Machines
Bambino Plus vs Gaggia Classic Pro E24
Oct 10, 2026 · 7 min
Two first espresso machines compared from maker specs: workflow, steam, learning curve, and upgrade path, so you can pick the one that fits how you brew.
Quick verdict by type of buyer
Mostly milk drinks, a small counter, and little patience for technique: Bambino Plus. Mostly straight espresso, and you want a 58 mm machine you can learn on and keep: Gaggia Classic Pro E24. This comparison is based on the makers’ published specs, not a side-by-side test. Either way, budget for the grinder first.
Workflow and heat-up
Breville says the Bambino Plus’s ThermoJet heating system reaches extraction temperature in 3 seconds. It uses a 54 mm portafilter, dosed at 18 g. Gaggia lists the Classic Pro E24 as a single boiler (single-boiler/dual-use) with a lead-free brass boiler, so brewing and steaming share one boiler and you switch between them. Fewer warm-up minutes points to the Bambino. A machine you learn on points to the Gaggia.
Milk steaming
Bambino Plus: an automatic steam wand with adjustable milk temperature and texture, plus manual texturing (per Breville). Gaggia Classic Pro E24: a commercial-style stainless steam wand with a two-hole tip and no auto mode (per Gaggia). Auto foam is the easy road. Manual is a skill you build.
Shot control and mods
Breville lists low-pressure pre-infusion followed by 9-bar extraction on the Bambino Plus. Gaggia lists a 58 mm stainless portafilter and an OPV calibrated to 9 bar on the Classic Pro E24. The 58 mm standard is why tinkerers lean Gaggia.
Grinder pairing
Both machines are only as good as the grind. Breville includes single- and dual-wall filter baskets with the Bambino Plus, so a weaker grinder can get by on dual-wall at first. Moving to single-wall baskets, or using the Gaggia, calls for an espresso-capable grinder. See why the grinder matters.
Upgrade path
The Bambino Plus is a complete, compact machine. It isn’t built for modding, so outgrowing it usually means replacing it. The Classic Pro E24 is the kind of machine people keep and modify, or replace later with a PID single boiler. The upgrade-path guide and the budget tiers cover the next step.
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