Not the cheapest ever, but hasn't been this cheap for a while (considering the bonus GC). I despise HN as much as the next guy, but I like good deals and I cannot lie.
I wish I could justify buying one myself, but my a&#hole manager forces me to work from the office most days and we have decent coffee there.
Edit: the bonus GC was just changed to $60
Breville gift pack valued up to $232
Which grinder are you using?
I sold my bambino plus because I could never get a consistent shot
Unfortunately the rule of thumb at this level of machine is that you should spend more money on the grinder than the machine. I had ok results with the Breville Smart Grinder with weighing the beans and grinding single doses, but ended up moving to a Baratza Sette 270Wi which I'm pretty happy with.
Is there anything about the Sette you dislike? I’m also looking to move away from my Breville Smart Grinder because it’s prone to clumping and inconsistency.
Smart Grinder is decent for coffee methods that require a coarse grind though, so at least I can give it away to someone in the family who only drinks something like French press.
@skittlebrau: Not really, it's been pretty solid. It's a little loud, but it's also fast so it's for a shorter time. The clamp piece it comes with doesn't really work with the 54mm portafilter but apparently there's a different one you can request from Baratza. I didn't bother as I grind into a small cup that fits snugly into the basket inner diameter then flip it over and shake to level.
One thing I really like about the Sette is how easy it is to remove the burr set for cleaning - it's a massive upgrade over the Smart Grinder even on cleaning alone.
Breville Smart Grinder Pro - 11.8seconds for the double shot is soooo good.
I got mine from DJ special about 2.5 yrs ago and would again buy it again. There have been many report they have used there's for longer years than me and still rate them
I have the same setup - I'm curious what grind setting you use with your Breville Smart Grinder?
Depending on the bean I'll tend to range from 10 to 12 and it tastes great, but I find that the coffee I brew seems less caffeinated than coffees purchased outside though.
If I go lower than 10 I'll tend to get issues with extraction and the result will be very bitter, but I wonder if I'm over-tamping and could go finer.
@blazerunner: I run grind size 12 on mine. I run Aldi Lazzio Medium 100% Arabica coffee beans and everyone whom I've made a coffee for has been very complimentary - the Aldi beans are rated very well by Choice
@CachePC: These settings are so varied. I go grind level ~8, ~16s grind for a double with the Aldi Medium beans with a non pressurised Breville basket. I aim for 18g in, 36g out in ~28s from button press.
@damfrog: I'm pretty sure the double-shot basket I'm using is pressurised, so it makes sense that you can go finer if you're using non-pressurised. And the timing will take longer to grind a full double-shot basket because of that. It's a shame the Breville grinder doesn't set the target with weight as opposed to time.
Maybe it's time to crack out my bottomless portafilter and unpressurised basket that I failed with when I first got the machine…
As long as you enjoy the coffee, no problem!
@blazerunner: Yeah, with an unpressurised basket and bottomless portafilter you can literally see how the shot is coming out and adjust accordingly - there's nowhere to hide. I like it because I'm a tinker-er. But as you say, at the end of the day if you enjoy the result it doesn't matter what settings/equipment you use.
If you want to save a bit, a manual grinder works fine. I use the kingrinder k4
Is the result comparable to a good electric grinder? How long does it take to grind enough for a double shot?
@DontNeedThis: Not an expert but supposedly results are better than entry level electric grinders (of which the Breville Smart Grinder Pro is at the upper end of).
Takes about +40s for a double shot (18g) for espresso
I sold my bambino plus because I could never get a consistent shot
Usually it depends on the grinder and user's technique.
The machine is just pumping hot water (oversimplified but close enough). :)
(in other words, don't blame Bambino for your grinder's faults :))))
Bonus video and subscription…
That's BS, really. The coffee is so overpriced that even at half-price its still expensive. And the video, well it's just a video.
Price only for Sea Salt (white) colour. Other colours (Black Truffle/Stainless Steel) are $599
I did mention the colour in the title. The mods removed it.
you really want the plus with the auto milk frother. worth the extra.
I have been using the Bambino Plus for last 2+ years , I am loving my coffee than ones from the local coffee shops. I have been ordering ground coffee (home expresso) from Inglewood Coffee Roasters and campos over a year and it makes consistent shots everytime. Auto milk frother and auto cleaning works great! Even you can make a good hot choclate! Highly recommend
Even if you aren’t making a lot of coffee for yourself, during the day, this is worth it. We have it teamed with the Breville smart grinder and even though we don’t make a lot of drinks each day it is just good to be able to have good coffee, or hot chocolate, for friends when they turn up. The man resisted buying this setup because of the price but he hasn’t looked back since.
You're saying I DoNeedThis?
I think you should, seriously, consider it. Might be time to change the Moniker.
No apology?
I wish I could unsee the $360-something price it used to be at TGGC, but I can't (sheds tear).
Me too!
Yup, that was the price we bought it at. It was a bit of a no brainer at that point. I did miss out on the really cheapie Breville smart grinder though.
In mid 2020 they were $200 everywhere
Mine is on its 5th year and is still running strong- I only had to replace the rubber gasket last month, costs 9$. It has done at least 4k cups of coffee and hasnt missed a beat.
I have mine paired with the smart grinder pro as well.
I change the portafilter and baskets, that's the next cheapest upgrade for this machine.
I tend to weigh my beans in rather than rely on grind time.
BBE filter works just fine in these, good upgrade so you can use a decent 'forked' grinder
how do you get the bonus gift card? can't see it on the page anywhere
They seem to have removed it. It was there this morning. Considering this, it would be better to ask GoodGuys to price match. They'll give you $50 storecash too.
Have one of these and highly recommend. I make 2-4 cups per day and quality is great.
I recently replaced the double shot basket as it was blocked but the breville prices are very very reasonable.
If it broke today, 100% I'd buy another before the day closed.