Automatic machines · review
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.
The bottom line Buy it for the milk system. Everything else is competent; that part is genuinely better.
Philips has spent a decade competing with De’Longhi on the one thing owners complain about most, and with LatteGo it has clearly won. Every automatic milk system before it routed milk down a silicone tube. Tubes are unlit, unreachable and warm — which is to say they are exactly where milk goes to become a problem. Enough owners quietly stopped using the milk function altogether that the feature they paid for became decoration.
LatteGo removes the tube. 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, or putting them in the dishwasher. It sounds like a small thing until you have owned the alternative.
The rest of the machine is deliberately unexciting, which is the correct decision at this price. Ceramic burrs hold their edge across years rather than months. Twelve grind steps is the same coarse adjustment everyone offers here. The brew unit comes out, though it needs a firmer push to reseat than De’Longhi’s — and if it is not seated, the machine simply refuses to brew rather than leaking, which is the right failure.
Where it falls short is where every automatic falls short. The foam is dense, stable and slightly stiff: correct in a cappuccino, wrong for anything you would pour a pattern into. If that matters to you, you do not want an automatic machine at all — you want a portafilter and a pitcher.
At 800 $, it is the 4 cheapest of the 6 models in this category published here.
| Burr type | Ceramic flat |
|---|---|
| Grind settings | 12 steps |
| Milk system | LatteGo, 2 parts, dishwasher-safe |
| Drinks | 20 |
| Water tank | 1.8 L |
| Brew unit | Removable |
Conventional automatic milk systems pull milk through a silicone tube into a frothing chamber. Tubes are where milk hides, sours and eventually blocks. LatteGo froths in the gap between two moulded parts, with no tube anywhere — so cleaning is two pieces under a tap or in the dishwasher. It is the difference between a system you clean and one you mean to clean.
Real, but narrowly. Ceramic keeps its edge far longer than the cheap hardened steel used at this price, which matters over a decade of daily use. It does not make the grind more consistent than good steel burrs on day one, and it chips if a stone gets into the hopper.
No, and neither can any automatic milk system. It produces stable, dense foam that sits correctly in the cup. Pourable microfoam requires a steam wand and a pitcher in your hand.
8.4/ 10
Buy it for the milk system. Everything else is competent; that part is genuinely better.
A household where two or three people each drink something different, with milk.
Same category, nearest prices. Only the specifications every one of them states are shown — a half-empty column compares nothing.
| Model | Price | Water tank | Brew unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philips 5500 Series LatteGo | 800 $ | 1.8 L | Removable |
| Siemens EQ.500 integral | 750 $ | 1.7 L | Sealed |
| Melitta Barista TS Smart | 900 $ | 1.8 L | Removable |
| De'Longhi Magnifica Evo | 600 $ | 1.8 L | Removable |
A reference exists on these Amazon stores: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States. Listed is not the same as in stock — availability changes daily.
Details checked on August 8, 2026.
Specifications: manufacturer sheet and Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. No product on this site has been physically tested.
13-step steel burr · manual or LatteCrema wand
The machine most people should start with. The grinder is ordinary and the coffee is good rather than great — but the brew unit pops out in two seconds, and that single design decision is why these are still running after eight years.
Best for: Someone moving off capsules who wants fresh coffee without a hobby attached.
≈ $600 / £450 / 450 €
Pulse Extraction · sealed brew unit · 17 drinks
The best espresso an automatic machine makes, from a company that will not let you clean the part that brews it. Extraordinary in the cup, uncomfortable as a ten-year purchase — and you should know both before spending this much.
Best for: Someone who drinks short black coffee daily, values the cup over the repair bill, and will pay for it.
≈ $2,000 / £1,300 / 1 200 €
Bean chambers ×2 · 21 drinks · app control
Two separate bean chambers, so a decaf drinker and an espresso drinker share one machine without either compromising. The app is beside the point; the second hopper is not.
Best for: A household where one person drinks decaf after six and nobody wants to swap beans.
≈ £900 / 950 €
