Breville Bambino Plus vs Turin Legato V2
A thermoblock against a single boiler — two philosophies of the same morning.
The Legato V2 runs ~14% more (listed in different currencies) — the split below is what the gap buys.
Breville
Community defaultUS$449–499 · CA$485–650
The Bambino Plus is the tidiest on-ramp to real espresso at the entry price tier: PID-stable shots, automatic milk texturing, and almost no counter footprint. Accept that the thermocoil is n…
Full record & live prices →
Turin
US$459–499
The Legato V2 is a white-label Chinese machine that genuinely overdelivers on paper specs for its price — dual PID, adjustable OPV, and simultaneous brew-and-steam in a tidy stainless box. T…
Full record & live prices →The split
Where they actually differ
On 6 of 11 measures these two tie. The 5 rows below are the entire argument.
Bambino Plus
Legato V2
Ready when you are
Bambino Plus leads, decisively
10 sec· ~5 min
Parts & repair
Bambino Plus leads, decisively
Push-button convenience
Bambino Plus leads, decisively
Reliability record
Bambino Plus leads, clearly
Forgiving to learn on
Bambino Plus leads, clearly
The price
Bambino Plus costs less, clearly
CA$485–650· US$459–499
weakerstronger
The counter’s vote
Looks barely figure in either machine’s record — the counter can sit this one out.
Bambino Plus: Compact, kitchen-neutral industrial design — praised for "doesn't take over the counter" aesthetic, no polarization, bought partly FOR the small footprint story but not primarily a design statement.
Legato V2: Minimal brushed-steel aesthetic typical of budget prosumer segment; no design-led purchasing signals observed in community reviews.
Only the Bambino Plus: automatic milk texturing.
Only the Legato V2: brewing and steaming at once.
Only the Bambino Plus: a hot-water tap.
Where they tie: milk & steam · shot ceiling · back-to-back drinks · built to last · value per dollar — don’t let a spec sheet invent a difference.
On the counter
The size difference, to scale
So — which one?
Take the Bambino Plus if —
- Patience is not your virtue at 6 a.m.
- You plan to fix, not replace
- You want a button, not a ritual
- It has to just work, every day
Take the Legato V2 if —
- Mornings run on a clock
Both columns reading true? Take the Bambino Plus and put the difference into fresh, roast-dated beans — they move the cup more than this choice will.
Known weak points
Bambino Plus
Solenoid valve failures reported in some units (out-of-warranty repair ~$150–200 CAD); heating element degradation after 3–4 years moderate use; OPV (over-pressure valve) occasional sticking — none catastrophic or design-endemic, but worth noting for longevity expectations.
Legato V2
Unencased PCB board vulnerable to water/moisture damage; plastic water tank connectors reported brittle; limited OPV design in V1 (V2 reportedly corrected).
For the row-by-row readers
The whole sheet, side by side
Matching rows fade back — the ink is where they differ.
Bambino Plus
Legato V2
Type
Thermoblock / thermojet
Single boiler
Heat-up time
10 seconds
~5 min
Steam power
3/5
2.5/5
Brew + steam at once
No
Yes
Guest recovery
2/5
2/5
Shot quality ceiling
3/5
3.5/5
PID temperature control
Yes
Yes
Milk system
Auto frother
Manual steam wand
One-touch drinks
2
—
Removable brew group
No
No
Hot-water tap
Yes
—
Cup clearance
9 cm
—
Workflow demand
2/5
3/5
Maintenance
2.5/5
2/5
Noise
3.5/5
3/5
Build longevity
2/5
2.5/5
Dimensions
19.6 × 32 × 31 cm
28 × 32 × 38 cm
One owner each
“The Legato is absolutely a phenomenal machine for the relatively low price tag and is 100% a Gaggia killer as long as it holds up... I've been using it for a few shots a day for a month now, and it blows away my modded Gaggia on ease of use.”
Wrong match-up? Change one side → — any two on file compare.
Still torn?
This page weighs them against each other. The finder weighs them against your mornings.
Two minutes of questions — milk, noise, budget, space — scored across everything on file. It’s honest when the answer is neither of these.
Take the two-minute finder →