I have a confession to make…I have been a coffee pod user for almost 10 years and I feel HORRIBLE about it. Seeing the amount of garbage I create week to week puts my stomach in knots. I know they are recyclable now, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that this extra waste has been created….and by me. I’ve used the excuse that life is busy and the quicker I get that coffee into my system the better. It’s no secret that I’ve worked from the comfort of my own home for the past 4 years so besides the morning hustle of getting the kids out the door, I have no valid reason to rush my morning coffee.
I have said this before, I have been drinking espresso and espresso-based coffee for as long as I can remember and one of the items on my bucket-list is to become a fully-trained barista so I could open up my own espresso bar one day. It has literally been a dream of mine for a long time – I have the name and branding all worked out – now I just have to learn how to make proper espresso! This isn’t the only problem…what about space? Those pod machines that are out there are great because they are compact. Being compact, however, means that they’ve had to compromise the quality of coffee.
My friends at Breville are always solving major problems with their appliances and I am not surprised to say they have done it again. They have developed an espresso machine called the Breville Bambino Plus. Bambino translates from Italian as “a child” and by looking at it, it looks like a child of a commercial espresso machine. Breville has designed the Bambino™ Plus to respect the four key elements, essential for achieving café quality coffee; yet in a new, slim, compact size; ideal for the coffee enthusiast who is tight on space, but isn’t looking to compromise on high-quality café coffee.
What about the coffee grinds situation? I’m glad you asked 😊 I spoke about another great Breville machine last year that actually goes hand-in-hand with the Bambino Plus. It’s called the Breville Smart Grinder Pro and this machine will ensure you always create the freshest coffee possible. The Porta-filter that comes with the Breville Bambino Plus fits right into the coffee grinder so you can grind, tamp the coffee like a real pro barista and then pop it into the Barista Plus for a perfect café quality espresso! The porta-filter was actually designed with creating the perfect coffee every time, in mind. It holds 19 grams of coffee which happens to be the key for full flavour and café quality coffee.
Read about the Breville Smart Grinder Pro ——-> HERE.
What about heating up the machine? Of course my friends at Breville thought of this too! They know we don’t have as much time as we used to and saving energy is also a very important issue these days. They have integrated an Innovative Thermojet heating system that achieves optimum extractions temperature in 3 seconds! You will be ready to make your best coffee without the wait! I forgot to mention it also saves you from those long fancy coffee shop line ups too (I used to dread those!)
And for you espresso aficionados (I know this is something I always look for in a good cup of espresso) the Crema. The Breville Bambino Plus has low pressure pre-infusion and 9 bar extraction pressure which creates a golden honey crema. I bet you that if you are usually one who puts sugar in your espresso, you won’t need it anymore if you start using this machine. I am literally blown away by how well this machine makes espresso – I’ve been looking for a machine like this for such a long time so pardon my enthusiasm!
What about Lattes and Cappuccinos? Again, SO glad you asked. Of course Breville has thought about this and they’ve made milk frothing and texturing so easy and hands-off. Simply fill the milk canister with milk to the designated fill line, Put the canister on the machine and insert the steam bar. Hit the canister button to tell your machine how full your canister is and hit the button to tell the machine how hot you want the milk and then hit the steam button and the machine will texture the milk to your exact specifications. You get perfectly textured milk every single time by hitting a few buttons!
Clean up and maintenance is always something I look into when buying a new appliance and the Breville Barista Plus is really easy. The water jug at the back must always have water in it which is pretty easy to monitor. After you brew your coffee, dump your spent coffee grounds into your compost bucket, wipe the porta-filter and you’re ready for another espresso. For the milk frothing elements, besides rinsing the canister after use (or throwing it into your dishwasher, which is what I do) after frothing milk you simply wipe the steam bar with a damp cloth and when you tuck it back into the machine, steam automatically comes out of the machine to clean out any milk that has gotten inside.
Summary of The 4 Key Elements for Café Quality Espresso
Perfect Dose
Every good commercial espresso machine uses a portafilter. The Bambino™ Plus uses a 19g porta-filter for barista quality performance, and full-bodied taste.
Precise Temperature
Breville’s precise temperature control (PID technology) detects and minimizes any temperature fluctuations during extraction. The difference between an ashy or balanced tasting espresso can be as little as 2°F.
Optimal Pressure
Low pressure pre-infusion & 9 bar extraction pressure creates a golden honey crema in your espresso by ensuring the right pressure, at the right time.
Steam
Breville’s automatic steam-wand uses the optimal pressure needed to turn your milk into a silky smooth micro-foam, essential for latte art, and for the perfect integration of both milk and espresso.
The only thing this machine doesn’t do is give you some sweet latte art – you will have to practice that all on your own. However, I do have some good news about all you wannabe baristas out there. Breville is holding a Café Quality Masterclass tour – visiting four cities from coast to coast (Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver). Using Breville espresso machines, MasterClass registrants will learn the barista tips and tricks to making café quality coffee (at home!) from professional baristas in an engaging session. Hands-on learning covers coffee preparation, measuring, extraction and milk texturizing. The Masterclasses offered from Oct 15th – Dec 16th. Visit BrevilleCafeQuality.ca, Select the MasterClass tab and it Will take you Here. Choose your city – and sign up!
I am really excited because Breville has given me a prize-pack to give away to one of my lucky followers. The Breville Barista Plus retails for $599.99 CAD and the Breville Smart Grinder Pro retails for $299.99 CAD. That is a total of $899.99 CAD. I will be holding a Facebook Live over at my Facebook Page on Thursday November 1, 2018 at 7pm. Simply join-in and watch and be sure to comment and I will be choosing one random winner on Monday November 5th, 2018 at 9PM EST (*Open to Canadian-Residents Only).
I hope this post will help your coffee-loving dreams come true as much as they have fulfilled mine!
With Love,
Julie
