Maintenance
EssentialDescaler
Limescale is what most machines die of, and vinegar attacks the seals. A liquid descaler declared suitable for espresso machines does the same job as the maker’s own branded fluid, usually for less.
€15.90
Go to bol
Sage
Bambino
The fastest route to real espresso, if you already own a grinder
€262.27 in Brushed Stainless Steel
Keenly pricedUsually between €272.00 and €305.00 (the middle half of every price we measured)
Where to buy
Updated on 10 November 2026Updated on 10 November 2026
Daily price history
Last 31 days
Lowest €260.78Now €262.27
11 Oct21 Oct31 Oct10 Nov
View as a table
| Date | Lowest price that day |
|---|---|
| 10 November 2026 | €262.27 |
| 9 November 2026 | €262.27 |
| 8 November 2026 | €262.27 |
| 7 November 2026 | €262.27 |
| 6 November 2026 | €262.27 |
| 5 November 2026 | €269.99 |
| 4 November 2026 | €269.99 |
| 3 November 2026 | €268.99 |
| 2 November 2026 | €268.99 |
| 1 November 2026 | €268.99 |
| 31 October 2026 | €268.99 |
| 30 October 2026 | €268.99 |
| 29 October 2026 | €260.78 |
| 28 October 2026 | €271.95 |
| 27 October 2026 | €272.00 |
| 26 October 2026 | €274.95 |
| 25 October 2026 | €277.30 |
| 24 October 2026 | €277.75 |
| 23 October 2026 | €296.00 |
| 22 October 2026 | €299.95 |
| 21 October 2026 | €300.40 |
| 20 October 2026 | €300.95 |
| 19 October 2026 | €300.95 |
| 18 October 2026 | €310.00 |
| 17 October 2026 | €289.00 |
| 16 October 2026 | €310.00 |
| 15 October 2026 | €310.00 |
| 14 October 2026 | €309.99 |
| 13 October 2026 | €309.99 |
| 12 October 2026 | €310.00 |
| 11 October 2026 | €310.00 |
Price alert
When the Bambino drops
Espresso machines drop hardest around Black Friday and in the weeks before Christmas. Leave your email address and pick below what you want to hear about.
The Bambino is a portafilter machine without a grinder: you feed it ground coffee, or you stand a separate grinder next to it. That sounds like a limitation and is the opposite: it saves counter space and lets you pick the grinder your beans deserve.
Where it stands apart is heat-up time. The thermojet works in seconds where classic boilers need minutes, which is the difference between a machine you switch on midweek and one that only gets used at the weekend.
Who for: Anyone who already owns a good grinder and will not wait for a boiler.
Compared with similar machines
Against 14 other manual espresso machines between €175.00 and €389.00, on the specifications the maker publishes.
On the measured specifications, this machine does not stand out from similar machines.
Specifications
Making coffee
- Type
- Portafilter
- Grinder
- None, separate grinder needed
- Milk system
- Steam wand you control yourself
- After every use, a short burst of steam or water and a wipe with a damp cloth.
- Portafilter
- 54 mm
Capacity
- Water tank
- 1.4 litres
Dimensions
- Width
- 19.5 cm
- Depth x height
- 32 x 31 cm
- Weight
- 4.95 kg
Model
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Warranty
- 2 years
- Model number
- SES450BSS
This is what we know for certain. Dimensions and capacities the manufacturer or the shop does not state are left out rather than estimated. A measurement or a tank volume that is not there is one we do not have.
What does it cost a year to maintain?
A worked example, not a specification: 2 cups a day (730 a year), the intervals from the maker's manual, with the water filter the maker recommends, and the lowest price in our catalog today.
- Water filter · 4 a year
- Not in our catalog
- Sage: replace the water filter after 3 months. Sage's filter is not in our catalog.
- Cleaning tablets
- Not stated
- The machine says when. Sage gives no interval.
- Descaler
- Not stated
- The machine says when. Sage gives no interval.
We cannot price anything for this machine: what the maker requires is not in our catalog, or the maker gives no interval.
How often you descale depends on your water hardness. Where the maker gives no interval for it, we leave it out rather than estimate it.
Beans, counted separately
6.57 kilos a year at 9 grams a cup: €108.34 with the cheapest kilo in our catalog, €445.45 with the dearest.
Frequently asked about the Bambino
- Is the Bambino a bean-to-cup or a portafilter machine?
- The Bambino is a portafilter machine.
- Does the Bambino have a built-in grinder?
- No, the Bambino has no grinder. You grind your own or buy it ground.
- How does the Bambino froth milk?
- The Bambino froths milk: with a steam wand you control yourself.
- How wide is the Bambino?
- The Bambino is 19.5 cm wide. Check the height too if it has to sit under a wall cupboard.
- How much water does the Bambino hold?
- The Bambino's water tank holds 1.4 litres.
- What is the Bambino's model number?
- Each colour has its own model number: SES450BSS in Brushed Stainless Steel and SES450BTR in Black Truffle. Compare on that rather than the name: makers sell near-identically named versions side by side, and the prices differ.
Accessories that fit this machine
Picked on what this machine does and does not do itself
Milk
EssentialMilk jug
A stainless jug of around 600 ml is the difference between milk that froths and milk that boils. The shape of the spout decides whether you can pour anything with it.
€12.95
Go to bol
Grinding
EssentialCoffee grinder
Without a grinder in the machine this is not an accessory but a second purchase. Budget something close to the machine itself. On pre-ground coffee no portafilter machine gives you what it can do.
€204.00
Go to Coolblue
Maintenance
RecommendedGroup Head Cleaner, 6 sachets (Sage)
Sage's cleaning powder for backflushing the group head, in single-dose sachets. On daily use Sage recommends a flush every 2 to 4 weeks.
€12.95
Go to Expert
Brewing
RecommendedTamper and distributor (Sage)
The tamper Sage includes is light and plastic. A heavy one with a distributor gives a flatter bed and a more even extraction, the step that most often goes wrong when brewing by hand.
€39.95
Go to bol
Brewing
RecommendedKnock box
The puck has to go somewhere, and the bin clogs with wet coffee within a week. A box with a rubber bar is quieter than it sounds.
€21.95
Go to bol
Maintenance
Can waitGroup Head Cleaner, 12 sachets (Sage)
The same Sage cleaning powder for the group head, in a pack of twelve sachets. At one flush every 2 to 4 weeks, as Sage recommends, that is six months or more.
€21.90
Go to bol
Brewing
Can waitCoffee scale
Dosing by eye is why the same machine tastes better on one day than the next. A scale accurate to a tenth of a gram, with a timer, turns pulling espresso into something repeatable.
€44.95
Go to bolBeans for this machine
Every bean fits every machine. What differs is the order: on a bean-to-cup the 100% arabica beans come first, because dark-roasted blends carrying robusta give off more oil and that clogs a built-in grinder sooner.
Segafredo
Segafredo Intermezzo
€16.49per kilo
Lowest price we have seen€16.49 · 1 kg bag
A blend with robusta, made for the Italian bar. Full and bittersweet, and the kind of bean a bean-to-cup grinder gets through without complaint.
- Blend with robusta
- Blend
Segafredo
Segafredo Espresso Casa
€18.45per kilo
Lowest price we have seen€18.45 · 1 kg bag
Segafredo’s house blend, for anyone who also drinks their espresso with milk.
- Blend with robusta
- Blend
Lavazza
Lavazza Crema e Aroma
€19.99per kilo
Keenly priced€19.99 · 1 kg bag
The classic Italian bar blend: arabica with a good deal of robusta, which is where the thick crema espresso is known for comes from. Robusta is a cheaper bean than arabica, and that usually shows in the price per kilo.
- Blend with robusta
- Blend
Lavazza
Lavazza Espresso Italiano Classico
€23.99per kilo
Keenly priced€23.99 · 1 kg bag
All arabica as well, like the Oro. The middle path between the soft arabica blends and the firm bar blends.
- 100% arabica
- Blend
What differs
Bambino of De'Longhi Classic EM450? Bambino of De'Longhi Dedica Duo? Bambino of De'Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus? Bambino of De'Longhi Dedica Style? Bambino of Gaggia Classic Evo Pro? Bambino of Sage Bambino Plus? Bambino of Sage Barista Express? Bambino of SMEG EMC02? Bambino of Solis Barista Perfetta Plus?
Often compared with
€131.00 in Red
Price verdict from 12 NovW 14.9 x H 30.5 cm · 1.1 l tank
With essential accessories€363.85
machine + descaler, milk jug, coffee grinder
€459.00 in Black Truffle
Price verdict from 11 NovW 31.8 x H 40.4 cm · 2 l tank
With essential accessories€487.85
machine + descaler, milk jug