Philips 3200 LatteGo Review

Now, let’s dive into the detailed review of Philips 3200 LatteGo.

I’m a coffee expert and owner of multiple espresso machines. I’ve researched the Philips 3200 Series in-depth to help you determine if this machine can satisfy your taste buds or not.

With this 3200 LatteGo machine, Philips aims to dominate the market (~$700) of fully automatic espresso machines that lie between entry-level and expensive ones and according to me, this is a very good option if your budget is under $800.

Brewing System

In the Philips 3200 LatteGo, the brew unit is of 15 BAR Pump Pressure, while espresso requires just 7-9 BAR pressures, if you are confused about what BAR is, it’s the force that pushes hot water through the coffee grounds, making sure every bit of flavor is extracted.

In addition to the brew group, the Philips 3200 LatteGo boasts an intelligent brewing system, it brews your coffee at the ideal brew temperature of 194 °F and 208 °F and it also decides how long to brew your coffee. 

Philips has also given pre-infusion technology, that wets the coffee grounds before the full brewing process begins which ensures there is no channeling and a consistent flow of water for better extraction.

In the Philips 3200 LatteGo Iced Coffee Model, when you opt for the iced coffee option, the machine lowers the brewing temperature by ~20 degrees Celsius and also slows down the flow rate. 

Because brewing at a higher temperature could melt the ice too fast, making your coffee diluted and taste sour.

Brew Quality

Before going into how the coffee tastes, first let’s look at what 3200 LatteGo can brew. 

The Philips 3200 LatteGo machine can make six different drinks. You can choose from espresso, coffee, americano, cappuccino, latte macchiato, and iced coffee (only in the iced coffee model). It can also dispense hot water.

With this machine, you also have the option to brew two double shots for espresso, coffee and americano and I liked that its double shots aren’t like brewing two times with the same puck (like double long shots), it actually repeats the whole process.

Now coming to extraction quality, It tasted good (overall satisfied with the experience), the espresso shots are richer, full-bodied & consistent all the time.

However, if we compare this with a semi-automatic machine made by a skilled person or a barista then I feel this 3200 series machine espresso can’t compete with them as it is relatively less strong and has lesser crema. 

But generally, only a handful of machines can truly keep up with a semi-automatic one. In reality, achieving top-notch taste comes at a cost for a super-automatic machine.

Some users say the machine makes espresso shots too quickly. I also observed that the extraction time is about 15 seconds instead of the usual 30 seconds. However, this speed factor doesn’t seem to impact the quality of the extraction. 

Category Score : [80%]

Milk Frothing System

Philips automatic milk frothing system is called the LatteGo system and It’s so good that it is even worth it for a $2000 machine.

In the milk frothing cup, the LatteGo system aerates milk at a very high speed of 394 meters per second, which gives you dense and silky smooth milk froth at a good temperature.

Like the same brew every time, the LatteGo system is also very consistent in giving nice thick froth, so full marks for consistency – no surprises or changes.

I used the LatteGo system with several dairy and plant-based milks, and I found that the plant-based milks don’t give a good froth maybe because there’s a lack of sugar & protein.

Although, it works best with 1%, 2%, and whole dairy milk and if you avoid dairy milk then I recommend you try barista-style plant-based milks, as they foam relatively well.

To make a milk-based drink, you don’t have to guess how much milk to put in. The Lattego system already has a mark for three drinks, so you just pour the milk up to that spot. This way, you get a good foam for your drink type, and there’s less waste.

I also like that the LatteGo system is designed in a way that if there’s milk left in the cup, you can easily take it off the machine, put it in the fridge, and when you want to use it then plug it back in.

Category Score : [95%]

Design & Build

The Philips 3200 LatteGo has a minimalistic and user-friendly design, it has a solid plastic build with black glossy finish on the front and chrome finish on the display border, and from nowhere it feels cheap.

The Philips 3200 LatteGo measures 9.6 inches wide, 14.6 inches tall, and 17 inches deep, and weighs 18 pounds. It’s great for those who have limited countertop space, and its moderate weight allows you to easily move it around when needed.

Its water tank is sufficiently good at 1.8 liters in size and is easily accessible by sliding it from the front, with a transparent side for checking water levels. This is more convenient than machines where you have to look at the back to refill the water tank.

Right up front, you have an adjustable coffee spout that goes down 3.3 inches and up to 5.7 inches, which will be a good fit for all cup sizes except travel mugs.

Like all machines, the bean hopper of Philips 3200 is located at the top, its size is 8.8 ounces and the lid is designed with an aroma seal to keep the whole beans fresh.

In the same place, there’s a special bypass chute funnel. It’s useful if you want to try different flavored or decaf coffees without messing up with your main brewing line.

Grinder

One standout feature that puts the Philips 3200 series ahead of its competition is its grinder. It boasts a flat ceramic grinder with 12 different grind settings. 

If we look at the best semi-automatic like Breville Barista Express and this machine alternative super-automatic machines at this price range, you will find almost all of them come with a conical steel burr.

Ceramic grinders are better for espresso machines because they stay cooler during the grinding process than metal ones and help preserve the flavor of the coffee by preventing heat to beans which gives more flavorful espresso.

Ceramic burrs are less sharper but more durable which contributes to increasing the overall lifespan of the machine.  

Category Score : [90%]

Display & Controls

The machine’s control center, its intuitive touchscreen display, boast a straightforward design where all options are easily accessible.

The options in the display are fixed and you can’t scroll or slide, you just have to touch either one time, two times, or long-press depending upon the use and the touch response is also good.

On the left side, you’ll have six drink options, on the upper right you’ll have a “My Coffee Choice” section for customization and on the below and side right you’ll have indicators for cleaning and other warnings.

Every option in the display comes with an icon and at least one LED indicating light which runs in series while heating, and glows or blinks depending upon your command.

On both the left and right sides of the display, you’ll find a power on/off button and a start/stop button and their quality is good.

Overall, I would say it’s easy to use.

Programming

All the customization stuff will be done in the ‘My Coffee Choice’ section where you get mainly three settings; Coffee Temperature, Aroma Strength Settings and Milk Froth Settings.

You have three settings for coffee temperature; low at ~90 degrees Celsius, medium at ~93 degrees Celsius, and high at ~95-96 degrees Celsius.

Aroma Strength Settings also has 3 options; low, medium, and high. Choose between them according to how strong you want your coffee to be. 

Almost 6 to 10 grams of beans are used while brewing depending upon your strength settings, 6 being low and 10 being high.

Milk Froth Settings comes the same as others with three options, and it is only for increasing the quantity of milk in your drink and not for customizing the froth density.

You need to keep in mind that the machine will remember the last settings you have brewed with as there are no user profiles, so check customization every time you brew.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning the machine is not a headache, except brew group all the parts are dishwasher safe and require mere a minute of cleaning.

Removable parts that are dishwasher safe are the drip tray – requires cleaning when the red indicator is up, used puck container – requires cleaning after 12 drinks, water tank – just requires a quick rinse when refilling.

The LatteGo system leads its segment in terms of cleaning as well, with no use of tubes and pipes which are very hard to clean, you can detach it in three parts which gives very convenience while cleaning and is also dishwasher safe. 

The brew group also needs weekly rinsing and requires food grade lubrication in moving parts every three months or when you notice coffee grounds outside around the brew group.

There’s no fixed time for descaling the machine, when it needs descaling an indicator will glow up then you need to follow the manual or the machine will guide you through indicators & it’s a 30-minute process.

But if you use Philips Aqua Clean Filter then you don’t need to descale the machine. 

The company claims that this filter can brew you up to five thousand cups of coffee but this seems to be a marketing claim. The average I found is around 800 cups.

It basically depends upon water hardness, that’s why when you set up the machine it asks you about water hardness and the company also gives you a strip to check so.

Philips also suggests you avoid dark roast and oily coffee beans since they can be tough to clean from the inside. However, if you really enjoy sipping them, you should use Philips Oil Remover Solution after every 500 cups to keep your machine in good shape.

Who is this Product for?

In this section, we’ve mentioned several criteria below, on which you can find if this Philips 3200 LatteGo will be a right fit for you or not.

Criteria	Philips 3200 LatteGo
Best of the best espresso	Don’t Consider
You are a beginner and don’t make good espresso.	Consider
User-friendly machine	Consider
Easy-to-clean machine	Consider
Super-automatic machine on a budget	Consider
Machine with iced coffee and Americano options	Don’t Consider
Very Silent machine	Don’t Consider
High-tech features like WiFi, Bluetooth, or application	Don’t Consider
User profiles	Don’t Consider
Best-of-class milk frothing system	Consider

Comparison with Other Philips Series

Philips has several super-automatic machines at different price segments, but in this short comparison, I only compare this 3200 LatteGo with its one above lineup 4300 series and one lower lineup 2200 series.

The basics of the machine that is the brew unit, grinder, and LatteGo system remain the same for all. 

The main differences are in the finishing quality, display, customization options, and the variety of drinks each series offers. The 4300 series is a step up with better quality and more features, while the 2200 series is more budget-friendly with some cutbacks.

The 4300 series has extras like user profiles and an additional mini touchscreen display, making it a bit more user-friendly. On the other hand, the 2200 series trims down on features like milk frothing customization.

If you want more details, you can check out our specific comparison articles on these series to help you decide which machine suits you better.”

Philips 3200 vs 4300

Philips 3200 vs 2200

Philips 3200 LatteGo Alternatives

In this section, I’ve mentioned fully automatic machines that are closest to Philips 3200 LatteGo and also lie in the same segment in terms of price and quality.  

Our Verdict

We recommend Philips 3200 LatteGo for coffee lovers seeking a fully automatic espresso machine from a reputable brand at an affordable price.