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Prices checked October 2026Not tested in handNo paid rankingsHow we pick
You give up: Tom's Guide found it struggles at coarse grind sizes, and it has no single-shot basket.
Short answer: The closest cheaper alternative to the Breville Barista Express is the Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series Espresso Machine (ES601), about $600 instead of $700 (save 14%). What you give up: Tom's Guide found it struggles at coarse grind sizes, and it has no single-shot basket. The cheapest is the CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine at about $140. Prices checked October 2026.
Why it's a good swap Built-in conical burr grinder with weight-based dosing, an assisted tamper and hands-free frothing, plus drip coffee and cold brew.
You give up: Tom's Guide found it struggles at coarse grind sizes, and it has no single-shot basket.
Why it's a good swap Real espresso pressure and a steam wand for milk drinks.
You give up: No built-in grinder.
Why it's a good swap Simple, reliable starter espresso machine.
You give up: No grinder, and the steam wand is basic.
Why it's a good swap Fast heat-up and real espresso pressure.
You give up: Needs a separate grinder.
Why it's a good swap Breville's 54 mm portafilter plus an automatic steam wand with 3 milk temperatures and 3 texture levels, ready in 3 seconds.
You give up: No built-in grinder, so budget for a separate burr grinder or buy pre-ground coffee.
Typical US prices, checked October 2026. Not live prices; check the listing before you buy.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to the Breville Barista Express? It usually sells for about $700. Here are 5 cheaper swaps from $140: the Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series Espresso Machine (ES601) is the closest match from another brand, the Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine (BES500) is a cheaper option from Breville and the CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine is the cheapest at about $140. Each one says what you give up for the lower price.
The Barista Express is worth it if you want fresh-ground espresso from one countertop machine and don't want to shop for a separate grinder. It pairs a conical burr grinder (16 grind settings, with dose control) with a 54 mm portafilter, a Thermocoil heater with PID temperature control, and low-pressure pre-infusion. The box also includes a milk jug, tamper, cleaning kit and water filter.
If you already own a good burr grinder or will buy fresh-ground beans, the Breville Bambino gets you real espresso pressure at $300 in a smaller footprint. The CASABREWS and De'Longhi Stilosa are rock-bottom ways to try milk drinks at home. Budget for a grinder before deciding the cheaper machine really saves money.
| Option | Type | Typical price | You save | What you give up | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breville Barista Express | The original | $700 | – | – | View ↗ |
| CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine | Close match | $140 | $560 (80%) | No built-in grinder. | View ↗ |
| De'Longhi Stilosa | Budget pick | $150 | $550 (79%) | No grinder, and the steam wand is basic. | View ↗ |
| Breville Bambino | Same brand, cheaper | $300 | $400 (57%) | Needs a separate grinder. | View ↗ |
| Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine (BES500) | Same brand, cheaper | $500 | $200 (29%) | No built-in grinder, so budget for a separate burr grinder or buy pre-ground coffee. | View ↗ |
| Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series Espresso Machine (ES601) | Close match | $600 | $100 (14%) | Tom's Guide found it struggles at coarse grind sizes, and it has no single-shot basket. | View ↗ |
Typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices and may have changed, so check the listing before you buy.
The CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine, at about $140 (80% less). Real espresso pressure and a steam wand for milk drinks. The catch: No built-in grinder.
The Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series Espresso Machine (ES601), at about $600 (14% less). Built-in conical burr grinder with weight-based dosing, an assisted tamper and hands-free frothing, plus drip coffee and cold brew. The catch: Tom's Guide found it struggles at coarse grind sizes, and it has no single-shot basket.
Yes. The Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine (BES500), at about $500 (29% less). Breville's 54 mm portafilter plus an automatic steam wand with 3 milk temperatures and 3 texture levels, ready in 3 seconds. The catch: No built-in grinder, so budget for a separate burr grinder or buy pre-ground coffee.
The Barista Express has a built-in conical burr grinder; the Bambino has none, but Breville says it is ready in 3 seconds. TechGearLab named the Barista Express its best overall machine with the best steam wand, and the Bambino its best budget pick, ranking it among the easiest to use. The Breville Bambino ($300) needs a separate grinder.
TechGearLab named it best for tight budgets and found it regularly pulled good-tasting shots with delicate crema. Testers called its steam wand a bit finicky and noted the machine shakes while pulling a shot. The CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine ($140) has no grinder.
It scored second-lowest in TechGearLab's espresso test, which found its shots watery and its steam too strong to control milk precisely. It did make one of the fastest cappuccinos in the test.
Tom's Guide gave both 4.5 stars. It found the Ninja easier for beginners, because its grinder weighs coffee as it grinds, suggests grind changes and has 25 settings to the Breville's 16. The Breville suits people who want to learn espresso by hand and comes with four filter baskets, while the Ninja has no single-shot basket. The Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series Espresso Machine (ES601) ($600) also makes drip coffee and cold brew.
The Barista Express has a built-in conical burr grinder with 16 settings. The Bambino Plus has no grinder but adds an automatic steam wand with 3 milk temperatures and 3 texture levels, and Breville says it is ready in 3 seconds. Both use a 54 mm portafilter. The Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine (BES500) ($500) needs a separate grinder or pre-ground coffee.
Often. Tom's Guide says it lists at about $700 but is usually discounted around Black Friday and Prime Day. On November 5, 2026, Breville's own site showed it at $499.95, down from $699.95.
Each swap links to amazon.com. Prices are typical US prices checked October 2026 and change often, so check the listing before you buy.
Compared on their own pages: Breville Bambino Plus alternatives
Every swap is a product sold in the US that does the main job of the original. Close match is another brand with similar features, Same brand, cheaper is an older, smaller or renewed model from the same maker, and Budget pick is the cheapest thing that still does the job. On each page, Closest match is the close match nearest the original in price, and Lowest price is the cheapest swap. We compare published specs, retailer listings and reviews; we don't test products ourselves.
A cheaper product is cheaper for a reason. Each swap says what you give up, like weaker noise cancelling, a smaller screen or a shorter warranty, so you can decide if the savings are worth it.
Prices are typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, last checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices, which change often. When a price couldn't be confirmed, the page says “Check price on Amazon” instead of showing a number.
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