Getting good results with the press of a button is a pretty addictive thing to experience. The Philips 3200 with LatteGo Espresso Machine is designed to do exactly that.
This blog will take a look at the design and features of this machine and show you why it’s our top automatic espresso machine for 2022.
Philips 3200 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo | |
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Model | Philips 3200 Series w/ LatteGo, Black, EP3241/54 |
Manufacturer | Philips, Italy (made in Romania) |
Dimensions | 20 x 19.5 x 12.25 inches |
Weight | 17.6 pounds |
Pump Pressure: | 15 Bars |
Milk frother | Yes, LatteGo technology |
Coffee Grinder | Ceramic Disc Grinder |
Water Tank Capacity | 1.8 L |
Philips 3200 With LatteGo
Philips 3200 With LatteGo Espresso Machine
This is an exceptional super-automatic espresso machine with Philips' proprietary LatteGo technology. By simply pressing a button on the intuitive touch display, you are provided with aromatic coffee almost instantly. The silky smooth froth delivered by the 3200 Series ensures that you get only the best quality coffee.
Pros
- The exquisite aesthetic of this machine will boost the looks of any kitchen.
- No splash, easy to use LatteGo system.
- Exceptionally user-friendly.
- Dishwasher safe milk tank and easy cleaning process
- Everything is automatic - you just can't go wrong.
- Somewhat less expensive than other models of this level
Cons
- The LatteGo milk frothing system means - no steam wand for latte art.
- Both milk frothing and bean-grinding processes are a bit loud.
The Philips 3200 in a glance
Before I get into the details, here's a summary of it for you if you're in a rush and can't go through the in-depth review:
- Setting It Up - You can set up the machine quite easily by following the manual and customizing it according to your preference.
- Efficiency - The machine can brew as many as 5 cups at a time. It is backed by an in-built grinder that ensures every cup is filled with freshly ground coffee.
- Coffee Options - The Philips 3200 offers three essential coffee varieties: latte macchiato, espresso, and cappuccino. It features a storage container and a water filter.
- Easy To Operate - The touch display featured in this model can be easily operated and exudes the latest, sleek design. This unit includes all parts required for coffee brewing (no, not the beans!).
- Milk Frothing - The Philips 3200 features a LatteGo system for milk frothing that efficiently adds a frothy milk layer to the coffee whenever you want.
This unit's lifespan approximately lasts for 20,000 uses, which means that it will provide you with freshly-brewed coffee for many years at a price that is quite affordable.
Skip to the best part:
Philips 3200 – Design
The 3200 series by Philips has an elegant yet contemporary look that gives it a techy look&feel. The exterior part of the unit is primarily plastic-made except for the panel featuring the touch control, which is made using a wrap made from stainless steel. On an overall basis, the build of this machine appears to be sturdy and made from premium quality materials.
The control panel is pretty straightforward. It has a menu of drinks to choose from and buttons to adjust the coffee strength, water level, and milk froth level. Indicator lights on the front panel alert the user when it is time to descale, clean, refill the water tank, or empty the excess grounds compartment.
The intuitive touch display of this espresso machine is easy-to-operate, but reading the user’s manual, might help. For example, when I moved my finger the first time to adjust my coffee settings, I noticed that a light was blinking. It means that You need to pause for a second to allow the grind settings to take place.
Functionality:
Apart from the main three varieties of Latte macchiato, cappuccino, and espresso, the Philips 3200 gives you additional Americano and black coffee choices. All you have to do is select the coffee kind that’s on your mind and press the’ brew’ button to get a sip of the aromatic coffee you are craving at that time.
This model features a bean hopper on its top part that can easily hold over a pound of coffee beans. That’s great If you make a lot of coffee every day (like in an office). The machine is equipped with an aroma seal to keep the beans fresh for a longer timeframe. However, if you only use the machine a few times a day, just fill it with the daily amount of beans you use.
The Philips 3200 comes with a built-in ceramic-based flat burr grinder with 12 settings for grinding. You can also enjoy pre-ground coffee using this machine, using the top lid that flips up to bring out a chute to add pre-measured ground coffee. This is great if you want to drink decaf coffee from time to time.
Some people drink their coffee in a demitasse. Others like to feel their travel mug with espresso. The Philips 3200 allows you to adjust the coffee spout to the size of your cup. I was pretty impressed by the even flow of the brew, regardless of what cup I used. There is no sputtering at all, and whether I use a 5.9-inch Latte glass or a demitasse cup.
The Philips 3200 features the ‘Aqua Clean Filter’ that ensures you will not have to descale the machine until the 5000th cup. The descaling light will go off if you use the ‘Aqua Clean Filter.’ The machine will alert you when you need to replace the filter, so you keep getting coffee from pure and clean water.
Philips 3200 Lattego Milk Frothing
The milk frothing system on the Philips 3200 Series with LatteGo EP3241 54 uses LatteGo technology. The LatteGo system has a dedicated container, which you fill with milk. Next, you clip the container to the steam wand and wait 15 seconds to get a rich, creamy milk froth.
The LatteGo system carefully and thoroughly combines air and milk at high speed within the chamber. It then pours a silk-textured milk froth into the cup at the perfect temperature. If you don’t like frothing milk manually or the cleaning process it requires – the LatteGo system will make your life much easier.
The Philips LatteGo system is the equivalent of the LatteCrema system on Delonghi espresso machines. And though I can’t say it’s 100% splash-free, it is close enough in my experience, which is remarkable. The milk container and lid are the only two parts of the LatteGo system, so you can clean them easily by hand or in the dishwasher.
100% Ceramic Grinders
The Series 3200 by Philips has been exclusively designed to ensure that you get to enjoy your favorite beverage without discontent. It includes a 12-step grinder made from ceramic to precisely create superb results from coarsely-ground coffee to ultra-fine coffee powder, based on your taste.
Water Tank:
The water tank in this model holds up to 1.8 liters of water. That is a perfect size for any espresso machine. Removing this water tank is also very convenient as it is located in the machine’s front part for easy refill.
The Taste Of Espresso And Latte Drinks:
This Philips model offers five different coffee types to enjoy. Having tasted both lattes and espressos from this machine for some time, I can say they are exquisite. But you need to carefully choose the coffee beans and focus on the optimal grind size – if you want to get the most out of this high-quality espresso machine.
Grinding the coffee a bit finer and increasing the strength of the brew while reducing the water content has helped me enjoy the kind of espresso I like. And with the silky, smooth froth in the latte, I have no complaints against the LatteGo system for milk frothing.
What I Liked Or Disliked About The Philips 3200 with Lattego
I really liked:
- Convenience– What I liked most about the Philips 3200 is that it is straightforward to use. It involves minimum manual input to brew an aromatic coffee cup. The machine does all the hard work for you, including grinding the beans, tamping the grounds, frothing the milk, and even brewing the coffee as soon as you press a button. Now, could making coffee get better than this?
- Easy Maintenance – The brewing is easy, but so is the cleaning. The process of cleaning the machine is simple, especially with the milk tank being dishwasher safe. Just don’t forget to add beans and water after cleaning, or empty the drip tray and grounds bin every now and then.
- Fast Heating – The unit requires only 1 minute to get heated up once you have turned it on, and that’s mighty impressive compared to other espresso machines at this scale.
- Controlling temperature– I was also fascinated by the fact that this equipment allows you to adjust the coffee temperature depending on how hot or cold you want it to be.
- The Filter – One of the most attention-grabbing features of this unit is its compatibility with ‘Aqua Clean Filter’. It spares you the trouble of descaling, especially if you use the machine as your office espresso machine or have a caffeine-addicted family.
Drawbacks:
- No Microfoaming Option – The milk frothing system is unquestionably efficient. Still, it doesn’t provide you with microfoam, which other machines in this category offer. This means that you cannot control the foaming milk manually to create latte art.
- The Noise- Both milk frothing and bean-grinding processes involve considerable noise that may annoy some users. But I speak from experience that this noise is not as loud as some other models I’ve used earlier.
So, what I think about the machine is that this model by Philips is focused more on top-quality minimalism than superior-quality functionality. This model can be the most suitable choice for daily use because it is low on maintenance and time-saving.
Philips 3200 with Lattego – Final Thoughts
Compared to other automatic bean-to-cup coffee machines, the Philips 3200 Series with LatteGo EP3241 54 is reasonably-priced. I don’t think you can find another super-automatic espresso machine at this price level that is so easy to operate and with so many options.
As long as you use the best coffee beans and set the right grind level for your taste, this machine will give you a barista-level coffee each and every time. It’s so easy to use, I find this machine addictive (it should come with a warning!).
We already covered the best automatic espresso machines for 2022, and the Phillips 3200 with Lattego system became our top pick for this year. I think that sums it all.