This £399 Sage coffee machine is small-kitchen friendly and made for latte lovers – here's everything I loved (and didn't like) after trying it

For great coffee at home, you can’t go wrong with a good quality espresso machine. In fact, I owned, and loved the Sage Bambino for over three years. It’s a great compact espresso machine that still has a place on our list of the best coffee machines.

The Bambino Plus is only slightly more expensive and marginally bigger than the Bambino, but the additional functionality it offers in terms of automatic milk texturing, is a potential game changer. Steaming and texturing milk is an artform and can be tricky to master, so I’m excited to see what this automatic wand can produce.

In a nutshell

For only £70 more than the entry level Sage Bambino, the Sage Bambino Plus offers quite a transformational upgrade in its automatic steam wand. In my opinion, this additional feature is worth the bump up in price, but it’s not flawless.

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While I managed to create perfect espressos with a rich crema and tasty fruity flavour, I found the steam wand to be a bit hit and miss. The crux of it is that if you don’t add in an extra purge step, it can scald the milk. That said, during my tests, when purged first, it achieved great textured milk with zero effort on my part, and I soon came to rely on it.

So, in short, if you’re not super confident at steaming milk, but you want a manual espresso machine, then the Bambino Plus is the answer. But if you’re happy to steam milk yourself, then save £70 and go for the Sage Bambino.

Who tested this coffee machine?

Helen McCue

As a Home Economist, I’ve had the lucky job of reviewing kitchen appliances, including coffee machines, for the best part of two decades. My usual coffee machine is the Sage Barista Express, which was an upgrade from our old Sage Bambino, so I’m very familiar with the range of Sage espresso machines.

I usually drink two coffees a day, switching between a flat white and a double espresso, depending on my mood. I had the Bambino Plus in my kitchen at home for almost two weeks and used it with freshly ground coffee beans. My go-to brand is Exhale organic coffee beans. And I used filtered water via a Water2 filter that’s fitted to my kitchen tap.

Unboxing the product

When I removed the Bambino Plus from its box I was instantly struck by two things; it’s very lightweight and very shiny. The backplate that sits behind the drip tray is mirrored and I’m not sure how practical this is going to be to keep clean.

It appears to be well built and looks premium, but I expected it to have a weighty quality that’s lacking. Nevertheless, it comes with everything I need to get going, other than coffee.

The portafilter isn’t quite as premium as the one that comes with pricier Sage coffee machines, however it’s perfectly well made and fit for purpose. It comes with four filter baskets designed for single and double espresso shots depending on whether you’re using pre-ground or freshly ground coffee.

There’s a premium tamper that’s used for compressing the coffee into the portafilter, and this feels a good weight. The stainless steel milk jug is a typical size, though the max fill marker that’s embossed into the side is barely half way up the jug. What’s more, you can’t see the max and min markers easily on the inside of the jug, which might prove to be tricky when filling.

Impact on a kitchen worktop

Compared to so many coffee machines I’ve reviewed, this one is neat and pretty compact. It won’t dominate your kitchen and is suitable for smaller spaces.

The water tank sits at the back of the coffee machine, it’s easy to access and remove, or you can fill it by lifting the lid on top. But if you set the machine up beneath wall hung kitchen cupboards, it might be a bit awkward to get to.

First impressions

The physical instruction manual is brief, although it does include a QR code linking to a longer manual. For setup, you’re advised to download the free app BILT. It’s definitely worth it for the 3D interactive step-by-step set up guide which gives you all the info you need to get started. It's delivered via short, easy to watch video clips with audio descriptions.

In the app there are additional helpful guides on things like milk texturing, care and cleaning, and programming shot volumes. After watching all of these, I was armed with all the information I needed.

There’s a water filter included in the box to get you started and in hard water areas, this will definitely help to protect the machine from limescale. It is easy to install in the water tank, though it only lasts for three months. Replacements are costly at £14.95 each, which soon starts to add up.

This machine won’t automatically perform rinses, but it does advise you to do this manually by pressing the one cup button. This runs hot water through the group head and portafilter before and after use.

My main takeaway after getting it set up and familiarising myself with the control panel and accessories, is that it’s very straightforward to use. The paired back controls are very simple to understand.

If I'm being critical though, I’d love an on/off button. It automatically goes into standby after 30 minutes, but if you want to enter standby faster, you have to manually press two buttons in combination, and it took me a while to remember which two buttons.

And similarly, other processes like adjusting shot volumes or running a descale cycle are performed using various button combinations. This means you have to keep referring back to the BILT app or manual when you want to perform these additional tasks.

The ‘Morning Rush’ test

When the coffee machine is first switched on, it’s ready to use in seconds. I timed myself making two milky coffees in the morning to see how long the whole process was from start to end.

This included adding coffee to the portafilter, tamping it down, and pouring a double espresso. I did this twice and then filled the milk jug to its maximum level and set it to automatically texture the milk to the medium foam level and medium temperature.

By the time the two drinks were poured, the whole process had taken six minutes. Personally I have the time in my mornings and enjoy the ritual of making coffee, so I don’t think this is too long. But if your mornings are very rushed and you have very little time, you may need to consider a more hands-off automatic coffee machine.

Similarly, it’s worth noting that if you make very milky lattes, you may have to steam two jugs of milk to get enough for both drinks, which will add to the time.

User experience

It can take a while to get used to some of the processes involved in using a manual espresso machine. Tamping the coffee grounds with the right amount of pressure takes practice, but I love the tamper that’s provided, it feels really good quality and works effectively.

Sage also provides a clever Razor tool, which is especially useful if you’re new to manual espresso machines. It allows you to trim coffee from the top of the portafilter, this ensures it’s not over-filled, which in turn helps you to learn how much coffee is needed.

On the whole, making an espresso in this machine is a simple process, but there’s one part that I found annoying. Twisting the portafilter into position, and also removing it again, are both actions that require a bit of force.

Unfortunately, the machine isn’t weighty enough to withstand the force without being pushed across the worktop. So you have to stabilise it with one hand/ arm, while positioning the portafilter with the other. It can be awkward.

The double shot espresso is a bit smaller than I would like, but that's not an issue as it can be programmed it to deliver the exact volume you prefer. Alternatively you can dispense hot water from the steam wand to top up an espresso into a longer drink.

When I first got my hands on this machine, I didn’t think it was capable of dispensing hot water as there’s no obvious button to do so. But upon scanning the QR code in the manual and accessing the more comprehensive manual online, I discovered how to do it.

It is, unfortunately, another button combo to remember. With the steam wand tilted up, you have to press the 1 cup and foam buttons simultaneously and then hot water is dispensed. I dispensed a cup full and took the temperature. It was 71C, which is fine for topping up coffee or making the odd fruit tea.

The automatic milk steamer does the job, it's super simple to use and easy to toggle between the three foam levels. The highest foam setting delivers a spoonable cappuccino style foam, whereas you get more of a microfoam on the middle and lower foam settings.

My biggest issue with the automatic steaming is that it often made the milk too hot. Even on the lowest temperature setting, milk could reach temperatures in excess of 80C, which is far too hot and will scald the milk, affecting the taste.

I did eventually discover that if I purged the steam wand for a few seconds before use, by pressing the steam button and allowing water/ steam to escape, it was then less likely to scald the milk. After a purge, milk steamed on the lowest temperature setting, came out at 58-66C, which is much better.

Milk temperatures weren’t as consistent as I would like and seemed to be impacted by the foam level selected as well as the amount of milk in the jug. That said, when it was producing milk at the correct temperature, I very much enjoyed this hands-off automatic function. And I can see how this feature will be really handy if you’re busy, or if you hate steaming your own milk.

When filling the milk jug to the max line, you can add about 250ml milk which is just enough for two smaller drinks. If you prefer a longer milky drink, you won’t be able to make two at once. You ‘ll need to steam a second jug of milk.

Don’t be tempted to go over the max line though. I steamed the maximum amount of milk on the maximum foam level and the foam rose to the top of the jug. Any more and it would have spilled out over the top. However, I should say that I also found it very hard to see the max and min lines on the inside of the jug, which is frustrating.

Due to the occasional high temperatures achieved by the automatic steamer, I was thankful that I could also use the milk wand for manual steaming. I was able to texture the milk without scalding it when I did it manually. However it still heats the milk very fast and I still had to purge it first for best results. And if I’m honest, I did default to the automatic milk steamer on most uses.

Noise test

When brewing an espresso, the coffee machine registered a pretty quiet 59dB on my noise meter. It's the milk steaming that’s the noisiest part of the process. The automatic milk steaming averaged 69dB but peaked at 84dB for a few short seconds. On the whole, I wouldn’t class this as a loud coffee machine.

Coffee quality

During the review I used Exhale Organic Dark(ish) Roast whole beans. This is my regular brand of coffee and the tasting notes, according to the brand, are caramel, stone fruits, red grapes and cola. It’s said to be ideal for espresso and gives a chocolatey, nutty flavour.

I used a separate grinder to grind my coffee beans as needed, so I used the single wall basket in the portafilter as this is designed for coffee that’s freshly ground. Although I did also try out the double wall baskets with some pre-ground coffee I had in the cupboard.

I found the espresso had a rich and thick crema on top, and it lasted well. I enjoyed the espresso flavour too, it was fruity and had a nutty marzipan backnote. It was neither bitter, nor was it flavourless and watery, which is a good sign. On the whole, I was very happy with both the flavour and the quality of the espresso.

Thermal stability

I made five single espressos in quick succession to check how the temperature of the coffees changed. The first one started at 60C and each one was marginally hotter than the last. The final espresso was 68C. On that basis, and for consistent coffee, I’d suggest it’s best suited to smaller households where it’ll usually be required to make a couple of coffees at a time.

The ‘Wet Paint’ test

After much experimentation I found the automatic milk steamer could produce a lovely glossy microfoam, perfect for latte art. It had to be on the lowest temperature and middle foam setting (provided it’s been purged before use). The higher foam setting is a bit more bubbly, though ideal for a cappuccino.

Manual milk texturing is an option, but once I’d got the hang of purging it first, the microfoam delivered by the auto steaming function, far exceeded the quality of what I could produce when manually steaming.

What's it like to clean?

The exterior of the steam wand will need a good wipe down with a damp cloth after use. It automatically purges with water, dispensing water into the drip tray to ensure there’s no milk residue left on the inside. The steam purge can be messy and I found I needed to wipe over the drip tray afterwards.

I was able to tap out the coffee grounds in a nicely compacted puck. Giving the portafilter a quick rinse is the only other daily cleaning task. However the stainless steel sides and shiny mirrored back of the machine marked easily, so I found myself giving it all a daily wipe and buff to keep it looking as good as new.

The drip tray is very small, and this soon becomes noticeable if you make a lot of milky drinks, due to the automatic steam purge. A red float in the drip tray pops up to tell you it needs emptying, and I could only make 3-4 milky coffees before it needed to be emptied.

What's it like to descale?

The machine alerts you when descaling is due. It does this by flashing the one cup, two and steam buttons in sequence. You’ll need to use a Sage descaling product for the process and it has to be done when the machine is completely cool.

I followed the directions in the BILT app and found descaling very easy. For the most part it’s an automatic process, you just have to stay nearby to empty the waste water container and refill the water tank as needed. The whole process took around eight and a half minutes.

The other cleaning process required is a flushing cycle to clean the grouphead. This is a quicker clean that requires you to insert the rubber cleaning disc into the portafilter, followed by a Sage cleaning tablet.

Again, the machine alerts you to do it with a sequence of flashing lights after every 200 cups. It’s another automatic cleaning cycle and took me just six minutes. Waste water is supposed to be collected in the drip tray, but some leaked out onto the worktop during the clean, so I’d sit it on a teatowel next time.

How does it compare to competitors?

I’ve already made comparisons to the brand's entry level espresso machine, the Sage Bambino. It’s more compact and will save you £70, as long as you’re willing to steam your own milk.

It must be said though, the Bambino Plus isn’t cheap and if you shop around, you could bag a Ninja Luxe Cafe for around £70 more. This is an Ideal Home favourite that also offers automatic milk steaming. Crucially though, the Ninja has a built-in bean grinder and offers more adjustable settings and features. So if your budget can be stretched, it’s worth considering.

Should you buy the Sage the Bambino Plus?

Having previously owned the Sage Bambino I was pleasantly surprised by how much of an upgrade this model feels like, especially given the comparative difference in price. And if it’s a toss up between the two, the decision will come down to whether or not you’ll use the auto milk steaming.

If you’ve already got some barista skills, you may not need to pay the extra for the auto steaming function. That said, I’m used to steaming my own milk, but I soon got used to letting the Bambino Plus take care of it for me.

While it’s one of Sage’s cheaper espresso machines, this is still pricey compared to other brands. That said, it delivers a great espresso, and the automatic milk texturing is an elevated feature that you won’t find on many other machines. If you’re not confident at texturing milk, you’ll adore having perfectly steamed and frothed milk without any faff.