I am not a coffee snob and have always been a pretty simple coffee drinker - either making drip coffee at home in a Mr Coffee pot with milk or creamer (never cared for Keurig coffee pods at all), or the buying the occasional latte or cappuccino.

I researched for a long time between some of the different machines and their trim levels, but ultimately decided to take the plunge and purchase a Philips 4300 as a nice Christmas gift for my boyfriend and I since we work from home and I had several Amazon gift cards.

This is honestly a pretty simple machine to use and maintain, and you will easily become accustomed to it well within the first week of having it.

Definitely watch some YouTube videos to help clear up any confusion, but basically when you first get the machine:

- Do not use oily beans (that usually means dark roast) or flavored beans. I got a bag of medium roast Lavazza from World Market and it's been great. Check the Seattle Coffee Company website for recommendations on approved "super auto" beans

- Follow the recommended cleaning schedule in the documentation that comes with the machine. If you're spending this much money on something, you definitely want to properly take care of it. You will need to buy the brew group cleaning tablets separately (about $8 and should last about a year for one pack). YouTube videos also help with any cleaning questions. Part of this cleaning schedule also means using the quick rinse setting anytime you make a drink with the LatteGo attachment to rinse out the tube (super easy and takes less than 30 seconds)

- Expect to brew ~5-6 pulls of espresso and dump them before your coffee starts to taste okay and your grounds start to properly solidify

- Make sure to register your product with Philips. Just follow the directions on the paper that comes with your purchase. Again, if you're spending this much money, take the 5 minutes to register your product just in case. It comes with a 2 year warranty.

And really that's about it. We have a little dedicated cup that's used for catching all of the water during the different rinsing cycles, so maybe keep one close because it'll be used a lot.

The machine is a little loud, but it's really not bad and brews pretty quickly. It also does go through water pretty quickly, but also not a big deal.

For me personally the toughest part was figuring out how strong to set my preference on the brew strength for my drinks, and figuring out what ounce liquid vs foam settings to use for each drink. I do wish there was an option to make a double latte or double cafe au lait for when I want to make a travel size mug to go, but it's easy enough to make one serving then pour it into a travel mug and repeat with a second serving. For coffee, this double serving feature already exists and is pretty nice.

The lines on the LatteGo attachment that tell you what amount of milk to use are difficult to see, and you will probably end up pouring extra milk back into its original container the first couple of times, but eventually you'll figure out exactly how much you need for your drinks.

Overall we are so happy with the purchase (it's a luxury good we would usually never spend on)! It's definitely made our work from home environment a little cozier and fancier :)

I've owned this machine for a week so my review may change over time but as of right now this machine is seriously amazing. I thought I was a coffee connoisseur before with a nice drip machine, fancy grinder and a frother but boy was I wrong. Setup was a breeze, like most others have stated, watch YouTube videos - there are literally hundreds of what I would say are professional reviews on these machines and it's many models in addition to how to set it up. The setup guide that comes with the machine is useless, although I found the cleaning guide to be helpful at least in the sense of it telling you precisely what to do and when. The latte go attachment cleans itself at the push of a button and I store my leftovers inside of the actual container in the fridge. Like others have stated, do not use dark beans, or it will slowly kill your machine. I started by using Lavazza Super Crema beans from my research and it was making some seriously smooth coffee by about my 6th-7th espresso shot. I plan on trying to go to my local coffee roaster for other recommendations - there's all sorts of articles out there that tell you what's best for super automatic machines like this one. If you're spending $1,000 on this machine, spending decent money on beans is a no brainer if you ask me. After 10-15 coffees my machine was producing solid pucks - one of the major issues I see people having is that they can't get consistently solid pucks which in essence means you're not getting a solid drink. I imagine that has to do with either their water and or a combination of the beans they're using but I could be wrong. The machines bean grinder is located at the top of the bean hopper and comes at a 6 setting which is in the middle - I see most people have switched theirs to 4 and below but the machines specifically asks you not to do that until about a month of use. Based on the beans I am using now, I think I could go down to a 4-5 but I'm going to wait until after the first month. Keep in mind, if you change the setting you have to go 1 setting at a time while the beans are being grinded or you will hurt the machine. The personalized preferences are a nice touch, but I personally like to switch up my settings based on the time of day, or just what im feeling in the moment and it's 3 clicks of a button. The machine cleans itself periodically after making drinks and when you shut it off after use - I keep a cup near by so it lessens the amount of water in my drip tray. I've read a lot of complaints about the bean hopper being to small - personally it doesn't bother me and if anything it just keeps the beans more fresh because you're periodically putting more in (I store mine in an airtight and dark place). Also I have read complaints about the size of the water reservoir, again, doesn't bother me - this machine is small (smaller than it looks) and is meant to not be the size of a commercial machine. I have limited counter space and making any of these functions bigger than they are would make the machine probably twice as large as it is. The machine comes with a warmth setting of "medium" do yourself a favor and change it to "hot." If you're spending this much money on a machine, buy the protection plan, $80 is nothing if you're spending this much anyways.

The Philips 4300 Espresso Machine consistently delivers a good to excellent cup of coffee (or espresso, cappuccino, Americano"¦) and is reliable.

I've used my machine daily for six months before writing this review. I wanted to have a very clear idea of its operation and reliability before I wrote anything. Here are the key things to know:

Expect to spend at least a couple of weeks playing around with the numerous settings before you get the coffee precisely to your liking. There are number of different things you can adjust using the front panel. Plus the grinder itself can be adjusted; I've currently got mine set at nearly the finest grind.

I haven't quantified it, but I believe the Philips uses quite a bit more beans to make a given amount of coffee than other methods. I certainly know I'm refilling it with beams frequently. Of course, this might just be because I'm drinking more coffee due to the extreme convenience (one button operation) of the system.

The machine also uses other consumables at a fairly rapid clip "“ namely the AquaClean filter and descaling tables. Normally, I would write all these off as a scam, designed primarily to contribute to Philips' bottom line. But the first time I used a coffee oil remover tablet it had an immediate positive impact on the taste of my coffee. And, the machine will nag you endlessly if you don't change the AquaClean filter, so I think there's no escaping that.

I clean my machine out quite thoroughly once a week, and lube it. This takes about 20 minutes. I think it's worth the trouble.

Within a short time after purchasing it, I noticed that the two o-rings on the boiler nozzle had already deteriorated. Others reported having the same problem.

I tried to contact Philips to have these replaced, assumedly under warranty. I got absolutely nowhere with that; and I would say that might be a real weakness in purchasing from Philips. Their service appears to be nonexistent.

However, the one thing I did extract from Philips' pathetic excuse for a service infrastructure is an "exploded view" drawing of the entire machine which lists the part number for quite literally every single part in the system. This allowed me to track down replacement parts from a third party which set me back all of a couple dollars.

I haven't had the same problem since I replaced those original o-rings. And, now, I'm thinking that I created this problem with over-aggressive cleaning; namely I was cleaning off the lubricant from these o-rings, which possibly then caused them to rapidly wear out (because this nozzle pushes into a receptacle every time you turn the machine on, so there is frequent motion and wear on them).

When I first started using the machine, I would frequently get the "Empty grounds container" message, even though I had already emptied the container. I thought I might have a faulty sensor, but eventually, I stumbled on to the reason for this in the manual. The machine only knows that you've emptied this container if you remove it while the machine is switched on, and you let at least five seconds elapse before you place it back. If you empty the container with the machine off, or do it too quickly, it doesn't know you've done it and won't reset.

The water reservoir really isn't large enough. I'm filling it back up all the time. You get used to it.

The beam hopper isn't really big enough either. You'll find yourself replenishing that quite frequently. And, the seal on the lid for the bean hopper rapidly becomes loose after use. You might worry that your beans will get stale because of this; but if you drink anywhere near as much coffee as my wife and I do, I can tell you they won't be in there long enough for that.

The system is quite noisy when grinding. Live with it. It lasts all of about 30 seconds.

I also don't believe the Philips 4300 is entirely consistent. Either in the quality/taste of the coffee it produces, or even the volume. But, there can be variations in your beans, and maybe your water. So, it's hard to pin this stuff down. But, bottom line, I always get a good cup of coffee, and frequently a great one. Sometimes it seems like my first sip of a cup, which is full of crema, can be a bit bitter, but then the rest of the cup is fine.

Obviously, the Philips 4300 Espresso Machine is expensive (and I was lucky enough to purchase it when the price briefly dipped to $900). Maybe there's a payback on it your alternative is Starbucks, or buying prepared coffee anywhere else. But, I'm sure it's substantially more expensive to use than most other home brew methods, like a French press. But, the convenience factor is very high, and it's wonderful to be able to wake up, stagger downstairs into my kitchen, press a couple buttons and be served a very good cup of coffee before I'm even entirely conscious. I have no hesitation about recommending the system, and I imagine it's a relatively good value compared to its competitors.

6 Month Edit: Still going strong! I love this thing. I can't remember the last time I bought a latte from a store (except maybe during travel). It's definitely going to pay for itself in the next couple months. This thing sparks so much joy in my life! My only small complaint is that the milk froth option only goes up to making a 12 oz latte. The carafe holds enough to make a 16 oz, but you have to run 2 separate milk froths to get there. It's a very small thing but for the future it would be nice. Also for some reason it doesn't "remember" that I usually do 2 espresso shots, so I have to select that each time. Basically my biggest complaints are software complaints ha. The machine itself works so well. It is easy to clean, easy to maintain, and our water is fairly hard but I haven't had to change the water filter yet even though I use it everyday.
Still great! I'll try to update at a year 😊

Original Review:
I have spent actual years of my life trying to find the cheapest way to make espresso lattes at home. I started simple with an aeropress, a moka pot, upgraded to a cheap espresso maker, bought a grinder, etc, etc. And yet I still found myself buying coffee at coffee shops. I personally didn't have the patience to find the exact right grind and the exact right tamp to get a store quality espresso.

I finally caved and bought this 4300 series latte maker. This thing is going to save me so much money over the next year. I've only had it about a week but I've already used it every day and it's perfect.

It's SO easy to use. Set up is a breeze. It basically works right out of the box. It comes with a water filter which was nice. Once you get the beans in there, it takes 2-5 shots to "load" the mechanisms and actually put out a shot of espresso and not just water. I did need to adjust the grind to a finer grind (setting 3) to get a good crema. If you adjust it after beans are in, make sure you do it WHILE the grinder is working (you'll have to brew a shot to do this) and be ready to work quickly. I guess if you do it while it's off and there are beans in there you can damage the grinder. I would make sure to read the instructions all the way through, and get familiar with the machine. Once you do, the whole process is a breeze.

Once you have your settings dialed in, making a latte is as easy as put a cup underneath, press a button, and go. It takes approximately 1-2 min for a latte. It grinds beans fresh for every shot. If you set everything to the largest settings, you get about a 12 oz latte.

Cleaning and maintinence is super easy. The machine steps you through most of it. It tells you the steps to take to install the water filter, tells you when to empty the waste grounds contatiner, gives you multiple cleaning settings. I rinse out the lattego container twice and it takes less than a minute. I feel like this machine is so well thought out and it feels pretty well put together.

Overall I have very little to complain about. Once I dialed in my settings, I found the coffee I get out is as yummy as any latte from a coffee shop. My biggest complaints are:
- You only get about a 12 oz coffee automatically, if you want a 16 oz or 20 oz, you'll have to do multiple milk froths and espresso runs
- The machine is rather loud. It's not a deal breaker for me by any means, but in the morning it can be a little jarring and it always spooks our cats.
- Adjusting the grind setting is a bit of a hastle. You have to do it while the machine is running and while it does that , the grind setter wants to move in the opposite direction of which direction you're trying to go so you have to have a pretty decent grip on it. Luckily you should only really have to do this once.
- The latteGo carafe leaves about a cm of milk on the bottom even if you've put the right amount in. If you dump and clean it out every time, you'd end up wasting a decent amount of milk.
-I've heard people have a hard time using the pre-ground coffee slot and I haven't tried it. But it does get pretty steamy each time it runs which I imagine would make it rather hard to clean.

Some tips and tricks I've learned since using this machine:
- This thing likes to rinse itself out a lot. (Which is good) but it's a little more hastle to clean out the water catcher on the bottom. I just keep an old coffee cup nearby and let it rinse into that and dump it out every time. It's a lot less cumbersome to clean out.
- If you have leftover milk in the latteGo, I do 2-3 automatic rinses to get milk out of the milk tube and then put the whole container in the fridge for the next day. It cleans out the frothing mechanism enough that milk doesn't go bad in there and you don't have to waste the little bit of milk in there.
- A lot of regular espresso beans might be too oily for super-automatic espresso machines. Apparently that oil will eventually gunk up the grinder, so it's recommended to buy medium roast beans. You can google some beans that are safe for the machine and find the best ones for you. I like the lavazza brand.
- If you're like me and enjoy a flavored latte, invest in some syrups with the pumps. It really really completes the whole "barista at home" thing I was going for. Even better if you can get a tiered holder for all of them!
- If you want to be a little extra, get yourself some disposable coffee cups with lids. They're definitely worse for the environment but if you're drinking everyday it can get a little cumbersome making sure you always have a clean travel cup. Or just invest in a bunch of dishwasher safe travel cups!

This thing is pricey for sure. But I've definitely spent a long time and a lot of money before this to try to replicate what it can do and it is so worth just spending the money on it. It sparks a little bit of joy for me every time I use it and gives me the quality coffee I want everytime. It is easy to use and maintain. It also makes making multiple lattes a breeze if you are a multi-cup household. As long as it doesn't die within a year- it'll be so so worth it!

---- UPDATE
After using this machine for some time, I have to admit, I have changed my mind somewhat, and therefore upgrading to 5 stars. Overall, this is a fantastic machine, despite a few design issues.
Under no circumstances consider buying this machine without the LatteGo feature. It's a huge boost, especially for guests who don't know how to make steamed milk manually. Also, you can just snap of the entire assembly and put it in the fridge with remaining milk. They really should offer a separate assembly for manual steaming, though.

With respect to espresso quality and crema: always set to max espresso strength and max temperature, this will ensure a decent espresso quality.

At least on this model, it is actually very easy to first make an espresso, and then make steamed milk, to pour a cappuccino in the correct way. It will take 10-15 seconds longer, but well. Alternatively, simply stir with a spoon after making an incorrectly poured cappucino. Without doing this the product is really not drinkable, unless you wanted an espresso with foam on the top. Note that after stirring or with semi-manual correct order pouring, the steamed milk is actually quite decent, perhaps even close to perfect.

Philips should consider offering an automatic espresso followed by milk pouring option (might consume slightly more electricity), and there should be more options to customize strength, temperature, and most importantly brew time, to make this a perfect machine, but overall this is not bad at all.

---- ORIGINAL REVIEW
I have used a De'Longhi ESAM 3300 for the past 12 years until the grinder got stuck (with no repairs in the interim). I'm not even remotely a coffee expert, but that's what I have used to make my morning cappuccino for years.

My first impression after an afternoon of use is that this is an an impressive feat of engineering and it looks great in the kitchen, and makes a large variety of coffee drinks in a manner that most will be happy about.

However, particularly compared to my old and trusty De'Longhi, this is a very flimsy construction, that also seems to be prone to dropping of parts. I managed to drop the loosely fitted milk lid twice on the floor in the first two hours and also spilled milk several times, which are events that literally never would happen with my old machine. Also, rely annoying that top lid for opening to pour in bins is just loose with no pivotable attachment. Just really inconvenient compared to the De'Longhi, as you have to put it aside instead of just flipping it open.

More importantly, there are at least three serious design flaws in this machine, which pretty much means it cannot make serious/proper coffee drinks:

1) It always pours the steamed milk first. You can literally not make a cappuccino this way (it will actually taste and feel completely different) and the only imperfect remedy is to stir the drink with a tea spoon after the machine has finished (or engage in a time consuming and non-supported manual work around). I really do not understand what they were thinking. Did the engineers not study the art of coffee making or consult with notable Baristas? Of course they did, but they apparently did not take it seriously.

2) the brew time is about 8 seconds which is about 2.5-3 times too short. I suspect this has something to do with making and pouring the milk foam first and it may be energy efficient to reuse the same steam pressure, but you can't make a proper espresso like this.

Finally, 3) the LatteGo steamed milk is not of good quality; it does not create a velvety micro foam, but instead it seems to be a courser foam that then partially solidifies in the bottom. The result is not impressive, and as noted it will be necessary to stir the drink after preparation to make it tolerable.

I understand that most families will enjoy this machine and not be concerned with any of this. However, look elsewhere if you enjoy a proper cappuccino... I will likely keep it, since it allows everyone in the household and guests to make their favorite coffee drink with the press of a button, and most will likely believe it tastes great.

Perhaps Philips can do a software/firmware update to fix the incorrect order of milk pouring at least?