Sage Bambino

Bluefoam · 16-04-2020 1:02pm #1

I enjoy a good coffee & usually treat myself at Kaph or Nicks, but have been restricted to tea at home during the lock'in...

I'm thinking of investing in a machine... I used to have a Gaggia more than 10 years ago & didn't like it... it was too messy and I didn't get a good cup out of it. Preparation and clean up weren't worth the results.

However, no I have time & enjoy an occassional cup... so just wondering what people thought of the Sage Bambino Plus? I was drawn to it because of the quality reviews for the milk frother, which is important to me...

Are there any others I should be looking at? €300 is above my upper limit...

https://www.sageappliances.com/uk/en/products/espresso/bes500.html

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sage-SES500BSS-Bambino-Plus-1600/dp/B07GB2JVD7/ref=as_li_ss_il?keywords=bambino+plus+sage&qid=1554284234&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&linkCode=li3&tag=trustedcoffee-21&linkId=bb65018da3610391c81202fdacfc42ff&language=en_GB

The DeLongi Dedica seems good too... Any thoughts appreciated.

Hodors Appletart · 16-04-2020 1:52pm

What about an Aeropress and a decent burr grinder?

Klopp · 16-04-2020 2:14pm

Bluefoam wrote: »

I enjoy a good coffee & usually treat myself at Kaph or Nicks, but have been restricted to tea at home during the lock'in...

I'm thinking of investing in a machine... I used to have a Gaggia more than 10 years ago & didn't like it... it was too messy and I didn't get a good cup out of it. Preparation and clean up weren't worth the results.

However, no I have time & enjoy an occassional cup... so just wondering what people thought of the Sage Bambino Plus? I was drawn to it because of the quality reviews for the milk frother, which is important to me...

Are there any others I should be looking at? €300 is above my upper limit...

https://www.sageappliances.com/uk/en/products/espresso/bes500.html

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sage-SES500BSS-Bambino-Plus-1600/dp/B07GB2JVD7/ref=as_li_ss_il?keywords=bambino+plus+sage&qid=1554284234&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&linkCode=li3&tag=trustedcoffee-21&linkId=bb65018da3610391c81202fdacfc42ff&language=en_GB

The DeLongi Dedica seems good too... Any thoughts appreciated.

I bought the Sage Bambino back in March and while i found it good, I found the portafilter extremely tough to lock and turn. It involved me getting the machine in a bear hug/headlock position. I thought it might get easier being new and gave it a period of time before returning. I came across similar posts online referring to bear hug tac so it wasn't just me or the machine i had. Curry's had it on sale for 250euro at the time.

Technocentral · 16-04-2020 2:38pm

Bluefoam wrote: »

I enjoy a good coffee & usually treat myself at Kaph or Nicks, but have been restricted to tea at home during the lock'in...

I'm thinking of investing in a machine... I used to have a Gaggia more than 10 years ago & didn't like it... it was too messy and I didn't get a good cup out of it. Preparation and clean up weren't worth the results.

However, no I have time & enjoy an occassional cup... so just wondering what people thought of the Sage Bambino Plus? I was drawn to it because of the quality reviews for the milk frother, which is important to me...

Are there any others I should be looking at? €300 is above my upper limit...

https://www.sageappliances.com/uk/en/products/espresso/bes500.html

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sage-SES500BSS-Bambino-Plus-1600/dp/B07GB2JVD7/ref=as_li_ss_il?keywords=bambino+plus+sage&qid=1554284234&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&linkCode=li3&tag=trustedcoffee-21&linkId=bb65018da3610391c81202fdacfc42ff&language=en_GB

The DeLongi Dedica seems good too... Any thoughts appreciated.

Have the Dedica, makes a lovely cup with the right beans.

Bluefoam · 16-04-2020 7:38pm

Thanks, I've found the Sage in Harvey Norman or €299... Seems like good value. Will sleep on it.

The Hound Gone Wild · 17-04-2020 9:37am

Bluefoam wrote: »

Thanks, I've found the Sage in Harvey Norman or €299... Seems like good value. Will sleep on it.

Coudpicker have this machine for the same price & ships with a bag of coffee. Consider buying from them instead of Harvey Norman.

https://cloudpickercoffee.ie/collections/equipment/products/sage-the-bambino-plus-save-100-april-special-only

Hodors Appletart · 17-04-2020 9:48am

The Hound Gone Wild wrote: »

Coudpicker have this machine for the same price & ships with a bag of coffee. Consider buying from them instead of Harvey Norman.

https://cloudpickercoffee.ie/collections/equipment/products/sage-the-bambino-plus-save-100-april-special-only

great shout

Bluefoam · 17-04-2020 12:03pm

The Hound Gone Wild wrote: »

Coudpicker have this machine for the same price & ships with a bag of coffee. Consider buying from them instead of Harvey Norman.

https://cloudpickercoffee.ie/collections/equipment/products/sage-the-bambino-plus-save-100-april-special-only

I missed that by minutes... Order placed already. A great offer and sorry I missed it. This whole thing is a rabbit hole...

Already looking at grinders... And hoping that the machine I get has the additional non-pressurised baskets that seem to ship with newer units... even though I have no idea how to take advantage of them... This whole experience is going to be fun.

The Hound Gone Wild · 17-04-2020 12:11pm

Bluefoam wrote: »

I missed that by minutes... Order placed already. A great offer and sorry I missed it. This whole thing is a rabbit hole...

Already looking at grinders... And hoping that the machine I get has the additional non-pressurised baskets that seem to ship with newer units... even though I have no idea how to take advantage of them... This whole experience is going to be fun.

It will be a constant nightmare :P . You haven't bought a coffee machine, you've bought a hobby. This is capable of pulling really great shots of espresso, but it's only as good as the grounds you put in... You will need a good quality grinder to get great results.

mad m · 17-04-2020 7:23pm

So is the Sage an upgrade from the Gaggia Classic. My current setup is Gaggia classic with Mahlkönig Vario Home V3 grinder.

Squidgy Black · 17-04-2020 9:43pm

mad m wrote: »

So is the Sage an upgrade from the Gaggia Classic. My current setup is Gaggia classic with Mahlkönig Vario Home V3 grinder.

They'd be on a similar level out of the box but the classic is a great platform for upgrading.

Few common mods would be lowering the brew pressure by the OPV, changing the steam wand out for a Silvia one and adding a PID for stable brew temperature and better steaming capability.

Bluefoam · 20-04-2020 1:17am

Waiting for the machine to arrive... Plaguing myself with YouTube videos...

What do you guys use for your coffee shots, cappuccino, lattes, flat whites... single or double shots?

Watching American videos, they seem to use only doubles, is that also the norm here.? I always ask for a single shot...

Hodors Appletart · 20-04-2020 9:03am

most coffee shops here use double shots.

Squidgy Black · 20-04-2020 8:47pm

Double shot would be the norm in general.

It's also easier (generally!) to pull a double shot compared to using a single basket with the lower dose which can be a bit finicky.

wexfordman2 · 20-04-2020 10:41pm

Klopp wrote: »

I bought the Sage Bambino back in March and while i found it good, I found the portafilter extremely tough to lock and turn. It involved me getting the machine in a bear hug/headlock position. I thought it might get easier being new and gave it a period of time before returning. I came across similar posts online referring to bear hug tac so it wasn't just me or the machine i had. Curry's had it on sale for 250euro at the time.

I think you might have been overfilling the grinds, I notice it the odd time with my larger sage barrista, and it's always fixed by lessening the grind fill

Bluefoam · 21-04-2020 11:40am

wexfordman2 wrote: »

I think you might have been overfilling the grinds, I notice it the odd time with my larger sage barrista, and it's always fixed by lessening the grind fill

Thats good to know, I'll keep an eye on it... I also had advice from Cloud Picker, to grind slightly more coarse than commercial... Machine arrives today, very excited...

mad m · 21-04-2020 7:08pm

Bluefoam wrote: »

Thats good to know, I'll keep an eye on it... I also had advice from Cloud Picker, to grind slightly more coarse than commercial... Machine arrives today, very excited...

Let us know how it goes. Toying with buying one

wexfordman2 · 21-04-2020 11:27pm

Bluefoam wrote: »

Thats good to know, I'll keep an eye on it... I also had advice from Cloud Picker, to grind slightly more coarse than commercial... Machine arrives today, very excited...

I love my sage, it's the barista model, have it prob about 4 or 5 years now.

Bluefoam · 22-04-2020 10:22am

Unfortunately the machine was delivered yesterday, but was dead on arrival. Couldn't get power to it. Sage customer care were good, but not much they can do, so I'm waiting patiently (not really) for Harvey Norman to get in touch to arrange the replacement. I have to say, this is very frustrating when you have no control, phone lines are not manned and all you can do is wait for someone to aknowledge your emails...

Its been a week since initial order, I guess it could be another week before its sorted... & 500kg of freshly ground coffee for the bin.

These things happen... & I'm not dissappointed with the machine, with Sage or with Harvey Norman, but it is frustrating. Looking forward to getting a positive resolution & preparing some coffee while I'm still working from home.

The Hound Gone Wild · 22-04-2020 11:21am

Bluefoam wrote: »

Unfortunately the machine was delivered yesterday, but was dead on arrival. Couldn't get power to it. Sage customer care were good, but not much they can do, so I'm waiting patiently (not really) for Harvey Norman to get in touch to arrange the replacement. I have to say, this is very frustrating when you have no control, phone lines are not manned and all you can do is wait for someone to aknowledge your emails...

Its been a week since initial order, I guess it could be another week before its sorted... & 500kg of freshly ground coffee for the bin.

These things happen... & I'm not dissappointed with the machine, with Sage or with Harvey Norman, but it is frustrating. Looking forward to getting a positive resolution & preparing some coffee while I'm still working from home.

Don't throw out coffee!! If it's in the unopened bag from the roaster put it into the freezer. If it's opened put it in a ziplock bag, squeeze the air out and put the bag in a Tupperware box in the freezer. Take it out 24h before you need it and keep it at room temperature until thawed. Do not open it for any reason before then. It will destroy your coffee with condensation.

Its frustrating but it will be more frustrating trying to pull good shots :P

Use this time to get a **small** scale that weighs in 0.1g increments. It's a life saver for getting good espresso. You can get them from Amazon for less that €20

Bluefoam · 22-04-2020 11:27am

Harvey Norman are out of stock & would need to get one sent to them and then sent on to me... so I've requested a refund and have now ordered from CloudPicker as their offer has free shipping and a free bag of coffee.

Still looking forward to getting a cup of coffee before the lock-in is over...

Bluefoam · 30-04-2020 6:44pm

Finally arrived today... Have managed to get a couple of mediocre coffee's out of her... Looking forward to too much coffee & figuring out how to get a good quality expresso.

FCB1899 · 05-07-2020 9:48am

Bluefoam wrote: »

Finally arrived today... Have managed to get a couple of mediocre coffee's out of her... Looking forward to too much coffee & figuring out how to get a good quality expresso.

How are you getting on with your Sage? Cloudpicker have it back on sale and I am tempted to purchase

Bluefoam · 05-07-2020 4:19pm

I'm loving it... Have the Smart Grinder Pro too... I'm getting really good quality cappuccino and am getting good espresso now too.

I'm glad I went this route rather than a grinder combined machine. It genuinely heats up in 3 seconds and the milk froth function is extremely good.

FCB1899 · 05-07-2020 4:53pm

Bluefoam wrote: »

I'm loving it... Have the Smart Grinder Pro too... I'm getting really good quality cappuccino and am getting good espresso now too.

I'm glad I went this route rather than a grinder combined machine. It genuinely heats up in 3 seconds and the milk froth function is extremely good.

Does it come with 2 tpes of basket for the portafilter, single and double wall or just one? Wouldn't be able to stretch to a grinder at first so could I expect decent results from freshly ground from say coffee angel/3fe?

Bluefoam · 05-07-2020 5:23pm

FCB1899 wrote: »

Does it come with 2 tpes of basket for the portafilter, single and double wall or just one? Wouldn't be able to stretch to a grinder at first so could I expect decent results from freshly ground from say coffee angel/3fe?

That was my struggle... Machine didn't come with non pressurised baskets, nor could I buy any anywhere... Actually I did, I ordered one from Australia, but it has yet to arrive.

I expressed my disappointment to Sage and in the end they offered to find a set of non pressurised baskets for me... which I am using I'm not interested in supermarket coffee, so the double wall baskets were useless to me.

Apparently, the machines made after January have the non pressurised baskets, but I don't know how you guarantee that. I can confirm that my brother now has a silver Bambino and it has the baskets.

Damo 2k9 · 06-07-2020 11:41am

Looks like a cracking setup. I have the Barista Express and feel like the grinder is something that really holds the machine back. I'm no expert, but the grinds look fairly clumpy which I can only assume is adding channeling to the espresso pour.

I am on grind level 2 (upper burr at 4) and with 18g in I am getting 36g out in just about 25 seconds.

I think a distributor will be a great addition to the toolkit, but we will get to that!

Is the steam wand on the bambino good? It doesnt look like a single hole wand like the barista express, which takes an age to get going.

Bluefoam · 06-07-2020 11:55am

Damo 2k9 wrote: »

Looks like a cracking setup. I have the Barista Express and feel like the grinder is something that really holds the machine back. I'm no expert, but the grinds look fairly clumpy which I can only assume is adding channeling to the espresso pour.

I am on grind level 2 (upper burr at 4) and with 18g in I am getting 36g out in just about 25 seconds.

I think a distributor will be a great addition to the toolkit, but we will get to that!

Is the steam wand on the bambino good? It doesnt look like a single hole wand like the barista express, which takes an age to get going.

Bambino's steam wand is amazing!!! it can froth automatically or manually and you can get a range of consistency and temperature to your liking. It's quick and has four holes.

I'm currently on grind size 13 and 19g, have a little clumping, but a good tamp deals with it. I wouldn't refer to it as popcorning, it's not that severe.

Bluefoam · 06-07-2020 12:29pm

The way I have it set, is that I get a double shot espresso... Just right, but if I get it wrong, usually a little sour.

Milk is mid to hot with paint like consistency and just enough creamy froth to top it off. I generally use a 10-12 Oz cup...

My coffee is better than allot of coffee shops, but not quite Kaph quality, which is where I like to get a coffee when I'm out and about.

Damo 2k9 · 06-07-2020 10:51pm

Sounds great man. I just can't understand why I have to go so fine on the grinder setting to get close to ideal extraction... The coffee is good coffee, freshly roasted.

I might try 19g tomorrow morning and see how I get on. I'll let ya know how I get on!

Damo 2k9 · 07-07-2020 11:30am

19g in 41g out in 27 seconds (stopped manually @ 38g)

I dont want to get too hung up on exact numbers, the coffee still tastes good to me at the minute, but its always good to squeeze a bit of performance out of your machine

Bluefoam · 07-07-2020 12:56pm

Yeh, I tend to dial in by weighting and measuring everthing precisely... but then take a much more casual approach when I'm confident with where its at...

evolutionqy7 · 10-07-2020 4:30pm

Bluefoam wrote: »

That was my struggle... Machine didn't come with non pressurised baskets, nor could I buy any anywhere... Actually I did, I ordered one from Australia, but it has yet to arrive.

I expressed my disappointment to Sage and in the end they offered to find a set of non pressurized baskets for me... which I am using I'm not interested in supermarket coffee, so the double wall baskets were useless to me.

Apparently, the machines made after January have the non pressurized baskets, but I don't know how you guarantee that. I can confirm that my brother now has a silver Bambino and it has the baskets.

Heya. Any advise on getting in touch with them? I opened a ticket via their website, but yet to get a reply.

I want to try the non pressurized baskets too, as the "Espresso" grind level coffee chokes up the bambino for me. Also if I try to load in any more than 12-14 grams of coffee, it also chokes up the machine on a finer grind.
I am assuming that's probably too much blockage for a single tiny hope.

bricky06 · 12-07-2020 10:58pm

Hi, I'm thinking of getting the Bambino to upgrade from my moka pot. Would anyone be able to tell me if I would be able to start off using the likes of Levazza pre ground (espresso or crema gusto, etc.) in the pressurized basket before I am able to add a decent grinder into the equation?

I don't want to end up buying the machine and not being able to use it until I can add the grinder. Has anyone tried this?

Bluefoam · 12-07-2020 11:22pm

bricky06 wrote: »

Hi, I'm thinking of getting the Bambino to upgrade from my moka pot. Would anyone be able to tell me if I would be able to start off using the likes of Levazza pre ground (espresso or crema gusto, etc.) in the pressurized basket before I am able to add a decent grinder into the equation?

I don't want to end up buying the machine and not being able to use it until I can add the grinder. Has anyone tried this?

Yes, that's exactly what I did.

Bluefoam · 12-07-2020 11:23pm

bricky06 wrote: »

Hi, I'm thinking of getting the Bambino to upgrade from my moka pot. Would anyone be able to tell me if I would be able to start off using the likes of Levazza pre ground (espresso or crema gusto, etc.) in the pressurized basket before I am able to add a decent grinder into the equation?

I don't want to end up buying the machine and not being able to use it until I can add the grinder. Has anyone tried this?

Ringing the UK number is the best way to establish contact with them...

evolutionqy7 · 14-07-2020 9:03am

bricky06 wrote: »

Hi, I'm thinking of getting the Bambino to upgrade from my moka pot. Would anyone be able to tell me if I would be able to start off using the likes of Levazza pre ground (espresso or crema gusto, etc.) in the pressurized basket before I am able to add a decent grinder into the equation?

I don't want to end up buying the machine and not being able to use it until I can add the grinder. Has anyone tried this?

You can, it will work no problem with those, in fact some of the Tesco Deluxe range coffee's I think are nice. So feel free to experiment.

I bought a De'Longhi blade grinder in Harvey Normans when I got the Bambino. It is not the most consent grinder

but if you give a good rattle while grinding coffee it can decimate stuff pretty evenly.

But yeah a consistent grinder and bambino kind of go hand in hand and the store bought stuff will be very uniformly ground and will get you a good coffee.

Better than the instant stuff anyway!

Hodors Appletart · 14-07-2020 10:00am

Blade Grinder owners!

Coffee Guru James Hoffman has a video showing how to get the best out of your equipment.

bricky06 · 14-07-2020 3:05pm

Thanks for the replies. I have decided I will buy one at the weekend if there is stock with non pressurized baskets included. I won't get to the shops during the week but have asked Harvey Norman chat support... they were less than helpful.

perrier · 14-07-2020 7:22pm

Anyone know where to find the single wall baskets, cant see them anywhere online.

evolutionqy7 · 14-07-2020 9:11pm

perrier wrote: »

Anyone know where to find the single wall baskets, cant see them anywhere online.

Got a reply from Sage to say they have none in stock.
Have seen a naked portafilter on Amazon for Sage Bambino. Half way tempted to get it.

Bluefoam · 14-07-2020 10:22pm

perrier wrote: »

Anyone know where to find the single wall baskets, cant see them anywhere online.

I couldn't find them anywhere... Ordered one off eBay in Australia in March or April but it still hasn't arrived.

bricky06 · 14-07-2020 10:39pm

I was on to sage about the baskets and there's a fella to come back to me on when they will have them back in stock. I'll post it in here if he does come back with something decent, he said it would likely be a few weeks though.

perrier · 15-07-2020 12:18am

bricky06 wrote: »

I was on to sage about the baskets and there's a fella to come back to me on when they will have them back in stock. I'll post it in here if he does come back with something decent, he said it would likely be a few weeks though.

Yes I had a look at the Brevile/Sage sites worldwide and all are out.

Damo 2k9 · 15-07-2020 9:22am

Stock on the Sage website for spare parts and accessories is a joke. It must be down to the increased amount of people that bought machines coming into the lockdown.

shanec1928 · 17-07-2020 9:46am

bricky06 wrote: »

I was on to sage about the baskets and there's a fella to come back to me on when they will have them back in stock. I'll post it in here if he does come back with something decent, he said it would likely be a few weeks though.

i asked a few week weeks back was something like 12+ weeks before they expect to get them. on a side note the sage support is crap. you get a quicker response from eir and thats saying something...

hsram_ydnar · 28-07-2020 10:04pm

I know these aren't the cheapest options but sharing my experience. I managed to end up with two unpressurised baskets, both from AliExpress.

The first one cost €17 and took 9 weeks to arrive. The second came with a bottomless portafilter, cost €50 including express shipping, arrived after 5 days. Overpriced, but the unpressurised basket makes a big difference.

Bluefoam · 06-08-2020 12:54pm

I've just received the 2 shot single wall filter basket I ordered from Australia in April...

If anyone needs one, I'll let you have it for €20. That won't cover me for the cost... But might suit someone. PM me if interested. Collect in Dublin.

FCB1899 · 08-08-2020 11:05am

Bluefoam wrote: »

I've just received the 2 shot single wall filter basket I ordered from Australia in April...

If anyone needs one, I'll let you have it for €20. That won't cover me for the cost... But might suit someone. PM me if interested. Collect in Dublin.

PM sent

Bluefoam · 08-08-2020 9:03pm

The basket was collected this evening. Hope you get good results from it. I saw a big difference when I moved to fresh coffee. Thanks all who sent a PM, hope you get sorted soon.

hsram_ydnar · 11-08-2020 9:13am

I'm happy to let my spare unpressurised double shot basket go for cost (€17).

Collect in Dublin, PM if interested.

Sage Bambino

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