Compare / Breville Bambino Plus vs Nespresso Vertuo Up
Breville Bambino Plus vs Nespresso Vertuo Up
The Breville Bambino Plus scores 58 points, 17 more than the Nespresso Vertuo Up. It is ahead on 1 of the compared specs, the Nespresso Vertuo Up on 0. Note: these are different kinds of machine (semi-automatic vs capsule).
Score by category
Each bar is out of 100. Popularity is how often the machine sells on Amazon compared to all 115 machines.
Breville Bambino PlusNespresso Vertuo Up
Why is the Breville Bambino Plus better than the Nespresso Vertuo Up?
- Milk frothingAutomatic steam wand vs. Separate frother included
Why is the Nespresso Vertuo Up better than the Breville Bambino Plus?
No spec where it is clearly ahead, based on what both listings state.
All specs side by side
Brewing
Built-in grinder
Fresh grinding right before brewing matters more for taste than almost anything else. A built-in grinder saves buying a separate one.
Heating system
Dual boilers and heat exchangers can brew and steam at the same time with stable temperature. Thermoblocks heat fast but drift more.
PID temperature control
A PID controller holds brew water within about one degree. Unstable temperature is the most common cause of sour or bitter shots.
Adjustable brew temperature
Light roasts like hotter water, dark roasts cooler. Without adjustment you are stuck with one setting.
Pre-infusion
Wetting the coffee puck at low pressure before full pressure evens out extraction and forgives small tamping mistakes.
Portafilter size
58 mm is the café standard with the widest choice of baskets and tampers. Smaller sizes work, but accessories are scarcer.
Pump pressure
Espresso is brewed at about 9 bar. Higher numbers on the box are maximum pump ratings and do not make better coffee, so we do not score them.
Milk
Milk frothing
A manual steam wand gives the best microfoam for latte art but takes practice. Automatic systems are easier but less flexible.
Convenience
Heat-up time
How long you wait from switching on until the first shot. Under a minute feels instant, over 15 minutes means planning ahead.
Water tank
A bigger tank means refilling less often. For two milk drinks a day, about 60 oz lasts several days.
One-touch drinks
Preset recipes such as latte or cappuccino at the push of a button.
App control
Remote start and recipe settings from your phone.
Size and weight
Height
Measure the space under your kitchen cabinets. Many machines need a few extra inches on top to refill the water tank or bean hopper.
Counter space
Width times depth, the area the machine takes up on your counter.
Weight
Heavier machines stay put when you lock in the portafilter. Lighter ones are easier to move and store.
Other
Power
Higher wattage usually means faster heating, but it says nothing about coffee quality.
Green: the better value for that spec. Bars show where a value sits among all 115 machines. Specs neither listing states are left out. How we score
Price check
We do not show prices, they change several times a day. Instead we compare today's Amazon price with each machine's own price history.
Questions
Which is better, the Breville Bambino Plus or the Nespresso Vertuo Up?
The Breville Bambino Plus scores 58 points, the Nespresso Vertuo Up 41. The score weighs grinder, heating system, temperature control, milk frothing and convenience.
How do they froth milk?
Breville Bambino Plus: automatic steam wand. Nespresso Vertuo Up: separate frother included.
Will they fit under my kitchen cabinets?
The Breville Bambino Plus is 12.2 in tall, the Nespresso Vertuo Up 10.1 in. Standard US upper cabinets hang about 18 in above the counter, so leave room to refill the tank.