Sage Bambino Plus

The Bambino Plus is the most compact portafilter espresso machine in Sage's range: the manufacturer describes it as built from stainless steel and paired with a professional-style 54mm portafilter loaded with an 18g dose of ground coffee. Heating is handled by the proprietary ThermoJet system, which the manufacturer states reaches optimum extraction temperature in 3 seconds and uses up to 32% less energy annually than a Thermoblock heating system; because of that contrast, this page classifies it among the fast-heating coil-type (thermocoil) semi-automatics rather than the thermoblock ones, even though the word "thermocoil" never appears in the documentation itself.

Extraction starts with a low pressure pre-infusion followed by 9 bar delivered by a 15 bar Italian pump; the manual also describes a manual pre-infusion mode, triggered by holding the 1 or 2 cup button for the desired time before releasing it to start extraction. The steam wand is automatic (Auto MilQ): it manages 3 milk temperatures and 3 texture levels on its own, producing, according to the manufacturer, microfoam with at least one million micro bubbles per millilitre. The removable water tank holds 1.9 litres.

The quick guide states power draw only as a range, 1300-1600W on a 220-240V 50-60Hz supply, with no single figure for the European unit. The manufacturer does not publish weight or dimensions in the technical documentation reviewed, and the product pages of different European markets list three different sets of measurements, so none are cited here. No PID, pressure gauge or boiler material are disclosed.