Description
PHILIPS 4300 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine – LatteGo Milk Frother, 8 Coffee Varieties, Intuitive Touch Display, Black, (EP4347/94)
| Brand | Philips Kitchen Appliances |
| Color | Black |
| Product Dimensions | 10″D x 15″W x 17″H |
| Special Feature | Programmable |
| Coffee Maker Type | Espresso Machine |
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Ronyon1 –
This thing makes great coffee and espresso. It is easy to clean and maintain too. The only issue I have had is every once in a while it will tell me to empty the grounds container when it is nowhere near full. I like to drink coffee and this machine makes one of the best cups of coffee I have ever tasted. Espresso and lattes are good too, but I was blown away at how good a cup of coffee could be with this thing. I usually brew a double 4.1 ounce coffee which is just over 8 ounces when done. The crema on top is nothing short of amazing. If you want a great fully automatic machine, this one does not disappoint!
Bradley Gilliam –
The Philips 4300 LatteGo seemed like a very good value for a first-time automatic coffee machine purchase. 5400 was not available. 3200 uses the same mechanism, just fewer drinks on its menu. The Jura E8 and J8 might have a performance edge, but I wasn’t willing to spend $2400 on what my family considered an experiment, moving on from decades of me grinding beans and making a pot of drip coffee every morning. Now the 4300 is like a member of the family. Push-button lattes and cappuccinos won everyone over. I imagine the best cup of coffee is a pour over with carefully measured everything. And the best cappuccino or latte has me measuring and tamping down the grounds and messing with a frothing wand. Maybe in retirement I will spend 15 minutes making each cup of coffee, but that’s not current reality. The Philips gives me great coffee drinks quickly and with very little effort. The beans taste different and more intense than from my Moccamaster drip, so you will likely find yourself experimenting with different blends and roasts.The most miraculous thing about this machine is how easy it is to clean, whether daily or weekly. There is no milk tube! The LatteGo attachment uses two snap-together pieces to make a milk channel. Steam blows the milk from the bottom out the top and makes a very good, consistent froth. Maybe you could do better with a want, but this is just so easy. To clean you unsnap the pieces and you have soap/water/rag access to the entire milk channel.One thing that wasn’t clear to me is I think all these automatic machines have a big drip tray under the whole contraption. The brewing mechanism makes its mess inside, and gravity has to take the mess somewhere. The entire tray gets about 1/2 inch of coffee water after 6-8 drinks. A sensor warns you to clean the grounds/drip tray so it doesn’t overflow. Within the drip tray is a separate little hopper for used pucks and grounds. There might be some stray grounds inside the tray, but mostly the grounds fall into the hopper and the tray is just liquid.For weekly cleaning (or as often as you want), the entire “brew group” can be pulled out of the machine and run under warm water. I use a soft toothbrush to carefully get grounds out of a few crevices. With the brew group removed, you can wipe the inside of the cabinet, but I did not find much stray coffee in there. Periodically the brew group needs a few shots of silicone lubricant.Overall I am extremely happy with this machine and the coffee drinks I can make with it.
jklein –
I recently purchased the Philips 4300 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine and have been using it for a few weeks now. Overall, I have to say that I’m impressed with the machine’s performance and features.The coffee produced by this machine is delicious, with a smooth and consistent flavor that rivals some of the best coffee shops. The machine is also very easy to use, with an intuitive interface that makes customizing your drink a breeze.Another great feature of the machine is the milk frother, which produces rich and creamy foam that’s perfect for lattes and cappuccinos. The frother is also easy to clean and maintain.The only downside I’ve noticed so far is that the machine can be a bit noisy during the brewing process, but it’s not overly distracting.Overall, I’m very happy with my purchase and would definitely recommend the Philips 4300 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine to anyone looking for a high-quality, user-friendly espresso machine.
Josh –
My wife has been wanting an espresso machine for a long time now so me and her looked at this one read the reviews and we said OK we’ll purchase this it came to us. We set it up and it makes the most amazing cup of coffee you have ever had.
Leon Elzie –
Overall I have been happy with the product since I purchased it. I have dialed in my profile of drink types and look forward to my morning routine. Here are a few notes I have.PROSSize: Size is acceptable considering what it does and it sits nicely on the counterDrink Selection: For my needs the selection and options are great and it does what I need it to doFrothing: It comes with the attachment to froth milk which is nice, works wellSpeed: Able to get up to temp and have drink ready in a relatively short time for my needs, about 3 minutes from start up to drink.Water Filter: Very nice to have this option, however, not sure how it would impact the coffee.Not going to rate the coffee itself as that is subjective and can be related to the type of grounds or beans you use. I have had no issue with flavoring for my taste.It does put out some noise but nothing that is too much and I don’t have any other machines to compare it with to know if it is too loud. But you will hear it in an apartment of small house.I have not done a full cleaning yet, but the weekly cleaning is normal for most coffee machines and is not a deal breaker for me.CONSWater Tank Part I: Would prefer to have the water tank and overall package a little wider to hold more water, the filter takes up a good amount of space and I am adding water regularly.Water Tank Part II: I find it frustrating that the unit DOES NOT know it is low on water before it begins brewing to allow you to fill the tank first. I will actually start brewing then stop to say it needs more water. This is a bad design in my opinion. Not a deal break, just annoying.Water Tank Part III: This unit does a rinse cycle that wastes alot of water, I understand the purpose but maybe consider an option that does not do a rinse at startup and shut down.Water Tank Part IV: I did not want the base to collect water so I put cup under the spout before and after shutdown and STILL the thing collect water in the tray somehow and not all in the cup. You will have to empty out more than you realize
Harold L.Harold L. –
A friend had one and she loved the espresso vs my Nespresso machine.I unboxed and followed the directions before putting this into use.The milk steamer is amazing and works great for lattes.I’m really all about the espresso. I adjusted the temperature to the highest heat setting and it’s not piping hot like I would expect. The espresso I’ve produced so far. And I would say 20 cups. Is not to my liking and there seems to be a pressure issue with barely pouring out.I may return this if it doesn’t improve.
Lanugo –
The crown jewel of this machine is the fully automated and very easy to clean milk frothing system. Most parts are dishwasher safe and the rest is quite simple to clean. However, convenience comes at a cost. If you regularly take your coffee with milk (cappuccinos, cafe au lait, etc) and hate cleaning up coffee-related accidents then by all means consider this machine. If not, I’d steer towards something cheaper (and possibly simpler).On the topic of coffee quality, I’d say it does its job. I’m not a connoisseur and I fail to see the difference between some of the many options (e.g. a ristretto is just an espresso with a smaller size selected, and caffe`crema seems like a normal coffee to me) but all the resulting drinks taste good.On the topic of build quality, it does feel like a decent product. Maybe not as much to justify the steep price premium but in a month of usage or so no bits fell off.
neil –
Faulty machine delivered on Thursday; initial flush mode could not be completed. Identical problem outlined by another reviewer and, I too, was very disappointed-considering I was upgrading to a 800$ machine. I had a Cafe Roma for 13 years and was very satisfied with the machine’s performance and durability until it passed recently. Have purchased other Breville products in the past and felt/feel they make quality products. Called Breville and after futile attempt to solve the problem, was given option to return machine to Breville or through Amazon. Warned that 10 days + through Breville before the arrival of a new machine. I chose to go through Amazon and sent the faulty machine back on Friday. Incredibly, I had a new machine at my door less than 24 hrs later! I am very critical of Prime’s less-than-accurate, two-day delivery promises; but, not this time. So far I am enjoying the Barista Pro. It took several attempts (with the help of Utube) to hone a shot that was just right and I am pleased with both this machine’s appearance and performance. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get to sleep tonight.
M Saldivar –
Love this machine!! I have been using Nespresso machines the last few years and I thought I’d never find something better, but to my surprise, this machine surpasses expectations! Really, I purchased it thinking it’d be too complicated and I’d end up having to return it; but it’s so easy to use and definitely will save me money in the long run! 100% recommend. When I wasn’t sure about what settings to use (because it has so many options), I went to YouTube and wasn’t disappointed. There’s videos on how to set it up and also explanation about what setting will give you the best tasting coffee. If you buy it and feel overwhelmed, give it a chance by searching videos on YouTube before returning it!
DSh –
The package surprised me a lot, 3 boxes around this device was something! 🙂 The original box with tons of protection inside, then the first transport box with some spacers and finally one more box around with another set of spacers, just WOW! One more touch – there is a long wide plastic ribbon with 2 handles on both ends, placed around the unit, so you could use this “belt” to pull the device out from the box, very nice surprising touch! What I don’t like – the coffee maker has a label on its top, telling, that all devices were tested with the real coffee, then cleaned and packed, so we can be sure they are brand new and work, used only for the testing purposes at the factory. But a few dirty finger prints and some dirty smash traces on the metal mirrored front panel ruin the first impression. A paper towel with water didn’t help. These irritating traces could be removed only with a special spray for the kitchen stainless steel. Other than that… The instruction is rather poor, but… the coffee maker helps itself, showing the required steps on its built-in monitor, very handy! It took some time to work around water filter. I first installed it and filled the tank with water to the mark – big mistake! The filter needs to be installed only AFTER the unit started initialization. Then I had to remove most of the water, remove the filter, submerge the filter in a separate can, finally reinstall and return the water. Other than that… when you start brewing after you selected what you want there are 3 bard on the screen, the first one is about coffee doze, but other two are unclear which one is which, and there is no a simple hint in any manual, even in some YouTube videos, that I checked for this purpose. The milk container has an outlet, but it’s too short and it your cup is too low expect milk dripping around. Make sure that the milk container closed tightly with click, this is actually a pretty good design, it is a tiny pipe, but only when you correctly attach the can to where it needs to be. How would you drain and clean these pipes? Easy, just de-touch the plastic wall and you can get the full access to a half-pipe. Pretty smart idea! All I need to find now is a good coffee beans. The ones that I have are far from perfect, I have tried a number of beans, all are below average.After a number of cups… There is still 1 catch, nowhere in the manual is mentioned the order of 3 scroll bars. 1 – coffee, 2 – milk, 3 – water – seems correct. But even if I set everything to max my cup is only half full. I like big size, so I have to run it twice or add more milk in the very end as an additional run. This way it looks fantastic.
P The CriticP The Critic –
I’ve had a few different espresso machines over the last decade, and have tried and returned a couple as well. This one is, by far, my favorite machine for several reasons. Throughout the review I will reference differences primarily with the Barista Express, as that is one that I had for some time as well. The overall appearance of the machine looks good. I have the stainless steel version, and it looks sharp and well built. Breville is the only company I know that has the magnetic tamper holder underneath the top of the unit, and it’s a nice touch. A place to put the tamper, and always know where it is. Also, the tamper is a nice metal one, rather than the thin, light plastic many other brands use. I also like that most, if not all, of what comes in contact with hot liquids is metal rather than plastic (though the portafilter does have some plastic, but I use a naked bottom portafilter as stated below). I kind of like the ease of the automatic machines that grind, tamp, and pull the shot, but the plastic group head makes me a bit uncomfortable. I try to minimize hot foods and liquids contacting plastic as much as possible. If plastic particles can leach out of water bottles, then heated plastics most likely will leach more. As far as performance, I will touch on the grinder, pulling of the shots, hot water spout, and very importantly, the steam wand: I have seen some complaints about Breville’s grinders, and I don’t understand why. Granted, I do believe that most of the complaints come from people who are much more advanced in their coffee preparation and understanding than I am. Nevertheless, I do find the grinder to do a good job. It has fine adjustments that you make with the dial on the left of the machine, plus larger scale adjustments that you can make with the grinder itself under where the bean hopper sits. I wouldn’t say the larger adjustments are super easy, but definitely doable if you follow the directions. I’ve made a single adjustment on the grinder itself and only rely on the fine adjustments other than that. As a side note, I saw on an instructional video by another reviewer that you want to make the fine adjustments while grinding to prevent getting anything stuck. I’m not sure if this is necessary but I do it just in case. I am impressed by how little of a mess the grinding makes. The dosage amount and grind size is consistent once I dialed everything in and left it there. Plus it’s easy to switch from single to double dose. Pulling shots is rather straight forward as well, but does take time getting things right. As far as getting it right, that’s more dependent on the size and dosing of the grinds as well as the tamping force, but you see the results during the shot pull. I don’t use the included portafilter because I’ve always liked the appearance of the naked bottom portafilters, so I found one on Amazon that’s sized for this machine. The naked bottom ones look cool pulling the shot, but make a bit more of a mess than the standard portafilter, and are a little less forgiving than the included one. With a fairly good grind size and amount, you can get good consistent shots. With my Barista Express, I noticed that the second pull was usually more bitter and not as good tasting as the first shot, if pulled within a few minutes of each other. With this machine, I can pull a double shot, steam the milk, then pull another double shot without any issues or difference in taste. The Barista Pro also has the three second heat up time vs the thirty second or so on the Barista Express, which isn’t a huge deal itself but I believe the newer heating unit is more advanced and allows for the better second pull. The hot water spout is angled and can dispense right into the cup after the shot is pulled without having to move the cup to a different location. Also, I like the angled spout versus the one on the Barista Express. As far as the steam wand, it doesn’t seem like there is much advertised or discussed about the improvements of the steam wand versus the Barista Express, but in my opinion, it is far more powerful. I had a lot of difficulty getting the correct texture of milk for latte art, but with the Barista Pro, the steam wand seems much more powerful, faster to steam the milk, and can more easily achieve that proper texture and consistency for good latte art (my latte art isn’t very good, but I’m going to blame that on my skills rather than the steamer). For fairness, I will say that my skills have improved some since having the Barista Express, but I definitely feel a significant difference with this steam wand. Such that I feel that alone makes it worth the increased price compared to the Barista Express. I have also tried an automatic machine. I would say that the automatic machines are easier to use, less of a learning curve (though there is still somewhat of a learning curve) and most give you the option to make a regular drip coffee as well. They don’t usually have as good a shot pull or taste as a unit like this one, and personally I like the “artsy” part of going from grind to shot manually. To conclude, I would definitely recommend this machine to anybody who is looking for very good espresso drinks that are better than what you will usually find in coffee shops, at the comfort of your home. If you’re willing to learn how to use the steam wand well for lattes and cappuccinos, I feel this machine is better than the Barista Touch, and better than other machines in this price range. Within a few months, the machine pays for itself versus getting a latte a few times a week at a coffee shop.
JasonB –
TL:DR:- Read the instructions- Learn how the machine works BEFORE using it- Take the time (days) to adjust your drinks just right- Commit to maintaining and cleaning the machine- If there’s a problem, it’s probably user error (with some exceptions)We wanted to make espresso at home. We were not prepared for the amount of time and mess involved (the baristas make it look so fast and easy). After trying 3 different types of manual and semi-automatic machines, we realized that “fully” automatic was what we needed (for time and our laziness). So, we found this Phillips 4300, and it’s really magical!First of all…READ THE INSTRUCTIONS…and…WATCH VIDEOS (on YouTube) for best practices. This is really easy to use once you’ve got it all set up. In reading other reviews, and now having used the machine, I can say that issues with the machine and/or the espresso pull are completely USER ERROR – except for people struggling with manufacturing power issues.Keep in mind, when you first set it up, you’re going to brew FIVE coffee/espresso cups that are going in the trash…so the machine can calibrate. Thankfully, each pull (at the factory settings) uses a small amount of beans, so you’re not out much.Once the machine is set up and running, it’s just a matter of dialing in personal preferences. For this reason, the two different profiles are great! I can set my drinks the way I want them on my profile, and my husband can set them the way he wants on his. BEST OF ALL…there is a “guest” profile that will let visitors create their own drinks without messing with your preferences. Really nice feature.Anyway…this is 100% worth the money…IF…1) You want espresso-based drinks without the time/mess2) You are trying to cut back on Starbucks (or other coffee shop trips)3) You’re lazy (like me) and want fast/yummy coffee with minimal cleanup.LIFEHACK: When you’re done with your drink, TURN THE MACHINE OFF with the power button. This will clean the matching by running water through the pour head. Just put your empty (dirty glass) under to catch the water. When you power back on later for a drink, the cycle will be faster than letting the machine go to “sleep” and having to wait for the cleaning cycle to happen then.
MarkMark –
I had the Barista Express for 8.5 years. Was very happy with it but the pump started to die and the grinder started to lose its torque. Very happy with the 8.5 years it gave me and I understand these little machines won’t last forever. So, it was time to buy a new one. I found this Pro on sale, $170 off, and had to snag it. It was easy to dial in. I love the micro grind adjusts, the auto pre-infusion, and overall simplicity of the machine. 100% recommend to anyone. Well worth the extra money to go with the Pro over the Express in my opinion, even if you don’t find one on sale.
peter zassenhaus –
I’m not a latte guy. I just want a hot cup of joe in the morning – no muss, no fuss. The Barista Pro delivers in under four minutes – start to finish including clean up. It caters to lazy slobs like me. The water tank holds enough for a couple of days, fills in place easily from the top, and even tells you when it’s time to fill up. Just like the drip tray, which says “Empty Me” when full. The hopper holds about a week’s worth of beans relatively airtight so they stay fresh. The right amount of ground beans dispenses automatically into the portafilter without even pushing a button. Once you tamp down the powder you simply insert the portafilter into the brewing slot, place your favorite mug underneath, and press “One Cup.” That’s it. Thirty seconds later you’ve got espresso. Turn a knob and hot water fills the mug to whatever level you like. In barista speak you’ve just made an Americano, i.e., a cup of coffee.The tour de force of the Barista Pro, however, is the steam wand. I drink my coffee with milk. So, I pour milk into the mug first and then froth it with the steam wand. Now milk and mug are hot so your coffee is hotter. The milk foam insulates the coffee, so it stays hotter longer. But the best part is the steam wand also cleans the portafilter. Tap out the grounds into a garbage pail and steam clean the portafilter over the drip tray with the wand. No, you won’t burn yourself with the steam wand once you get the hang of it. Not unless you’re really hungover. So far my best time has been 3 minutes 32 seconds to make a great cup of coffee.Finally, if you’re going to buck up for a Barista Pro, you might as well go all the way and roast your own coffee beans. I use the Behmor 2000 Gourmet Coffee Roaster (available from chocolatealchemy.com). In thirty minutes, you’ll have enough freshly roasted beans to last you a week. The coffee you’ll brew in the Barista Pro from freshly roasted beans will make you think you’ve died and gone to heaven.
vardelda –
First off this is a great machine. If you’re looking for a quality way to pull your own espresso shots (and break the S’bucks habit), this is a great place to start. You can customize most every aspect of the grind and pull, and it all works well. Also, its fast! You can pull an espresso while half asleep with almost no delay — much faster than a couple others I tried. This is really a huge benefit in overall experience! That said, there are a couple minor issues to be aware of that keep it from being perfect:The (only) big one: The UI is meh. Some key options are menu-driven while others are via a dial and still others require menu + manual steps. Its annoying they took the shortcuts they did here. If you make the same basic drink over and over, you probably won’t notice, much less mind. But if you have any variation (eg: you like a short pull while your wife likes a long one?) — you’re basically SOL. Beyond the poor UI, the main issue is there are no user presets. You can adjust grind consistency, volume, and customize default extraction; but that’s it. Grind consistency & volume are a menu selection and a dial, respectively. Default extraction basically records you manually completing a pull and then remembers it as the new default. There is NO WAY to switch back and forth between a couple different grind/volume/extraction presets for a couple different users. This is either no issue or potentially a huge issue depending on your drinking habits — so think it through before purchasing. The next version would benefit HUGELY from ~4 User Preset buttons!!The water reservoir is manual fill only — I’d like the option to hook the machine directly to a water supply and skip all the emptying & refilling. Similarly, there’s no option for a continuous drain line so you’ll be pulling the tray and emptying regularly. If you want these things, you need to move to a much higher level machine. Shame since both would be relatively straightforward adds. Getting nit picky: The beans don’t always feed cleanly leading to a short grind. Easy to fix by dialing in a couple seconds on the dial and going again, but annoying. Also, the grinder drops the grind toward the back of the portafilter making for extra cleanup for grinds >11s. Finally: This is a small one because you will be cleaning a lot with any espresso machine, but this one doesn’t help you much. Between throwing grinds, spraying extract a bit, a tight working space, and no active drain; you’ll be cleaning the machine just about every time you use it (in addition to swapping the water bin). Like I say, this is the same as most machines so its really not a negative — its just something you sign up for when making your own espresso. But with some relatively minor design choices, Breville could have eliminated basically everything I just listed and then people would be talking about what a joy it was to use because they only had to clean it half as much as other machines. Big missed opportunity IMO. All that said, I love the machine and use it multiple times a day. It pulls as well as any machine in this price range and better than some quite a bit more expensive. Recommended.
Crystal Bridegam –
This machine has saved every morning and some afternoons! User friendly! I love how you can customize each and every drink! This machine saves all of your customized drinks and you have them all in your own ‘Coffee Profile’! The LatteGo milk system creates frothy drinks easily and precisely. It informs you on when to change the filter, when to clean the grounds out and when to refill the water. Replacing the filter couldn’t be simpler. It looks sleek and pleasing on your kitchen counter!
Hilal Jabado –
It’s a cheaper alternative than going to Starbucks, but expect to spend time on making your cuppa coffee. My machine died after three months, but it was replaced under warranty. It took them forever to send me a door replacement more than a month overall expensive toy.
Amazon Customer –
Easy to set up and pull shots. How good they come out is a part of the learning process, but as a newbie to the whole espresso pulling, I was able to figure out the process fairly quickly.I used Lavazza gran crema espresso beans, and changed my inner burr setting to 4 and the grind size to 13. I measured out 17.5 grams for each shot or about 16.5 sec on the grind settings, and my shots come out pretty good. I know I can improve on it, but I’m taking it as I go and enjoying it as I perfect my shot.I thought I would add this info as I found it hard to get information on where to start on my settings. Perhaps a pro will comment a better set of parameters, but this is what is working for me.I love my machine and after 2 months with it I do not regret it at all! Heats up in 3 secs and we are ready to pull shots! I’m in mocha latte heaven!
Donald Durst –
This is an espresso machine, not a coffee pot, to deliver fresh ground coffee beans and frothed milk at the touch of a button. It is delicious espresso and I love having such an exceptional piece of equipment in my kitchen!
Mike M. –
We had a Breville Barista Express for 8 years that worked great, except for some leaking issues that eventually required us to buy a new machine. I was very excited to upgrade to a Pro, and to enjoy the new features that Breville had developed in the 10 years or so since the Express was released.Unfortunately, after a week of trial and error, we could not pull a hot espresso shot. In addition to reading all of Breville’s instructions, I looked up numerous articles, reviews, espresso blogs, Reddit posts, Youtube videos, etc., but no matter what we tried, we could never get a shot out of the 150° range. We ran a blank shot, warmed the porta-filter, warmed the cups, etc. Also, the hot water dispenser also only produced water that was equally, if not less hot. We drink Americanos 5 days a week and the idea of having to microwave our freshly brewed drink was a non-starter.The issue appears to be the all-new Thermo-Jet heating system that Breville is using for the Pro that heats up “in just three seconds.” Although the machine is “ready” that quickly, the entire unit is at room temperature – and the brew head and top of the machine do not warm up like the Express did. I’m not a physicist, but common sense says that you simply cannot heat water from room temperature to 200° that quickly in a system that is not already hot. As they say, if that seems too good to be true, then it probably is.I will note that if you only drink beverages with steamed milk (lattes, cappuccinos, etc.), this machine will be great for you. The new steam wand is incredibly powerful and the four holes in the wand vs. one for the Express/Impress gets your milk steamed up twice as fast.We returned the Pro and bought an Impress, which has the same heating system as the Express and produced a perfectly hot espresso on the first pull.If Breville can figure out a way to re-program the Pro to produce hotter espresso and hot water, this would be a great machine. Until then, I can’t recommend it unless you prefer a less hot coffee or plan to always add steamed milk.
Dickens DevoteeDickens Devotee –
I had been looking for a SuperEspresso machine for several years but could never convince my dear wife that it was worth the expense. I finally scored one for Christmas. This seemed to be on par with the Saeco of roughly the same size, but much less expensive.I had read reviewers say that it made “watery” coffee, but while I experienced that myself at the outset, I quickly adjusted the mix to make a perfect flavorful coffee that exactly filled my Yeti mug (remove the metal tray to accommodate larger containers). 2x coffee + 1 strong, small expresso is a terrific mix.Another excellent feature is the 3-person memory setting. All three members of my household like different mixes, so the memory feature allows us each to set things up just the way we like them.The bottom tray, where most of the mess settles, is easy to remove and clean. I run it through the dishwasher once a week.Frother is super-simple to remove and clean, but sadly its frothing capabilities are only average. We only really use it when guests want a cappuccino.Do yourself a favor and buy an extended warranty. This is a very complex machine with lots of potential for issues.
Ela –
I purchased this machine to save some money and make coffee at home. I’m not a fan of drip coffee and manual espresso machines make a lot of mess, and take more time.This machine is super fast to turn on, very easy to clean (there is a self cleaning mode, and only three pieces to wash).The taste and quality of the coffee is amazing. I bought some of the cheaper beans from Costco and they worked awesome with this machine. Along with my syrups and other flavors I can’t tell a difference from this coffee and the ones at the drive through stand I used to frequent. I even got my parents to buy one!There are the perfect amount of coffee drink options for me. I know Phillips makes more models with a wider range of drinks, however I found that this one has everything I need.I will definitely be recommending this machine!
JP –
The product development team clearly understood their customers needs. Extremely well designed.Grinding of the beans is very quiet compared to our previous machine.A good range of coffees.Milk is hot and the milk system is easy to rinse.If I was being very critical, I would like greater volume. To get a mug of coffee au lait or latte requires the system to run twice.
Christopher Komuves –
So, the machine itself is very pretty with all its shiny stainless steel, and it is satisfyingly heavily built. The parts are well machined, and fit together well.DOCUMENTATION:The documentation, however, is terrible. There is one page of the manual (page 15) that contradicts itself just within that same page. It says that “if the espresso starts to flow after less than 6 seconds…this is an UNDER EXTRACTED shot.” Later on the same page, it says a correct extraction is when the “flow starts after 8-12 seconds”, and that under extraction is where “flow starts afer 1-7 seconds”. So, my extraction was starting to flow around 6 seconds, and sometimes 7, so according to the manual, that was both not under extracted and was under extracted. I wound up talking with a support person from Breville (I’ll get to that later), and I told her that the range of how much ground coffee should be used doesn’t actually work with the provided portafilter, and seems oddly high. When she asked me where I saw the range I was quoting, I told her (again, page 15), and she said it said something different, telling me I was wrong, followed by, “oh, you must have an outdated version of the manual that has the wrong numbers in it” even though I just purchased this a week ago. She emailed me the current manual. The provided manual says 8-10 grams for 1 cup, 19-22 grams for 2 cup. The PDF she emailed says 8-11 grams for 1 cup and 16-19 grams for 2 cup. These are really major mistakes that have made getting this to work properly into a nightmare that was unnecessary.SUPPORT:I spend an hour on the phone with a customer support woman from Breville. I’m going to recount some of the detailed dialogue so you can understand what this support experience was like for the hour of my life I will never get back.She asked me no less than 4 times to grind a batch of coffee at 15 grind setting for 13 seconds, after I started off by telling her that when I did just that (the default), and it produced 21.4 grams of coffee, where only about 20 grams could be squeezed into in the portafilter, despite the manual saying that’s in range for what should fit. I kept telling her that again, and she would go back to it again and keep asking me to grind that much coffee despite my telling her that only 12 seconds worth could be squeezed into it. She also kept calling me “Mr. Hall”, which is not even vaguely close to my name, until I asked her why she was calling me that, so she switched to “Mr. Christopher” (my first name).She had me run through the 1 and 2 shot cycles just to measure how much water comes out without a portafilter in place, which turned out to be almost 2 and almost 3 ounces, respectively. She then said, “Oh, that’s way too much, it should be 1 ounce and 2 ounces.”. I responded by saying, “isn’t that what the output should be of espresso when you actually pull it–since some water will be left within the grinds, etc.?”. She said, “no, it’s supposed to be 1 and 2 ounces without going through coffee and would be the same when it goes through coffee.” She then had me run though doing custom shot volume, telling me completely wrong information about how the procedure works, and had me change the amounts to 1 and 2 ounces of water. I did that–slightly more actually because water keeps coming out after you stop it. Then she had me pull shots through coffee. The single cup shot had a volume, including crema, of only 0.6 ounces! When I told her it was “point six ounces”, she said “that’s too much, it should only be an ounce”. When I responded again that it was “zero point six ounces” she said that again. When I said, “but that’s barely more than half of what it’s supposed to be, barely more than half an ounce”, she responded, “oh, right, that’s less than an ounce, I always get that backwards.”I asked her if doing the “reset to defaults” on the machine would restore the volumes for shots that they machine came with, which seemed fine to me in the beginning. She said, “no, resetting to defaults does not affect that setting, you have to manually change it back using the custom setting.” After the call, where she left me with unusable settings and I was having a really tough time getting them right, I looked in the manual, and she was dead wrong. Doing a reset does reset these volumes, so I did.At one point during the call, I had to tell her I needed to switch to a different coffee as I was almost out of the one I had just purchased (since she was making me waste massive amounts of it on totally useless tests). The beans I was using to this point, btw, were fairly good. It was Allegro Coffee Organic Espresso Bel Canto ( https://amzn.to/3eOOSnQ ). She said that the problem I actually called about–which was that I could not get the extraction into the correct time range of 8-12 seconds before flow starts, was entirely because I was using “inferior beans”.OPERATIONI do love that this machine heats up in just a couple of seconds, whether for making espresso or for steaming milk. That’s an excellent feature. The steam wand is powerful too–though for small amounts of milk, it’s so powerful that it’s hard to get good microfoam and to not overheat the milk.One design flaw is that when you grind the recommended amount of coffee into the portafilter (you put the portafilter and handle into a little slot), it spills coffee grounds everywhere–both wasting good coffee and making a mess that’s a pain to clean up each time.I did find an excellent solution to that, which is to add in a ring funnel. I was skeptical about this, but with this on the portafilter, you leave it far belong the grinder and manually depress the button behind where the filter is supposed to go, and all the grinds get into the portafilter with no waste or mess. This means totally not using the grinder as intended, but the design for that is so broken that this is the only reasonable solution. The one I used was this, and it works shockingly well: https://amzn.to/38KwVmfSo, I’m not sure what to say about this machine in summary. It’s pretty and has some great features and engineering, but also some painfully badly engineered features. Documentation and technical support are among the worst of any company I’ve encountered. I so WANTED to love this machine. I like it, but there are a lot of issues to get past. I don’t have experience with other competing machines, so I don’t know what faults they have to compare with this. Between the design flaws, terrible support, and blatantly wrong information in their documentation that they provide, I would have to conclude that Breville is quite a dysfunctional company. Maybe I can live with that for a pretty machine with some nice features? I’m still trying to decide.
Therese Nappier –
This is a high-end coffee maker that gets a lot of use at our house. We do take the time and make an effort to clean it properly per the mfr suggestions. Only complaint is that it’s pretty loud!
Ellen Laino –
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!
Simonj –
This is a very easy machine that make a great espresso.I the LatteGo milk frothing system is simple and easy BUT it doesn’t warm the milk sufficiently.Cappuccinos etc are only warm not hot. The Phillips website says the addition of foamed milk will make beverages cooler….Since I like my coffee hot I am returning the machine.
ERockERock –
First I’m no barista, I’m just a dude that loves ice mocha latte. It’s my work from home drink and keeps me functioning. I’ve been down a long road of slow and cheap upgrades to my home coffee experience after spending way too much money at coffee shops.I decided to splurge and caught this on post Black Friday. I read all the reviews and since I’m brewing for cold drinks, decided to try it despite what others say about the coffee not being hot enough. My espresso was completely hot enough to melt in with the chocolate.The machine comes with lots of items as my pictures show. Yes you have to set it up and the instructions that come with it are good. I had to decipher a couple of things but overall I got through my first pull no problem and the espresso came out black and clean unlike my other machine.Overall my first experiences have been exactly what I was hoping for. My latte tastes better than the high end coffee shops because I have control and can use as much espresso and chocolate as I want. So happy with this.
Ron and Kelly StilwellRon and Kelly Stilwell –
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE this machine. I owned my own coffee shop and wanted a machine that would work as well as a commercial machine. I am not disappointed! I’ve had the machine for almost 4 months and have made at LEAST two drinks per day since getting it. Most days, between the two of us, we make four. It’s very user friendly if you’ve ever been a barista. You’ll feel like you’re back at the coffee shop.GET A KNOCK BOX! You’ll be so happy you did!UPDATE Oct. 4th. It’s now starting to ‘misfire’. The water won’t flow through. I’ve gone through the troubleshooting to no avail. I can’t figure out why it does it. And I’ve tried several things to prevent it from happening, but nothing’s worked. I eventually get a shot, but sometimes it takes 3 tries.SECOND UPDATE 4/2022: the misfire was user error. 🤷🏼 Figured it out and never had a problem since. This machine has made well over 700 drinks in the year we’ve had it and other than MY hiccup, has been AMAZING!!Update 7/16/23 STILL going strong!! Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but not a single issue!! You won’t be disappointed!
CL –
No more Starbuck runs for me. Best caramel macchiato ever. Easy to use and set up.
Morten S. Mikkelsen –
Omg the best latte ever!!!
PeterPeter –
I rarely write reviews but I love this machine.Had it for 6 months now and it’s great. First I felt selfish getting it but then the whole family started using it to make themselves lattes every day!It’s easy to maintain and just well thought out. The latte go thing works perfectly.Went back and forth on the DeLongi models or this guy, but really glad I settled on this.It also allows for tall Latte glasses to be used as it has enough height with the adjustable spout.Only downside – now I have a hard time drinking coffee anywhere else because my taste buds are spoiled.
Hayden Bashiri –
I have saved so much money on coffee with this machine! It’s great but beware of running into any problems. Right now I am within warranty and am having problems with single shot extraction. I put a request in to breville on April 5th and it still has not been responded to (april 26th; 21 dayd later). I have called to address this on April 17th which someone answered and requested details/video from me. I still have not received an email/call back so I called today (April 26th) and pretty much had to start over with someone which is frustrating and unhelpful. It is a very pleasant experience and almost makes the extra cost of going to a coffee shop worth it. I am not upset the machine had an issue but I am pretty upset that I cannot get the issue resolved in a timely manner by the company while it is still under warranty
KMANKMAN –
Amazingly simple to use. At first I’ll admit you may find we it a bit confusing but it is really simple to use. Left side knob for grinding. Right side knob for steam and hot water. Menu click to change the drip time or grind time. That is all.Cleaning is a breeze: 1) the drip tray just pull out when you drag it and it’s easy to clean. 2) water decanter is just a lift and pull. 3) water filter is again a simple opening of a plastic casing on the filter and replace filter with another one after 3 months.Grinding: Try your own taste but for me tbis was the experience. Default grind size of 15 made a sour coffee. Reduced it to size 12 made quite better and then set on size 10 and it was a little sour. My perfect shot came at grind size 8. Espresso needs fine grind. Somewhere online said machine chokes at size 8, but I didn’t face that issue (thank god). Picture posted here is the perfect espresso at grind size of 8. I have read it online someone found amazing shot at size 7. This step is the trial and error until you are satisfied.Frother: it’s super easy to use with the tools given in the package. Pour the milk before the max level in the steel container and shift the right side knob to your left and voila steam begins, and move the nozzle of frother 1 cm in and then to surface of the milk to froth and repeat this until it’s thick and frothy enough. Glad I bought this machine.Enjoy! It’s a great machine.
Periwinkle –
We love our PHILIPS 4300 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine. My husband loves his mochas and lattes. He now can make them at home and it is so simple. We decided that automatic would be the best option for us, as we are on the go so much. Just pour the milk into the steamer container and start. We have our drinks programmed and so we are ready to go at the push of a button, The machine cleans itself at the start of the cycle and before it shuts down. I have found putting a small cup to collect the water on the drip tray is much easier than emptying out the drip tray. The coffee is hot and fresh each time. In the end we are saving a lot of money by not buying expensive coffees at local coffee shops on the way to work. I have used whole milk, 1%, coconut and almond milk in the steamer. They all worked well.
Tyler –
I was so excited to get this machine out of the box and set it up. I followed all of the instructions and started brewing coffee only to find it was extremely bitter. These are the same beans I used in my magnifica, so I was a bit confused.I brewed about 10 more cups to see if maybe there was just some remaining residue in the machine, but they continued to be very bitter and also somewhat watery. When I opened the tray, I noticed it was not making pucks like my magnifica, but rather what looked like cow pies. After searching the internet, I found many references to watery pucks and bitter coffee. I happened to have a thermapen which are known for temperature accuracy so I checked the temp of the fluid coming out of the dispenser- started around 140 and got as high as 155. I upped the temperature setting from medium to max and got a lower start around 150 which peaked at 167. I followed a reviewer’s suggestion to brew 10 espresso’s and did see some improvement in puck formation but the coffee that comes out is extremely bitter.So I called support and after nearly 20 minutes of intermittent hold I was told that I’d need to call philips directly on a different number. I said thanks, but no thanks. I am very thankful that I’m within the return period and absolutely shocked at the number of 4 star and 5 star reviews that popped up when I made the initial decision to purchase this machine. After the machine disappointed, I had to search a little deeper to find many reviews like mine. I can’t explain the huge dichotomy between those who are apparently satisfied with their machines and people like me who won’t drink disgusting coffee out of a nearly thousand dollar machine.
MT –
There are many features that make this machine a convenient semi-automatic espresso maker for home. However, it does not heat nearly to the temperature it should. While it claims 200 degree extraction, I’ve only ever achieved around 150. My shots come out at a warm, not hot, temperature, which makes the overall quality much less enjoyable. I’ve attempted to contact Breville customer support several times to resolve but have had no resolution. Overall disappointed with the product and service provided the cost.
Anne –
Great product but the wrong color was delivered. I e-mailed lakesideshipper and told them but never got a response.
Pauletta –
because it’s like having a coffee shop in my own kitchen! This machine is not only easy to use, but it also heats up quickly, making my mornings a breeze. The stylish design adds a touch of elegance to my countertop, and the large water tank means I don’t have to constantly refill it. The grinder is incredibly efficient, providing me with perfectly ground coffee every time. And let’s talk about the espresso – it’s high quality and full of flavor. The durable construction ensures that this machine will last for years to come. I love being able to customize the settings to my liking, and the milk frother works like a dream. The only thing that could be improved is the user manual, but with a machine this intuitive, it’s not a deal-breaker. I can’t express how much I adore my Breville Pro. It may have seemed intimidating at first, but now I can’t imagine starting my day without it. Say goodbye to coffee shop lines and hello to the perfect latte at home!
Belinda Webster –
First, I’d like to say that, when it comes to espresso machines, this one takes the cake! The ease of use is just the cherry on top. I have been brewing happiness with my machine since October and I absolutely love it. The perfect companion for those cozy mornings or late-night study sessions. So grab a cup and join the espresso love train!
Amazon Buyer –
This is machine is amazing. It was very easy to set up and works amazingly. I use it everyday and really it makes high quality coffee drinks.
M. Garling –
I bought this from Amazon warehouse as “acceptable” used quality, but would rate it more like “like new” honestly. Read the lower star reviews and now that I have the machine I think they may have been a little harsh for an automated espresso maker. It won’t make professional grade espresso shots, but if you light lattes that taste better than from a Keurig, you’ll probably like this one.Milk froth was nice (again for automated) and espresso tasted like what you’d get from a Jura.All in all I’m really happy with it and happy I spent less money!
Bruce F. Wilken –
Based on the features of this machine, I would give it 5 stars for sure. However, the price is a little eye-watering. I would give it 4.5 stars possibly if that was an option. If you go by the theory “you get what you pay for”, then it’s worth it. The built-in grinder is a must-have. Having to change the water filter every couple of months (or 60 batches of espresso) seems a bit excessive – my last espresso machine didn’t have a water filter at all and the flavor never seemed to suffer. The milk frother works great also, just beware that you’ll get some water dripping out of it until it heats up to steam. Not a huge amount, but worthy of note.
TinaW –
Yes plz
Consuelo WellsConsuelo Wells –
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!
RJC –
This is my third home espresso machine started out with a Starbucks Barista in the early 2000s. This machine is a beautifully esthetic addition to you home besides an outstanding home espresso machine. Steam wand has excellent power with a the multi-jet feature (not just one) which makes frothing milk and achieving latte arte microfilm easy for a beginner. Grinder is worth $200-$300 as a stand alone with serviceable top and bottom access and micro adjustment capability to enhance the already adequate number of grind settings. Had a Delonghi La Specialista and this is by far a better product for brewing the drink and equally in looks and quality. It may be 30% more in cost but 100% better in quality of construction and features. None of that cheap plastic faux chrome trimming – solid construction, all brushed stainless steel and you don’t have to chase the machine all over our counter when you tighten the porta filter! If I had to struggle to find a negative it would be the difficulty in removing the filters from the porta filter – they are in there tight…. Highly recommend this machine if you are into the home barista experience –
P The CriticP The Critic –
I’ve had a few different espresso machines over the last decade, and have tried and returned a couple as well. This one is, by far, my favorite machine for several reasons. Throughout the review I will reference differences primarily with the Barista Express, as that is one that I had for some time as well. The overall appearance of the machine looks good. I have the stainless steel version, and it looks sharp and well built. Breville is the only company I know that has the magnetic tamper holder underneath the top of the unit, and it’s a nice touch. A place to put the tamper, and always know where it is. Also, the tamper is a nice metal one, rather than the thin, light plastic many other brands use. I also like that most, if not all, of what comes in contact with hot liquids is metal rather than plastic (though the portafilter does have some plastic, but I use a naked bottom portafilter as stated below). I kind of like the ease of the automatic machines that grind, tamp, and pull the shot, but the plastic group head makes me a bit uncomfortable. I try to minimize hot foods and liquids contacting plastic as much as possible. If plastic particles can leach out of water bottles, then heated plastics most likely will leach more. As far as performance, I will touch on the grinder, pulling of the shots, hot water spout, and very importantly, the steam wand: I have seen some complaints about Breville’s grinders, and I don’t understand why. Granted, I do believe that most of the complaints come from people who are much more advanced in their coffee preparation and understanding than I am. Nevertheless, I do find the grinder to do a good job. It has fine adjustments that you make with the dial on the left of the machine, plus larger scale adjustments that you can make with the grinder itself under where the bean hopper sits. I wouldn’t say the larger adjustments are super easy, but definitely doable if you follow the directions. I’ve made a single adjustment on the grinder itself and only rely on the fine adjustments other than that. As a side note, I saw on an instructional video by another reviewer that you want to make the fine adjustments while grinding to prevent getting anything stuck. I’m not sure if this is necessary but I do it just in case. I am impressed by how little of a mess the grinding makes. The dosage amount and grind size is consistent once I dialed everything in and left it there. Plus it’s easy to switch from single to double dose. Pulling shots is rather straight forward as well, but does take time getting things right. As far as getting it right, that’s more dependent on the size and dosing of the grinds as well as the tamping force, but you see the results during the shot pull. I don’t use the included portafilter because I’ve always liked the appearance of the naked bottom portafilters, so I found one on Amazon that’s sized for this machine. The naked bottom ones look cool pulling the shot, but make a bit more of a mess than the standard portafilter, and are a little less forgiving than the included one. With a fairly good grind size and amount, you can get good consistent shots. With my Barista Express, I noticed that the second pull was usually more bitter and not as good tasting as the first shot, if pulled within a few minutes of each other. With this machine, I can pull a double shot, steam the milk, then pull another double shot without any issues or difference in taste. The Barista Pro also has the three second heat up time vs the thirty second or so on the Barista Express, which isn’t a huge deal itself but I believe the newer heating unit is more advanced and allows for the better second pull. The hot water spout is angled and can dispense right into the cup after the shot is pulled without having to move the cup to a different location. Also, I like the angled spout versus the one on the Barista Express. As far as the steam wand, it doesn’t seem like there is much advertised or discussed about the improvements of the steam wand versus the Barista Express, but in my opinion, it is far more powerful. I had a lot of difficulty getting the correct texture of milk for latte art, but with the Barista Pro, the steam wand seems much more powerful, faster to steam the milk, and can more easily achieve that proper texture and consistency for good latte art (my latte art isn’t very good, but I’m going to blame that on my skills rather than the steamer). For fairness, I will say that my skills have improved some since having the Barista Express, but I definitely feel a significant difference with this steam wand. Such that I feel that alone makes it worth the increased price compared to the Barista Express. I have also tried an automatic machine. I would say that the automatic machines are easier to use, less of a learning curve (though there is still somewhat of a learning curve) and most give you the option to make a regular drip coffee as well. They don’t usually have as good a shot pull or taste as a unit like this one, and personally I like the “artsy” part of going from grind to shot manually. To conclude, I would definitely recommend this machine to anybody who is looking for very good espresso drinks that are better than what you will usually find in coffee shops, at the comfort of your home. If you’re willing to learn how to use the steam wand well for lattes and cappuccinos, I feel this machine is better than the Barista Touch, and better than other machines in this price range. Within a few months, the machine pays for itself versus getting a latte a few times a week at a coffee shop.
Ross Barton –
So easy to use and makes a wonderful coffee.
Anderson Anderson –
Beautiful design and easy to make a delicious coffee. Great product
TB –
There is no option to choose English to operate the functions. It shows other languages but not English.
Elena –
Apparently it’s a good entry level machine for coffee lovers and he LOVES it! He makes great coffee with it! We stopped buying Starbucks cause it’s so much better at home now! Highly recommend
H. Zhong –
I used to have a few KRUPS EA8298 coffee makers before, which are in a similar price class. The Krups machines “reliably failed” 3 1/2 years into using them, which, thanks to the 4-year Assurion warranty, always resulted in a refund of the purchase price. This time, the Krups was no longer available, so I went for this model.I do not consider myself a coffee expert. I like drinks with milk foam, like Lattes.The overall feature set is similar. Both machines offer a simple external milk container and a “one button” method to make a cappuccino or a latte. The Philips has quite a few more bells and whistles when it comes to the details, and adjusting recipes is much easier.I find the Philips milk systems simpler to use. It is not a big difference, but I am using it on most drinks while with the Krups, I often didn’t bother. The milk foam quality and consistency are MUCH better for the Philips. With the Krups, it often required very detailed cleaning of the milk system, or you ended up with hot milk vs. foam. The Philips milk container is much simpler.However, the milk container for the Philps is a bit more “flimsy”. The cover often falls off if you are not careful, and you have to wedge it between things in the fridge so it doesn’t fall.Overall usage of the Philips is easy. It is nice that the drip tray and the water container pull out to the front, so you do not need access to the sides of the machine. It is, however, quite a bit bigger (and deeper!) than the Krups. The Krups water container was open to the top, so I had a small hose connected to it. This isn’t possible with the Philips.The bean hopper is accessible from the top, and I had no issues with it. The lid seals tight (the Krups did not seal as well). Cleaning is different from the Krups. For the Krups, the brew unit was not removable. Cleaning happened every few weeks with a special cleaning tablet. For the Philps, you need to remove the brew unit and rinse it, which appears simple enough. I didn’t see a reminder for it like for the Krups. There appears to be an option to clean it with a special cleaning tablet, just like the Krups, but I haven’t used that option yet (and no cleaning tablets were included).After a couple of weeks, it is too early to say how well it will last. I got the 4-year extended warranty again, just in case.
Benjamin D. –
I was never a coffee drinker, but I bought this as a gift for my wife who has always been a huge coffee drinker. We have no good coffee shops anywhere near our home, so this was a worthy investment.I love this thing and I am now a coffee drinker because of the great drinks you can turn out. I love everything being on board. The steam wand AND water spout is freaking great. And of course the grinder on board is marvelous.The best part is the heat pump working so quickly. You can legitimately go from an empty cup to a completed latte in less than 2 minutes without rushing anything. Faster than any drip or French press you can get.I love the digital display and I appreciate that it lets you know about its service intervals, like when it needs flushed or descaled. You can keep your coffee tasting perfect every time.It’s not enough to dock it a star, but WOW the flushing makes a HUGE mess. I tie a paper towel around the spouts of the ports filter because it will literally spray water straight out about a foot and a half each way. It’s wild.We also purchased a stainless dosing funnel that fits nicely onto the portafilter to keep things cleaner, highly recommended accessory.All in all, this is our favorite appliance we have in the kitchen, you can’t go wrong with Breville and this is a great machine.
stacey goldstacey gold –
I love my new Breville! I am pretty new to the coffee scene and only have used automatic drip machines in the past. I decided to take the plunge into the real coffee world and buy this beauty. It’s very easy to operate even for a novice like myself. After some simple trial and error, I have become a true barista and I look forward to my delicious cup every morning. Do yourself a favor, invest in this amazing appliance. I promise you won’t regret it!
Lexie –
I am overall pleased with this machine! It is highly user-friendly (I personally did not even need to read the manual). The device is easy to clean, which eases my worries about mold or bacteria forming in the lines. As far as people making comments regarding the size cup of coffee that it brews, appropriately tweaking the setting for how you want your cup of coffee brewed should eliminate that as a problem unless you’re trying to fill a large 14 oz tumbler with coffee. It brews a proper 4 oz cappuccino, a 1 oz shot of espresso, and an approximately 6 oz macchiato. The only negative thing I have to say about this device that prevents me from giving it five stars is that the milk foam is fluffy and frothy instead of a silky smooth microform. This being said, I’ll take the convenience over the perfect latte.
Scott C. –
Like:1. Warranty is honored without question.2. They will mail you a box to return the product.3. They will email describing how to package the product for returnDislike:1. The instructions for cleaning and descaling are inaccurate. There are several steps missing that are shown in the video they refer you to.2. Their customer service is somewhat hard to understand at times due to their Australian accent.3. There are no local places to return the product to for repair, only California. I live in AL.4. Per customer service, if the product cannot be repaired, they will provide you a refurbished product, not a new one or cash for old one as stated in the warranty. Maybe that person was unaware of the actual agreement.5. You will be asked for the product serial number. It is on the bottom of the product. This may not be the best / most convenient place for that number. Lifting a heavy product with water and beans is not fun when troubleshooting.
MsMel –
I feel it was well worth the upgrade. I had the cheaper model and it worked well (for 8 years) but a lot more manual adjustments needed and the quick readiness does make a difference. My espresso is always perfect!
Customer from Massachusetts –
If you want to quickly and consistently make great tasting espresso that’s customizable for your taste without spending a lot of time, this one is for you. Starts in seconds, can heat up and froth milk in a minute and you’ve your coffee in less than 3 minutes every time.
Kon –
Let me start by saying that this machine is an absolute game-changer for anyone who’s serious about their espresso experience. When it comes to making espresso, the Barista Pro truly shines. The integrated conical burr grinder is a game-changer. It allows me to grind my coffee beans just before brewing, ensuring the freshest and most flavorful shot possible. The adjustable grind size and dose control give me the flexibility to customize each shot to my liking.Maintenance:Keeping the Barista Pro in top-notch condition is surprisingly easy. The removable water reservoir and drip tray are a breeze to clean, and the drip tray’s full indicator prevents any messy mishaps. The machine also guides you through regular maintenance tasks, ensuring longevity and consistent performance.
Kristen HillKristen Hill –
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I started researching these machines after doing the math and figuring out how much money I spend at Starbucks every month. I decided that I could spare the expense and cut out my Starbucks habit.This machine really was just as easy and I had hoped it would be. The tweaking or learning curve really has mostly to do with your own taste preference and not the machine itself. Because of the saved profiles, once you get it set for your taste, your drink is the same every time. LOVE THAT! No more wondering if the barista is going to add too much or not enough milk/cream.Speaking of milk and cream, when I first set up the machine, I only had 2% milk. I prefer half and half. I used the 2% I had in the Lattego, and it was good. I bought half and half the next day and it was AMAZING!The clean up is quite easy. Even with the grinding and steaming, the machine isn’t terribly noisy either. I’ve used it when the little one is sleeping and have not had an issue with him waking.Because of all the drink options, I found myself obsessed with making each of them at least once….all in the same night. I had to Google what some of them were because if my lack of coffee knowledge. That part has been kind of fun too.Not going to lie, while the majority of the reviews were positive, I was still a little nervous about the purchase given the expense but I am so pleased!
Bradley Gilliam –
The Philips 4300 LatteGo seemed like a very good value for a first-time automatic coffee machine purchase. 5400 was not available. 3200 uses the same mechanism, just fewer drinks on its menu. The Jura E8 and J8 might have a performance edge, but I wasn’t willing to spend $2400 on what my family considered an experiment, moving on from decades of me grinding beans and making a pot of drip coffee every morning. Now the 4300 is like a member of the family. Push-button lattes and cappuccinos won everyone over. I imagine the best cup of coffee is a pour over with carefully measured everything. And the best cappuccino or latte has me measuring and tamping down the grounds and messing with a frothing wand. Maybe in retirement I will spend 15 minutes making each cup of coffee, but that’s not current reality. The Philips gives me great coffee drinks quickly and with very little effort. The beans taste different and more intense than from my Moccamaster drip, so you will likely find yourself experimenting with different blends and roasts.The most miraculous thing about this machine is how easy it is to clean, whether daily or weekly. There is no milk tube! The LatteGo attachment uses two snap-together pieces to make a milk channel. Steam blows the milk from the bottom out the top and makes a very good, consistent froth. Maybe you could do better with a want, but this is just so easy. To clean you unsnap the pieces and you have soap/water/rag access to the entire milk channel.One thing that wasn’t clear to me is I think all these automatic machines have a big drip tray under the whole contraption. The brewing mechanism makes its mess inside, and gravity has to take the mess somewhere. The entire tray gets about 1/2 inch of coffee water after 6-8 drinks. A sensor warns you to clean the grounds/drip tray so it doesn’t overflow. Within the drip tray is a separate little hopper for used pucks and grounds. There might be some stray grounds inside the tray, but mostly the grounds fall into the hopper and the tray is just liquid.For weekly cleaning (or as often as you want), the entire “brew group” can be pulled out of the machine and run under warm water. I use a soft toothbrush to carefully get grounds out of a few crevices. With the brew group removed, you can wipe the inside of the cabinet, but I did not find much stray coffee in there. Periodically the brew group needs a few shots of silicone lubricant.Overall I am extremely happy with this machine and the coffee drinks I can make with it.
Erik –
I have had Saeco/Phillips super automatic espresso machines for 20 years, and always return to the brand. This one is the best yet, and I highly recommend. Much easier to clean, and the Latte To Go frothing system is exceptional and very quick and easy to use. Outstanding design.
Walter Michael Cook –
Right out of the box, this machine made great coffee. After a quick setup, I made two cups of espresso and through them away as recommended. The third cup was a winner ! Cappuccino’s quickly followed. My wife fell in love with it right away because she could make great coffees without having to learn a thing. I had it shipped to our home in Costa Rica. Not the least damage was incurred. The machine box was in a box inside a third box so all was protected.OK Houston, we have a problem. After almost two months of use, I found that sometimes the machine will not turn on unless I unplug, re-plug, and generally fumble with the power chord. After searching the internet for ideas, I have come to the conclusion that the problem is in the automatic turn-off. If you leave the power on without using the machine, the machine will turn itself off after 30 minutes, or what-ever limit you set; now it will not turn back on unless you pull the power line out of the wall for 2 minutes. Not a big problem; just manually turn the machine off when finished and the problem goes away.I love the machine and will not part with it because of this little blip.
Jon J –
I selected this machine because (1) it was relatively inexpensive relative to other “one touch” cappuccino makers, (2) reviews said that it froths milk better than the 3200, (3) it looks better than the 3200 on my kitchen counter (it is chrome, although I wish it had more chrome), and (4) it was MUCH cheaper than non-Philips models.Our family makes ~5 drinks per day. The frother does a great job with any milk type (cow, soy, almond, etc), and the cappuccinos come out to be wonderful. Espresso has a nice creme, and Americanos work well also. The drink menus allow you to customize the amount of coffee beans, the amount of hot water, and the amount of milk. You can also adjust the grind (from coarse to fine), I went with a bit of a coarser grind as I didn’t want mud at the bottom of my coffees, but that hasn’t been too much of a problem.Daily maintenance is easy — add water, dump the grounds, dump the water out of the catch tray, and add coffee beans. We add water 1x or sometimes 2x a day, so would be nice if it held a bit more. The catch tray fills up with water every 2-3 days, you can tell it needs to be emptied then the red tab emerges from the chrome tray (water apparently drips into the tray as a byproduct of the brewing process, even if you leave a cup to catch water from the rinse cycle that comes out of the coffee dripper).Weekly and monthly maintenance is more involved. DO NOT FORGET TO CLEAN WEEKLY. You basically have to watch videos on YouTube to figure out how to do it well. I’d recommend watching 3-4 of these videos, probably more than once to get the hang of it. You need to do more than just the “rinse” that the Philips video shows in order to keep the brew group clean. Really, watch videos, and be prepared to spend 20 or 30 minutes the first time you do it (after having the machine a week). After that it will go faster. There is also a recommended monthly de-scaling, which is actually easier to do than the weekly cleaning.Except for the weekly cleaning … It is like having a Starbucks stand in the kitchen!I LOVE this machine!!!
C. L. –
Excellent for the price. Works super well and is easy to use. Versatile with the different coffee’s you can make. Highly recommend
H. Zhong –
I used to have a few KRUPS EA8298 coffee makers before, which are in a similar price class. The Krups machines “reliably failed” 3 1/2 years into using them, which, thanks to the 4-year Assurion warranty, always resulted in a refund of the purchase price. This time, the Krups was no longer available, so I went for this model.I do not consider myself a coffee expert. I like drinks with milk foam, like Lattes.The overall feature set is similar. Both machines offer a simple external milk container and a “one button” method to make a cappuccino or a latte. The Philips has quite a few more bells and whistles when it comes to the details, and adjusting recipes is much easier.I find the Philips milk systems simpler to use. It is not a big difference, but I am using it on most drinks while with the Krups, I often didn’t bother. The milk foam quality and consistency are MUCH better for the Philips. With the Krups, it often required very detailed cleaning of the milk system, or you ended up with hot milk vs. foam. The Philips milk container is much simpler.However, the milk container for the Philps is a bit more “flimsy”. The cover often falls off if you are not careful, and you have to wedge it between things in the fridge so it doesn’t fall.Overall usage of the Philips is easy. It is nice that the drip tray and the water container pull out to the front, so you do not need access to the sides of the machine. It is, however, quite a bit bigger (and deeper!) than the Krups. The Krups water container was open to the top, so I had a small hose connected to it. This isn’t possible with the Philips.The bean hopper is accessible from the top, and I had no issues with it. The lid seals tight (the Krups did not seal as well). Cleaning is different from the Krups. For the Krups, the brew unit was not removable. Cleaning happened every few weeks with a special cleaning tablet. For the Philps, you need to remove the brew unit and rinse it, which appears simple enough. I didn’t see a reminder for it like for the Krups. There appears to be an option to clean it with a special cleaning tablet, just like the Krups, but I haven’t used that option yet (and no cleaning tablets were included).After a couple of weeks, it is too early to say how well it will last. I got the 4-year extended warranty again, just in case.
T. WilliamsT. Williams –
We were looking at so many coffee machines until we found this one. It was recommended by a friend of ours, and since we bought it, we have gotten so many compliments of the look,the ease of use and the taste of the coffee. It is better than any coffee from Starbucks or anywhere else. We would definitely buy again. Recommended it to friends and family, which have also bought it since.
Leilani Simon –
The product is good, really enjoyed it but it started leaking water under it after 5 months everytime i make coffee with milk frother. Any other type of drink is fine, no leak. So i replaced the latte go container for milk frother thinking that the leak was from there. I tried to make a cappuccino tonight with the new latte go frother container but it is still leaking water under. Please do help me if you’ve experienced this and if you have any idea how to fix it. I checked the inside of it if there’s kinked tubes,even cleaned the inside but nothing works. I really loved this, so please help me fix it.
Cecily –
i hate to say it but i don’t like this machine. i spent almost $900 on a machine that i hate using. the espresso it makes tastes so bitter and it’s so watery. it doesn’t even have a good amount of crema on top of the shot. i regret not returning it and giving it a chance because now im passed the return window and im stuck with this machine.
Bruce F. Wilken –
Based on the features of this machine, I would give it 5 stars for sure. However, the price is a little eye-watering. I would give it 4.5 stars possibly if that was an option. If you go by the theory “you get what you pay for”, then it’s worth it. The built-in grinder is a must-have. Having to change the water filter every couple of months (or 60 batches of espresso) seems a bit excessive – my last espresso machine didn’t have a water filter at all and the flavor never seemed to suffer. The milk frother works great also, just beware that you’ll get some water dripping out of it until it heats up to steam. Not a huge amount, but worthy of note.
Amazon Customer –
5 star for sure. The machine is well built and great quality. I’m a big fan of Breville and own many of their products. It’s a great value also and not hard to use at all. Those that are lazy might disagree but I would rather take 5 minutes out of my morning to make my own espresso drink for just pennies compared to what coffee house’s charge for the same quality product. That’s not an exaggeration, it takes me literally 5 minutes for the whole espresso making process. That include grinding the coffee beans and steaming the milk, 5 minutes. You waist a lot longer driving to a coffee shop, waiting in line to order and waiting in line behind people also waiting on their coffee. Also, do the math, if you buy a coffee, just one coffee, for 5 or 6 dollars and that is a low end price at a coffee shop per day you can expect to spend $1,825 to $2,190 a year. A Barista Pro at 600 or 800 dollars, depending on if you catch them on sale, will pay for itself in a matter of months and my first machine lasted 7 years before the boiler gave in. That’s literally thousands of dollars saved not buying 1 cup of coffee per day at a coffee house and getting the same quality drink. I, with no doubt, will keep purchasing Breville espresso machines as long as they keep making the same quality machines at the reasonable prices they have now.
DBDB –
I’ve been waiting for so long for these to come back into stock so I can purchase one. And so happy I waited.Machine was packed up so nice. Even nice plastic around the machine, with handles, so it can be easily lifted out of the box.Set up was as easy as can be. Take time and take off all the tape strips. Don’t forget the ones behind the water container. Read the instructions as you set it up. Makes it 100 times easier.Once turned on, it will guide you through the initial setup. It does come with a water filter that I decided to add to the water tank. I only added it because I knew I would lose that aqua filter if I didn’t put it in right away. It’s an option you don’t have to go with. It also comes with a water testing strip so you can test your water to see how hard or soft it is. It’s one of the settings on the machine. I got to that point when I started making 5 cups of coffee to get it primed and ready. I then looked at the “settings” to see what options I had there. After finishing with that, I decided to make myself a nice caramel latte. Sat with my cup of coffee while I read up on more details about the machine. Easy reading. Not really that much more to learn about it.The latte was fantastic. Since I use a similar machine at our church to make others coffee, I already knew how much syrup to add to my cup and remembered to drizzle caramel on top for a final touch.My fun will be to experiment with the different coffees and syrups to see if I can come up with tastes that are similar to what I used to pay big money for.If you’re going to order this machine, or one similar, remember to have the flavored syrups, whipped cream, and toppings that are needed with lattes or other fun drinks.This machine is costly but, it will be saving me much more by me making my own fancier coffees now.I’m going to love this latte go!
David Kuntz –
The Philips 4300 Espresso Machine consistently delivers a good to excellent cup of coffee (or espresso, cappuccino, Americano…) and is reliable.I’ve used my machine daily for six months before writing this review. I wanted to have a very clear idea of its operation and reliability before I wrote anything. Here are the key things to know:Expect to spend at least a couple of weeks playing around with the numerous settings before you get the coffee precisely to your liking. There are number of different things you can adjust using the front panel. Plus the grinder itself can be adjusted; I’ve currently got mine set at nearly the finest grind.I haven’t quantified it, but I believe the Philips uses quite a bit more beans to make a given amount of coffee than other methods. I certainly know I’m refilling it with beams frequently. Of course, this might just be because I’m drinking more coffee due to the extreme convenience (one button operation) of the system.The machine also uses other consumables at a fairly rapid clip – namely the AquaClean filter and descaling tables. Normally, I would write all these off as a scam, designed primarily to contribute to Philips’ bottom line. But the first time I used a coffee oil remover tablet it had an immediate positive impact on the taste of my coffee. And, the machine will nag you endlessly if you don’t change the AquaClean filter, so I think there’s no escaping that.I clean my machine out quite thoroughly once a week, and lube it. This takes about 20 minutes. I think it’s worth the trouble.Within a short time after purchasing it, I noticed that the two o-rings on the boiler nozzle had already deteriorated. Others reported having the same problem.I tried to contact Philips to have these replaced, assumedly under warranty. I got absolutely nowhere with that; and I would say that might be a real weakness in purchasing from Philips. Their service appears to be nonexistent.However, the one thing I did extract from Philips’ pathetic excuse for a service infrastructure is an “exploded view” drawing of the entire machine which lists the part number for quite literally every single part in the system. This allowed me to track down replacement parts from a third party which set me back all of a couple dollars.I haven’t had the same problem since I replaced those original o-rings. And, now, I’m thinking that I created this problem with over-aggressive cleaning; namely I was cleaning off the lubricant from these o-rings, which possibly then caused them to rapidly wear out (because this nozzle pushes into a receptacle every time you turn the machine on, so there is frequent motion and wear on them).When I first started using the machine, I would frequently get the “Empty grounds container” message, even though I had already emptied the container. I thought I might have a faulty sensor, but eventually, I stumbled on to the reason for this in the manual. The machine only knows that you’ve emptied this container if you remove it while the machine is switched on, and you let at least five seconds elapse before you place it back. If you empty the container with the machine off, or do it too quickly, it doesn’t know you’ve done it and won’t reset.The water reservoir really isn’t large enough. I’m filling it back up all the time. You get used to it.The beam hopper isn’t really big enough either. You’ll find yourself replenishing that quite frequently. And, the seal on the lid for the bean hopper rapidly becomes loose after use. You might worry that your beans will get stale because of this; but if you drink anywhere near as much coffee as my wife and I do, I can tell you they won’t be in there long enough for that.The system is quite noisy when grinding. Live with it. It lasts all of about 30 seconds.I also don’t believe the Philips 4300 is entirely consistent. Either in the quality/taste of the coffee it produces, or even the volume. But, there can be variations in your beans, and maybe your water. So, it’s hard to pin this stuff down. But, bottom line, I always get a good cup of coffee, and frequently a great one. Sometimes it seems like my first sip of a cup, which is full of crema, can be a bit bitter, but then the rest of the cup is fine.Obviously, the Philips 4300 Espresso Machine is expensive (and I was lucky enough to purchase it when the price briefly dipped to $900). Maybe there’s a payback on it your alternative is Starbucks, or buying prepared coffee anywhere else. But, I’m sure it’s substantially more expensive to use than most other home brew methods, like a French press. But, the convenience factor is very high, and it’s wonderful to be able to wake up, stagger downstairs into my kitchen, press a couple buttons and be served a very good cup of coffee before I’m even entirely conscious. I have no hesitation about recommending the system, and I imagine it’s a relatively good value compared to its competitors.
Keith –
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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!
Ellen Laino –
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!
PDS –
This was a splurge purchase, and one that I am thorougly enjoying after one month of every day use. I drink coffee every day, dislike the taste of burnt coffee at Starbucks, and typically refused to order anything but “regular coffee” when purchasing out. Over the past few years, I have begun roasting my own beans, and even bought a coffee machine that used the “correct” temperature to get the most out of those fresh beans. But after using the Philips Lattego 4300, I’ve found that I really enjoy all the different types of beverages offered on this machine, and it does a wonderful job extracting the flavor on my freshly roasted coffee beans!The first few weeks of use, it took some time getting used to having water in the collection tray below, trying to figure out if I have the brew unit in place correctly after cleaning, etc. And the first few weeks, there was variation in what the machine produced… .now that it has been in place for a while, it does a very good job of consistent coffee making every time!Bottom line, I would recommend this machine!
Yigit AYigit A –
Works well once you dial in the grind size according to your beans. I use decaf beans in the hopper. When I want a regular coffee, I grind my own regular beans and use the grinder bypass chute. It’s almost like having two hoppers. It’s overall very easy to use. Drinks it makes are a bit on the small side, but you can always make more / adjust the settings. Cleaning is easy too.
edney0207 –
After doing research, I decided to buy this espresso machine and it didn’t disappoint. What a delight it is to have easy cleaning, fast heat-up time, and the gorgeous Black Truffle color is just a cherry on top. I love this machine! It’s super reliable and has everything I need. Totally worth the investment!
J. Haning –
*UPDATE* I updated this to 5 stars because Breville sent me a brand new machine when i emailed them about the grinder issues.Original review: I really like the flexibility of this machine for dialing in the perfect shot. The built in grinder was a disappointment which surprised me because I love my Breville stand alone grinder. It constantly locks up and has to be completly disassembled to be cleaned. It finally quit working altogether after 9 months. It just makes an awful noise and turns slowly. I contacted Breville twice now about the one year warranty through their website but never heard back. Since I already have a grinder (which I am now using) the combo unit takes up a lot of wasted space on my counter top.
Christopher Komuves –
So, the machine itself is very pretty with all its shiny stainless steel, and it is satisfyingly heavily built. The parts are well machined, and fit together well.DOCUMENTATION:The documentation, however, is terrible. There is one page of the manual (page 15) that contradicts itself just within that same page. It says that “if the espresso starts to flow after less than 6 seconds…this is an UNDER EXTRACTED shot.” Later on the same page, it says a correct extraction is when the “flow starts after 8-12 seconds”, and that under extraction is where “flow starts afer 1-7 seconds”. So, my extraction was starting to flow around 6 seconds, and sometimes 7, so according to the manual, that was both not under extracted and was under extracted. I wound up talking with a support person from Breville (I’ll get to that later), and I told her that the range of how much ground coffee should be used doesn’t actually work with the provided portafilter, and seems oddly high. When she asked me where I saw the range I was quoting, I told her (again, page 15), and she said it said something different, telling me I was wrong, followed by, “oh, you must have an outdated version of the manual that has the wrong numbers in it” even though I just purchased this a week ago. She emailed me the current manual. The provided manual says 8-10 grams for 1 cup, 19-22 grams for 2 cup. The PDF she emailed says 8-11 grams for 1 cup and 16-19 grams for 2 cup. These are really major mistakes that have made getting this to work properly into a nightmare that was unnecessary.SUPPORT:I spend an hour on the phone with a customer support woman from Breville. I’m going to recount some of the detailed dialogue so you can understand what this support experience was like for the hour of my life I will never get back.She asked me no less than 4 times to grind a batch of coffee at 15 grind setting for 13 seconds, after I started off by telling her that when I did just that (the default), and it produced 21.4 grams of coffee, where only about 20 grams could be squeezed into in the portafilter, despite the manual saying that’s in range for what should fit. I kept telling her that again, and she would go back to it again and keep asking me to grind that much coffee despite my telling her that only 12 seconds worth could be squeezed into it. She also kept calling me “Mr. Hall”, which is not even vaguely close to my name, until I asked her why she was calling me that, so she switched to “Mr. Christopher” (my first name).She had me run through the 1 and 2 shot cycles just to measure how much water comes out without a portafilter in place, which turned out to be almost 2 and almost 3 ounces, respectively. She then said, “Oh, that’s way too much, it should be 1 ounce and 2 ounces.”. I responded by saying, “isn’t that what the output should be of espresso when you actually pull it–since some water will be left within the grinds, etc.?”. She said, “no, it’s supposed to be 1 and 2 ounces without going through coffee and would be the same when it goes through coffee.” She then had me run though doing custom shot volume, telling me completely wrong information about how the procedure works, and had me change the amounts to 1 and 2 ounces of water. I did that–slightly more actually because water keeps coming out after you stop it. Then she had me pull shots through coffee. The single cup shot had a volume, including crema, of only 0.6 ounces! When I told her it was “point six ounces”, she said “that’s too much, it should only be an ounce”. When I responded again that it was “zero point six ounces” she said that again. When I said, “but that’s barely more than half of what it’s supposed to be, barely more than half an ounce”, she responded, “oh, right, that’s less than an ounce, I always get that backwards.”I asked her if doing the “reset to defaults” on the machine would restore the volumes for shots that they machine came with, which seemed fine to me in the beginning. She said, “no, resetting to defaults does not affect that setting, you have to manually change it back using the custom setting.” After the call, where she left me with unusable settings and I was having a really tough time getting them right, I looked in the manual, and she was dead wrong. Doing a reset does reset these volumes, so I did.At one point during the call, I had to tell her I needed to switch to a different coffee as I was almost out of the one I had just purchased (since she was making me waste massive amounts of it on totally useless tests). The beans I was using to this point, btw, were fairly good. It was Allegro Coffee Organic Espresso Bel Canto ( https://amzn.to/3eOOSnQ ). She said that the problem I actually called about–which was that I could not get the extraction into the correct time range of 8-12 seconds before flow starts, was entirely because I was using “inferior beans”.OPERATIONI do love that this machine heats up in just a couple of seconds, whether for making espresso or for steaming milk. That’s an excellent feature. The steam wand is powerful too–though for small amounts of milk, it’s so powerful that it’s hard to get good microfoam and to not overheat the milk.One design flaw is that when you grind the recommended amount of coffee into the portafilter (you put the portafilter and handle into a little slot), it spills coffee grounds everywhere–both wasting good coffee and making a mess that’s a pain to clean up each time.I did find an excellent solution to that, which is to add in a ring funnel. I was skeptical about this, but with this on the portafilter, you leave it far belong the grinder and manually depress the button behind where the filter is supposed to go, and all the grinds get into the portafilter with no waste or mess. This means totally not using the grinder as intended, but the design for that is so broken that this is the only reasonable solution. The one I used was this, and it works shockingly well: https://amzn.to/38KwVmfSo, I’m not sure what to say about this machine in summary. It’s pretty and has some great features and engineering, but also some painfully badly engineered features. Documentation and technical support are among the worst of any company I’ve encountered. I so WANTED to love this machine. I like it, but there are a lot of issues to get past. I don’t have experience with other competing machines, so I don’t know what faults they have to compare with this. Between the design flaws, terrible support, and blatantly wrong information in their documentation that they provide, I would have to conclude that Breville is quite a dysfunctional company. Maybe I can live with that for a pretty machine with some nice features? I’m still trying to decide.
Penn Gname –
Breville has always made reliable and quality products and there’s no reason to believe otherwise regarding this espresso machine. That said, this is a challenging piece of equipment. There are so many variables that it seems only an actual barista would be comfortable using it – at least for a while. I am still early in my learning curve so this initial review is a first reaction and not an opinion of quality. I’ll follow up later as I become more familiar with its operation.It is daunting to go from a Nespresso machine using one button and a pod, to a machine with so many variables. It’s impossible to know at first if you’re doing something wrong or if there is something wrong with the machine. In the beginning, it’s a pretty safe bet that it’s the operator, not the machine; especially with so many settings that need to be properly tuned. The owner’s manual is fine for identifying the parts of the machine but is almost useless for operational guidance. Imagine a saxophone arriving at your home, never having used or played one, and instructions telling you how to insert the reed, assemble the neck, and press the keys. That’s not enough info to make great music.Fortunately, there are a number of helpful videos on The Google, many specific to this machine. I’d highly recommend watching one or two of these before the initial set-up and use. My first session – without any instruction – was nerve-wracking:- Some parts fit extremely tightly and I was reluctant to force anything.- I was not able to pull a shot with crema. (still haven’t…)- The amount of grind and espresso varied each time.All these things made me wonder if the problem was with my inexperience or was a machine malfunction. Seeing others perform these operations relieves a lot of confusion and anxiety.This is not a machine for casual coffee drinkers. It is a great machine for coffee nerds and would-be baristas and those who are ready to learn – or upgrade to – a new instrument.
Designer77Designer77 –
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!
Waterhouse –
This is a nice unit for the price. I’m no barista, but I did months of research and comparisons before setting on this model. Partly because I caught it 20% off, and partly because it was my preferred model even at retail. The grinder works well. It does come with a funnel for filling the basket so don’t buy one. They don’t make that very clear. My only complaint is at times it doesn’t feel as hot at others. Supposedly heats up in 3 seconds, but you still need to run dummy shots and/or warm up all the components first anyway. Bottom line it makes a nice shot of espresso and finding the right weight and grind size for your coffee is all part of the journey.
Tara Noble –
If you are a coffee “snob” and prefer high quality roasts, specialty drinks, and having the control at your finger tips for that 24/7…this is the machine. I have never been a fan of that drive-thru over priced, over roasted stuff. I like good quality beans, a good roast, fresh ground, and coffee when I want it, without having to leave my home just to get it. This machine is worth the money. Small learning curve, but reading the directions is all it takes.I love that I have several drink choices, to include being able to get hot steamed milk to melt those chocolate squares in I bring home when I travel. I did the research, read reviews (not the positive ones), and then visited several shops to see what they have. Saeco is a well tested and trusted brand, and knowing that this is a Saeco machine with Phillips branding due to a buy out helped make the final decision.
DRJ –
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This is my first home espresso machine and I’m already making better lattes than most overpriced coffee shops. If you have just a few minutes to make a latte in the morning before going out, this the best machine for you and for the price. It heats very fast, has a built-in grinder, customized pre-infusion, powerfull steam wand vs Barista express, stable pressure at 9b, easy to operate and clean. I find however that the temperature control on this machine is not exact and couldn’t tell what brew temperature is it on. A similar Italian made machine with these specs and without a grinder would cost at least 2k. If you find yourself adding milk to your coffee you won’t really notice a difference vs a more expensive machine. I’m doing weekly cleaning and planning to change the filter/descale every couple of months. Only time will tell how long this machine will last.Update 11/25/2022: Removing 3 stars. After 4 months of daily use the steam wand started to fail. I use soft water and regularly cleaned and descaled the machine. I wish I could have gotten more use of this machine.
Jan Reber –
Pro: makes great espresso drinks IF: You use the right beans. Darkest oily beans clog the machine and create a taste not everyone cares forCon: makes terrible “regular” coffee no matter what type of beans are used: “Regular” coffee needs to steep a bit in the grounds. Forcing under pressure as this machine does creates an odd tasteIf you want both espresso and ordinary coffee, keep your regular coffee pot and only use this machine for espresso drinksPro: makes great foam in varying quantities automatically or on its own. Frother is easy to clean.Con: the machine itself requires periodic maintenance such as oilingCon: while even some of the least expensive coffeemakers won’t make a drink if there is not enough water available, this machine will stop in the middle of a drink prep and demand water. By the time you add water and the machine heats, your drink is ruined and you have to start over.Con: The instructions are not great. The three screen choices for each drink vary by drink in ways that are sometimes unclear. You may need a playlist for awhile.Pro: Lavazza Crema & Aroma beans are a good choice for this machine.Bottom line: This is a quality expensive machine. I enjoy the espresso drinks, but I wish I bought a less expensive espresso only machine — as long as it had a good frother.
Richard B. –
After all the positive reviews, I was looking forward to brewing my own lattes. The machine arrived promptly as scheduled. I unpacked everything, removed all the plastic, tape, etc. I rinsed all the components like the frothing cup, tamper, portafilter, water tank, etc. I soaked the water filter for 5 minutes, installed the water filter into the water tank and filled the water tank with water (below the max line). Then I powered on the machine and tried the initial flush after putting a mug under where I would expect the water to come out. 10, 9, 8, repeated beeping and reset back to wanting to do a flush. I tried a few times, tried with the bean hopper and without, with and without the portafilter attached. Nothing…The instruction manual makes no mention of such an error condition or what to do. Online, I found some references to the flush requiring the portafilter and others arguing it doesn’t. Often I have seen people say this indicates a dead machine… So, basically, DOA…**Jun 6 update**: after waiting about 1 hour for Breville support, and working with support for about 15 minutes, they indicated I need to send the machine (just the shell, not the water tank, etc) via UPS, then wait for receipt, then they will send a new machine to me. Currently, it looks like my 2 day Amazon order is basically turning into a 2 week exercise. Hopefully, the new machine will be worth it. I’ll post an update when I receive the replacement.**Jun 14 update**: I received my replacement unit. It worked right out of the box. Of course setup was faster this time since I already knew what to do. As for the quality of the machine, I am still working on making a good espresso (haven’t perfected the crema). Also, be aware that the steamer outputs a couple seconds of water initially, so I recommend using a cup to put underneath until steam starts coming out, then start frothing the milk. The steam wand stops after awhile, whether or not the frothing is complete (if you buy a larger frothing cup, it won’t always be complete). The portafilter sometimes is hard to get on and you certainly want to get a dosing funnel for the portafilter. I am also purchasing a bottomless portafilter for the machine so I can more easily customize the settings.**Jun 19 update**: After trying several times to make a decent espresso and latte, I finally figured out it was the beans I had. Don’t expect a decent espresso if you have older beans (even if they made a decent drip coffee and came from a coffee shop). Also, Starbucks beans are “old” the day you buy them. I have to find a decent local roaster, but at least the Lavazzo Barista Perfetto beans I ordered recently produced a richer coffee with some crema (even though I have no idea when they were roasted either). I also found it is better to weigh the beans and grind the full amount rather than use the timed grinding amount. Overall, I see I am in for a lot of experimentation, but now that I got my first semi-decent espresso (far better than you can buy at Starbucks), I know this is a good machine.Overall, I am raising my review to a 4 star (not quite as good as the “pro” machines I am used to at work in our micro-kitchens, but certainly better than the DOA unit, and customer service was pretty good). However, for the price-point, I am not sure I am going to get a better machine without spending several thousand to get the features like “instant” steam (without dripping water) and being able to froth your milk concurrent with the “extraction”.
Ralph Hatfield –
Love the machine!!! It takes some getting use to but once you do you’ll make coffee all day. 3 friends have bought the same machine after many cups of coffee from mine.
Consuelo WellsConsuelo Wells –
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!
SPEEDYSHEED –
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This has the upgraded Baratza grinder with quick boiling thermojet block and digital timer to accurately time your doses. It’s a winner in my book amongst Breville Lineup of espresso machines and a favorite amongst many espresso aficionados.
Mark Velez –
I have had my Breville Barista Pro since October of 2022 and have absolutely loved it. Not getting too in depth on specific functionality comparisons, overall it works well and is a pretty easy machine to use.However, recently I began having issues with my group head, and needed to contact Breville for support. This is when I discovered that Breville offers pretty poor customer service. I spoke with one representing who agreed to help me address my issue since my machine is still under warranty. They sent me some descaler to try, and asked me to call back if it was still an issue. When I called back after the issue persisted I found that the second representative refused to help me with my issue, and basically ended the call before we were able to reach a resolution. Worth noting is that hold times are upwards of 30 minutes per call.In my research I have found that the Solenoid Valve failing is a very frequent issue for Breville machines (due to a bad design).I decided to write this review because there are tons of reviews out there about new machines, but very few from folks who have owned their machine for a long time. It is tough to pay $800+ for a machine only to have it fail after a few years.
A. YuA. Yu –
Our $2000 Saeco Granbaristo super-automatic espresso machine recently quit after making 8100 cups of gourmet coffee in the past 4 years. It cannot be fixed due of parts were discontinued. At an average of $0.25 per cup, we enjoyed 4 years of gourmet coffees, cappuccinos with in-home convenience. It was well worth it. We were on a hunt for our next machine.I knew Philips acquired Saeco a couple of years ago. So I guess the talent from Saeco must help to design the Philips automatic espresso machines. I was right! This machine not only preserves all the great tastes and features from Saeco, but the design is even better! Most of all, the price is a little bit unbelievable. I then realize it was designed in Italy and made in Romania. And this machine is almost identical to the Saeco Xelsis.Like Saeco super-automatic, you can adjust the coffee temperature, amount, and milk amount. The coffee is hot. On a rare occasion, if your guest is a tea drinker, it can output hot water as well. One of the most important features I like from my old Saeco but-not-sure-until-I-receive-it is the high-ball size coffee mug support. You can brew directly into a standard high-ball coffee mug if you like “drink-and-drive”. (Not so much now after pandemic). Although it’s hard to find standard tall-ball stainless steel thermal coffee mugs in the US, I found them in Muji Japan. These space-tech thermal coffee mugs allow it to brew the coffee directly into the tall mug and ensure you have hot coffee until the last sip.We are looking forward to continuing to enjoy the machine in the future. And at an even cheaper cost $0.10 or less per cup. (Note that the coffee bean is about $0.06 per cup).Additional comment after 1 week: we found this coffee machine is a true next-gen of what we had before. The taste is even better. Added true Americano brewing techniques, super easy to clean up milk carafe. Can’t say more good about it.
Blake Kinsey –
This machine is awesome by all accounts. The only thing I still haven’t figured out (after having it about a month) is how to get it to make full cups of coffee without having to run it multiple times. Not the end of the world, but I’ve set the settings of various drinks to where it should fill up a 12oz cup, but it only ever fills up MAYBE half of it. Trying to find answers online has proven useless. I still love it and use it every day, though!
Eunsik Na –
I got this item Feb 2 2022.Since then there have been several issues. First, it has a sensor problem. Whenever we made just a couple of coffee coffees, the sensor says, ” empty the ground”, so we pulled out the ground container to empty, there were very small tiny gained coffee, since we just at most a couple of coffee made!Second, on top of this machine, there is a container where we supposedly put into coffee bean. Eventhough there is pretty amount of coffee, the sensor say, “add coffee and start again almost every other day, I had to get through this uncomfortable situation takes place!So we called customer service and explained what happened. However, the customer service people are not professionally work at all! Yesterday, I called and explained this but at the end of the conversation, the call center person hung off the phone before I hung off the phone. What type of manner is that?? And whenever I tried to say something, she tried to say something as well! If two parties keep saying, who is gonna listen?? The company need to train their employees before they put them in the position!!It has been years of using. After I put this review, I had chance to send the machine to their office and they fixed it , sent back to me. Now I am using everymoring to make coffees which works fine. There is still issue like empty the ground after a couple of coffee made and I believe it should their eventual goal to improve. Except that part, works well.
StrandedMoose –
This is a very well-engineered Espresso machine that is a great place for any beginner, and even the intermediate barista. This is probably one of the best machines you can get under the $1000+ range from my research.Like any espresso machine, it takes a lot of coffee and trial and error to get used to it. This is because you need to find the optimal pull time and grind size for each bean that you use. I highly recommend Nicoletti Old School Roast for latte-based drinks. For those, I use an internal burr of 4 and grind size of 9 or 10.You can find excellent tutorials on YouTube specifying how to perfect the espresso pull for your bean of choice. The video “How to Dial In Breville Barista Pro” by Lifestyle Labs makes it very easy. However, you can also just use the preset values to get decent results. I wish that Breville had an official course on how to use it for complete beginners, because I was totally lost when I received mine.After a lot of trial and error, I now am making oat milk lattes that taste exponentially better than anything I can buy at a coffee shop, for a fraction of the price. I currently use Elmhurst Oat Milk and Elmhurt Barista Edition because it’s the only oat milk on the market that isn’t filled with gums or oils.My oat milk lattes are on par with any whole milk latte from the local coffee stores. Needless to say, I’m very happy with this machine.Pros- Easy to use, intuitive interface- Very easy to clean- Very easy to descale/service- Visually appealing- All necessary components in one chassis- One button push for excellent single or double shot drinksCons- Can’t steam milk and pull espresso at the same time (all pros recommend doing this, so it’s a bit silly that this unit can’t).- Steam takes significant time to generate. It also spits out water first, watering down your milk. Whereas Higher end espresso machines will instantly shoot steam that is pre-heated in a chamber)- Grinder is not as precise as many high end grinders; There are no half sizes so it is difficult to fine tune at a certain point. My understanding is that it’s not as powerful either and beans often get stuck in the hopper so you often need to tap on the hopper to make sure all the beans grind.
Amazon CustomerAmazon Customer –
I waited about a year to write this review, to make sure I used the machine enough to have an opinion. It works amazingly. I use it every day – and have since I purchased it. The initial set up will take time, like any other good espresso machine. You’ll need to dial in your beans and find the right grind size, brew time, etc. I found a YouTube video and followed it to help me out. After that, I just began practicing every day with steaming the milk and after a while I was able to make the perfect drink for me. It has eliminated my daily coffee runs, I of course will still grab a coffee while I’m out running errands just for fun but the price of the machine has paid out for how much I use it.The machine will tell you when to descale and when to flush based on how many pulls you are doing which is great. I bought extra tablets and will flush it probably once every 2 months and then descale it quarterly. All of the cleaning parts are fairly cheap on Amazon and breville has videos online to follow.I clean the tray and steam wand weekly and found that soaking my wand in 1:2 white vinegar/hot water works the best for getting any scalded milk out of the nozzle and keeps it steaming perfectly. You can twist the nozzle off after soaking for an hour and use a straw cleaner to scrub the wand out. This helps eliminate blockages in the wand which I was having in the beginning after a couple weeks of use even after purging the wand after every use.Everything comes apart really easily for cleaning and moving – I kept the original box and styrofoam for moving since I moved across the country and everything held up perfectly. I did end up purchasing a different tamp but the one that comes with it works fine I just preferred a heavier weighted one.Overall, I highly recommend this and will keep using breville products if they are all built this well.
David Kuntz –
The Philips 4300 Espresso Machine consistently delivers a good to excellent cup of coffee (or espresso, cappuccino, Americano…) and is reliable.I’ve used my machine daily for six months before writing this review. I wanted to have a very clear idea of its operation and reliability before I wrote anything. Here are the key things to know:Expect to spend at least a couple of weeks playing around with the numerous settings before you get the coffee precisely to your liking. There are number of different things you can adjust using the front panel. Plus the grinder itself can be adjusted; I’ve currently got mine set at nearly the finest grind.I haven’t quantified it, but I believe the Philips uses quite a bit more beans to make a given amount of coffee than other methods. I certainly know I’m refilling it with beams frequently. Of course, this might just be because I’m drinking more coffee due to the extreme convenience (one button operation) of the system.The machine also uses other consumables at a fairly rapid clip – namely the AquaClean filter and descaling tables. Normally, I would write all these off as a scam, designed primarily to contribute to Philips’ bottom line. But the first time I used a coffee oil remover tablet it had an immediate positive impact on the taste of my coffee. And, the machine will nag you endlessly if you don’t change the AquaClean filter, so I think there’s no escaping that.I clean my machine out quite thoroughly once a week, and lube it. This takes about 20 minutes. I think it’s worth the trouble.Within a short time after purchasing it, I noticed that the two o-rings on the boiler nozzle had already deteriorated. Others reported having the same problem.I tried to contact Philips to have these replaced, assumedly under warranty. I got absolutely nowhere with that; and I would say that might be a real weakness in purchasing from Philips. Their service appears to be nonexistent.However, the one thing I did extract from Philips’ pathetic excuse for a service infrastructure is an “exploded view” drawing of the entire machine which lists the part number for quite literally every single part in the system. This allowed me to track down replacement parts from a third party which set me back all of a couple dollars.I haven’t had the same problem since I replaced those original o-rings. And, now, I’m thinking that I created this problem with over-aggressive cleaning; namely I was cleaning off the lubricant from these o-rings, which possibly then caused them to rapidly wear out (because this nozzle pushes into a receptacle every time you turn the machine on, so there is frequent motion and wear on them).When I first started using the machine, I would frequently get the “Empty grounds container” message, even though I had already emptied the container. I thought I might have a faulty sensor, but eventually, I stumbled on to the reason for this in the manual. The machine only knows that you’ve emptied this container if you remove it while the machine is switched on, and you let at least five seconds elapse before you place it back. If you empty the container with the machine off, or do it too quickly, it doesn’t know you’ve done it and won’t reset.The water reservoir really isn’t large enough. I’m filling it back up all the time. You get used to it.The beam hopper isn’t really big enough either. You’ll find yourself replenishing that quite frequently. And, the seal on the lid for the bean hopper rapidly becomes loose after use. You might worry that your beans will get stale because of this; but if you drink anywhere near as much coffee as my wife and I do, I can tell you they won’t be in there long enough for that.The system is quite noisy when grinding. Live with it. It lasts all of about 30 seconds.I also don’t believe the Philips 4300 is entirely consistent. Either in the quality/taste of the coffee it produces, or even the volume. But, there can be variations in your beans, and maybe your water. So, it’s hard to pin this stuff down. But, bottom line, I always get a good cup of coffee, and frequently a great one. Sometimes it seems like my first sip of a cup, which is full of crema, can be a bit bitter, but then the rest of the cup is fine.Obviously, the Philips 4300 Espresso Machine is expensive (and I was lucky enough to purchase it when the price briefly dipped to $900). Maybe there’s a payback on it your alternative is Starbucks, or buying prepared coffee anywhere else. But, I’m sure it’s substantially more expensive to use than most other home brew methods, like a French press. But, the convenience factor is very high, and it’s wonderful to be able to wake up, stagger downstairs into my kitchen, press a couple buttons and be served a very good cup of coffee before I’m even entirely conscious. I have no hesitation about recommending the system, and I imagine it’s a relatively good value compared to its competitors.
Sarina –
We have always wanted an automatic espresso machine, so after we sold our house and moved, decided to purchase the Philips Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo. At first, we were disappointed, it seems to take about a week to break in. Also, if you immediately make drinks after turning on, it is not super hot, so give it a minute to maximize the temperature. It took us around 2 weeks of messing with the grind setting to get what we like, I recommend not touching it the first week, it does get better over time. Also, the strength and taste is very dependent on the Beans you choose, which honestly, it’s how it should be. Took us some time to fight the right Bean. It is a complicated machine, so does require periodic TLC. We have owned since March 22 2023. I will update if anything goes wrong, or in a year. Hopefully this thing lasts a while, it is by far the most expensive coffee machine I have purchased. And like other reviewers, it was to replace Starbucks runs.
knightone525 –
This to me is a waste of money,and the quality of the product is worse than when Saeco made them.Takes 150 coffee’s before it breaks in?Give me a break!The automatic settings are not to my liking either.An Americano is pre determined by the machine,you cannot control how much espresso is used just the final amount.As for doing it manually,it gives you certain amounts of hot water like 5.1 ounces then 6.8 ounces.If you want 6 ounces you have to set it to 6.8 and stop it.The espreesso it makes is very weak compared to something like the $700 breville barista express.The Breville makes a lot better shot,yes it is mostly manual but it’s not that hard to use.The old Saeco galia made a better shot than this thing.
K. Kienast –
Before purchasing this Phillips 4300 Lattego machine I had used a mocha pot and then more recently I had a ninja coffee maker. I had always wanted a super automatic with an integrated grinder and I decided to splurge on this one after reading many reviews. I am so happy that I did! This is literally the best purchase I’ve made as an adult. No joke. This grinds my coffee beans perfectly. It brews the coffee, and then it also adds steamed milk that I do not have to heat up myself. It’s amazing! And even more amazing is the flavor that I can get out of the coffee that I didn’t even know was there before. I just tried a small batch of freshly roasted coffee and I could actually taste the caramel notes that were listed on the bag. I’ve never tasted those little intricacies of the coffee before! I am in love and I can’t wait to make coffee everyday. This is also super easy to set up. It literally takes less than 10 minutes. I read all the instructions and it was easy. I also watched a few videos just to make sure I was prepared for my machine. Seattle coffee company has some really great videos that you can watch. It’s easy to clean every week as well. I take the brew group out and rinse as indicated and put it back in. I love this machine. If it breaks I am still spending $1000 more to buy another one because I love it that much. I’m not living without this.
Ashley Balmanno –
We’re expecting our first child in a few Months and splurged on this machine to simplify the coffee making process for us and visitors. The convenience factor alone is worth it. And it allowed us to consolidate 3 devices to 1. We like the clean lines and it’s quite compact for everything it does. It has 3 profiles which is very nice for saving personal preferences. It is a little loud and does scare our dog, especially when it’s frothing the milk, but it’s worth it
Amazon CustomerAmazon Customer –
I waited about a year to write this review, to make sure I used the machine enough to have an opinion. It works amazingly. I use it every day – and have since I purchased it. The initial set up will take time, like any other good espresso machine. You’ll need to dial in your beans and find the right grind size, brew time, etc. I found a YouTube video and followed it to help me out. After that, I just began practicing every day with steaming the milk and after a while I was able to make the perfect drink for me. It has eliminated my daily coffee runs, I of course will still grab a coffee while I’m out running errands just for fun but the price of the machine has paid out for how much I use it.The machine will tell you when to descale and when to flush based on how many pulls you are doing which is great. I bought extra tablets and will flush it probably once every 2 months and then descale it quarterly. All of the cleaning parts are fairly cheap on Amazon and breville has videos online to follow.I clean the tray and steam wand weekly and found that soaking my wand in 1:2 white vinegar/hot water works the best for getting any scalded milk out of the nozzle and keeps it steaming perfectly. You can twist the nozzle off after soaking for an hour and use a straw cleaner to scrub the wand out. This helps eliminate blockages in the wand which I was having in the beginning after a couple weeks of use even after purging the wand after every use.Everything comes apart really easily for cleaning and moving – I kept the original box and styrofoam for moving since I moved across the country and everything held up perfectly. I did end up purchasing a different tamp but the one that comes with it works fine I just preferred a heavier weighted one.Overall, I highly recommend this and will keep using breville products if they are all built this well.
C. A. Lincoln –
Our old one gave up the ghost after many years of service. Makes great coffee but fairly expensive.
j.Bear –
This was a godsend for the month-and-a-half that it worked. Beautiful, tasty espresso, cappuccinos, and mochas. Relatively simple to use. Loved it.A month and a half in, it no longer works. It will grind fine, but cannot seem to push any water through even with an empty group head. I have a ticket open with the manufacturer, have had zero response. This is not an inexpensive item, I expected better support as I have seen reports of it from others. I’ll update this if I ever hear back.Update 2024-03-23After some back and forth with support, I received a replacement unit today. I do not know if it is new or refurbished, but it works well. I do not know what caused the issue with the first unit, if there is anything I can do to prevent the problem, or if the replacement will suffer the same fate. Love the functionality of this thing but I am nervous about its longevity.
Christopher & Anna –
Bought it in 2021. If you clean it and take care of it it will work. Coffee still tastes great. For grinding – the smaller the number the smaller the grounds the stronger the coffee.
Jose Antonio Perez –
Use it daily. Great !!
Mccwho –
It makes good coffee and expresso. Not as good as a dedicated high pressure expresso machine. One complaint is that even with the strength and volume settings set to max it makes less coffee then a kurig. So I have to run it twice everytime to get a decent amount.Another complaint is it uses a large amount of beans and doesn’t seem to get all of potential out of the grounds. So it’s rather waist full. As an experiment I took some of the grounds and put then into a reusable filter for a kurig and made a good tasting cup of coffee.The frothing feature basically works but could do a much better job!And forget about using preground coffee in this! The coffee comes out very weak.Still undecided if we’ll keep this. It’s an expensive machine and I’m disappointed in it for the cost of it.If your ok with small amounts of coffee It’s probably good for you.And the coffee it does make is pretty good. But it will cost you a lot in beans. I don’t recommend this machine if you buy top level beans. Get a dedicated high pressure machine for that use case.I also won’t be getting ride of my kurig, it’s surprisingly almost as good . Of course I have the same brand and rost beans and k cups. For this comparison, apples to apples.You .ay find it good for you, since coffee is subjective to the individual.
Andrew P. –
It’s not that it’s hard to clean, it’s that you have to do it so frequently.Between constantly spewing water into the tray, coffee-grind-espresso-wand tolerances being way too loose (which leaves ground coffee to be wasted and fall into the tray of stagnant water), this thing is a messy nuisance. I’m not sure if the auto-tamping model would alleviate this problem, but I really hope so for the extra price.Compared to the original, the tray is on feet and seems like it sits slightly higher than the original model, which means more creativity when using non-standard espresso cups.Also, the metal tray itself scratches way too easily. I think it had scratches from mugs within hours of the unboxing.It’s a shame I can’t find a pre-fitted drain + water shutoff valve for the breville so I can get rid of both the tray and the water reservoir. Still this would leave the poor tolerance grinder to drop coffee grounds all over the place.I’m thinking of just making my own kit once I work out the pressure drop. Unfortunately, there is no 1/4″ QC device that shuts off water that doesn’t require some sort of tank-float design. I may just have to design and 3D print my own.Other than that, it’s held up fairly well considering the amount of coffee I make. The water heats up very fast and once the grind is dialed-in, almost perfect espresso every time.
CheshireCat –
Got this coffee machine as a birthday present and now the whole family is using it. There aren’t many coffee machines out there with many reviews that I’ve noticed and I purchased this coffee machine primarily because of the brand. Philips has good quality products and has been around for years.Be prepared that the package is very heavy. The coffee machine itself is actually lighter and much more compact. It fits perfectly on our counter and there’s barely any assembly. The machine looks gorgeous on a counter space. I loved that this product had video instructions for setup that was easy to follow along. The only confusing bit was testing the water (you must hold no longer than 10 seconds) and unfortunately only 1 tester is given. The setup took about 10 minutes and the machine was ready for coffee brewing. You can actually add ground coffee or beans. P.S. coffee made from fresh beans tastes so much better! When adding ground coffee we hit another snag because you’re suppose to put 1 spoon per cup and even if you fill it up with multiple spoons, for let’s say multiple cups of coffee, it’ll release water instead and spill all the ground coffee inside of the machine. The coffee itself is done fast. While the coffee is brewing I can continue making breakfast. The quality of the coffee is amazing, definitely helps to have the milk frother attachment and it will froth the milk for you so you don’t have to do much. 2 most used beverages right now are cappuccino and cafe macchiato. Oh, this machine does not make large cups of coffee. I will say the perfect size is your smaller coffee mugs (not espresso cups although it does make espresso as well). Now that the machine is constantly being used, it performs quite well and there hasn’t been any issues for the past 4 weeks. The only downside is the noise. When making coffee, the machine gets very loud, especially if you’re using the milk frother attachment. Regardless, I think this coffee machine is great for coffee lovers and would make an amazing present.
Preetk4 –
I bought this because it supposedly did the same thing as the one in my home builders office.Every time me and my wife went to my home builders office for picking out things and options for our custom house they would offer us coffee. Me and my wife always thought they had like a coffee shop in the back.One day I asked how you guys make this amazing coffee, well they took us in the back and showed us it was this coffee machine which I didn’t know about at the time but they told me it was a jura as well as the label on the machine.Well me and my wife love coffee so we decided we wanted something like that so we figured we get one too. That was until we found out how expensive the jura was. I did some research and found out. It was basically a all in one coffee machine and I came across this Phillips that had great reviews and supposedly did the same thing and a lot cheaper.Long story short, we went through 4 pounds of coffee beans trying to get the Philips to taste anything close to the Jura, and eventually gave up, me, and my wife conclusion was, it’s basically just a expensive Keurig. Honestly, the Keurig coffee, taste better, and the espresso on the Phillips taste like crap.So we decided to just get a jura like our home builder. In all honesty there is a night and day difference between the Phillips and jura. The Phillips is a $900 Keurig while the jura is actually a espresso all in one machine that tastes like coffee shop coffee.Lesson learned as usual you get what you pay for. Ps the jura has already paid for itself because no more Starbuck trips, also my home builders jura has been working non stop 30 plus coffees a business day they told me for 5+ years.
Amazon Customer –
Has a learning curve in order to find correct grind for coffee beans and brewing length. Had to adjust many times until I found it just right for me. Our other Breville espresso machine gave up after 6 years. Leaking, not heating and no longer steaming milk. Looked to repairing it but we had already had it repaired once for heating element and $200+. This new Breville is so much quicker. Did buy the 5-year insurance for this one.
Mercy –
Update: 8/5/2022Still loving this machine, it’s working great. We have already made over 2000 cups of coffee based on the ‘statistics’ (Although usually we do like a double cap, double coffee in our BIG mugs at a time x6-8x a day: so far from hard to do) I haven’t had any actual issues with this machine. I even contacted tech support on FB without issues for replacement parts incase they are ever needed. They have been very helpful.For those who are struggling with it, make sure you adjust your grind setting without doing that for whatever reason they have it set to barely grind anything. Also if it’s running slow(descale/clean), weak(grind setting change by the nob in the top where you pour the beans there’s TWO settings for you to adjust), or inconsistent(descale/clean). Especially if you’re not using the Phillips filters that you can put in the tank. I have VERY hard water, so I double filter. I next to never take from the tap. I have even used Zero Water filters to prefilter the machine.**But making a note to change both the display settings, and the grind settings (through the bean grinder/top nob) should be enough to fix ALL the complaints on this machine. I think many people have overlooked. **Ordered on March 10, 2022Okay since I bought this, this household has probably made over 1000 cups of coffee; yes big coffee drinkers here. We use about 5lb bag of coffee a month on average, other ways we always wound up throwing out coffee from thinks like a percolator that got cold.We are huge fans of this, and yes.. The price is insane.. but I will tell you its worth it. If you drink coffee like you breathe oxygen. Having something like this will reduce waste of beans, all while providing you a hot fresh beverage every time.I tell everyone this machine is like a keirug on crack(meaning it makes coffee 1000000000x better). I will admit given the price tag and my ‘income’ status, I was nervious, scared, unsure if I would like it, if it would be worth it.Out of ALL the money i ever spent on random crap that I regret, this is NOT one of them. I tell my fams – if I die bury me with the damn machine; I love it that much <3.Yes, the coffee does not get overly hot(no spit take heats/ or burnt tongues). But I understand the science behind it, adding cold liquids, using a colder cup, air exposure etc. That is probably the main downfall for having a machine that does it all, (Other machines with the spray nozzle for frothing milk actually HEAT the cup your using not just the liquid. This machine does not do that with the latte go system).But at the same time this remains a ‘go’ style coffee maker. Because you literally can make a cup of coffee and enjoy it in that moment(good 5-10 minutes with a lot of cold creamer; 20-30minutes with (room tempature) coconut creamer); then rush out the door to w/e. (Which is a big thing since my partner wakes up and doesn’t have time to have a huge pot brewing and waiting for it to cool to a drinkable tempature) So yeah, I give it 5*. Its perfect for a busy day, all while making delicious affordable coffee. (I stopped going to starbucks years ago to save and get one of these babies.) Its worth it!Oh and iced coffeee with this is divine; Espresso – flavors – milk – ice (that order)
MrPhilbert –
We had the Barista Express for several years and thousands of cups of coffee and latte’s. We loved that machine but we wore it out. This machine adds many useful features along with better performance versus the previous one. To wit:1. The time to brew is literally just a few seconds compared to minutes. I know that may sound trivial but tell that to your morning bleary eyes.2. The grind time and size is much easier to adjust and monitor. The grind countdown timer helps in that we can set a time that is two seconds less than full, tamp and watch the countdown timer for another two seconds. This helps to prevent precious grinds from overflowing.3. The steam is much stronger than previous. I make two latte’s at a time and froth using a double pitcher. Using this machine is much faster and the 4 hole nozzle helps to produce a more velvety foam.4. After pulling shots or frothing milk, it releases much less water into the drip tray thus using less water and necessitating less emptying of the tray.One thing I would like to change is for the steaming to not be timed. As it is, it stops halfway through a double cup. This requires turning of the steam and starting it again. It’s not a big deal but I’m sure Barista looks at feedback. If it’s possible to adjust this, please reply to this.If you were to ask, we’d say this machine is worth the extra dough versus the Barista Express.
Mandalorian –
We are absolutely delighted and impressed with this machine, look no further. You can customize coffee setting for individual users on the machine with an intuitive touch display. It will remember your setting when the machine turns itself off or even unplugged. It will remind you to add water, empty the grinds. It comes with a water filter so don’t have to mess with cleaning the machine with harsh chemicals (It will prompt you to replace the water filter after 95 liters of water). We got the ‘latte go’, easy to use and a breeze to clean. With the ‘extra drinks’ setting you can get extra milk froth or just hot water. With the IT version you can customize how many grounds or beans it uses, how strong your coffee will be and amount of milk. Setup is a breeze. Just a note, it rinses the machine when it is turns on or turns itself off so we leave a cup to catch it or the catch tray will quickly fill with water. It will run through water tank a little faster but if it is in the middle of making your coffee it will stop and tell you to add more water. You can also raise or lower the coffee dispenser so you can use any size cup. The little booklet is clear on setup and also on maintenance of grinder parts to keep the machine in peak performance.
biplane Pilotbiplane Pilot –
I watched at least two demonstration videos on this machine, as well as reading the more negative reviews prior to my purchase. I had an excellent experience for 8 years with my previous Breville semi automatic espresso machine, so I was already familiar with Breville quality. I was unsure if I would like the digital LCD screen over the analogue gauge on my older machine. I also knew how grimy the drip tray could get with coffee ground residue if you didn’t keep it clean regularly, so I was not put off by the comments regarding the same issue and then some with having the grinder combined. This machine is super easy to clean, so I rinse my drip tray out daily; voila, no sludge! The filter basket fits very tightly, so the little cut outs along the edge make it easy to separate when cleaning.I have to say after using this machine for over a month, I totally LOVE it! I especially like the slightly higher steam pressure for texturing my milk for lattes. It makes it much quicker and easier, but it will blow milk out of your frothing cup if you get careless when positioning the nozzle!Overall I find having the grinder and coffee maker combined, an awesome feature; takes up less counter space than individual units. The grinder does a great job of grinding the right amount and optimum grind for getting consistently excellent extractions! I’m looking forward to many years of great espressos, and lattes, and practicing my Latte art with this new machine.
Paul O. –
Easy to use. Makes a great cup of coffee. The milk froth is easy to clean and makes a pretty good froth.
M.Kendro –
Lots of learning curves on this going from coffee to espresso’s. It’s exactly what i have been needing my coffee to taste like. I use it on the daily- Super easy to keep clean and use, once you get a routine.
Steve W. –
If you are just getting into espresso machines then you will enjoy this unit. On the whole it’s a very good coffee maker but there are some minor things that could have been improved. I’ve been using it about 3 months and still trying to find the right balance between grind setting, coffee quantity and water quantity. For straight up espresso shots it’s absolutely fine, but I drink more americano type coffee and that’s where it can get a little frustrating. You can’t just use the manual setting to pour a long coffee because it doesn’t get hot enough. You have to use espresso shots then add hot water. Good points….1. It looks good on the counter – nice looking, quality design and construction2. It’s fast – you can get your cup of coffee out in a minute from cold start up3. Hot water dispenser produces very hot water instantaneouslyImprovements?1. This always seems to leave a mess. I’ve bought the accessories etc for grinding but always get coffee on the counter2. Water container is on the small side and not easy to fill if the machine is under a counter3. Bean hopper also a little small4. Would be nice to have a light underneath5. What about an illuminated digital clock on the front just for aestheticsI have another Italian brand coffee machine and while the Breville doesn’t match that for coffee quality if this is your first machine you will like it.
AJ –
This is a great beginner espresso machine. Very easy to use and maintain. We love it.
Louis D. –
I have nothing bad to say about this. Yes, there are other super automatics that might provide a better cup of coffee, but they can cost thousands of dollars more. Like others have wrote, at times the power button has to get pressed multiple times to power on, but what I did as a work around is install a smart plug. So if this happens again, I could either switch it off at the smart plug, or turn it off with my phone. All in all, it is a very nice coffee maker that am hoping will last a very long time.I adjusted my review to three stares, changed the title, and here are the reasons:All, for those of you who are thinking of purchasing this machine, I just wanted to share my experience because I purchased one. It does make decent espresso, when the grind size is set correctly. I set it at five from the finest grind, but your experience might vary. But, as for the milk based drinks, the milk foam is very runny, and it not capable of making any “dry” milk based drinks. Latte art is totally impossible. For this reason, I will be returning mine, and most probably be getting the Breyville Barista Pro instead. I prefer the micro foam to be firm, so am thinking with the the wand the Breyville Barista Pro provides, it could make the milk much more firmer than this one allows. plus, it is $100.00 cheaper, so that is more money in my pocket. But, if the firmness of the milk foam is not important, and if you like to choose drinks with the least amount of fuss, then by all means get this one.
Amazon Customer –
Love this espresso machine! I’ve had several like-machines over the years but this one is by far, the best one. It’s easy to use. It’s easy to clean. It makes very strong (or weak) coffee like you like it. The list goes on and on! My guests immediately noticed the quality of coffee.The coffee was noticeably weak the first few days and I set the strength to the highest setting but after a few days, I had to turn down the strength. The instructions said this is normal to allow the machine time to break in. I drink a lot of coffee and I have used only one 2.2 lb bag of coffee in 4 weeks.The things I don’t like: the water reservoir seems small. I fill it up more often than other machines. It may be because the machine uses a little water for cleaning when turned on and again when it turns off. This is a small price to pay in my opinion since it takes care of much of the cleaning chore for you. I also think the water temp could be hotter. I have the setting maxed but it could be hotter IMO.Overall, I don’t think you will be disspointed with this machine compared to others.
al –
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We had some issues in ‘Americano’ mode if you adjust cup size it just give you pure water (no coffee), hence minus one star. Also, the provided filtering element disrupt the water supply on low water level and machine won’t work (minus second star)Otherwise, good machine but for the price expected better.
Thor –
I have had the unit for 5 months now and I can honestly say this is best coffee maker experience I have ever had, after being disappointed in 8 different Keurig models I decided to pay a little extra and give this unit a try. I should probably give this 5 stars but there is only one thing I wish it did and that pertains to the water level and size of container. container size seems to be too small as I feel i’m constantly filling it (might be because the coffee is so darn good! LOL). It would also be nice if it anticipated the water level when making a cup as it doesn’t finish the cup and says “Add Water” and if you don’t do it in a certain time frame it will not continue the brew but just put a full cup on top of that one.item seems very well built and I hope it lasts for the price I paid.All in all I highly recommend this unit as I have tried all of the brews myself and and for guests and have gotten nothing but compliments. the brews easy to make and are “fantastic”.
Toby T.Toby T. –
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This was an amazing purchase and at a steal of a price at 20% off the original price. This machine grinds, brews and steams your milk for that perfect latte. Now I’m honing in my expresso skills and this is the machine that can do it all.UPDATE 2 months later:This is still fun and exciting making that perfect ☕️I have purchased many accessories that aren’t required but highly recommended. Get a dosing funnel first and foremost. I picked one sold from Cafe Home Shop for $13.98 p/n B08JPXXT9R. I went with plastic over stainless for the simple fact I didn’t want metal on metal and potentially scratching either the portafilter, basket or funnel. It fits tight on the breville Portafilter but not my after market bottomless one (although it still fits, just not as snug)2nd is get a puck screen. This is a inexpensive way to keep the group head clean (less flushing & descaling means less pump wear and tear) I went with one sold by Jokmae “2Pcs 1.7mm & 1.0mm Thickness 53.5mm Espresso Puck Screen” which offers 2 sizes in a combo pack. I use both based on the type bean I am currently using.3rd is get a scale to weigh your beans so you’re not guessing and wasting coffee. I typically weigh 18g – 20g and grind only the amount I need to preserve the coffee freshness. Yes the Barista pro has a timer with preset values for single and double shot but ultimately I was trying different beans and grind sizes so weigh it don’t waste it. 😉Those are must have in my opinion and should’ve been included with this machine but unfortunately they’re not.Now some other accessories that are great to have but not a must have.1- Bottomless Portafilter2- knock box/tamping station3- Coffee Distributor & Tamper puck style 2 in 1 tool4- Replacement Steam Lever sold by CREMA COFFEE PRODUCTS5- clear doublewalled glasses for viewing all the beautiful creme layers. I chose Glass Coffee Mugs Set of 4, Clear Coffee Mug 15 Oz sold by Mfacoy6- container for storing coffee. I chose “Planetary Design Airscape Stainless Steel Coffee Canister” as you don’t trap air like a sealed container but rather push it out with its innovative design.These are nice accessories to have but not required.All in all the Barista pro has been the single best investment I’ve made in a long time. Daily Starbucks trips for my wife and I each at around $7-$12 was adding up. This way we can make the same coffee (or better) and to our liking for much cheaper in the longer run
InfiniteWisdom –
We have had two of the original Barista models and this one is a HUGE improvement. Much more powerful, steams milk quickly but most importantly, controls the volume of water through the filter no matter how fine or course the grind is. This solved our biggest annoyance, controlling the grind so as to get the correct amount of output. HIGHLY Recommend!
Wim –
We took the long way around to getting here. It went from a grinder, where I tamped and served out my own amounts for making coffee, espresso, etc., then to a breville where a lot of the pieces were automated, then to here.If you’re the kind of person that can tell whether or not the week your beans were harvested in had extra rain, then maybe this isn’t for you.If like me, you want really good coffee bean-based beverages at the touch of a button, this is exactly what you need. I got away from needing to oversee each individual step of the process, and on to being able to push a button or two and getting exactly what I wanted to drink at the end of that.There are a couple of things that you’ll want to check YouTube videos for like cleaning the brew group, but otherwise, it’s pretty straightforward and most of all automatic.
Ron GRon G –
As you can see, from the attached pic, I love coffee. I have the Keurig, an Okka Arzum Turkish coffee maker, and my latest, the Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine. The latter is a purchase to replace my now broken KRUPS EA8250. It lasted 7 years; so I can’t complain. But, in looking for a replacement, I realized that I wanted a little more control over the espresso making process, while retaining important features, such as bean grinding, fine tuning the settings, and a steam wand. However, in reality, I don’t need to spend thousands for a machine that will make over a dozen different types of drinks at the push of a button. I don’t use them. I mainly just want a good espresso and, occasionally, I might want to steam some milk and make a latte. That’s why I call this the Goldilock machines; it has just the right amount of tech to make the process simple yet flexible. Like other reviewers, my only complaint is the documentation is greatly lacking, which is why I took away one star.
B. Chapman –
I hope to not jinx this product by giving it a glowing review, but so far my wife and I love this Espresso machine.It is excellent for strong espresso and great for cappuccino. We have it set right next to our sink so the fact that we need to run the steamer a couple of seconds to spray water before it steams for frothing our milk/cream isn’t an issue for us but if you don’t have a sink nearby it might be for you.The auto grinder works great, presser works great, the amount of water it holds is good.That said, it is a lot more work than making a single cup of coffee in our Bunn (or a Keurig) machine… Part of it (auto grinding, pressing) is very pleasant, but cleaning up excess grounds, cleaning the frother after frothing, … makes what was a 1 minute coffee+creamer into about 5 minutes. So far I’m happy with the tradeoff unless I’m in a real hurry to get to a meeting. Hopefully it is durable and maintenance like replacing filter etc.. isn’t too burdensome…
edney0207 –
After doing research, I decided to buy this espresso machine and it didn’t disappoint. What a delight it is to have easy cleaning, fast heat-up time, and the gorgeous Black Truffle color is just a cherry on top. I love this machine! It’s super reliable and has everything I need. Totally worth the investment!
Heather Foxman –
I have had my Breville for 2.5 years and overall it has been a great experience. The machine is very easy to use – a beginner can make an excellent latte in minutes – but you can also play with various features to suit your particular espresso and latte style. I especially like how this machine heats up immediately – no waiting for coffee! Want it now? You got it! NEW feature – the small funnel that comes with it now keeps all the grounds in when. it comes out of the grinder so no mess – fabulous! How am I able to compare the new machine with the slightly older one? Well . . . I have been very happy with this machine . . until just recently – I cannot tell a lie – we had a rocky spell, Breville and I. But as they came thru for me I the end, I have raised my review back up to a 5. technically, due to the fact that it happened, perhaps I should have put a 4.5, but that isn’t possible. What happened was my machine just stopped working. I called support and the representative did a video chat with me to try to fix it on the spot. It was great that they could run me thru the different “fixit things” to try right over the phone, but eventually it became obvious that it needed something more than advanced cleaning. They were very prompt – they sent me a box to ship it in just like a day – super fast. A couple days later they then sent an e-mail with a quote and I decided to spend the money because I really really love this machine. It wasn’t cheap – but shipping was included so really not bad over all. And I wanted the professionals fixing it, not me trying this and that off of a DIY YouTube video and getting no where. So they fixed it and sent it back super fast – BUT – sadly, in their haste to get it back quickly to me, the technicians shipped it in a wet condition, and when it arrived it stunk and had rust marks on the face plate! Yikes. I was very very upset as it was not at all in that condition when I sent I to them. I had waited a couple days to send it and let the machine dry out on purpose. I can only think that it was an inexperienced technician who was trying to get it back to me super fast who made this mistake, and hopefully they are taking steps so this never happens to anyone else again! Initially they did not offer me any sort of compensation for this mistake – even tho having these blemishes was really upsetting and really spoiled the art factor of this machine – cause really – it is beautiful looking – it isn’t just an old coffee maker – it is a show piece in your home! I have mine proudly on display and serve coffee to all my guests! It looks fantastic on my counter! So when they did nothing for me I wrote my review detailing what had happened and lowered my rating to a 3. And then magically, someone at Breville either listened to what I told the representatives, or saw my review or I don’t know – but they suddenly did the right thing and approved a replacement machine! At no cost to me. I was ecstatic. Breville did right by me. It actually brings tears to my eyes cause I bought my original machine with money my Dad left me when he passed away. Otherwise it was really out of my price range. So thank you Breville – you warmed my heart and corrected your mistake and for that I give you 5 stars! You did the right and ethical thing. You can trust this company.
Amazon Customer –
I received the Breville Barista Pro in the mail. The directions were easy to follow. Not a lot of steps to go through to put together. Also easy to use photos.The first thing you have to do is “flush” the system. I added water and the filter, and made sure everything was where it was supposed to be. When I hit the illuminated single cup to “flush” water through the system, it started to work for approximately 2 seconds and then stopped flushing. It then went back to flashing “flush” with nothing else on the screen. I tried again; same result. I turned it off and back on and repeated and had same issue. I unplugged it, turned it back on, repeated: same issue. Every time it would start counting down from 10 to 8, and then stop, and go back to “flush” mode. I emptied the water out, added more, and made sure the water was at the right level: same issue. Didn’t matter.Finally, I called Breville customer support. I opted to leave my number for a call back. About 30 minutes later I got a call from a nice lady named “Alice.” We trouble shooted it together but after trying all her options, I had the same result. It wouldn’t even let me to go the “menu” for a hard reset. She told me that there much be something wrong with the electronics. She offered to send me a new machine, and I agreed. Hope to get it soon.It’s disappointing because it looked amazing. Very high end appearing product. But, unfortunately, it did not work and I have to wait for another. No biggie although you don’t expect this from an $800 machine.Long story short: mine didn’t work but the Breville customer service was pretty good and they are sending me a new one. Eager to see how the next one does.***UPDATED 09/10***So, the Breville customer service is pretty good. The only issue is that it took longer to get the replacement machine than I expected. I received an email on the day I reported the issue stating I’d receive a shipping confirmation email within 1-3 business days. I didn’t. It took 7 business days to get the shipping confirmation / tracking number. Then, UPS took some time delivering the item. So, it took 13 calendar days to receive the replacement machine. Would of liked it earlier but we’re also in the midst of a pandemic so … need to be patient and understanding.As for the replacement machine: it’s amazing. I’m absolutely loving it. I’ve been making fresh lattes every morning and it’s great. Feels like I’m getting a $6 Starbucks latte without leaving my kitchen. Pretty cool. Machine itself is practically idiot proof, too. Very easy to use and set up. Great device all around! Highly recommend.
Amazon Customer –
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 🙂
Lubz –
My parents had similar model and loved the taste of their coffee so I ordered this one which is supposed to be even better. I didn’t approve purchase from coffee taste to how small proportions are. One thing I will compliment on is how easy to use this machine is. My disabled kid had no issues making coffee. I did end up returning this purchase, for the amount paid the coffee taste is not worth it
Nitalou –
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Finally, an espresso maker that makes a cafe style latte with ease and quality. I have only had this Latte to go model for a little over two weeks, and was hesitant to spend this much for a coffee/espresso maker. I had some gift cards and decided to splurge on this. I can say that’ so far, It is the best machine I have ever had. After trying many grinders, different coffee makers, and coffee makers with the ability to steam milk this one is by far the best. Easy to set up & clean. The only thing (reason for 4 stars) is that the container that you place your milk into is a bit flimsy in my opinion. However, it does snap in easily, is easy to use and store any extra milk for next use. I have read other reviews that mention how loud it could be, but like with any coffee grinder it will produce noise. I am ok with that. I like that the machine self cleans after each use as well. Make certain to place a small tray or cup under the spouts before shutting down or staring up to catch that runoff. If on the fence on this – go for it! I do not think it will disappoint as an at home coffee//latte/espresso maker.
Wes –
I have had this espresso machine for over a year now. It has been amazing. I was going to a coffee shop every day, and this machine makes espresso just as good as the shop. I have already saved enough money to buy this machine 3 times. I had a minor paint issue on the drip tray and ignored it for months. I think I caused it by puttingit in the dishwasher, Idecided to email Breville last night via email. They responded at 9am this morning. With a few pictures and 3 quick emails, they thabked me and sent me the tracking number for the new part.If the price tag is a concern (was for me), just add up your yearly coffee tab. My coffee addiction was $2,500 a year! Well worth the price!
LKY –
Every morning I made one or two espresso coffees right when I work up using a Nespresso machine. Unfortunately, the Nespresso stopped working & I was on the hunt for a versatile coffee/espresso machine that could use my own coffee & not expensive pods (.40 or .50 or $1 cups of coffee add up!) My daughter works at starbucks so as a barista, she pushed me toward a semi automatic machine. TOO. MUCH. WORK. I didn’t want to measure the coffee, tamp it down, do all the work only to watch weak coffee drip from the machine. Semi-automatic coffee machines are great for the person who is looking for the experience, I was looking for the caffeine. I returned that machine to Amazon & exchanged it for this 4300 fully automatic machine. Yes, it was significantly more expensive and Yes, it was significantly more worth it. Every cup! This coffee maker has 2 “saved” settings (I am blue, my husband who used a Keurig for decaf is green) and 1 “guest” setting. It is easy, so easy, to use & each morning I can decide if I want an espresso, cappuccino, latte or more. Foaming the coffee is more than simple and the machine actually offers a cleaning cycle for the milk cup. Since my husband is a decaf coffee drinker, there is a little hatch on top that allows the user to place decaf coffee in to brew (don’t put two scoops in… only one at a time) and a perfect cup of decaf is brewed. I love clean counters & with this one purchase, I removed my regular coffee maker, a Keurig machine, a coffee grinder & the Nespresso machine. Again, this was an expensive machine but if you love coffee or the option to have a variety of options and want ease of use for whatever you would like to drink, this is the machine for you.
brett berry –
I’ve had my Breville Barista Pro for about 3.5 years now. I use it twice daily, thats at least 2400 shots of espresso and gallons upon gallons of milk steamed. It was the perfect introduction for me to get into espresso and latte crafting.Pros:Simple efficient process to create espressos/lattesSturdy and well built/machined partsFairly easy to empty and cleanLots of bonus/extra “stuff” to get you startedAmazing customer service – see more belowCons:Requires purchase of extra water filters and cleaning solutions for maintenance (this is probably universal to most if not all espresso machines)Tamping device could be better, I advise buying 3rd party oneAfter 3.5 years, the pump thats used for pressurizing the bulk head started tripping my GFI outlet. It was pulling too much current. I called customer service, and after verifying my purchase they sent me a box to ship it back, free of charge. Just 4 days after dropping the box off at UPS, my now working machine (or possibly a brand new one? not sure) is on its way here 😀
Adam W –
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.
JackieV –
I have wanted an automatic coffee machine for years and finally decided to splurge. I watched dozens of reviews online and all of them suggested the Phillips lattego machines. It did take several attempts to get it just right, but once we figured it out… heaven! A couple tips:1- Use Espresso beans. Anything else gets too watered down and takes more like warm milk.2- Turn the bean strength all the way to high, the other settings seem to be programmed just fine.The only con I have with this machine is that the drinks are sooo tiny. To fill up a 5.5 inch travel mug I have to brew 2 cappuccinos, or a latte with 2 extra shots. The saving grace here is that the drinks brew fast so it doesn’t take forever to stack drinks.Lastly, if you don’t plan to use all the drink types, a cheaper model would be just fine. The 4300 has a few extra options, but you do certainly pay the price. Based on all the online reviews, the cheaper models would exactly the same internally.
Richard B. –
After all the positive reviews, I was looking forward to brewing my own lattes. The machine arrived promptly as scheduled. I unpacked everything, removed all the plastic, tape, etc. I rinsed all the components like the frothing cup, tamper, portafilter, water tank, etc. I soaked the water filter for 5 minutes, installed the water filter into the water tank and filled the water tank with water (below the max line). Then I powered on the machine and tried the initial flush after putting a mug under where I would expect the water to come out. 10, 9, 8, repeated beeping and reset back to wanting to do a flush. I tried a few times, tried with the bean hopper and without, with and without the portafilter attached. Nothing…The instruction manual makes no mention of such an error condition or what to do. Online, I found some references to the flush requiring the portafilter and others arguing it doesn’t. Often I have seen people say this indicates a dead machine… So, basically, DOA…**Jun 6 update**: after waiting about 1 hour for Breville support, and working with support for about 15 minutes, they indicated I need to send the machine (just the shell, not the water tank, etc) via UPS, then wait for receipt, then they will send a new machine to me. Currently, it looks like my 2 day Amazon order is basically turning into a 2 week exercise. Hopefully, the new machine will be worth it. I’ll post an update when I receive the replacement.**Jun 14 update**: I received my replacement unit. It worked right out of the box. Of course setup was faster this time since I already knew what to do. As for the quality of the machine, I am still working on making a good espresso (haven’t perfected the crema). Also, be aware that the steamer outputs a couple seconds of water initially, so I recommend using a cup to put underneath until steam starts coming out, then start frothing the milk. The steam wand stops after awhile, whether or not the frothing is complete (if you buy a larger frothing cup, it won’t always be complete). The portafilter sometimes is hard to get on and you certainly want to get a dosing funnel for the portafilter. I am also purchasing a bottomless portafilter for the machine so I can more easily customize the settings.**Jun 19 update**: After trying several times to make a decent espresso and latte, I finally figured out it was the beans I had. Don’t expect a decent espresso if you have older beans (even if they made a decent drip coffee and came from a coffee shop). Also, Starbucks beans are “old” the day you buy them. I have to find a decent local roaster, but at least the Lavazzo Barista Perfetto beans I ordered recently produced a richer coffee with some crema (even though I have no idea when they were roasted either). I also found it is better to weigh the beans and grind the full amount rather than use the timed grinding amount. Overall, I see I am in for a lot of experimentation, but now that I got my first semi-decent espresso (far better than you can buy at Starbucks), I know this is a good machine.Overall, I am raising my review to a 4 star (not quite as good as the “pro” machines I am used to at work in our micro-kitchens, but certainly better than the DOA unit, and customer service was pretty good). However, for the price-point, I am not sure I am going to get a better machine without spending several thousand to get the features like “instant” steam (without dripping water) and being able to froth your milk concurrent with the “extraction”.
Wes –
I have had this espresso machine for over a year now. It has been amazing. I was going to a coffee shop every day, and this machine makes espresso just as good as the shop. I have already saved enough money to buy this machine 3 times. I had a minor paint issue on the drip tray and ignored it for months. I think I caused it by puttingit in the dishwasher, Idecided to email Breville last night via email. They responded at 9am this morning. With a few pictures and 3 quick emails, they thabked me and sent me the tracking number for the new part.If the price tag is a concern (was for me), just add up your yearly coffee tab. My coffee addiction was $2,500 a year! Well worth the price!
O. U. –
—- 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?
ZdeV –
Para uso en casa está bien!
S.Reed –
First machine, and I have gone down the rabbit hole, deep into what makes good espresso. My friends really seem to appreciate this too… 😂My preference is to tinker, not have the machine do it for me. That’s who the Barista Pro model is for. This is a quality machine. It’s more manual, not really automatic, and you have lots of control over parameters. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and learn. Waste some coffee getting there – it’s OK. Watch a lot of YouTube to learn how to pull and dial in your shots, and steam the milk. Still working on the latte art though. May never quite master that part. 🤔I used to do 3 Starbucks mochas a week. Ran the numbers out on a spreadsheet: this thing will pay for itself in a year and a half. Plus, I get to control for (relatively) healthier kinds of milk and other ingredients at much less cost. No Brainer.Funny. Now I go into a Starbucks and order “just a double shot” and usually get a confused look; and they often have to call over the supervisor to ask how to ring it in. Sometimes it tastes Ok; sometimes it’s just horrible. Probably should stop going into Starbucks.
SW Engineer –
I did a lot of research for one of these, and the Philips repeatedly went to the top of the list, so I gave the 4300 a shot. Very happy so far. This thing makes some really good coffee. Like all automatic expresso machines, it’s loud. So you’ll have to get used to that. My whole family uses it, and we use all the features. The grinder, the pre-ground option, the frother, everything. I do wish there was an option to hook up a refrigerator water supply line though. We use it so much we are constantly refilling the water bin. So far this has been a very good purchase.
O. U. –
—- 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?
Thomas Swartz –
First and foremost, ignore the review where the person states “my coffee is 40$/lb, I’m not wasting it priming this machine. I’m going to go buy the *insert 2500$ coffee machine name*….”. If you can afford to buy 40$/lb coffee and are worried about wasting some priming the grinder, maybe you shouldn’t be buying 40$/lb coffee…..?Anyway, first 5-10 cups through this thing were a bit weak until the system primed up well. After that, GAME ON!!! We love this machine!! We use Aldi whole bean Honduran or Guatemalan at 6$/lb and the cups that come out on the regular coffee option, as well as literally every other setting, are fantastic. The latte go contraption works very well and steam froths the milk with a venturi and mixing chamber. It’s cool to watch work. When I want an extra strong latte, I fire off an extra shot of espresso into the cup.This machine is worth the coin. DOO EET!! DOO EET NAOWWWWWWW!!!!!!
William –
This is a great personal coffee experience. Spend the money on coffee with a roast date, not expires date. Buy whole beans. Always.There is a learning curve using this machine but that is part of the fun. Also purchase a coffee funnel and some puck filters.
A-quaticsA-quatics –
Really wanted to live this. It could have been a great product were it not for a couple design flaws that someone needs to be fired for IMO. The company is in the business of making espresso machines, is it too much to as that the engineers actually use the machines they design. Unforgivable flaw 1: As silly as it sounds, the power cord. what a foolish design. The plug end it huge and extends away from the wall by several inches. There is a giant hole in the end to IDK stick you middle finger in for disabled people who cannot close their hand to pull the plug out? Sorry I do not want to have to make a counter 6″ deeper to accommodate the ridiculous plug? I guess that I can cut off and rewire. Unforgivable flaw 2: The portafilter is NOT centered beneath the grinder! If you grind for a double shot the grounds fill the portafilter disproportionately to the back causing them to spill over when you remove to tamp. Wow! This means no stop cleaning of the tray and wasted grounds. Was that the purpose? The espresso is so so.. hoping I just need to find the right beans…. who knows. I am very disappointed. Brevilla should know better. I just don’t get it. My advice, buy another brand.
Anand Rajagopal –
It’s a good machine for making espresso and latte if you are a beginner who wants to learn. The machine looks amazing on the counter. It heats up very fast and has a built in grinder. The interface is easy to use and the hot water outlet is very nice if you want to make teaHowever, as you learn more about espresso, you will have to buy accessories such as a scale, dosing cup, bottomless portafilter, precision filter basket, and probably a WDT tool which could end up costing another $150The grinder at finer settings causes clumps and spills coffee powder. A dosing cup is a must imo. To get proper dosing (18g), you need a scale to measure. The grinder is a step grinder and is hard to get precise as you learn and start to fine tune your espressoThis review might seem like a lot of negatives but I want to point out some of the things you should be aware of before making a commitment. This machine is also not for people who want to make lots of back to back shots serving many people. It’s good for a small family. With accessories and some patience, you can make the machine produce really good espresso.
Rodger – St Charles, MO –
This is a great coffee and latte maker. I love the fact that it has a second area to put decaf coffee grounds in. My wife and I use it daily to make a bigger latte, we do the double espresso shot and manually put milk foam on top Easy and make great drinks . We are very happy with it.
Samuel Viers –
This machine is so great. I have been a barista for 3 years and worked with some heavy duty espresso machines and what I mostly was looking for was something that could pull a real and tasteful shot. Most other machines I’ve tried the shots are watery and dead but this machine pulls actual espresso shots and I’m so hooked that I don’t go out for coffee anymore. It’s incredibly easy to use, I have had it for a few months now and haven’t had any trouble. I make sure I clean it after every use (purge it, scrub the inside, clean out portifilter) but I truly am so pleased with my purchase and couldn’t be happier. It’s helped me to save so much money on coffee.I will say the only thing I struggle with from time to time is when the portifilter is too full with grinds (ex: 11.5 seconds worth of grinds) it’s hard to then get it into the port and I’ll struggle for a few minutes. Other than that, which is so minor because it comes down to the users ground amount, I love the machine
Cindy Reid –
Plan to buy another but very disappointed as this was a Father’s day gift and when the box was opened on Father’s day, the machine had coffee in the grinder and coffee dust in the packaging….we received a used machine instead of new. very disappointing
McRoberts –
We like having the built in coffee grinder as well as the various types of drinks to choose from. It has the ability to brew already ground coffee. However, when I tried this feature it acts like it’s brewing then it cancels itself and dumps the unused grounds. 🫤 I’ll be checking y-tube to see if there is a troubleshooting video.
JC –
Bought it on a whim and maybe the best purchase I’ve made in years. Enjoying great espresso.
Amazon Customer –
5 star for sure. The machine is well built and great quality. I’m a big fan of Breville and own many of their products. It’s a great value also and not hard to use at all. Those that are lazy might disagree but I would rather take 5 minutes out of my morning to make my own espresso drink for just pennies compared to what coffee house’s charge for the same quality product. That’s not an exaggeration, it takes me literally 5 minutes for the whole espresso making process. That include grinding the coffee beans and steaming the milk, 5 minutes. You waist a lot longer driving to a coffee shop, waiting in line to order and waiting in line behind people also waiting on their coffee. Also, do the math, if you buy a coffee, just one coffee, for 5 or 6 dollars and that is a low end price at a coffee shop per day you can expect to spend $1,825 to $2,190 a year. A Barista Pro at 600 or 800 dollars, depending on if you catch them on sale, will pay for itself in a matter of months and my first machine lasted 7 years before the boiler gave in. That’s literally thousands of dollars saved not buying 1 cup of coffee per day at a coffee house and getting the same quality drink. I, with no doubt, will keep purchasing Breville espresso machines as long as they keep making the same quality machines at the reasonable prices they have now.
Heather Foxman –
I have had my Breville for 2.5 years and overall it has been a great experience. The machine is very easy to use – a beginner can make an excellent latte in minutes – but you can also play with various features to suit your particular espresso and latte style. I especially like how this machine heats up immediately – no waiting for coffee! Want it now? You got it! NEW feature – the small funnel that comes with it now keeps all the grounds in when. it comes out of the grinder so no mess – fabulous! How am I able to compare the new machine with the slightly older one? Well . . . I have been very happy with this machine . . until just recently – I cannot tell a lie – we had a rocky spell, Breville and I. But as they came thru for me I the end, I have raised my review back up to a 5. technically, due to the fact that it happened, perhaps I should have put a 4.5, but that isn’t possible. What happened was my machine just stopped working. I called support and the representative did a video chat with me to try to fix it on the spot. It was great that they could run me thru the different “fixit things” to try right over the phone, but eventually it became obvious that it needed something more than advanced cleaning. They were very prompt – they sent me a box to ship it in just like a day – super fast. A couple days later they then sent an e-mail with a quote and I decided to spend the money because I really really love this machine. It wasn’t cheap – but shipping was included so really not bad over all. And I wanted the professionals fixing it, not me trying this and that off of a DIY YouTube video and getting no where. So they fixed it and sent it back super fast – BUT – sadly, in their haste to get it back quickly to me, the technicians shipped it in a wet condition, and when it arrived it stunk and had rust marks on the face plate! Yikes. I was very very upset as it was not at all in that condition when I sent I to them. I had waited a couple days to send it and let the machine dry out on purpose. I can only think that it was an inexperienced technician who was trying to get it back to me super fast who made this mistake, and hopefully they are taking steps so this never happens to anyone else again! Initially they did not offer me any sort of compensation for this mistake – even tho having these blemishes was really upsetting and really spoiled the art factor of this machine – cause really – it is beautiful looking – it isn’t just an old coffee maker – it is a show piece in your home! I have mine proudly on display and serve coffee to all my guests! It looks fantastic on my counter! So when they did nothing for me I wrote my review detailing what had happened and lowered my rating to a 3. And then magically, someone at Breville either listened to what I told the representatives, or saw my review or I don’t know – but they suddenly did the right thing and approved a replacement machine! At no cost to me. I was ecstatic. Breville did right by me. It actually brings tears to my eyes cause I bought my original machine with money my Dad left me when he passed away. Otherwise it was really out of my price range. So thank you Breville – you warmed my heart and corrected your mistake and for that I give you 5 stars! You did the right and ethical thing. You can trust this company.
Jonathan H. –
Once I started drinking these lattes, my hair grew back and my wife decided not to leave me, and my dog found his way home and I got promoted. Then, one day, I forgot to drink a latte and my wife cheated on me with the man who ran over my dog that afternoon.. so make sure to have at least 1 latte each morning for best results.
Blackburied –
(Aside, I have lots of experience with a Jura A9, K-cups, and Nespresso. All are still in service. I enjoy a Kirkland rebranded “House Blend” beans, a Starbucks medium roast. I drink too much coffee!)I don’t like the waste associated with K-cups and Nespresso pods (even when recycling the latter). Just IMHO, want a cup of coffee that just has compostable grounds waste, and enjoy the per-cup expense savings as well as being able to choose my beans.Compared to the Jura, the water reservoir and waste puck/water tank are huge, and if it does run out of water, it lets you refill mid-brew and not have a low-water result. The milk clean-up is easy; all places milk flows get fully exposed with quick and easy disassembly/reassembly.The waste water tray is a bit cumbersome and I have often spilled trying to discard (as it comes out the front and back… 1′ apart): it has a pour spout in one corner that’s meant to keep me from spilling, but I’m clumsy.The puck refuse section of the waste tray always has water in it so doesn’t clean easily (it’s more of a spent grounds with water slurry rather than well defined dry pucks). I’m used to a little water with the pucks in the Jura, but mostly dry pucks that are easy to toss.Being a klutz, I’m surprised I have yet to dump the cap to the milk container into the milk. Maybe its better engineered than it appears.I don’t use sticky beans by any means, but the gravity feed on the grinder needs steeper slopes: I often get into a situation where a large amount of fresh beans collect around the upper rim (so the bin looks full) yet nothing goes into the grinder. I use the same beans with the Jura and have not seen this issue.Reading other reviews that have called support: the bean hopper not feeding the grinder and the slurry where the pucks are are indicative of too oily a bean for the machine… so I docked my review to a 4-star, as this was never an issue with the Jura.Each brew (other than milk froth and hot water) has three settings you can alter for the profile. The first two, darkness and water, are constant for all brews, but the third is milk, if applicable, or shots, if milk is not applicable. I was wondering why the instructions didn’t describe this menu or the icons in detail, then realized it changes for every brew, so it can’t… you just have to figure it out.So, for example, you can’t do a cappuccino with a double espresso shot and low on milk… which is what I like… so I select a milk froth brew followed by a double shot of espresso.Note also, that “double shots” aren’t saved in the profile setting, so I need to alter that every time.It would be nice if they just showed up to four settings per brew, or just greyed-out the milk content (or whichever option) if not applicable, and save the shot count with the setting.It would also be nice if they didn’t clamp-down the maximum water and milk content for different brews and allow more than four intermediate selections for each (i.e. the max water contents range from 2.7oz for cappuccino to 7oz for coffee… I’d prefer one max and lots of options in-between).
Stanley Y. Gee –
Like many, I purchased this machine over the Black Friday sale as a splurge and was very happy with the coffee from the machine during the first week of use similar to the many other posters that have rave about the quality of the coffee. However, after my first week of usage, the burr grinder became jammed with coffee grinds and it would not dispense coffee into the portafilter. I proceeded to unclog the jam by disassembling the grinder as per the instructions. Here is where it all went downhill for me…the lower burr felt washer that protects the machine from the grind fan and upper grind assembly literally fell apart when I tried to brush coffee off the washer. I am not sure, why Breville would make such a beautiful machine with such a flimsy part on a $700 machine that essentially renders the machine useless until you get a replacement. This replacement washer can be ordered on the Breville website for $5 dollars with another $5 for shipping but the thing that kills me is that it would take 7-10 days for delivery. You would think, they would include a extra replacement washer in their accessories kit given the flimsiness of the part.So, the next part of my review is on Breville support [by the way Amazon Support was AMAZING and very responsive]. First thing I did was call Breville’s support line during the hours posted on their website but reached an automated answering service that stated they are closed and their hour of operations is from Monday – Friday from 8:30AM – 4:00PM Eastern time, which is very different from the stated hours on their website (Monday – Friday from 8AM – 4:30PM Pacific time). Of course, I called them back the next day during during the Eastern hours of operation and I was greeted by an automated service that took me though a menu, only to be told that they have reached the maximum number of calls in the queue and call back timeslots and to try to call back at a later time. The same thing happened when I called back a second time. The third time I was able to get into the queue but the automated service told me that the wait time was approximately 45 minutes and was asked if I would like a call back and would not lose my slot in the queue. Well, 3+ hours later and I still did not receive a call back and will not be surprised if the close for today and not receive a call back at all today. This leads me to believe 1 of 2 things, or both; 1) they have way too many issues with their product, 2) they do not have enough service people to deal with the troubleshooting volume or both. Hopefully, they will make improvements.Don’t get me started on their website support. Just as bad as the telephone option. The online chat agent is always off line and have not seen it active over a 2 day period. When I tried to log a support case on their support portal, it required me to create a Breville account to even log an issue. Once I did that, I was finally able to log a support case but nothing has come of it just yet and support site didn’t even bother to send an email confirming the case. The only messaging has been through their website. While I was waiting for them, I tried registering the new product but I was unable to do so because, the website wouldn’t let me update the full address by selecting the State. I don’t know how it can get any worst in terms of customer service. While I love the coffee when it worked, I am thinking this machine needs to go back if nothing else changes.—Update – finally received a call back. The rep had explained that the holidays are an extremely busy period especially with their sales event. In any case, the rep was able to resolve my issue by sending me a free replacement part and also told that I can run the machine without a washer while I waited for the part to arrive. The part apparently is used to reduce static in the machine. It would have been good to know this in the documentation. I won’t expound on the documentation shortfalls in my review since another user has completed a helpful review on that aspect already.
Crystal P –
This makes the most perfect espresso. No complaints. I suggest anyone who buys this machine takes time to get to know how to use it correctly. It is not hard to use but there is a learning curve.
StrandedMoose –
This is a very well-engineered Espresso machine that is a great place for any beginner, and even the intermediate barista. This is probably one of the best machines you can get under the $1000+ range from my research.Like any espresso machine, it takes a lot of coffee and trial and error to get used to it. This is because you need to find the optimal pull time and grind size for each bean that you use. I highly recommend Nicoletti Old School Roast for latte-based drinks. For those, I use an internal burr of 4 and grind size of 9 or 10.You can find excellent tutorials on YouTube specifying how to perfect the espresso pull for your bean of choice. The video “How to Dial In Breville Barista Pro” by Lifestyle Labs makes it very easy. However, you can also just use the preset values to get decent results. I wish that Breville had an official course on how to use it for complete beginners, because I was totally lost when I received mine.After a lot of trial and error, I now am making oat milk lattes that taste exponentially better than anything I can buy at a coffee shop, for a fraction of the price. I currently use Elmhurst Oat Milk and Elmhurt Barista Edition because it’s the only oat milk on the market that isn’t filled with gums or oils.My oat milk lattes are on par with any whole milk latte from the local coffee stores. Needless to say, I’m very happy with this machine.Pros- Easy to use, intuitive interface- Very easy to clean- Very easy to descale/service- Visually appealing- All necessary components in one chassis- One button push for excellent single or double shot drinksCons- Can’t steam milk and pull espresso at the same time (all pros recommend doing this, so it’s a bit silly that this unit can’t).- Steam takes significant time to generate. It also spits out water first, watering down your milk. Whereas Higher end espresso machines will instantly shoot steam that is pre-heated in a chamber)- Grinder is not as precise as many high end grinders; There are no half sizes so it is difficult to fine tune at a certain point. My understanding is that it’s not as powerful either and beans often get stuck in the hopper so you often need to tap on the hopper to make sure all the beans grind.
P D –
This is a one-week in review. Bottom Line Up Front. This is a great machine and probably one of my best buys over the last few years. However, some caveats need to be kept in mind.First the Pros+ Easy to Use: it is a fill-it-up and push-the-button after you get past the break-in.+ Easy to Clean, especially the milk system and anything the coffee touches+ Filters keep the water system cleanThings to keep in mind+ The first few cups should just be tossed. When you get the machine, I recommend setting it to a larger-than-normal grind setting and running about ten double-shot expresso. Once this is done, it is very consistent+ Unless you are motivated, get the milk frothing system; it saves time and will make life easier. If you skip this, you will spend your coffee time frothing milk.+ There is more than normal coffee maker maintenance: This is true for all similar machines. If you have the frother, you need to clean it after every use because it touches milk. When buying any similar machines, learn how to maintain them before purchasing.+ Nonfat and nut/soy-based milk will not froth because of physics. Whole milk works the best, but 2% will froth too.+ These machines use a lot of water, so the drip tray needs frequent emptying, also watch the water level.Cons,+ This system makes only small cups, if you are used to Starbucks sizes, you may have to push the same button a few times. My morning coffee is usually two lattes and an Expresso shot in the same cup.+ Much of the instructions (empty grounds try, fill water, etc.) are done by counter and timer; therefore are unreliable. I have gotten a few messages about emptying the grounds just after emptying the container. Same with the water level so keep a close eye on both.+ The Grinder, You get a better and stronger coffee with a larger ground size. Logically this should be the opposite. This is probably because the smaller grounds take longer to grind, so less gets into the system before starting the brew because of the timing of the grinder. If you want a fine grind, add it to the grind hopper manually.These cons are probably there for every super-automatic machine, so none should knock this one out of consideration—just things to keep in mind when looking.I do like the machine. Once you get past a break-in period, it is very consistent. My choice was because there were no tubes in the milk system, and I could understand the maintenance of the machine. This was a major point for me as the milk system must be cleaned daily, and the brew group needs regular cleaning to make fresh-tasting coffee.One improvement should be additional sensors, Weight of grounds, water level, used ground container, etc., but this would push the machine’s price beyond its current price point.
Catherine W. –
I recently became an espresso enthusiast and was looking for a machine that would grind, brew, and steam. This machine does it all for me!! After much research and quite a few YouTube tutorials I narrowed it down to this Breville and I have no regrets. There was A LOT poured down the drain due to operator error 🙄; however, I finally have found my “dial in” numbers and enjoy at least a cup or three a day!!The quality is excellent, it looks amazing and is easy to use and clean.
CheshireCat –
Got this coffee machine as a birthday present and now the whole family is using it. There aren’t many coffee machines out there with many reviews that I’ve noticed and I purchased this coffee machine primarily because of the brand. Philips has good quality products and has been around for years.Be prepared that the package is very heavy. The coffee machine itself is actually lighter and much more compact. It fits perfectly on our counter and there’s barely any assembly. The machine looks gorgeous on a counter space. I loved that this product had video instructions for setup that was easy to follow along. The only confusing bit was testing the water (you must hold no longer than 10 seconds) and unfortunately only 1 tester is given. The setup took about 10 minutes and the machine was ready for coffee brewing. You can actually add ground coffee or beans. P.S. coffee made from fresh beans tastes so much better! When adding ground coffee we hit another snag because you’re suppose to put 1 spoon per cup and even if you fill it up with multiple spoons, for let’s say multiple cups of coffee, it’ll release water instead and spill all the ground coffee inside of the machine. The coffee itself is done fast. While the coffee is brewing I can continue making breakfast. The quality of the coffee is amazing, definitely helps to have the milk frother attachment and it will froth the milk for you so you don’t have to do much. 2 most used beverages right now are cappuccino and cafe macchiato. Oh, this machine does not make large cups of coffee. I will say the perfect size is your smaller coffee mugs (not espresso cups although it does make espresso as well). Now that the machine is constantly being used, it performs quite well and there hasn’t been any issues for the past 4 weeks. The only downside is the noise. When making coffee, the machine gets very loud, especially if you’re using the milk frother attachment. Regardless, I think this coffee machine is great for coffee lovers and would make an amazing present.
Stacey C. –
Have owned MANY espresso machines. I always go back to breville. This one does everything for you. Very pleased
Film Sites –
Coming from a pod based brewer this is a huge upgrade. Bean to cup is so much better. Bypass door is a great feature. Warm up time is quick, self cleans each time, and auto milk foam produces good results and is very easy to clean. Front access to water tank and used coffee tray was a defining feature for easier access.
Varsity Traveler –
We’ve had 3 Breville Barista Express machines in 11 years. Each time, we’ve replaced them after they’ve died. At most, we make 2 double-shot cappuccinos per day. We’re careful about following all the maintenance instructions, so I’m pretty confident in saying that these machines are short-lived, and therefore expensive.The latest one, the Barista Express Pro, came with a 2-year warranty instead of the usual 1-year. It seems that Breville never had much confidence in this machine from the get-go. We won’t be purchasing another Breville espresso maker.
Samantha Hall –
Absolutely love how quickly the water gets up to temp. Literally less than 5 seconds. After pulling a double and kicking on the steam wand, it also gets up to temp to steam milk in about 5 seconds. The value is 100% in the efficiency of the heating element. The grinder can be a little finicky but making small adjustments at a time when dialing in a new bag makes it simple and consistent.
Steve Austin –
My wife and I love this coffee maker. It has multiple settings for the type of coffee you like. For example you can choose the size of the cup, and then the strength of the coffee. We purchase ground coffee and use that. You’ll need to add water quite frequently and clean out the grounds container every 12 cups or so.Adding water is easy, and cleaning the grounds container takes 2-3 minutes.All-in-all, we love this coffee maker 🙂
A Customer –
I have used semi-automatic home espresso machines for 30 years and was immediately blown away by the rapid warm up of this beautiful machine (I chose the black/stainless model). Of course, it did take some time to learn the best way to ‘dial-in’ good espresso from it, but I finally got where I wanted to be after a couple of weeks’ experimentation. For the double shot, I ended up using 17g dark roast beans, grind level 05 for 13.5 seconds (factory burr setting 6), medium-high water temperature, with an old-fashioned heavy tamp and twist. This yields a very pleasant 2 1/4 oz shot with adequate crema for me. I programmed the shot timer for 36 seconds, but the Barista Pro seems to automatically adjust the actual time to give a consistent shot volume. I have no idea how it does this, but I certainly am pleased with the result. (NOTE: This is my personal experience and NOT an advertised feature, so don’t bother to tell me I’m crazy!)The only negative is the lack of the advertised double-beep after programming the shot timer. Nevertheless the programming works better than expected.
Keith –
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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!
A Yankee In Atlanta –
I contemplated between buying a manual machine or a fully automatic, and decided the fully automatic would most likely get used more because of the convenience. I watched far too many youtube videos and read far too many reviews before settling on what was my first choice.I’ve been using the Philips 4300 LatteGo for about two weeks and I’m very happy with the results it produces. The 4300 produces a very hot espresso (which is what I wanted) and a very hot milk/foam (also what I wanted). Note: the temperature is adjustable.You’ll really want to experiment with all the options (bean amount, water amount, milk amount) until you find what you like best. The keypad is very intuitive and well lit. The machine does a pre-rinse when first turned on, and a post rinse before turning itself off. I would suggest keeping a glass under the spout to catch the excess water; this will prevent the drip tray from filling up.The 4300 is much quieter than I thought it would be and is a solid kitchen appliance.There are so many options out there for the consumer and I suggest you really do your homework. Youtube has a lot of videos and reviews.I am very satisfied with the Philips 4300 LatteGo and would recommend it. Additionally, I bought the optional warranty because this is an appliance with moving parts, electronics, and a heating element.
KoppKopp –
We were very excited to get this machine because I read such great reviews. It worked pretty well for about six months and then the grinder was not working well and only water came out.I cleaned it, descaled it, bought the lubricant and did everything RecommendedI finally decided to call customer service and was hard to understand, but what they told me is you can’t use espresso beans in the espresso machine! They said use light roast only. Can you Market and sell a machine that supposed to make espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, but you can’t use espresso. Something that you’re probably be disclosed.
Shannon –
I purchased this machine on a Amazon deal…the box was damaged but it knocked a huge amount off the price. I have always wanted a super automatic machine but the price tags were always a hindrance. The Phillips brand of machines all have great reviews at a great price point as well. So when I saw one was available at an even further discounted price I took the plunge and I have been in espresso heaven ever since. This produces excellent drinks in little time and effort. Cleaning and maintenance is simple. An absolute recommend for anyone wanting a coffee shop quality beverage in the comfort of your own home. The milk frothing upgrade works perfectly, producing perfectly steamed milk and foam. It even has the option of just producing the steamed milk and foam for drinks like hot chocolate…the kids love it. It has turned into a conversation piece when company drops by and you can offer an assortment of different coffee or hot beverages. An amazing buy if you want to reward yourself or someone you care about.
K.S. –
Writing this review after 5 months of ownership. I was a bit hesitant spending so much on my first espresso machine but decided to finally splurge. I compared this with the Barista Express and chose this one for a few reasons:- Improved heating elements over older generation machine (much faster)- 2 year warranty vs 1 year (a bit of comfort when spending so much)- More flexibility in grinder settings with more increments and customization- Not a whole lot more expensive for the added benefits ($100 more)Overall it’s pretty easy to use. I don’t get too crazy with my coffee so after I dialed things in how I like them I’ve pretty much left it the same. It’s nice that you can customize the duration of your shots (I increased mine quite a bit) and have fine precision for grind settings. My favorite part of the machine is how quickly it steams and heats up. My brother has the older Barista Infuser and you have to wait a decent while for it to transition after a shot to start steaming. The Barista Pro is really just 4-5 seconds to get steaming after a shot. Pretty nice for someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to mess around making coffee in the morning.Probably a worthwhile purchase if you’re sure you’ll get adequate use out of it. During the work from home era from Covid-19 it’s been a great addition to my regular routine as opposed to some boring drip coffee. I’m sure once the world gets a bit more back to normal I’ll make coffee with this and take it with me on the go every morning. No complaints so far but if anything major comes up I’ll post some update to this review.
eh7258 –
I sat with this in my cart for days before finally purchasing. As a coffee obsessed person I have had several different coffee makers or espresso makers from Keurig, Ninja, Nespresso and more. Currently have 3 coffee makers on my counter. I am so glad I bought this as an all in one. I love all of the options and that you can adjust strength, etc. the ease of grinding beans automatically is a game changer. My only complaint is the size of the coffees, the largest size seems super small barely fills my cup halfway. Secondly, it’s cool that is auto rinses itself but it’s kind of annoying that even though there’s a drip tray I hate those filling with water so I leave a cup under it.
Emily –
I gave 4 stars because it is a wonderful machine but the descriptions could have been more in depth by the suppliers and I feel a temperature gauge would have been appropriate.Everything works as intended and it is quite beautiful to look at!It is fast and accurate and makes a superb cup of coffee that I enjoy each day 😊I do like knowing the temperature of mine and this doesn’t have a gauge. So I mostly go by feel…Another wonderful addition would be if there were some way to rig up auto water filling. The tank is relatively small…but I suppose it’s not a big deal to fill it up every day and a half 😉More accurately I think it could do with 4.5 stars but 4 is as close as I could get.I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with this machine!
Bamewi –
Writing this review after 7 months of daily use.I like Starbucks French Roast whole bean coffee. Important for later.SB French roast whole bean is only coffee I use. In the past 2 months, coffee grinding has gradually become problematic.Hopper is full of beans, but the beans stopped making it into the grinder. I get a red X cancel on the display, then a “Fill hopper with coffee” message.So, I cleaned the hopper, and the grinder by taking the grinder top/agitator off (Torx 10) and washing with soap and water with a microfiber cloth. This did not fix.So yesterday I called Philips customer support. Told them serial number, purchase date, etc. But the most important piece of information was “I exclusively use Starbucks French Roast whole bean”. That was when I heard from Philips customer service: “Our machines do not work with Starbucks coffee.”So, “heads up” to anyone who specifically seeks out Starbucks French Roast, or other “oily” coffees. By the way, the phone support people are AWESOME. They just have no fix for oily coffee beans.p.s., I love this machine because it is much cleaner than pour over. Did not deduct a point because I was able to … Find a work around.The coffee grinder top/agitator is secured to the grinder with a (Torx 10) bolt.1. Unscrew the bolt, then remove the top/agitator.3. Beans now gather at the grinder directly.2. Then push down and rotate the grind setting above the grinder, clockwise as far as it will go.This prevents the grinder from starving out, thus no error messages. I get to use my oily coffee. Still no pour over mess.
The Santos’s –
So I previously owned a $200 espresso machine to make my wife “Starbucks” beverages in order to try and save money. Well the machine worked great for a few months and then she noticed the espresso tasting different. Since it was a budget machine there was nothing I could do to adjust it and try to solve the problem so we sold it. I didn’t think I could justify the $7-800 price tag in the name of saving money. Well, I realized I really missed the whole making espresso experience and decided to buy a Breville. I am SOOOO glad I did because I love everything about it!I am so glad I chose the pro as well. The selling point for me was the heat up time. This thing is ready to go almost immediately after turning the machine on. I don’t steam milk a ton as it’s already hot where I live but I have tried it a couple times and the speed at which you can steam something is incredible! This is well worth the $100 price difference between the pro and express model. Plus there are finer grind settings which I appreciate. I do like the gauge on the express and wish the pro had one, but the digital screen is great too. I haven’t cleaned it yet so I can’t speak to that, but I am in love with this machine. It looks great on the counter and it’s super speedy. Can’t speak highly enough of this machine
GaxGax –
I love this machine and never go to a coffee shop anymore unless I’m traveling. It is simple to use and is able to make a perfect espresso, latte, etc. every time. The only downsides are that (1) it is a bit loud and (2) you need to stir your cappuccino because it puts the milk in before the espresso.Several reviews mention that the manual is useless, and Phillips must have listened as I found the manual that came with my machine is very detailed and clear (see attached photo). The manual also clearly states NOT to adjust the grinder until you have brewed ~100 cups, or 1 month of use. Follow this recommendation and you won’t be disappointed. I’ve used it about 3 weeks now and get espresso with a decent crema and great flavor using the default settings. All that said, you don’t have to wait long to get a good tasting drink. The machine makes acceptable brews right from the start and they just get better as the machine beaks in. It also takes several brews to get firm pucks of grounds rather than sludge in the waste container.It is worth noting that the manual states not to use caramelized or flavored coffee beans. I also noticed that oily beans, while they seem to work fine, don’t flow as nicely into the grinder as dryer beans like Lavazza.As other reviews mention, the machine does do automatic rinses just after turning on and again just before shutting down. Put an empty cup under the dispenser to collect these rinses and you won’t have to empty the tray as often.While pricey, it will pay for itself in less than 6 months, assuming you get a latte or other fancy drink from a coffe shop every day. Definitely worth the money for the convenience of a top quality coffee drink any time of day without leaving your home.
Preetk4 –
I bought this because it supposedly did the same thing as the one in my home builders office.Every time me and my wife went to my home builders office for picking out things and options for our custom house they would offer us coffee. Me and my wife always thought they had like a coffee shop in the back.One day I asked how you guys make this amazing coffee, well they took us in the back and showed us it was this coffee machine which I didn’t know about at the time but they told me it was a jura as well as the label on the machine.Well me and my wife love coffee so we decided we wanted something like that so we figured we get one too. That was until we found out how expensive the jura was. I did some research and found out. It was basically a all in one coffee machine and I came across this Phillips that had great reviews and supposedly did the same thing and a lot cheaper.Long story short, we went through 4 pounds of coffee beans trying to get the Philips to taste anything close to the Jura, and eventually gave up, me, and my wife conclusion was, it’s basically just a expensive Keurig. Honestly, the Keurig coffee, taste better, and the espresso on the Phillips taste like crap.So we decided to just get a jura like our home builder. In all honesty there is a night and day difference between the Phillips and jura. The Phillips is a $900 Keurig while the jura is actually a espresso all in one machine that tastes like coffee shop coffee.Lesson learned as usual you get what you pay for. Ps the jura has already paid for itself because no more Starbuck trips, also my home builders jura has been working non stop 30 plus coffees a business day they told me for 5+ years.
mayra galiano –
Quality is good, performece is good. I like the size. Portability is frendly. Drip good.
SeeSawSeeSaw –
Less than two months and already has nicks in the paint job. I wanted to get the black since it matches my kitchen and I think it looks really nice. I don’t think I’ve been rough with it at all so I’m certainly a bit disappointed. How will it look in another year or two?I had a Gaggia classic for years but the pump was starting to fail, so decided to try the Breville. I can’t really call myself an espresso enthusiast — I just want a great cup of coffee in the morning without fuss so I decided to give Breville a try given its reputation.It works well. I do have some issues with channeling, but otherwise it’s great. Likewise, the steaming function is nice as well.In retrospect, I wish I bought the stainless version. It’s too soon to have any nicks or scratches.
Joe Mama –
I purchased a Pro about a month ago. It started to make a buzzing sound after pulling a shot. I contacted customer service and we video chatted about my issue. I was able to pull a shot in real time and show that there was a problem. I was sent a return label for the malfunctioning machine and was shipped out a brand new machine within 2 days. No problems, no fuss. One of the best customer service experiences I’ve had in a long time.
Whispering BarrelsWhispering Barrels –
We read the reviews, even though some mentioned this units short comings, we proceeded to get one. Well, everything others have said, this one represented. It has limited froth (we tried 7 different kinds of milk), the coffee is “weak” (all Starbucks), expresso’s are “ok”. We spoke to Phillips, after hrs on the phone, they could not figure it out, said it might be the pump that is the issue with the froth/steam. I think the unit is a ‘Fair” coffee machine, but for this price, it should not have this issue. This is our experience, some others have had even worse, some have had better.
Scott Heisey –
I gave it 5 stars for the quality of the pour.While the interface is a little kludgy here and there it does produce a quality pour.I also own an Astoria 2 head commercial machine and this Breville can produce the same quality pour.You can adjust your grind and pour time which is pretty nice. I like my grind and pour time just around 20 seconds for 2 ounces and while it may take some trial and error you can pretty much get this to perfect pour everytime.I have only had this machine for 5 days and may update this comment later if things change for the worse.While the LCD interface is a little quirky it is easy to figure out pretty quickly. I think this machine is better than the lower-end model (I have not used the lower-end model) and probably better than the higher-end model (again never used) The LCD display gives me just enough control to make the kind of espresso I enjoy.The last thing is the steam wand is OK and you can foam the milk with this wand. It is no comparison to my Astoria commercial steam wand. As long as you keep your milk quantity 8oz or less you should get what you need from the steam wand.
Shelly –
This machine exceeded our expectations. We are now spoiled & love waking up to the many freshly ground coffee selections every morning. Shortly after we began using it, an error occurred but the manual provided walks you through the troubleshooting process and it was easily resolved. Worth every penny!
Designer77Designer77 –
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!
RLCBNHH –
This is everything I hoped it would be. I’m no barista, but this makes it look like I am. It is so easy to refill water and clean. I watched this for well over a year and snapped it up when it was 50% off on Prime Day. So glad I did.
Alexandra LuAlexandra Lu –
Using this machine for over 6 months now, and loving it! Got it after a major disappointment that i experienced with $2k espresso machine from a very fancy European brand. This one is durable and keeps making shot after shot without any hiccups. It offers all kinds of coffee beverage options and it makes them perfectly. There are also a lot of options to control how strong you want your coffee and how much of it. It also frothers milk nicely creating an almost barista grade creamy texture to milk. The only spare part is water filter that lasts for 4 months even with active use.Our family consumes a lot of coffee and this machine is basically in the center of our household. LOL
Karri –
Our last Breville lasted 10 years. Was a no brainer to go with them again.
Kristina metzKristina metz –
Well worth the money. I haven’t purchased coffee from a coffee shop (other than beans) since last October. Never going back!Easy to use, and easy to clean.Very sleek looking too!Finally perfected the iced latte (not pictured bc my phone sucks)Also idk anything about latte art and have no desire to learn so look elsewhere for pretty photos lol
Nikkibeach –
Once you try a fresh cup of coffee, expresso, cappuccino etc from this machine you will get never want to go back to a pod or drip machine again. Barista quality coffee at home for a fraction of the price. The initial cost is high, but over time you save a fortune while enjoying the most delicious freshly ground coffee. Initial setup and maintenance is a little involved. It does require periodic cleaning, lubrication and descaling, but again I think the effort is worth it. Kids love the hot chocolate with the milk froth. You can even use it to make tea instead of having an extra kettle.
PrimeCom –
This is supper coffee machine which I ever have used and love it!
Hatricia –
I have always wanted an espresso machine, but could never justify the cost of a decent one. Especially one that would be easy to use, low maintenance, and wouldn’t take too much time to use.My drink of choice is usually a caramel macchiato from Starbucks, but it’s expensive, and the quality isn’t always consistent. So with the amount of times I find myself in the drive through every week, and how often I end up with a drink that doesn’t even taste good, I finally decided to just get this. Also on work from home days I don’t want to get up to go out just for coffee.I was able to do the Amazon payments option, and when I calculated how much I’m probably spending at Starbucks a few times a week, it was close to what I’d pay for this machine each month (terrible I know), so it would be more than worth it. Plus now I could have coffee on weekends or days when I work remote.When I got it, I did spend quite a lot of time at first figuring out what all the parts were so I didn’t mess it up, but after the first two shots I realized how easy it was going to be to use. I think after 3-4 shots I had both the grind time and size just about perfect and have not had a bad one since.It’s quick to make my coffee in the morning before work, I can just run the pieces under hot water to rinse off, and then I’m done. I have used it every day since I got it about a week ago, and today I did a more thorough cleaning, and even that only took about 5 minutes.I am really happy I splurged on this, it was a big investment for me, but it’s been everything I wanted so far.
KathyKathy –
My husband and I were on the fence about purchasing this, because it is quite an investment. But we typically budget 2 coffees a week, and it was starting to get pretty pricey. Especially at $5 per iced latte. And if you add on one of those tempting muffin’s in the glass case, or other food items, it gets even pricier! So, we decided to stop buying coffee when we were out and purchased this machine instead. It took a couple of trials and errors to properly dial in, but now a couple weeks later, we are obsessed! I typically have 2 iced lattes a day at this point and crave a 3rd. So there’s my warning to you, lol. I love that we can use our preferred milk and syrup, and I think everyone can relate to getting a latte when they’re out, and just thinking “if it just had a little bit more ___ this would be amazing”, and the best thing about this is we can do that now! We can completely customize our drink to our liking. I would highly recommend this product.
Alex R. –
It’s a great machine overallThe good:========- Takes seconds for it to start pouring! Faster than my Nespresso Breville machine!- the fact that can instantly switch to the steam and back to pouring shots is amazing!- it’s super quiet, I’m comparison to the Nespresso machine and other espresso machines I heard from the same classThe bad:=======- When you customize the shot extraction, you can’t use the default extraction amount, you need to reset it to defaults losing your customization…- when grinding the coffee it ALWAYS fall out of the portafilter, not a lot but enough to be annoying. Requires to buy these funnels that prevent it from happening.- the razor thing, useless… better if they would have included a distributor tool to spread the coffee evenly in the portafilter.NOTE: buy the SMALL Breville knock box, I was concerned that it would be too small, but it’s perfect! (The bigger one is more of a coffee trash can)