heard you can extend the preinfusion by timing it just right to turn off the Brew before the pump ramps up. Do it a couple three times and it'll fully saturate the puck, then initiate a manual steam cycle on the Bambino Plus and once that gets up to full blast steam, turn the steam off and immediately pull the shocked. Kind of a hassle but it's supposed to work a lot better for pulling a light roast because it gets your temperature up higher than Brew temperature
Where do I get your glass espresso cups?
It's these ones in the small cortado size www.kruveinc.com/products/imagine-milk-glasses?sca_ref=4088338.TW3ccs6quW
Thanks!
So in summary... spend more money!
I have the one on the left, about the buy the one on the right, haha. I wanted something that does better at pulling shots, with newer tech. I also wanted my own grinder because no one has stated the grinder is good on the BBE