As certified coffee snobs, we’ve tried out tons of machines, from manual to semi-automatic models in the De’Longhi and Breville lineups, to super fancy automatic machines in the Jura series.
Regardless of its recognition as a brand overall, the Philips is lesser known within the coffee world. Then they launched the 3200 series fully automatic machine – and, it commended our attention. How? It claims to create café-quality beverages quickly and easily, and for a fraction of the price of many other super automatic machines in its ranks.
- With Philips 3200 Series enjoy the delicious taste and aroma of coffee from fresh beans at the perfect temperature
- LatteGo Milk System: Top your coffee off with a silky-smooth layer of milk froth
- Intuitive Touch Display: Select the perfect coffee for your mood with just one touch
- My Coffee Choice Menu: Adjust the strength and quantity of your beverage and choose from three different settings...
At a glance, the Philips 3200 Series fully automatic with LatteGo, model EP3241/54, integrates some impressive innovations, such as its 10-ounce capacity ceramic burr grinder and unique automatic milk solution LatteGo… But can it perform as well as other super automatic machines on the market and meet your needs for the home or office? Read on to find out.
What we love about the Philips 3200 Series fully automatic with LatteGo:
- Modern Design with an Intuitive Touch Display.
- Bean to Cup in Less than One Minute.
- Create 5 Classic Café Beverages: Espresso, Cappuccino, Coffee, Latte, and Americano.
- Makes Hot Water for Tea Drinkers.
- Huge 10 Ounce Bean Hopper and 1.8 Liter Water Tank Capacity.
- AromaSeal Keeps Out UV Rays and Keeps Beans Fresher Longer.
- Lightweight and a Relatively Small Footprint for its Capabilities.
- Exceptionally Easy to Clean with Dishwasher Safe Milk Unit.
- AquaClean Filter Included for the Water Reservoir.
- Go 5,000 Beverages Before Needing to Descale.
Design of the Philips 3200 Series fully automatic with LatteGo
The Philips 3200 with LatteGo in this review is model EP3241/54 in a beautiful glossy black. It has a sleek appearance with shiny chrome details in the drip tray and around the impressively simple touch menu control center.
We love the adjustable drink spout to accommodate for some mugs that don’t fit under any of our other machines; when lifted all the way up the spout can accommodate mugs up to nearly 6 inches tall.
The Philips design team thought of some ingenious additions with this design:
- A heavy-duty 10-ounce capacity ceramic burr grinder.
- The AromaSeal lid to keep out UV rays for the freshest possible beans.
- A front access water reservoir for convenience and easy water-fill.
The user interface is simple with touch buttons for the milk and espresso lengths, as well as the recipe buttons.
There’s also a power button, stop/start button, and indicator lights to let you know when the machine needs refilling or cleaning.
Perhaps the most innovative thing about the Philips 3200 Series design is its LatteGo unit, which you’ll need to attach and fill with milk for the delicious milk-based recipes. Best of all, it’s easily detachable and dishwasher safe for convenient cleaning.
Features & Performance of Philips 3200 Series fully automatic with LatteGo EP3241/54:
Intuitive Touch Display
The Philips 3200 Series’ intuitive touch display creates an easy experience for even a complete coffee newb. Just select the strength, coffee length, and milk length, then choose your recipe. That’s it.
Ceramic Burr Grinder
The Philips ceramic burr grinder is sturdy and has 12 grind settings to dial in the perfect shot. Its lid incorporates AromaSeal tech to keep UV rays away from your quality beans.
The hopper also has a larger than average 10-ounce capacity, which makes this machine a fantastic choice for the office setting or larger households full of coffee fanatics.
LatteGo Milk System
Philips’ unique LatteGo system has such a simple design that yields great results.
You fill the container with milk, and it mixes your milk with air rapidly in its chamber as it pours it into your cup depending on your chosen recipe.
As we mentioned, the milk carafe is also dishwasher safe making it super easy to clean – easier than many milk units we’ve tested.
Five Drink Coffee Menu + Hot Water
Simply displayed on the front of the machine, there are five unique coffee beverage options: Espresso, Cappuccino, Coffee, Latte, and Americano + a Hot Water button. Considering the addition of hot water, you can also make a Long Black.
Pre-Infusion Method for Aromatic and Delicious Results
The Philips 3241/54 Fully Automatic uses a pre-infusion method with a couple second wait time for the most delicious and aromatic results possible. We’ve been using our LatteGo unit for a few months now, and it has consistently great-tasting coffee beverage output.
Amazing AquaClean Filter Included
This machine comes with an AquaClean filter that you install into the water reservoir.
With this filter you can go 5,000 cups before you need to descale, which is a great time-saver and especially great for an office setting or large household.
The refills are cost effective as well since you can get a 2-pack for around $35 and that will last you 10,000 cups of coffee.
Maintenance: Exceptionally Easy to Clean
This machine is by far one of the easiest machines to clean on the market.
You only need to empty the drip tray and coffee puck deposit box about every 12 cups. And, you can easily remove the brew group to rinse with warm water once weekly.
The AquaClean filter lets you go 5,000 cups of coffee without having to descale, which is impressive.
When you do have to descale, the process is simple, only taking around 30 minutes at most and requiring just one manual tank refill from you.
Things to Think About
While we certainly applaud the LatteGo system overall, critically we must admit the cappuccino milk is not as fluffy as we can get with a manual steam wand, and it can tend to splash a little when it’s pouring into shorter cups. That’s about the only drawback we’ve encountered with this machine.
Setup Process:
The setup process for the Philips 3200 with LatteGo, Model EP3241/54 is simple and fast:
- Step 0: Unpack your machine and remove any packaging. Place it in a cool dry area and plug in.
- Step 1: Install the AquaClean filter and fill the reservoir with water.
- Step 2: Pres the on button and the machine will begin heating up and performing an automatic rinse cycle. During this process the drink icons flash slowly.
- Step 3: Once all the drink icons are lit continuously, you’re ready to go!
Comparable: Philips 3200 fully automatic espresso machine with LatteGo vs. De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio semi-automatic espresso maker
If you’re looking for a machine that has a lot of versatility in the beverages it can make and take you from bean to cup quickly, then the Philips 3251/54 and the De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio are two options that you’ll see recommended a lot in your search.
While the Philips model is more automatic by comparison, both are easy to use. And, both espresso makers are in the price range under a $1000.
Let’s compare the two and see what model might be best for you.
Design Comparison
The Philips 3241/54 has a simple modern look with a sleek touch control center that we think is ultimately the easier of the two machines to use. The body is all black with pops of chrome.
We love that this machine has a tidy look and is only 9.75” wide, so it fits great in the home. It’s smaller and 12 pounds lighter than the La Specialista. And, it accommodates taller mugs than the La Specialista too.
The La Specialista Prestigo is a semi-automatic espresso machine with an elegant café-style look that wouldn’t seem out of place in a small café or the home of a coffee aficionado.
- We love its glossy stainless-steel body and professional appearance.
- The 8.8-ounce capacity bean hopper can be seen from the top.
- There’s a smart tamp lever on the left-hand side.
- A professional steam wand on the right-hand side.
We must mention the location of the water reservoir is far better on the Philips machine. It’s easily accessed from the front making it far easier to refill than the difficult back access one on the De’Longhi.
As far as which machine looks and feels the most expensive, we have to give that crown to the sophisticated La Specialista Prestigo.
Function Comparison
As far as functionality, they offer nearly identical functions and the ability to create the same selection of beverages.
The Specialista Prestigo requires only slightly more work as you have to move your portafilter into the group head before you pull your shot. It has an integrated grinder and enclosed smart tamping station.
The Philips 3200 takes care of everything internally, giving you a bit less control.
Each machine has a vastly different milk solution.
The Prestigo has a professional steam wand that certainly makes better professional quality, thick and creamy micro-foam than the Philips 3241/54 creates with its automatic LatteGo system.
The LatteGo System however is much easier to use and clean for the beginner.
Note: La Specialista Prestigo has the same dimension and almost identical features to the La Specialista (standard version). The Prestigo has eight grind settings vs. the six on the standard, and a professional stem ward vs. a home-style wand. Check out our full review on La Specialista.
Both Phillips and the De’Longhi take you from bean to cup in under a minute.
The Philips 3200 wins out with grind settings, offering 12, while the La Specialista Prestigo has 8. It also has a larger bean hopper capacity, while the De’Longhi has a slightly bigger water reservoir.
Both machines have recipe buttons, and they can ultimately make all the same drinks.
- We personally prefer the coffee on the Philips.
- We favor the Americano recipe on the De’Longhi.
- We also prefer the results of a cappuccinos on the De’Longhi.
- Both make equally tasty lattes and straight espresso.
Which model should you get?
It’s a tough race between the De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigo and the Philips 3200 Series with LatteGo. The La Specialista Prestigo wins in appearance, the cappuccino debate, and Americano recipe, while the Philips wins in grinder, ease of use, and its coffee recipe.
Depending on which of those are important to you that might help you decide. If you’re an absolute beginner and you’re looking for something easy, we’d say go with the Philips 3241/54.
Final Thoughts:
Philips 3200 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo (view on Amazon) surprised us with its great tasting and consistent café-quality beverages, its superior ease of use, and innovative components.
You can make delicious café-style Americanos, espressos, coffees, cappuccinos, lattes, and more at the touch of a button. It’s even easy to clean!
There’s nothing more you could ask for of a machine this automatic and at this great price.
We think it will exceed your expectations and keep your family members or employees happy should you settle on purchasing it.