Netherlands · since 1891
One idea, executed better than anyone else
Philips has spent a decade competing with De’Longhi on the one thing super-automatic 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 molded 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 super-automatic market.
Best for: A household where two or three people each drink something different, with milk.
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 super-automatic owners on medium to hard water.
4 presets, LatteGo 3-part milk system, AquaClean to 5,000 cups, one-touch grind-tamp-brew
A super-automatic with four presets, a three-part dishwasher-safe milk system and no descaling for up to 5,000 cups.
Best for: A one-touch household that wants latte and espresso and would rather rinse three parts than clean a wand
≈ $700
6 presets, full color display, LatteGo 3-part milk system, AquaClean to 5,000 cups
Six presets including iced coffee and latte macchiato, on a full color display, with the three-part LatteGo milk system.
Best for: Someone who wants iced coffee and latte macchiato on a button rather than a recipe
≈ $550
16-bar pump, grinds-tamps-brews in under 60 s, lever operated, 3 shot styles
A lever-operated machine that grinds, tamps and brews in under sixty seconds at sixteen bar, with three shot styles and no milk system.
Best for: A black-coffee household that wants ground-to-order espresso and will never make a latte
≈ $225
