Philips 4300 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine - LatteGo Milk Frother, 8 Coffee Varieties, Intuitive Touch Display, Black, (EP4347/94)

So, to start we are coming from another super automated - Miele 6120 - which don't get me wrong we loved, made excellent coffee. Paid $2,600 for it. We had that machine for about 5 years and was about 2 years before we started having some minor issues with it. The grinder would often get packed with grounds, not work, waste coffee and would have to do our best to get some apparatus up there to clean it out, then our milk frother would have issues and not always pull the milk. We'd have to hold the container at an angle to get it to work at all. Both of these stopped working all together around 1.5 years ago and we have been limping along since just using the bypass port to put caffeinated ground coffee in to make shots, and also had a regular coffee pot on the counter to make decaf. We do a combo to cut down on caffeine. Been avoiding the issue of a new machine due to the high cost, but finally wanted a good cup of coffee again so started looking and found this machine. I watched and read a lot of reviews before deciding to buy a machine. We bought our Miele from a local coffee machine store because we wanted to try them out, test coffee in person, etc. that was our first super automated machine so was important to do an in person visit. Now that we have a general idea of what to expect I felt better about buying online. AND that same local store, Seattle Coffee Gear, did a review of their top 3 super automated machines recently and this was #2! So that was enough for me to trust it based on that alone. (#1 was the Jura10 which is like $4,000-no thanks, #3 was the 3200 Phillips so they rate these machines highly - they had a bonus option of the Saeco Xelsis which is an upper end Phillips model for $2,000 didn't see enough difference to spend $1,000 more than the 4300) This machine was $1,700 less than the Miele and really does just about everything it did for much less. biggest comparisons: 1. You can't do a one touch double drink if its milk based on the 4300. The Miele would allow you to do two milk drinks with a button touch. Not a huge deal but something different. You can do one touch double "coffee only" drinks on the 4300, so espresso shots, coffee or americano. Would be great if they added the option to do a double on milk based drinks., like cappuccino or Cafe au Lait. 2. I love the milk container and frothing on the 4300. No tubes to deal with, super easy to just pop on and off and makes great hot milk and nice thick foam. Easy to take apart and clean too. Miele had a tube you had to insert into a wand and container that was a separate piece. The tube would do a cleaning cycle but was always a little grossed out that you couldn't get in there and clean it...things tend to grow in warm wet situations. This one has a much more simple design that's easy to use and clean. 3. Love the front loading water tank and fact you can filter the water directly from the tank. The Miele had a side loading water tank so always had to pull the machine out from under the cabinet to remove and replace. I would say size of the tank, with the filter, is maybe a little less volume but most of these have about the same size tank on them, makes both of our morning coffees just fine without refilling. Our Miele didn't have a filter so would have to descale often. This claims with the filter you can make 5,000 shots before descaling is needed so that's a bonus - and filtered water always makes coffee taste better so think this is pretty cool feature. 4. I love having a more user friendly screen and button process with the 4300. I know Miele's thing is not to worry so much about the technology interface and more on the quality of the machine/coffee. Which don't get me wrong that machine, when new, made an amazing espresso shot, which is ultimately why we chose it over a machine that had better screen and easy programming. Miele takes some knowledge to use, not as user friendly. But very happy with the screen, preprogrammed drink options and ease of use on the 4300. I know a guest could basically walk up to this machine with minimal help and make whatever they want. On the Miele we would just do it as it was too hard to explain the process. 5. 4300 doesn't alert you when the drip tray is full, you have to watch the manual red float to pop up. Miele would prompt you to empty the drip tray and waste container. Again, not a huge deal. It doesn't seem to waste as much water into the drip tray as the Miele so seems we need to empty that less anyway. 6. The Miele was a substantial machine, heavy weight, metal parts, felt well made-and is. The 4300 is lighter and pretty much all of it is made of plastic. Which is fine, it still looks really nice but can certainly feel the difference in materials. That said the 4300 seems to work great, so as long as it lasts and makes good coffee I could care less. Its also not as deep as our Miele so fits really nice tucked back under the cabinets. I really prefer the overall look of the 4300 its a very nice looking machine in our kitchen. Miele is pretty plain, not a lot of bells and whistles as far as the look goes. After doing research on the 4300 made me realize that a big downside to Miele machine is the lack of instruction you get. I think our machine would have lasted a lot longer had we known a few things, big one being to use beans made for a super automated machine - aka non oily! I always thought oily beans were the best, signifying freshness, but that's not the case. In these types of machines you want a dry bean so the oils don't gum up in the grinder-I am sure now that's why we had so many problems with our grinder over time. Also learned in my recent research that Arabica beans tend to be more oily so having a Robusta bean(or combo) is better for the machine as they are less oily and also less bitter. Robusta bean makes a smooth yummy crema shot. I started buying Lavazza beans for this machine, which are said to be made for a super automated machine, and they are yummy! Miele instruction manual is very simple and vague. We literally had to call them to try and learn how to operate the machine as the buttons and touch screen aren't exactly easy and user friendly(and even they couldn't help us!) - once you get the hang of it was fine, but zero instructions on profiles, saving drinks, etc. The 4300 has tons of online videos to show you how to use it. there are a lot of moving parts in these machines so if I could say anything - LEARN all the best practices to protect your investment, clean it, maintain it and use the correct products in it. We hope to get many years of use out of this machine and learning from some mistakes with the Miele we hope to not repeat with this one. Many reviews and videos stated you need to run many shots through this machine for it to acclimate to a proper tasting shot. Seemed a tad odd but I took that advice. I did adjust the grinder right off the bat vs waiting as Phillips instructed, found quite a few people that did this to avoid weaker coffee with a larger grind and having to reacclimate all over again. My grinder is set to 3. I spent $7 on some coffee beans from the grocery store to essentially waste in the machine to run multiple shots through it. I got some from the self dispensing things so I could see that they were dry. This allowed me to run probably 40+ shots through it first night we got it. I have read it takes 150, but doing that the first night allowed our morning coffee the next day to taste great. I have read complaints about it making weak coffee, but you have to follow the recommendations. Again, I would immediately adjust grinder down to between 2-4 (only move one spot at a time when its running, don't adjust grinder when its stopped can damage it)(didn't know this on our Miele as they never told us that) why wait to acclimate to the factory grinder setting then have to do it again 150 shots later, just do that to start so you get a smaller grind more appropriate for an espresso shot. And I highly recommend buying a bag of DRY beans to just pull shots to waste as soon as you get it. I could definitely tell from shot #1 to shot #40 that the color, thickness and crema all got better. So be patient and do this to help your first actual drinking cup of coffee turn out good. You can't plug it in run a weak coffee and then blame the machine, do what is recommended.(and then leave a bad review because you didn't follow the process) I am sure as we continue to use this that the shots will get better and better. We have had it a few days now and can tell its acclimating and getting better. Wasting a pound+ of beans is worth it. I now have our good Lavazza beans in it and the coffee is delicious! This machine makes a great coffee! Only cons so far...it has given prompts to fill water when its still full, or almost full - so we pull out push back in and its fine. Also same thing for emptying the grounds container. Has prompted me to empty with 2 pucks in it. Again, I pull out the tray and push back and continue on. Minor annoyance and its only happened a couple times, not like every use. Other than that I give this machine 5 stars, it makes great coffee! It's not loud (despite many saying it is) yes its louder than running coffee pot, but you are talking about a machine that is grinding beans, making milk froth, lots moving parts inside, etc...its going to make noise, but quieter than the Miele. The display is great, profile settings are super easy to navigate. 8 preset coffee drinks to choose from which is more than enough to cover what we need and you of course can do milk and shots separate if you want to make something not pre programmed. Love the milk container, makes great thick foam, love how easy it is to attach and fill and clean. So far, absolutely love it, very happy with our purchase and that it was only $900 compared to $2,600 for basically same features was a huge win! I did buy a separate grinder, sitting to the right of the machine in the photo to have fresh ground Lavazza decaf to use in the bypass port. Again we do a combo of regular coffee and decaf so this is a perfect set up to have everything we need. Maybe next super automated we will get one that has more than one bean hopper so regular and decaf all in the one machine...but this current set up works perfect. Anyway, for the price point and what you get compared to machine we paid 2x more for, I highly recommend the 4300. Works great, looks great and lots of nice features at a reasonable price point for a super automated machine. If anything changes I will update my review, but for now not missing the Miele and loving this new machine!

Had the PHILIPS 4300 LatteGo for a little over week now. First impression: I love this thing! I have coffee every day. Usually an Americano or Latte. In addition to the coffee beans in the hopper, I also love the flexibility of the ground coffee bypass chute. I keep some decaf beans on hand and grind as needed and just scoop it in and brew a drink when wanted. I did a ton of research and almost bought another brand a few times while trying to decide. Ultimately, this PHILIPS machine had the right features for me. And cleaning it is pretty simple (very important for daily use). It's certainly an investment, but I drink coffee every day and my wife and I love being able to easily add frothed milk to chai or hot chocolate as well. Initial Set-up: It was a breeze. You're prompted through each step on the screen. You do a water hardness test with a paper strip held under your faucet a few seconds and then set that based on the result. You install the water filter. The machine calibrates and rinses itself out. Brew some initially weak espresso (yeah, I know - just dump it). That's about it. Oh, on recommendation I also bumped the temperature up to high. How's the coffee and features? While you do have the pre-programmed buttons for all the usual drinks from Coffee and Espresso to Lattes and Cappuccinos (and they all work great), you really could dial in your preferences and make almost any style espresso drink and even do the shots and froth separately - so keep that in mind if you're real particular. I was warned (and please keep in mind) that the system calibrates and starts to make better coffee over time. For me, it's been over a week and leaving the grind setting at the factory default (as recommended at first), I'm just now starting to get the espresso pucks instead of a more watery coffee ground consistency in the grounds container. So, I believe patience is key here - leave the grind setting alone for a bit (I know, I know). Maybe stick to the milk-based drinks that can be more forgiving until things start balancing out. I can honestly say things have improved quickly and a regular espresso shot is pretty good now. I stuck with Lavazza Super Crema Espresso Whole Bean Coffee - since it's widely recommended for superautomatic espresso machines (no dark roast, oily beans whatsoever - unless you want to make the machine an expensive paper weight). I'll venture out and try other brands and types of coffee soon, but just went with what I knew would work OK to get started. Maintenance and cleaning: Daily: Empty drip tray of water as needed (a red indicator button will pop up when it's time to empty). I recommend keeping a cup under the spout between use to catch any water flushed during rinse cycles. The machine flushes itself once when turned on and when turned off. There's also a rinse cycle you manually run after making a milk-based drink to clear the LatteGo container (you just push a button and it does the work). You'll also be prompted to empty the coffee grounds container as that fills up - maybe every few days depending on use. Oh, and obviously wash the LatteGo container after use or refrigerate with remaining milk (I love that this milk system has no tubes to clean). Weekly: Take the brew group out and rinse well under warm water to clear any coffee grounds, then let air dry completely (no soap, no towels - there's water proof grease on parts that needs to stay on and fibers can be left behind). Wipe the inside compartment with a damp cloth. The PHILIPS website and YouTube videos are your friend for understanding the cleaning process - just search on the model number. Also read the short manual - understand the machine and taking care of it is pretty darn easy. Semi-Monthly: The machine will tell you when it's time to descale every few months - which is really just running a solution through the unit. Occasionally you'll also put some food grade lubricant on the moving parts of the brew group. Also the water filter will need periodic replacing to keep the water tasting good and the system running smooth - again, the machine will let you know when it's time. Overall, I'm super-happy with this machine. Having lot's of fun and love the flexibility in the drinks it makes. It'll pay for itself very quickly with no over-priced coffee shop trips. So far so good. Cheers!

This is our first super automatic espresso machine and it is so convenient and easy to use. There is an initial break in phase that other people have talked about where at the coffee came out super weak. But even in the instructions it advises that it will take a few cups for the machine to self adjust, which it seems to do. The LatteGo feature is a no brainer as it takes the guess work out of creating milk froth. It's so simple and easy to use with just a press of a button. Clean up of the LatteGo system is really easy too as you can just use the quick rinse feature to clean out the LatteGo container and then put back the remainder left over milk into the fridge to store using the LatteGo container. If you want to do a deep clean of the LatteGo container it just comes apart and then snaps back together easily. I love the variety of drinks that it can make as well. Having the user profiles does make it easier between my spouse and I as we have different strengths and volumes. Having the digital display is a great feature to have also as it's very visual and helps you create your brew to your liking while saving it to your profile for next time. If simplicity and ease of use is what you're looking for this is definitely the unit to get. We debated between the 3200 and the 4300 but ultimately went with he 4300 for the additional brew varieties, user profiles, and digital display. No regrets whatsoever going with he 4300 as there is no guesswork as the digital display tells you the measurements. We've had it for over a month now and have no complaints so far.

La machine fonctionne relativement bien. Facile à nettoyer, les cartouches à mettre dans le réservoir d'eau permettent de ne pas faire de détartrage trop souvent (presque obligatoire de les utiliser tellement ils gardent la machine fonctionnelle !). Le lait moussé est excellent. Seulement le mode americano ne fonctionne pas correctement. Dans 80% des cas, l'eau chaude ne coule pas après le café. Cela semble un problème très connu de ces machines et récurrent (logiciel donc pas possible de le réparer). C'est un peu frustrant mais on s'y habitue

Used to have a Saeco Vienna Delux years ago, sold it because it was really a real estate hog on the countertop. Totally missed it though. This is a fantastic alternative. Holds ample water, so easy to refill or empty it too. This iteration of superautomatic is perfect for home. Not overly large and the way the water compartment slides in you can easily have it under the upper kitchen cabinets on the counter. No need to pour water in from the top. On my original Saeco, circa 2000 (cost $2K), I never used the milk steamer because it was a pain to clean. This one, just push the button and it self rinses. Take the milk container off and just rinse it too. All key cleaning points such as the drip tray/spent grounds container also simply slide out for quick clean without ever having to move the machine. Reminder, if you need to change the grind, the unit must be actively running and only 2 clicks at a time. Great improvement over previous version. Love that I can brew a full cup of coffee (in metric or imperial measurements) and then run a separate "milk foam" to top my coffee. Certainly less fat/calories than putting cream in my coffee AND much more interesting. HAHA, even used one of those flavoured creamers and it worked great too. Hubby layers his coffee, makes a cappuccino then top loads with espresso/restretto and more steamed milk all in the same mug. Intuitive controls, easy to understand (for those who never read the manual). My only negative is temperature. Have it set to the hottest level, I still like my coffee, espresso etc., very very hot. That's just my personal preference.

We had this coffee making machine for over a year now. No issues what so ever. Works as advertised. Philips 4300 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine

I purchased this espresso machine in the Fall of 2024, because it was automatic, and I really wanted the convenience. At first it worked great. After about two months, suddenly, regular coffee was coming out like water. I phoned Philips Service, and a very helpful customer service rep walked me through a whole bunch of troubleshooting potential solutions. Nothing worked. They told me I would have to box it up and they would send me a shipping label to send it to a local repair service. Of course I had not kept the original box, so packing it up in a box of the appropriate size was a bit of an issue, but I managed to do it. Unfortunately, this all happened a week before I was scheduled to go to my winter home, but they accommodated that by sending me a new shipping label when I returned in May. I shipped it off, and received it back in less than two weeks. So far so good. Since it was returned, supposedly repaired, I have used it for three weeks. I have maximum 2 cups of coffee a day. This morning, my 2nd cup was again watery. I tried a third cup, same problem. I phoned Customer Service, and I have to box it up and ship it back to be repaired AGAIN. I was not happy that the original problem occurred within a few months of buying the machine, but their service was pretty good. I am very unhappy that after three weeks of using it, the same thing is happening all over again. When I said that if the machine does not work after this new repair, I want a new machine, her comment was, “if the same problem persists, please call us back again and we will be happy to work with you”. Not exactly a ringing commitment. Just beware- not a reliable coffee machine for the high price.