Philips 4300 LatteGo Review: Coffee Shop Convenience At Home

Are you shopping for a coffee machine that offers all the flavor with none of the efforts? Don’t settle for a pod-based system. A super-automatic espresso machine with a built-in grinder is just as easy to use and makes fresher and more flavorful coffee.

The Philips 4300 LatteGo is one such machine – and an affordable one at that! While not dirt cheap, this fully automatic espresso machine will quickly save you money versus a daily visit to the coffee shop. Keep reading for a full review.

Summary: The Philips 4300 LatteGo

• Super-automatic espresso machine with LatteGo milk system
  
• Very easy to operate and clean
  
• Sleek and compact design

This has been a great product for me. I’m 86 years old, and the thought of learning barista skills for the more conventional espresso makers seemed a little overwhelming. It’s worked flawlessly.

– Customer

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Where To Buy

Luckily for you, you can purchase this machine in different places.

	Retailer	Details
	Amazon	30 days return 1 year warranty Amazon tech support available	SEE ON AMAZON
	Seattle Coffee Gear	FInance available Free shipping 1 year warranty	click to check price

The Full Philips 4300 LatteGo Review

Philips Saeco has made a name for itself in the espresso world, producing affordable and compact fully automatic espresso machines that still have a luxurious feel (1). The Philips 4300 LatteGo offers the convenience of a capsule machine but the coffee quality of a fresh brew. And it’s a lot cheaper than paying a barista! Let’s get into the details.

Philips 4300 LatteGo Review

• Design
• Brewing system
• Coffee Quality and Versatility
• Cleaning and Maintenance
• Value for Money

4.1

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Design – 4/5

The Philips 4300 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo has a sleek, premium-looking design. It feels advanced, with smooth lines and a full-color touchscreen display. It is only offered in one color, a glossy black with silver behind the brew group and chrome accents. Though it is mostly made of plastic, it doesn’t look cheap or feel flimsy. We’d love to see more metal in the build, but Philips has obviously taken this tack to keep costs low for consumers.

The 2-inch TFT full-color display is bright and beautiful, and it definitely adds to the high-tech feel of this model. It isn’t a touch screen, but operating with the surrounding buttons is intuitive. The most popular drinks are prioritized on the main screen, with less common drinks and settings menus just a click away.

The bean hopper at the top of the machine holds a half-pound of coffee, and it is equipped with an airtight “aroma seal” to keep your coffee tasting fresh. As a nice bonus, the seal also reduces grinder noise – a welcome perk on early mornings.

Super-automatic espresso machines have a reputation for being enormous, requiring a dedicated coffee bar in your kitchen. However, this model is relatively compact, measuring 17.5 inches deep by just 9.5 inches wide and 14.5 inches tall. It is short enough to fit under a standard upper cupboard, though bear in mind you’ll need access from above to add beans to the hopper.

One of my favorite design features is that both the 1.8 L water reservoir and the grounds waste container are removable via the front of the machine. This gives you much more flexibility when choosing a location for this machine versus back or side access.

The coffee spouts are height-adjustable from 3.5 to 5.75 inches. The upper bound is great for accommodating larger mugs but the smaller end is equally important for avoiding splashes when pulling shots into demitasse cups. You can remove the drip tray to increase the clearance up to 6.9 inches, suitable for many travel mugs.

Brewing system – 4/5

The Philips 4300 LatteGo is a super-automatic espresso machine, meaning the brewing system starts with a grinder. This model has a high-quality built-in ceramic burr grinder to grind coffee beans to an ultra-fine powder. Compared to stainless steel grinders, durable ceramic grinders generate less heat and last longer – up to 20,000 cups.

The grinder has 12 grind settings, enough to dial in the perfect grind size for any coffee. The right grind setting is a key means of optimizing flavor, according to the US National Coffee Association (2).

The integrated ceramic burr grinder means this machine has the convenience of a pod machine like a Nespresso, but with the far superior quality of freshly ground coffee. As we all know, grinding coffee as soon as possible before brewing is the best way to experience its flavor.

The Philips 4300 is compatible with pre-ground coffee using the bypass shute. It won’t have the same flavor as fresh, but it’s a convenient way to enjoy an occasional cup of decaf or flavored coffee (3).

This machine has a 15-bar pump to force hot water through the freshly ground coffee and produce espresso. It has plenty of pressure to produce a real espresso shot, with a thick layer of crema and the full body and sweet flavors you crave. The brew head has two spouts, so you can prepare two coffee drinks at a time.

Every coffee drink can be customized with one of five strength settings. The Aroma Extract system alters the coffee dose and flow rate to vary the flavor from mild to robust, based on your taste. There are also three water temperature settings between 194 and 208 degrees Fahrenheit – precisely the range recommended by the Specialty Coffee Association (4).

The spent coffee puck is automatically discarded into the waste bin after brewing. The bin can hold up to 12 servings before it needs to be emptied.

Coffee Quality and Versatility – 3.5/5

The Philips 4300 LatteGo superautomatic espresso machine offers 8 pre-programmed drinks: espresso, black coffee, Americano, cappuccino, latte macchiato, café au lait, caffé crema and ristretto – as well as just milk froth or hot water.

Each drink is easily customizable using the TFT display and Aroma Extract system. You can adjust coffee and milk volume, temperature, and strength, and unfortunately, there is no way to adjust milk froth texture or temperature. And remember, you can influence flavor by changing the grind size (5).

The Philips 4300 fully automatic espresso machine does not have the option to produce just hot milk. The LatteGo milk system always incorporates air as it heats the milk. However, the latest edition has a new Steamed Milk setting that only lightly froths the milk. The silky smooth froth is perfect for making hot chocolate or other milk-based drinks.

LatteGo Milk System

Philips super-automatic machines have two milk system options: a steam wand or the LatteGo classic milk frother. The LatteGo model is marginally more expensive, but we think the convenience of one-touch operation makes it worthwhile.

The LatteGo Milk System mixes milk and air at high speed in the detachable milk carafe while heating the milk. It then dispenses a creamy layer of milk foam into your cup below. The whole process is entirely hands-off.

One of its main features is how easy it is to clean. Unlike other espresso machines with plumbing and tubes where stale milk can build up, the LatteGo container is just two parts. Snap them apart to rinse under the tap or pop them in the dishwasher.

Cleaning and Maintenance – 4/5

Cleaning is often one of the biggest downsides to owning a super-automatic espresso machine. They’re designed to be as convenient as possible for brewing, but engineers tend to overlook the cleaning stage. This is not true of Philips machines, making ease of cleaning a major selling point of this fully automatic coffee machine.

We already discussed how easy it is to dissemble and wash the LatteGo system. The same is true of the detachable brew group, which can be removed and rinsed under the tap. The coffee flavor needs to keep the brew group clean, so we suggest doing this once a week. The drip tray, grounds waste container, and water reservoir are all removable and dishwasher-safe.

The water reservoir has an AquaClean filter, a great value-added addition. Using a water filter not only means you’ll enjoy delicious coffees, but it also prevents the build-up of crud in the interior plumbing. With the AquaClean filter, you won’t need to descale for 5000 cups! A prompt on the display screen will let you know when it’s time to update your water filter.

Value for Money

The Philips 4300 LatteGo is one of the best espresso machines under $1000 and has impressive value for a fully automatic espresso machine. The number of preprogrammed drinks, customization options, automatic milk frothing, TFT display, and good-quality ceramic burr grinder make this a great buy.

The plastic construction is the only reason it isn’t more expensive, as it will render it less durable than metal models in the long run. However, Philips offers a 2-year warranty for your peace of mind.

Philips LatteGo 3200 vs 4300 vs 5400

The Philips LatteGo 4300 is the mid-range model of a series that includes the less expensive Philips 3200 and the more expensive Philips LatteGo 5400. What’s the difference? Not a whole lot. And they only vary in price by about $100.

Comparing the Philips LatteGo 5400 vs 4300, the more expensive 5400 model has a few extra pre-programmed drinks, like an espresso lungo, flat white, and caffé latte. It also adds two more user profiles, making it a worthwhile pick for larger households. The silver plastic behind the brew group has been replaced with chrome, which is attractive and durable. But it shows the dirt; you’ll need to wipe off coffee and milk splatters regularly to keep it at its shiny best.

The more affordable 3200 Philips coffee maker series has fewer drinks – just espresso, coffee, Americano, cappuccino, and latte macchiato – and no user profiles. There are only three aroma strength settings, rather than five, and it lacks the premium TFT display.

Don’t Buy The Philips 4300 LatteGo If…

You don’t need the LatteGo carafe: If you’re comfortable operating a steam wand, there is no reason to pay extra for the automatic LatteGo frother. You can save a bit of money by buying the steam wand version of the Philips 4300, but we suggest the Gaggia Brera instead. Gaggia has a long history with espresso, and this Italian-made machine has a durable metal exterior and affordable price tag (6).

You don’t make milky drinks: No interest in a latte macchiato? If you just want to enjoy great espresso at the touch of a button, put your budget towards a higher-end machine that skips the milk frothing system. The Jura ENA 4 is a gorgeous all-metal espresso machine made in Switzerland. It’s packed with high-tech features to optimize extraction and enhance your coffee experience.

You prefer a more hands-on espresso experience: Convenience is nice, but there’s something to be said for investing time and effort into pulling a perfect shot of espresso. The sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering a new craft makes it taste that much sweeter. Check out our list of top espresso machine models for some excellent options, including the overall winner, the Breville Infuser.

The Verdict

The Philips 4300 LatteGo Super Automatic Espresso Machine is the middle model in the brand’s line-up, which gives it broad appeal. The price is right, and it has all the features you need with no unnecessary bells and whistles. Its compact frame and smart design layout make it suitable for any home kitchen. If you want to treat yourself to an affordable luxury this year, this is an excellent choice to bring a delicious espresso or latte macchiato home.

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