PHILIPS 4400 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine

17 reviews for PHILIPS 4400 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   William M. Cramer – April 18, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Very Quiet

   Well packaged in the factory box and then inside another cushioned box. As an owner of Gaggia, this Phillips is a replacement and a very nice upgrade. No more waking up the household early in the mornings as It is FAR QUIETER than the Gaggia and with many more drink options. We love our new coffee machine so far! It is easy to use as the menu options are straight forward. It has a larger water reservoir that is easier to remove and install. The handle on our Gaggia water reservoir broke a long time ago as it is cheap thin plastic. This Phillips machine has a well thought out design. The seal on the bean compartment cover not only keeps the beans fresh, but cuts the grinder noise greatly. We have owned as I said Gaggia as well as DeLonghi in the past and neither can hold a candle to this Phillips 4400 series.
2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Karen T – April 22, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Overall great machine with one small exception

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   I purchased this machine a few months ago and I purposely waited a bit before doing the review because it has so many features and I wanted to use a few of them before reviewing. This machine actually replaced two machines in our house. We had two separate coffee machines because I like espressos and my husband likes just plain coffee with a latte every once and awhile. I wanted a machine that he could easily use to make his own lattes.This machine has the option to have two separate profiles and it actually has a third profile that you can use for like a guest. The profiles are fairly straightforward but they’re not the “one touch make a drink” kind of thing. The unit just remembers what you like for your particular kind of drinking so you can step through it quickly. So if you’re looking for something that is “one touch and make a drink” this is probably not the machine for you though it is a great machine. The one flaw that I found is more of a design error by the company and hopefully Phillips fixes the problem for future releases. Your beans are stored in the top of the machine and for every cup it vibrates and pulls down some beans and does a fresh grind, tamp and brew of the drink…. however the required amount of beings doesn’t always slide into place into the grinding hopper to make your drink so if you’re not paying attention you could be making a cup of coffee that turns out VERY WEAK because the beans aren’t sliding into the hopper to be ground. It’s hard to explain but I put a video up so you can see. It really is just a design issue Phillips needs to make more slope in the bean hopper so they will slide down into the hopper easier. There’s no mechanism that measures how many beans are in the hopper before it grinds and tamps down, it just grinds for a certain amount of time and assumes it’s got enough beans in there. So there’s nothing to indicate if you’re out of beans….you just have to remember to check and manually push beans into the hopper area. The lid is clear so checking really is just visually looking to see if there’s beans in there. But if you don’t check and you’re out of being your first indication is you take a sip of coffee and it’s closer to the water than it is to Coffee LOL

   10 people found this helpful
3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Keith – May 6, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Drink a whole lotta lattes? You’ll want this!

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   Had the PHILIPS 4300 LatteGo for a little over week now. First impression: I love this thing! I have coffee every day. Usually an Americano or Latte. In addition to the coffee beans in the hopper, I also love the flexibility of the ground coffee bypass chute. I keep some decaf beans on hand and grind as needed and just scoop it in and brew a drink when wanted.I did a ton of research and almost bought another brand a few times while trying to decide. Ultimately, this PHILIPS machine had the right features for me. And cleaning it is pretty simple (very important for daily use).It’s certainly an investment, but I drink coffee every day and my wife and I love being able to easily add frothed milk to chai or hot chocolate as well.Initial Set-up:It was a breeze. You’re prompted through each step on the screen. You do a water hardness test with a paper strip held under your faucet a few seconds and then set that based on the result. You install the water filter. The machine calibrates and rinses itself out. Brew some initially weak espresso (yeah, I know – just dump it). That’s about it. Oh, on recommendation I also bumped the temperature up to high.How’s the coffee and features?While you do have the pre-programmed buttons for all the usual drinks from Coffee and Espresso to Lattes and Cappuccinos (and they all work great), you really could dial in your preferences and make almost any style espresso drink and even do the shots and froth separately – so keep that in mind if you’re real particular.I was warned (and please keep in mind) that the system calibrates and starts to make better coffee over time. For me, it’s been over a week and leaving the grind setting at the factory default (as recommended at first), I’m just now starting to get the espresso pucks instead of a more watery coffee ground consistency in the grounds container. So, I believe patience is key here – leave the grind setting alone for a bit (I know, I know). Maybe stick to the milk-based drinks that can be more forgiving until things start balancing out.I can honestly say things have improved quickly and a regular espresso shot is pretty good now. I stuck with Lavazza Super Crema Espresso Whole Bean Coffee – since it’s widely recommended for superautomatic espresso machines (no dark roast, oily beans whatsoever – unless you want to make the machine an expensive paper weight). I’ll venture out and try other brands and types of coffee soon, but just went with what I knew would work OK to get started.Maintenance and cleaning:Daily:Empty drip tray of water as needed (a red indicator button will pop up when it’s time to empty). I recommend keeping a cup under the spout between use to catch any water flushed during rinse cycles. The machine flushes itself once when turned on and when turned off. There’s also a rinse cycle you manually run after making a milk-based drink to clear the LatteGo container (you just push a button and it does the work). You’ll also be prompted to empty the coffee grounds container as that fills up – maybe every few days depending on use. Oh, and obviously wash the LatteGo container after use or refrigerate with remaining milk (I love that this milk system has no tubes to clean).Weekly:Take the brew group out and rinse well under warm water to clear any coffee grounds, then let air dry completely (no soap, no towels – there’s water proof grease on parts that needs to stay on and fibers can be left behind). Wipe the inside compartment with a damp cloth. The PHILIPS website and YouTube videos are your friend for understanding the cleaning process – just search on the model number. Also read the short manual – understand the machine and taking care of it is pretty darn easy.Semi-Monthly:The machine will tell you when it’s time to descale every few months – which is really just running a solution through the unit. Occasionally you’ll also put some food grade lubricant on the moving parts of the brew group. Also the water filter will need periodic replacing to keep the water tasting good and the system running smooth – again, the machine will let you know when it’s time.Overall, I’m super-happy with this machine. Having lot’s of fun and love the flexibility in the drinks it makes. It’ll pay for itself very quickly with no over-priced coffee shop trips. So far so good. Cheers!

   60 people found this helpful
4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Terry J. Keaton – June 16, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Turning me into a coffee snob

   Really like this machine. Fanciest prior was a grinder and K-cup machine, thought I was riding high with fresh ground coffee. I’ve always been the basic coffee, sugar, cream kind of guy. Like the Cappuccinos every once in a while if I was out and about (almost never). Got over espresso when I was stationed in Italy and had some fresh squeezed beans in a shot glass cup. My son kinda got me started on a Starbucks something/something fancy thing, but I couldn’t remember the name of it. Twenty years USAF LE, coffee was life. So, saw the 3300 version on Amazon Day sale and figured why not. Was about to order it when I saw there was a 4400. Twice the cost? Why? Checked it out. That is when I found out that there was different types of coffee within coffee types. Who knew? Always thought a latte was coffee and milk, put some sugar with it, it’s what I drank. Then saw a Latte Macchiato, figured latte with different name. Nope, seems there is a coffee to milk ratio that is different, not to mention milk vs frothed milk. Saw a few more options of the 4400, worlds of coffee creations started swimming through my head. Head started hurting…more than coffee, cream, sugar? And not needing specialty store that charges umpteen dollars a cup? Not to mention trying to figure out what the actual size of their cups are. Then saw there was such a thing as a 5500. Oh no! Looked, nope. May be turning into a coffee snob (cappas. lattes. crema. oh my), but cold brew? No. Coffee must be hot otherwise it ain’t coffee and why bother. This line I cannot cross. So, got the 4400. Saw the reviews about leaks and such. Ain’t had no problem. When I first put milk in the latte go container, it did leak. My fault, didn’t snap the bottom closed. Water in the drip tray? Well, it does rinse out the nozzles, where do you think it goes? Did put a cup and then a bowl down to try and cut down on it, but it doesn’t help. Doesn’t matter anyway. The machine tells you when to empty the grounds container, empty the drip tray the same time. Played with the grind size when I got it. Switched back and forth, couldn’t figure out which way was a finer grind. Didn’t look at the marking either, so, oh well. At least it has pictures for the drinks, so I don’t have to guess on that. I have been very happy with the coffee that has been coming out of this machine. The only complaint I have is that of quantity. I use a mug (why bother with cups) and end up having to brew two cycles of some types. Some let you do a double, others don’t. No problem there either, doesn’t take long from grind to finish. Not to mention I can mix they process. So far my favorite is brew a regular latte then brew a macchiato on top of that. Fills the mug nicely and tastes great. As for sugar, which I still use.. That goes in first and gets stirred up when the first latte coffee is brewing in, before the frothing takes place. Shake/roll the mug after the top goes on and the sugar dissolves through nicely. Yeah, all this just to say this machine makes good coffee, runs well and I’m glad I paid the extra for the added choices. Not to mention being able to keep the mechanics of the thing cleaner and oiled. Should last quite a long time. Now, excuse me while I drink down my double caffe crema with a frothed topper.

   20 people found this helpful
5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Adam W – June 21, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   If you’re on the fence, go ahead and hop over.

   I’ve owned this machine for a week so my review may change over time but as of right now this machine is seriously amazing. I thought I was a coffee connoisseur before with a nice drip machine, fancy grinder and a frother but boy was I wrong. Setup was a breeze, like most others have stated, watch YouTube videos – there are literally hundreds of what I would say are professional reviews on these machines and it’s many models in addition to how to set it up. The setup guide that comes with the machine is useless, although I found the cleaning guide to be helpful at least in the sense of it telling you precisely what to do and when. The latte go attachment cleans itself at the push of a button and I store my leftovers inside of the actual container in the fridge. Like others have stated, do not use dark beans, or it will slowly kill your machine. I started by using Lavazza Super Crema beans from my research and it was making some seriously smooth coffee by about my 6th-7th espresso shot. I plan on trying to go to my local coffee roaster for other recommendations – there’s all sorts of articles out there that tell you what’s best for super automatic machines like this one. If you’re spending $1,000 on this machine, spending decent money on beans is a no brainer if you ask me. After 10-15 coffees my machine was producing solid pucks – one of the major issues I see people having is that they can’t get consistently solid pucks which in essence means you’re not getting a solid drink. I imagine that has to do with either their water and or a combination of the beans they’re using but I could be wrong. The machines bean grinder is located at the top of the bean hopper and comes at a 6 setting which is in the middle – I see most people have switched theirs to 4 and below but the machines specifically asks you not to do that until about a month of use. Based on the beans I am using now, I think I could go down to a 4-5 but I’m going to wait until after the first month. Keep in mind, if you change the setting you have to go 1 setting at a time while the beans are being grinded or you will hurt the machine. The personalized preferences are a nice touch, but I personally like to switch up my settings based on the time of day, or just what im feeling in the moment and it’s 3 clicks of a button. The machine cleans itself periodically after making drinks and when you shut it off after use – I keep a cup near by so it lessens the amount of water in my drip tray. I’ve read a lot of complaints about the bean hopper being to small – personally it doesn’t bother me and if anything it just keeps the beans more fresh because you’re periodically putting more in (I store mine in an airtight and dark place). Also I have read complaints about the size of the water reservoir, again, doesn’t bother me – this machine is small (smaller than it looks) and is meant to not be the size of a commercial machine. I have limited counter space and making any of these functions bigger than they are would make the machine probably twice as large as it is. The machine comes with a warmth setting of “medium” do yourself a favor and change it to “hot.” If you’re spending this much money on a machine, buy the protection plan, $80 is nothing if you’re spending this much anyways.

   30 people found this helpful
6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   That One Guy – July 7, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   The Best Coffee Machine

   I love this coffee machine! While I hesitated for quite awhile due to the price, my only regret is I did not do it sooner. It makes perfect coffee, one cup at a time, and allows you to tweak it to your liking while saving your settings to your profile (has two profiles).Since owning this for the last year, it has worked flawlessly and I have not gone out for coffee, mine is just that much better!Having the ability to quickly and easily froth milk is a game changer and this makes it incredibly easy to clean and store!This is far superior to those other “one cup at a time” devices as it allows you to use whole beam coffee.
7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Designer77Designer77 – July 10, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Great Addition to our Coffee Routine!

   So, to start we are coming from another super automated – Miele 6120 – which don’t get me wrong we loved, made excellent coffee. Paid $2,600 for it. We had that machine for about 5 years and was about 2 years before we started having some minor issues with it. The grinder would often get packed with grounds, not work, waste coffee and would have to do our best to get some apparatus up there to clean it out, then our milk frother would have issues and not always pull the milk. We’d have to hold the container at an angle to get it to work at all. Both of these stopped working all together around 1.5 years ago and we have been limping along since just using the bypass port to put caffeinated ground coffee in to make shots, and also had a regular coffee pot on the counter to make decaf. We do a combo to cut down on caffeine. Been avoiding the issue of a new machine due to the high cost, but finally wanted a good cup of coffee again so started looking and found this machine.I watched and read a lot of reviews before deciding to buy a machine. We bought our Miele from a local coffee machine store because we wanted to try them out, test coffee in person, etc. that was our first super automated machine so was important to do an in person visit. Now that we have a general idea of what to expect I felt better about buying online. AND that same local store, Seattle Coffee Gear, did a review of their top 3 super automated machines recently and this was #2! So that was enough for me to trust it based on that alone. (#1 was the Jura10 which is like $4,000-no thanks, #3 was the 3200 Phillips so they rate these machines highly – they had a bonus option of the Saeco Xelsis which is an upper end Phillips model for $2,000 didn’t see enough difference to spend $1,000 more than the 4300)This machine was $1,700 less than the Miele and really does just about everything it did for much less. biggest comparisons:1. You can’t do a one touch double drink if its milk based on the 4300. The Miele would allow you to do two milk drinks with a button touch. Not a huge deal but something different. You can do one touch double “coffee only” drinks on the 4300, so espresso shots, coffee or americano. Would be great if they added the option to do a double on milk based drinks., like cappuccino or Cafe au Lait.2. I love the milk container and frothing on the 4300. No tubes to deal with, super easy to just pop on and off and makes great hot milk and nice thick foam. Easy to take apart and clean too. Miele had a tube you had to insert into a wand and container that was a separate piece. The tube would do a cleaning cycle but was always a little grossed out that you couldn’t get in there and clean it…things tend to grow in warm wet situations. This one has a much more simple design that’s easy to use and clean.3. Love the front loading water tank and fact you can filter the water directly from the tank. The Miele had a side loading water tank so always had to pull the machine out from under the cabinet to remove and replace. I would say size of the tank, with the filter, is maybe a little less volume but most of these have about the same size tank on them, makes both of our morning coffees just fine without refilling. Our Miele didn’t have a filter so would have to descale often. This claims with the filter you can make 5,000 shots before descaling is needed so that’s a bonus – and filtered water always makes coffee taste better so think this is pretty cool feature.4. I love having a more user friendly screen and button process with the 4300. I know Miele’s thing is not to worry so much about the technology interface and more on the quality of the machine/coffee. Which don’t get me wrong that machine, when new, made an amazing espresso shot, which is ultimately why we chose it over a machine that had better screen and easy programming. Miele takes some knowledge to use, not as user friendly. But very happy with the screen, preprogrammed drink options and ease of use on the 4300. I know a guest could basically walk up to this machine with minimal help and make whatever they want. On the Miele we would just do it as it was too hard to explain the process.5. 4300 doesn’t alert you when the drip tray is full, you have to watch the manual red float to pop up. Miele would prompt you to empty the drip tray and waste container. Again, not a huge deal. It doesn’t seem to waste as much water into the drip tray as the Miele so seems we need to empty that less anyway.6. The Miele was a substantial machine, heavy weight, metal parts, felt well made-and is. The 4300 is lighter and pretty much all of it is made of plastic. Which is fine, it still looks really nice but can certainly feel the difference in materials. That said the 4300 seems to work great, so as long as it lasts and makes good coffee I could care less. Its also not as deep as our Miele so fits really nice tucked back under the cabinets. I really prefer the overall look of the 4300 its a very nice looking machine in our kitchen. Miele is pretty plain, not a lot of bells and whistles as far as the look goes.After doing research on the 4300 made me realize that a big downside to Miele machine is the lack of instruction you get. I think our machine would have lasted a lot longer had we known a few things, big one being to use beans made for a super automated machine – aka non oily! I always thought oily beans were the best, signifying freshness, but that’s not the case. In these types of machines you want a dry bean so the oils don’t gum up in the grinder-I am sure now that’s why we had so many problems with our grinder over time. Also learned in my recent research that Arabica beans tend to be more oily so having a Robusta bean(or combo) is better for the machine as they are less oily and also less bitter. Robusta bean makes a smooth yummy crema shot. I started buying Lavazza beans for this machine, which are said to be made for a super automated machine, and they are yummy! Miele instruction manual is very simple and vague. We literally had to call them to try and learn how to operate the machine as the buttons and touch screen aren’t exactly easy and user friendly(and even they couldn’t help us!) – once you get the hang of it was fine, but zero instructions on profiles, saving drinks, etc. The 4300 has tons of online videos to show you how to use it. there are a lot of moving parts in these machines so if I could say anything – LEARN all the best practices to protect your investment, clean it, maintain it and use the correct products in it. We hope to get many years of use out of this machine and learning from some mistakes with the Miele we hope to not repeat with this one.Many reviews and videos stated you need to run many shots through this machine for it to acclimate to a proper tasting shot. Seemed a tad odd but I took that advice. I did adjust the grinder right off the bat vs waiting as Phillips instructed, found quite a few people that did this to avoid weaker coffee with a larger grind and having to reacclimate all over again. My grinder is set to 3. I spent $7 on some coffee beans from the grocery store to essentially waste in the machine to run multiple shots through it. I got some from the self dispensing things so I could see that they were dry. This allowed me to run probably 40+ shots through it first night we got it. I have read it takes 150, but doing that the first night allowed our morning coffee the next day to taste great. I have read complaints about it making weak coffee, but you have to follow the recommendations. Again, I would immediately adjust grinder down to between 2-4 (only move one spot at a time when its running, don’t adjust grinder when its stopped can damage it)(didn’t know this on our Miele as they never told us that) why wait to acclimate to the factory grinder setting then have to do it again 150 shots later, just do that to start so you get a smaller grind more appropriate for an espresso shot. And I highly recommend buying a bag of DRY beans to just pull shots to waste as soon as you get it. I could definitely tell from shot #1 to shot #40 that the color, thickness and crema all got better. So be patient and do this to help your first actual drinking cup of coffee turn out good. You can’t plug it in run a weak coffee and then blame the machine, do what is recommended.(and then leave a bad review because you didn’t follow the process) I am sure as we continue to use this that the shots will get better and better. We have had it a few days now and can tell its acclimating and getting better. Wasting a pound+ of beans is worth it. I now have our good Lavazza beans in it and the coffee is delicious! This machine makes a great coffee!Only cons so far…it has given prompts to fill water when its still full, or almost full – so we pull out push back in and its fine. Also same thing for emptying the grounds container. Has prompted me to empty with 2 pucks in it. Again, I pull out the tray and push back and continue on. Minor annoyance and its only happened a couple times, not like every use.Other than that I give this machine 5 stars, it makes great coffee! It’s not loud (despite many saying it is) yes its louder than running coffee pot, but you are talking about a machine that is grinding beans, making milk froth, lots moving parts inside, etc…its going to make noise, but quieter than the Miele. The display is great, profile settings are super easy to navigate. 8 preset coffee drinks to choose from which is more than enough to cover what we need and you of course can do milk and shots separate if you want to make something not pre programmed. Love the milk container, makes great thick foam, love how easy it is to attach and fill and clean. So far, absolutely love it, very happy with our purchase and that it was only $900 compared to $2,600 for basically same features was a huge win!I did buy a separate grinder, sitting to the right of the machine in the photo to have fresh ground Lavazza decaf to use in the bypass port. Again we do a combo of regular coffee and decaf so this is a perfect set up to have everything we need. Maybe next super automated we will get one that has more than one bean hopper so regular and decaf all in the one machine…but this current set up works perfect.Anyway, for the price point and what you get compared to machine we paid 2x more for, I highly recommend the 4300. Works great, looks great and lots of nice features at a reasonable price point for a super automated machine. If anything changes I will update my review, but for now not missing the Miele and loving this new machine!

   70 people found this helpful

   

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Amazon CustomerAmazon Customer – July 27, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Impressive and easy clean up

   I have another popular espresso machine. It still works great, but the grinder can be loud and the process of making any type of coffee leaves a mess to clean up after.I decided to look into a fully automatic espresso machine. After much research I decided on this Philips 4400 series machine. The features looked good and seemed to do every type of coffee me and my wife like. It also seemed to be easy to use and would not have to do much clean up after making my coffee. My only concern was if it was going to be able to make a strong enough espresso or coffee Latte.Once I received the machine I set it up by following the instructions on both paper and on the screen. It was very easy to setup. I put some of my favorite coffee beans and started making espressos as that is the basis for just about all the other drinks you make. At first the espressos came out watered down. I made some changes to the settings and adjusted the grinding from 6 to 2. That made a huge difference. By the way, when adjusting the grinder, you have to do it while you’re making an espresso and only turn the nob once at a time. After getting the espresso to the right strength, I saved it to my profile. From there I tried ice coffee Latte and a hot coffee Latte. They both came out perfect and the frothy milk is fantastic. If you look at my photos. You can see how good the coffees came out with the frothy milk on top. Cleaning was a breeze too. I have the machine set to clean and warm at the beginning when I turn it on. It will drop some water when it does that, so I put a cup so that it doesn’t fill the tray as quickly. When shutting off the machine, it will clean its self and will drop some water as well, so I leave a cup after as well. This really is an impressive machine with easy clean up. If you’re able to get it on prime day or other time that has a discount, it becomes even more worth it.The only thing, I can think of that would make this machine even better, is if the outside was made completely of steel. I think it would give it that prime look and feel. On the other hand, the way it looks now, still looks nice and it’s very light to move around.If you’re considering a fully automatic espresso machine, I highly recommend this one.

   19 people found this helpful

   

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   JIANKUI YU – August 9, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Good machine

   Very easy to use and make good coffee.
10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Khal570 – August 15, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great taste and super easy to clean

    Purchased to replace my DeLonghi. What you should know…•Great cup of coffee, cappuccino,etc.•Does not make as large of a cup as other makers. But if you select the 2 cup option you can get a similar size.•Grinder setting can take time; only adjust while grinding and only one notch at a time. Add to that it can take 3-8 cups to actually see the difference in the grind.•So much easier to clean than the DeLonghi! My other maker always ended up with drips underneath, this unit was designed very well – pull out the tray with pucks and water waste.•One thing to be aware of – I had to return the initial maker because it would not form a puck. Instead it formed mud (actually it looked like diarrhea) and made a terrible cup of coffee (tasted like the grounds looked!). •Don’t be afraid to take a chance on returning for a unit that will form the puck. My next unit works perfectly!•No grounds in the coffee! This was a major problem in older models that ground and spit into a basket instead of making a puck.•Like most models, if you are going to occasionally use ground coffee it will get messy. You are putting grounds into a shaft that also vents steam. Still, worthwhile if you have someone over that needs decaf or a super dark variety.•Would love to see if they ever change the design to allow a sealable and changeable coffee hopper that would allow you to easily switch to a different bean. But I can see that this would still require making one or two cups to clear beans already primed for the grinder.

    One person found this helpful
11. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Consuelo WellsConsuelo Wells – September 17, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Absolutely love this coffee machine!!!

    6 Month Edit: Still going strong! I love this thing. I can’t remember the last time I bought a latte from a store (except maybe during travel). It’s definitely going to pay for itself in the next couple months. This thing sparks so much joy in my life! My only small complaint is that the milk froth option only goes up to making a 12 oz latte. The carafe holds enough to make a 16 oz, but you have to run 2 separate milk froths to get there. It’s a very small thing but for the future it would be nice. Also for some reason it doesn’t “remember” that I usually do 2 espresso shots, so I have to select that each time. Basically my biggest complaints are software complaints ha. The machine itself works so well. It is easy to clean, easy to maintain, and our water is fairly hard but I haven’t had to change the water filter yet even though I use it everyday.Still great! I’ll try to update at a year 😊Original Review:I have spent actual years of my life trying to find the cheapest way to make espresso lattes at home. I started simple with an aeropress, a moka pot, upgraded to a cheap espresso maker, bought a grinder, etc, etc. And yet I still found myself buying coffee at coffee shops. I personally didn’t have the patience to find the exact right grind and the exact right tamp to get a store quality espresso.I finally caved and bought this 4300 series latte maker. This thing is going to save me so much money over the next year. I’ve only had it about a week but I’ve already used it every day and it’s perfect.It’s SO easy to use. Set up is a breeze. It basically works right out of the box. It comes with a water filter which was nice. Once you get the beans in there, it takes 2-5 shots to “load” the mechanisms and actually put out a shot of espresso and not just water. I did need to adjust the grind to a finer grind (setting 3) to get a good crema. If you adjust it after beans are in, make sure you do it WHILE the grinder is working (you’ll have to brew a shot to do this) and be ready to work quickly. I guess if you do it while it’s off and there are beans in there you can damage the grinder. I would make sure to read the instructions all the way through, and get familiar with the machine. Once you do, the whole process is a breeze.Once you have your settings dialed in, making a latte is as easy as put a cup underneath, press a button, and go. It takes approximately 1-2 min for a latte. It grinds beans fresh for every shot. If you set everything to the largest settings, you get about a 12 oz latte.Cleaning and maintinence is super easy. The machine steps you through most of it. It tells you the steps to take to install the water filter, tells you when to empty the waste grounds contatiner, gives you multiple cleaning settings. I rinse out the lattego container twice and it takes less than a minute. I feel like this machine is so well thought out and it feels pretty well put together.Overall I have very little to complain about. Once I dialed in my settings, I found the coffee I get out is as yummy as any latte from a coffee shop. My biggest complaints are:- You only get about a 12 oz coffee automatically, if you want a 16 oz or 20 oz, you’ll have to do multiple milk froths and espresso runs- The machine is rather loud. It’s not a deal breaker for me by any means, but in the morning it can be a little jarring and it always spooks our cats.- Adjusting the grind setting is a bit of a hastle. You have to do it while the machine is running and while it does that , the grind setter wants to move in the opposite direction of which direction you’re trying to go so you have to have a pretty decent grip on it. Luckily you should only really have to do this once.- The latteGo carafe leaves about a cm of milk on the bottom even if you’ve put the right amount in. If you dump and clean it out every time, you’d end up wasting a decent amount of milk.-I’ve heard people have a hard time using the pre-ground coffee slot and I haven’t tried it. But it does get pretty steamy each time it runs which I imagine would make it rather hard to clean.Some tips and tricks I’ve learned since using this machine:- This thing likes to rinse itself out a lot. (Which is good) but it’s a little more hastle to clean out the water catcher on the bottom. I just keep an old coffee cup nearby and let it rinse into that and dump it out every time. It’s a lot less cumbersome to clean out.- If you have leftover milk in the latteGo, I do 2-3 automatic rinses to get milk out of the milk tube and then put the whole container in the fridge for the next day. It cleans out the frothing mechanism enough that milk doesn’t go bad in there and you don’t have to waste the little bit of milk in there.- A lot of regular espresso beans might be too oily for super-automatic espresso machines. Apparently that oil will eventually gunk up the grinder, so it’s recommended to buy medium roast beans. You can google some beans that are safe for the machine and find the best ones for you. I like the lavazza brand.- If you’re like me and enjoy a flavored latte, invest in some syrups with the pumps. It really really completes the whole “barista at home” thing I was going for. Even better if you can get a tiered holder for all of them!- If you want to be a little extra, get yourself some disposable coffee cups with lids. They’re definitely worse for the environment but if you’re drinking everyday it can get a little cumbersome making sure you always have a clean travel cup. Or just invest in a bunch of dishwasher safe travel cups!This thing is pricey for sure. But I’ve definitely spent a long time and a lot of money before this to try to replicate what it can do and it is so worth just spending the money on it. It sparks a little bit of joy for me every time I use it and gives me the quality coffee I want everytime. It is easy to use and maintain. It also makes making multiple lattes a breeze if you are a multi-cup household. As long as it doesn’t die within a year- it’ll be so so worth it!

    181 people found this helpful

    

12. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Kimberly EasthamKimberly Eastham – September 18, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great but does have some things to consider

    1 Month EDIT ******After using this machine for about a month, I am happy to say that the water tank issue is no longer a thing. Not sure if it just needed a couple weeks for the filter to completely soak in the water but now I am able to make about 5 to 6 cups of coffee before I have to fill it up. before only half of the water would be used in the tank and I would be having to fill it and now it is almost empty as it should be when I need to fill it. Very happy that that has changed so if you were having this issue and you just bought it, just give it a little bit of time and it should work itself out.*******I’m going to start with the positive on this machine.First off I bought this machine as a present for my fiancé for Christmas. We were using a Keurig k pod system for years and wanted something to upgrade to. I will start by saying the look of this espresso machine is beautiful. No complaints on all the way it looks so sleek and modern and the touchscreen makes it even better. Love the design. When it comes to the espresso. I think it tastes fabulous. I am definitely not a coffee connoisseur so there might be espresso snobs that may say the opposite because they may be used to having a top-of-the-line cup of espresso, but I am very happy with the taste.Now for the negative..I’d probably say the most annoying thing about this machine would be how often you have to fill the water container. I did see this issue in the reviews when I was looking to purchase it, but didn’t quite get exactly how often you have to do it. You have to fill the water tank every 3 cups that you make which I think is a bit over the top. The second issue I have with this machine is that yes it has profiles, which is great, but they are not the kind of profiles that will save your coffee by just a touch of the button. You have to actually go to each individual coffee drink that you want and the adjustments will be saved from the last time you did it. That isn’t as big of a deal to me as the water is. Other than those two things, this is a great machine and a hell of an upgrade from our Keurig coffee drip machine. Overall, I am happy with this machine, but like I said, there are a couple of things to consider when buying it.

    2 people found this helpful

    

13. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Stephen DiMare – September 18, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Makes a great cup of coffee… And lattes too.

    Disclaimer: I work for Philips Healthcare. I LOVE our Philips coffee maker. It makes a great cup of coffee. My wife loves making her own lattes too. It is very expensive if you only will use it to make coffee but all the features make it worthwhile purchase for us.
14. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    DBY – January 14, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    This will increase your coffee consumption!

    I took a chance and ordered this machine and it paid off big time! Not knowing much about machines like this, I settled on the Phillips because it had an easy to use and clean milk frothing system. I’m a straight espresso guy but my wife likes the lattes and I knew that she’d only use it if it was simple and easy to manage. First off, the quality of espresso that it makes is coffee shop quality and you’d never know that it was brewed at home. The couple guys that complained about soggy pucks and weak shots clearly didn’t use it properly. That said, I’ve never tried adding pre ground coffee into the little compartment. Why in the world would anyone pre-grind coffee when this fabulous machine does that as part of the automated brewing cycle. Suffice to say, this machine makes perfect lattes that are layered like a pro barista would do it. The espresso is amazing as are the other drinks that it brews. My coffee consumption has gone up 3 times what I used to drink. If you are looking for a coffee shop quality coffee, then get this machine and you won’t be disappointed. Don’t cheap out on beans, it would be a travesty to not load this with great coffee beans. lol. My preference is a dark roast blend of Arabica and Robusto beans, which Lavatzza has several worthy offerings here. Enjoy!

    3 people found this helpful
15. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    O. U. – February 9, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Impressive Machine with a few Odd Design Issues

    —- UPDATEAfter using this machine for some time, I have to admit, I have changed my mind somewhat, and therefore upgrading to 5 stars. Overall, this is a fantastic machine, despite a few design issues.Under no circumstances consider buying this machine without the LatteGo feature. It’s a huge boost, especially for guests who don’t know how to make steamed milk manually. Also, you can just snap of the entire assembly and put it in the fridge with remaining milk. They really should offer a separate assembly for manual steaming, though.With respect to espresso quality and crema: always set to max espresso strength and max temperature, this will ensure a decent espresso quality.At least on this model, it is actually very easy to first make an espresso, and then make steamed milk, to pour a cappuccino in the correct way. It will take 10-15 seconds longer, but well. Alternatively, simply stir with a spoon after making an incorrectly poured cappucino. Without doing this the product is really not drinkable, unless you wanted an espresso with foam on the top. Note that after stirring or with semi-manual correct order pouring, the steamed milk is actually quite decent, perhaps even close to perfect.Philips should consider offering an automatic espresso followed by milk pouring option (might consume slightly more electricity), and there should be more options to customize strength, temperature, and most importantly brew time, to make this a perfect machine, but overall this is not bad at all.—- ORIGINAL REVIEWI have used a De’Longhi ESAM 3300 for the past 12 years until the grinder got stuck (with no repairs in the interim). I’m not even remotely a coffee expert, but that’s what I have used to make my morning cappuccino for years.My first impression after an afternoon of use is that this is an an impressive feat of engineering and it looks great in the kitchen, and makes a large variety of coffee drinks in a manner that most will be happy about.However, particularly compared to my old and trusty De’Longhi, this is a very flimsy construction, that also seems to be prone to dropping of parts. I managed to drop the loosely fitted milk lid twice on the floor in the first two hours and also spilled milk several times, which are events that literally never would happen with my old machine. Also, rely annoying that top lid for opening to pour in bins is just loose with no pivotable attachment. Just really inconvenient compared to the De’Longhi, as you have to put it aside instead of just flipping it open.More importantly, there are at least three serious design flaws in this machine, which pretty much means it cannot make serious/proper coffee drinks:1) It always pours the steamed milk first. You can literally not make a cappuccino this way (it will actually taste and feel completely different) and the only imperfect remedy is to stir the drink with a tea spoon after the machine has finished (or engage in a time consuming and non-supported manual work around). I really do not understand what they were thinking. Did the engineers not study the art of coffee making or consult with notable Baristas? Of course they did, but they apparently did not take it seriously.2) the brew time is about 8 seconds which is about 2.5-3 times too short. I suspect this has something to do with making and pouring the milk foam first and it may be energy efficient to reuse the same steam pressure, but you can’t make a proper espresso like this.Finally, 3) the LatteGo steamed milk is not of good quality; it does not create a velvety micro foam, but instead it seems to be a courser foam that then partially solidifies in the bottom. The result is not impressive, and as noted it will be necessary to stir the drink after preparation to make it tolerable.I understand that most families will enjoy this machine and not be concerned with any of this. However, look elsewhere if you enjoy a proper cappuccino… I will likely keep it, since it allows everyone in the household and guests to make their favorite coffee drink with the press of a button, and most will likely believe it tastes great.Perhaps Philips can do a software/firmware update to fix the incorrect order of milk pouring at least?

    118 people found this helpful
16. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Ellen Laino – February 9, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Machine, Bad Manual

    I have had espresso machines for the past 20 years and consider myself a pretty good barista. So I had set a high bar and expectations for the Philips 4300 Latte Go machine. I have not been disappointed. Kudos to the engineers and designers. They did a great job. The copywriters, not so much. After designing a $900 machine, Philips decided to save a few pennies by issuing a poor operating manual, which addresses the features of several models, not just the 4300. Because of the inadequacy of the booklet, I made several false starts before learning via You Tube how to get the best results. My espresso and cappuccino are now primo. So here are some tips:First, the AquaFilter. In the initial start up, the booklet instructs you to prepare (shake, immerse) and install the filter. Philips then encourages you to enjoy some coffee. It doesn’t tell you to “activate” the filter until several pages later. Activation requires preparation and installation of the filter (which I had already done) and then running a hot water cleaning cycle. Without it the machine will not recognize the filter and give you a percentage countdown (lower left of the screen) of filter life. Easy peasy if Philips had just instructed activation up front.Next, the most important feature: adjustment of coffee strength and volume. When you select a coffee, the screen shows three vertical lines that are adjustable. In discussing these lines the booklet simply says they can be used to personalize your drink, but it doesn’t say what lines do what and how to do it. The left one is aroma. I like my espresso strong, so I jacked it up to the top. The booklet doesn’t say what lines 2 and 3 do. Again, You Tube came to the rescue. Line 2 is coffee amount in grams. I put mine up to 3/4 height. The third line depends on your drink. For espresso, it gives the option for a “dopio” or double espresso. For a cap, it lets you adjust the amount of milk froth that is dispensed. My first cap was almost all milk because I thought the third line also adjusted coffee strength. Not so, thanks again YT.Next, the grinder setting. The booklet says you can adjust the grind from 1 (very fine) to 12 (coarse) to suit your taste. The factory setting was at about 7, which is too coarse for espresso. I knocked it back to 1 for more flavor. It can only be done while you actually grind coffee. While grinding, push the knob down and turn either left (anti clockwise) for finer or right (clockwise) for coarser. The problem is that the booklet doesn’t say where the reference point is to turn to. Surprise (Thanks YT)! It is a barely visible score line on the left of the inside of the lip of the frame next to the knob. Really? You guys couldn’t have written that expressly with a picture?Next, the Latte Go cup. It makes great froth. The booklet says not to fill it beyond the max line. The problem is that it doesn’t say where that line can be found. It is not on the inside of the cup. It is on the side of the frame exterior (Thanks YT). The further problem is that the markings for macchiato, cap and max are not visible without a flashlight. Why? On a $900 machine, couldn’t you guys have made the markings in a contrasting color?Next, espresso crema. I like my espresso visually appealing and “chewy.” Lots of crema. This was my fault, not Philips’. I started out using Lavazza Espresso. The packaging is dark, dark brown so I thought I’d get lots of crema. I failed to notice that it was 100% arabica, which does not yield much crema. I immediately switched to Lavazza Super Crema (light brown packaging—don’t ask me why) and problem solved.As I said, this is a great machine. All the bells and whistles work and the resulting coffee is great. Because of the inadequacies in the booklet, I had to call Philips tech support three times. They were great too! Very knowledgeable and empathetic. Message to the copywriters: Don’t assume the consumer knows anything. Just dumb the booklet down to be excrutiatingly explanatory. But for the inadequacies in the operating manual, I’d have given this machine 5 stars across the board. To anyone bothering to read this tome, I hope it helps. Enjoy!

    101 people found this helpful
17. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – February 18, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Worth the splurge – treat yo self

    I am not a coffee snob and have always been a pretty simple coffee drinker – either making drip coffee at home in a Mr Coffee pot with milk or creamer (never cared for Keurig coffee pods at all), or the buying the occasional latte or cappuccino.I researched for a long time between some of the different machines and their trim levels, but ultimately decided to take the plunge and purchase a Philips 4300 as a nice Christmas gift for my boyfriend and I since we work from home and I had several Amazon gift cards.This is honestly a pretty simple machine to use and maintain, and you will easily become accustomed to it well within the first week of having it.Definitely watch some YouTube videos to help clear up any confusion, but basically when you first get the machine:- Do not use oily beans (that usually means dark roast) or flavored beans. I got a bag of medium roast Lavazza from World Market and it’s been great. Check the Seattle Coffee Company website for recommendations on approved “super auto” beans- Follow the recommended cleaning schedule in the documentation that comes with the machine. If you’re spending this much money on something, you definitely want to properly take care of it. You will need to buy the brew group cleaning tablets separately (about $8 and should last about a year for one pack). YouTube videos also help with any cleaning questions. Part of this cleaning schedule also means using the quick rinse setting anytime you make a drink with the LatteGo attachment to rinse out the tube (super easy and takes less than 30 seconds)- Expect to brew ~5-6 pulls of espresso and dump them before your coffee starts to taste okay and your grounds start to properly solidify- Make sure to register your product with Philips. Just follow the directions on the paper that comes with your purchase. Again, if you’re spending this much money, take the 5 minutes to register your product just in case. It comes with a 2 year warranty.And really that’s about it. We have a little dedicated cup that’s used for catching all of the water during the different rinsing cycles, so maybe keep one close because it’ll be used a lot.The machine is a little loud, but it’s really not bad and brews pretty quickly. It also does go through water pretty quickly, but also not a big deal.For me personally the toughest part was figuring out how strong to set my preference on the brew strength for my drinks, and figuring out what ounce liquid vs foam settings to use for each drink. I do wish there was an option to make a double latte or double cafe au lait for when I want to make a travel size mug to go, but it’s easy enough to make one serving then pour it into a travel mug and repeat with a second serving. For coffee, this double serving feature already exists and is pretty nice.The lines on the LatteGo attachment that tell you what amount of milk to use are difficult to see, and you will probably end up pouring extra milk back into its original container the first couple of times, but eventually you’ll figure out exactly how much you need for your drinks.Overall we are so happy with the purchase (it’s a luxury good we would usually never spend on)! It’s definitely made our work from home environment a little cozier and fancier 🙂

    13 people found this helpful