Imagine a coffee machine that not only makes espresso but also does everything else. You simply press a button, relax, and wait for your ideal cappuccino; it’s almost as convenient as having a barista at your beck and call. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? It also appears to be quite pricey. But it isn’t necessarily the case.
The Philips 3200 LatteGo is one of the fully automatic espresso machines that offers the best value for the money on the market. It does not have precisely all of the features that are included in the more sophisticated models, but purchasing it will not force you to empty your financial account.
Read our in-depth analysis of the Philips 3200 LatteGo to determine whether or if it offers an appropriate trade-off between the features and the cost to satisfy your requirements.
The Philips 3200, which comes equipped with LatteGo
• Machine that is extremely automatic and comes equipped with a ceramic flat burr grinder.
• Five pre-programmed speciality drinks: espresso, coffee, latte macchiato, cappuccino, and Americano.
• The newly redesigned milk frothing system is extremely simple to clean because it does not have any pipes or tubing.
The 3200 LatteGo lives up to its reputation in every way. You literally only press one button, and you’ll have a fantastic cup of coffee. The milk frother unit is as simple to use as its appearance suggests.
The Comprehensive Review of the Philips 3200 LatteGo
Whether you like them or not, super-automatic espresso machines have carved out a significant portion of the market for home coffee making equipment. They are the only means, short of traveling to a coffee shop and touching the payment card machine, to receive coffee or espresso from freshly ground beans at the touch of a button. You can get either of these beverages from them.
How does the Philips 3200 Series espresso machine compare to those offered by other manufacturers in its sector? It is not the most technologically advanced machine available, but it is also not the most expensive of the automatic espresso makers that have received the highest ratings. When I utilized it, I found that there was a really impressive balance between the functionality and the cost of using it. Let’s get into the specifics of what’s being offered, and then we’ll discuss whether or not you think it’s a good deal.
Design
The Philips 3200 Series has an understated yet elegant look to its design. The majority of its housing is made of glossy black plastic, and it has just enough chrome accents to make it look and feel fancy without really increasing its price. At this pricing point, an exterior made entirely of metal would certainly be preferable, but unfortunately, that cannot be expected.
This variant of the Philips super automated espresso machine is the most affordable option, and it comes with a drip tray made of stainless steel. When you step down to the 2200 Series, you’ll see that the components are made of plastic. This seems like a worthwhile update to me given that the drip tray is a part of the machine that is subjected to a lot of filth and wear and tear on a regular basis.
Given that it is an all-in-one device that also includes a grinder, the Philips 3200 takes up a surprisingly small amount of space. Due to its dimensions of 14.6 inches in height, 9.7 inches in width, and 17 inches in depth, it may be conveniently stored beneath top cupboards. The 61-ounce water tank can be removed from the front of the machine rather than having to be lifted out of the top, as is the case with the majority of espresso machines. This is one of my favorite features. If you have stored the Philips 3200 LatteGo underneath your cabinets, you won’t have to pull it out each time the water reservoir has to be refilled because you won’t need to slide it out.
The bean hopper can be accessed from the top of the machine, and it can store a total of 8.8 ounces of whole bean coffee. There is also a bypass chute that can be added for pre-ground coffee, which comes in handy for brewing flavored or decaffeinated coffee on occasion. If you’ve ever used flavored coffee beans in a burr grinder, you know how difficult it can be to remove the taste. This is something that has been validated by the experts at Coffee Review, which is the most widely read and authoritative coffee buying guide in the world (1).
The Philips 3200 comes with a measuring scoop that displays the precise quantity of ground coffee that should be added for each cycle of the brewing process. If you give in to the urge to fill the chute, the coffee won’t brew correctly. Also, make sure you don’t drop any entire beans into the container by accident.
A wonderful innovation to the design is the coffee spout that can be adjusted to provide clearance ranging from 3.3 to 5.7 inches. When it is at its lowest point, you won’t have to worry about splashing if you brew espresso directly into a demitasse cup. You are able to make a sizable cappuccino or latte at its higher elevations. On the other hand, I wouldn’t bank on being able to fit a travel cup under there because those typically run closer to 7 inches tall.
Brewing System
This super-automatic espresso machine’s brewing system is quite comparable to that of the majority of the best latte machines. It is a praise due to the fact that it is also less expensive than the majority of other options. Even more surprisingly, I found out that the Philips 3200 Series brewing system offers one more advanced feature than I had anticipated. However, we will discuss that later.
The Philips 3200 comes equipped from the get-go with a ceramic burr grinder that is built-in and features a total of 12 different grind size settings. You won’t need to fiddle with the grind size all that much, but it’s nice to have some alternatives for dialing in if, for example, you like alternating between beans roasted to a light and a dark shade. Ceramic burrs are often a little less sharp than steel burrs, but the trade-off is that they are significantly more durable, and these ceramic burrs will easily last the lifetime of the machine.
A pump with 15 bars of pressure delivers an adequate amount of pressure for extracting a quality espresso. This machine is able to easily achieve the ideal extraction pressure for espresso, which is generally believed to be 8 or 9 bars at the group head. This pressure can be found on most modern espresso machines. You may look forward to experiencing the full body and rich crema coating that you anticipate.
Intelligent Brewing System
What Philips refers to as a “intelligent brewing system” is at the heart of the 3200 Series from Philips. The manufacturer asserts that it can select the optimal temperature for aroma extraction from your coffee beans, which can range from 194 degrees Fahrenheit to 208 degrees Fahrenheit. Although there is no way to truly understand how this proprietary method works, it did, on the whole, provide a cup of coffee that was quite tasty. In addition, the temperature range is suitable for optimal extraction in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Specialty Coffee Association.
Because of the low pressure used during the pre-wetting of the grounds, the extraction will be more even, allowing you to get the most flavor out of your coffee beans (4). If you are knowledgeable with espresso, you will notice that the extraction happens really quickly – perhaps in the neighborhood of 20 seconds. However, this did not appear to have any effect on the flavor of the cup that was consumed.
The milk system of the LatteGo is just as technologically complex as the brewing system. It froths the milk by combining air and milk in the frothing chamber, and then dispenses it into your cup at the right temperature, which is warm and sugary but not scalding. In the course of my research, I found that the milk frother performed optimally with 1%, 2%, and full dairy milk. You can still achieve frothed milk at a great temperature and with slightly additional body from plant-based milks like almond, cashew, and soy, but the texture will be very different from one plant-based milk to the next (5). The soy milk had a substantial body, in contrast to the extremely airy cashew milk foam. If you want to drink milk that does not include dairy but still has the proper texture for milk froth, seek for a brand that is branded “Barista style.” This type of milk will have the appropriate ratio of lipids and proteins to imitate dairy milk.
Room For Improvement
If I had to choose one thing to criticize most about the brewing system of this machine, it wouldn’t be the quality; it would be the volume. This espresso machine makes quite a racket. The grinding mechanism and the LatteGo milk frother are both noisier than usual, but the coffee brewer itself works just well. If you’re searching for a covert way to get an espresso shot first thing in the morning, you’ll have to go elsewhere.
Coffee’s Quality and Versatility Gets a Three Out of Five
The Philips 3200 Series espresso machine provides a limited number of one-touch drink options in comparison to some of the larger and more expensive coffee machines on the market today. However, it has a wide variety of drinks available, which means that no one will be dissatisfied with the selection. Espresso, Americano, latte macchiato, cappuccino, and regular coffee are just few of the basic beverages that may be found in coffee shops. In addition, you have the option of brewing each one as either a single cup or a double cup, and you may even obtain a glass of warm milk or simply hot water.
To prepare any of the coffee beverages, you need do nothing more than press a button to get the brewing process going. Brewing can begin almost instantly. There is neither a display screen nor any menus that can be utilized. There is a single button for each type of coffee beverage; press it once for a single, and press it twice for a double. There are also a few buttons on the side of the machine that allow you to customize your coffee’s settings. If you believe that your coffee is ready, you can use the convenient “stop” button to turn off the espresso or the milk frothing process in the middle of making it.
Although it would be wonderful to see a few more personalization options for each of these coffee beverages, this is a bargain-priced machine, and that feature is considered to be a premium one. In this scenario, you have the ability to select the amount of coffee that goes into each beverage as well as the intensity of the coffee brew by selecting from one of three options (mild, regular, bold). The milk-based drinks provide you the option of customizing the amount of milk that is added to your drink. And that is it. You have no control over the temperature of the coffee, and neither the temperature nor the consistency of the steamed milk can be altered in any way. This final tweak would help make the recipe compatible with plant-based milks, which are gaining more and more popularity (6). The Philips 3200, on the other hand, will remember the settings you’ve selected, meaning you won’t have to keep resetting them.
Coffee Flavor and Aroma
If you are satisfied with the coffee and steamed milk produced by this espresso machine with its default settings for temperature and milk froth, then you will have a very excellent experience using it. It is important to note that when using regular cow’s milk with a fat content of 2%, the foam produced by the milk is thick and creamy, and it more closely resembles the froth that is desired for a latte than it does the airy froth that is characteristic of a classic cappuccino. If you go to Starbucks and have six distinct addendums to your order, such as extra hot, low foam, additional whip, etc., you might want to spend more money on a machine that has more programmable capabilities so that it can accommodate your order.
The quality of the coffee produced by a fully automatic coffee machine such as this one will never be able to compete with that produced by a semi-automatic espresso machine of a comparable price that is operated by an experienced user. It also cannot compete with the neighborhood speciality coffee shop, which has an espresso machine that costs $20,000. The fact that an inexperienced user can produce a flavorful brew with the Philips 3200 is one of the selling points of this sort of equipment. There is no requirement for you to spend a significant amount of time perfecting your skill and adjusting your brew.
4.5 out of 5 stars for Cleaning and Maintenance
One of the most notable qualities of this espresso machine is how simple it is to keep clean and perform maintenance on. Assume for a moment that you have previously possessed a fully-automatic espresso machine. In that case, you are aware that cleaning is frequently the most difficult aspect, which is paradoxical considering the fact that these other automatic espresso machines are touted for their ease of use and convenience. They are either difficult to clean on your own or, more commonly, impossible to clean at all. You will, nevertheless, be required to spend a significant amount of money either purchasing one-of-a-kind cleaning solutions or hiring professional technicians to clean them for you.
To begin, it has a detachable brew group that can be opened and closed with ease. It is as simple as removing the water tank and opening a door for it to be removed. It is suggested by Home Grounds that you give it a short rinse with hot water once a week to maintain its pristine condition, which is a process that takes around 30 seconds of your time to complete. This particular model comes equipped with an AquaClean filter as well as a water hardness test strip. You should be able to fire at least 5000 shots after installing the AquaClean filter before you need to think about descaling.
The design of the LatteGo milk system, which is an upgrade from previous models, is the most impressive aspect of the overall system. It does not employ tubes or piping, both of which are notoriously difficult to clean and tend to become coated in dried, charred milk over time. No, thank you very much! A milk container and a frother attachment are the only components of the LatteGo frother, both of which are made of plastic. They are simple to clean by hand, and you can even put them in the dishwasher without any problems. During the time in which the coffee is being brewed, the milk container can be removed and placed in the refrigerator.
After the brewing process is complete, you can reach the container that holds the used ground coffee in the coffee grounds by sliding out the drip tray. Because it can store the equivalent of 12 brews’ worth of espresso pucks, you probably won’t have to do this every day.
4.5 out of 5 stars for value for money
The Philips 3200 LatteGo is one of the super-automatic espresso machines on the market that offers the best value for the money, and it is also one of the most reasonably priced of its kind. Although affordability isn’t always a positive thing, especially if it comes at the expense of quality, Philips has managed to strike the ideal balance between the features offered and the amount of money saved in this particular instance. When we compare it to other espresso machines, let’s not forget that it comes with an integrated ceramic grinder, the purchase of which would cost at least one hundred dollars if done separately.
Let’s take a moment to discuss the areas in which the Philips 3200 falls short so that you can determine whether or not you are willing to make sacrifices in those areas. As was previously mentioned, it does not have a large number of options for customization, and you will have to put your faith in its “intelligent brew system” to make the ideal cup of coffee for you. It also does away with a sophisticated touchscreen display in favor of a more traditional button-based control scheme. This may not appear to be as high tech, and no, you cannot operate this machine with your iPhone, but it is more simpler to operate and significantly less expensive to produce than the alternative.
If you are willing to forgo the automatic milk frother, there is a variant of the Philips 3200 that features a steam wand frothing mechanism that is more traditional and costs approximately $100 less. If you only sometimes prepare milk-based beverages like cappuccinos and lattes, this is the more cost-effective option. On the other hand, I do not believe that the cost reductions are sufficient compensation for the loss of convenience.
If any of the following apply, DO NOT BUY THE PHILIPS 3200 LATTEGO:
• You are interested in having more of a hands-on experience when brewing: A super-automatic espresso machine is designed to be convenient and reliable, but in exchange for these benefits, the user gives up some of the control that comes with making coffee manually. The semi-automatic machines aren’t quite as foolproof as the fully automatic ones, but they provide you greater control over the espresso-making process. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to brew better espresso that’s tailored to your preferences.
Check out our in-depth analysis of the Breville Barista Express, an espresso machine that has maintained its level of popularity over the years, if you’re interested in purchasing a semi-automatic model. Because it is one of the very few semi-automatic espresso machines with a built-in grinder, it allows you to maintain control over the grinding process while still providing the benefits of a bean-to-cup machine.
• You are willing to pay more for superior build quality: If you have the budget and you don’t want a plastic espresso machine, you should think about purchasing one from the well-known Swiss company Jura. They have a number of equipment, each of which is wrapped in stainless steel and has a number of different high-tech features to enhance the extraction process.
You should be prepared to pay roughly three times as much for the Jura E8 coffee machine as you would for the Philips 3200, as it is one of the most popular household models in the middle price category.
• You are looking for something that takes up less space; despite the fact that it might look very huge in comparison to your coffee maker, the Philips 3200 is in fact one of the most compact automatic espresso machines. If you need to make your batches significantly smaller, you might need to rethink the way you make your beer.
An automatic espresso maker such as the Breville Bambino Plus is one option available to you. It takes up very little space, is simple to operate, and features an automatic milk-frothing function. On the other hand, it involves a little more manual labor than the Philips model does, and don’t forget that you’ll also need to find room for a grinder.
Nespresso machines such as the Pixie and the Essenza Mini are your best bets if you’re looking for something that offers a level of convenience comparable to that offered by the Philips 3200 LatteGo. However, the flavor of coffee from a capsule will never be the same as the flavor of freshly brewed coffee, and if you want milky beverages, you will need to get a separate frother.
The Verdict
Who, then, is the ideal customer for an espresso machine from the Philips 3200 Series? Any anyone who enjoys coffee and is searching for an economical one-touch espresso machine and doesn’t mind making a few sacrifices in terms of build quality and the degree of customization available in the machine should consider purchasing it.
The Philips 3200 is really simple to operate and maintain, produces delectable coffee and espresso drinks, and does all of this at a cost that won’t leave you in serious financial straits. The value is excellent, according to Home Grounds, which recommends it.
