Netherlands · since 1891
One idea, executed better than anyone else
Philips has spent a decade competing with De’Longhi on the one thing bean-to-cup owners complain about most, and with LatteGo it has clearly won.
Every automatic milk system before it routed milk down a silicone tube into a frothing chamber. Tubes are unlit, unreachable and warm, which is precisely where milk goes to become a problem. Enough owners quietly stopped using the milk function that the feature they paid for became decoration.
LatteGo removes the tube entirely. Milk is drawn up a channel moulded into a two-part carafe and frothed in the gap between them, so cleaning means separating two pieces of plastic and rinsing them. That sounds like a small thing until you have owned the alternative.
The rest of the range is deliberately unexciting, which is the right decision at the price. Ceramic burrs that hold their edge, a removable brew unit, twelve grind steps, and an interface that does not bury what you actually change. Philips also owns Saeco, and the two ranges share a great deal of engineering — compare specifications rather than badges.
12-step ceramic burr · 20 drinks · 2-part milk system
LatteGo is the only automatic milk system we do not resent cleaning: two parts, no tubes, both dishwasher-safe. Combined with ceramic burrs that will outlast the machine, it makes this the sensible middle of the bean-to-cup market.
Best for: A household where two or three people each drink something different, with milk.
≈ $800 / £600 / 600 €
In-tank cartridge · up to 5,000 cups
Philips claims up to 5,000 cups without descaling if the filter is replaced on schedule. That is broadly true and entirely conditional — miss a replacement and the claim expires with it.
Best for: Philips and Saeco bean-to-cup owners on medium to hard water.
≈ £30 / 32 € (2-pack)
