4300 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine - LatteGo (EP4347/94)

I'm in the market to replace my Phillips 4300 machine for about $1500 (in the US). I'm a former manual espresso nerd that enjoys a straight espresso shot but am done with it as a hobby these days due to recently having a baby and just wanting something push-button. I've found the "espresso" quality on the Phillips to be just ok and am looking for something that does it better, but also is pretty no-fuss for milk drinks for my wife as well (the ability to do some kind of cold foam would also be great). I'm obviously very aware that super automatics aren't going to give me the same espresso quality as a well-pulled semi or manual shot as I've been using my Phillips for a few years now, I'm just looking for something that makes a passable espresso-like beverage better than the Phillips with decent beans from a local roaster. The new Ninja Autobarista obviously looks compelling, especially at the $1k price, but it's hard to discern how good it actually is because a lot of the content out there so far seems astroturfed. The large espresso doses and hot and cold milk pitcher frothing seem nice but I'm seeing some info out there about some nagging issues around the grind IQ thing using a ton of coffee and weird output ratios so I'm a little skeptical of the actual quality. People seem to speak pretty highly of the quality of coffee from the delonghi machines and Jura seems like a good option as well. Are those the go-to for black coffee these days? Anyone have any actual experience with the new Ninja?

Hello! I have the Phillips 4300, and I have enjoyed the machine quite a bit. However, you need to understand a couple of things. Superautomatics are no where near close to replacing semi automatics in terms of espresso quality and milk drinks quality. The real unique selling proposition of superautomatics is the ease of use; you press a button, and you have coffee. As far as this Phillips goes, the maintenance is quite straightforward and documented online. The quality of drinks is good but certainly not great. The milk foam has a nice texture, but it is not true microfoam, and the espresso is not as good as that coming from an actual espresso machine. If you are ok with these compromises, I would be quite satisfied with the phillips; however, some people will recommend a DeLonghi or even a Jura. I do not own either of those brands, so I can not speak in a comparative nature regarding these machines all I can say is that I was satisified with the quality of drinks and convenience of my machine. Hope this helps!

Hello! I have a Philips 4300, and I understand the frustration. With the wrong settings, Philips machines can taste quite unpleasant. However, before you jump to buy a new machine (for which I would 100% recommend De’Longhi), I suggest you try these settings. Who knows, maybe they fix most of your problem. 1. Set the grind setting to 2 or 3. 2. Always set the aroma amount (the coffee bean dial) to max, and never exceed 35 ml (1.2 oz) in an espresso shot. This causes it to be way over-extracted, as the coffee dose, even at max aroma, is quite low. 3. Never exceed medium temperature in the settings. High will absolutely cook your milk and your coffee. Also, when you first start up the machine, it overshoots the temperature and heats the water too much. I recommend turning it on, pressing espresso, setting it to pre-ground, and letting it run a shot without any coffee. This helps regulate the temperature in the machine. Likewise, with milk, the high setting burns it. I recommend using cold milk in the LatteGo, as that helps a lot too. 4. If you are okay with some light modding inside the brew group, there is a conical spring that sits after the shower screen. You can take this small spring out by unscrewing the top two screws in the brew group. If you stretch that spring by around 10–15% of its original size, it will create more resistance as per Hooke’s law. This means the flow of the coffee is slowed down a bit, and the water-to-coffee contact time is slightly higher. This has made a noticeable difference in the shots I pull. 5. Lastly, it should go without saying that it is vital to keep your machine clean. Coffee residue loves to stick to plastic. If you place some Cafiza instead of the cleaning tablets in the brew group and run a cleaning cycle, then run some coffees in the pre-ground setting (without adding pre-ground coffee), you will likely notice a lot of residue leaving the machine, which affects flavor. If after that you are still unsatisfied with your machine, go for a De’Longhi or try a semi-automatic machine where you have more control over the shot and can really get the best taste out of the coffee. Hope this helps! I’d be happy to answer any more questions or help you troubleshoot further. Philips is kind of frustrating in that it’s so picky.

I've had the 4300 for close to a year, and I can only recommend it. It's fun to use and maintain, and I have zero complaints about the coffee. Also the customer support in my country (Portugal) is great: I asked where I could buy the maintenance supplies and they sent me a welcome kit with filters, degreasing and descaling tablets as well as half a kilo of gourmet coffee beans

With my 4300, Lavazza super crema on fine grind have been excellent. We are coffee drinkers and friends like the Lattes. Over 16k shots in this machine. For maintenance, I put the grease in a syringe with long tip and it's much easier to lube.

I use a stiff coffee brush for the grinds inside once the brewhouse is out, and once a month I set it over the sink and spray it out. Best thing I did was disassemble the brewhouse, replaced the percolator screen (it was 90% clogged) and cleaned all the tracks. The gunk was really built up, and hindering the movement i think. Since then I dont get any popping noise when the brewhouse goes back to position to compress the shot and almost zero grinds in the back of the unit. Really has been a great machine, 3 years old and over 16,000 cycles on the brewhouse.

That's not a bean to cup, it's a semi-auto. The closest thing to a super-auto Breville sells is the Oracle, and that thing is $$$$. I've had my Breville Barista Express for close to 15 years, and as long as you keep it descaled and can get parts, it'll go a long way. For OP: I've had my Philips 4300 for about 5 years (paid under $500) and it doesn't show any signs of crapping out. Also look at Gaggia superauto units, which should be in your price range (might have to look at refurb)

I have the Breville Barista Express, plus a Philips 4x00 lattego, plus a Nespresso Cities and Milk. The Breville makes the best coffee out of the 3, the Nespresso the most convenient, and the Philips is in-between and gets used the most. Even given the price, the Breville still takes "tuning" as the outcome is very sensitive to beans (type, roast, roaster, age, etc. all need different settings) Get a Gaggia classic and one of the white box grinders (DF64) for a good starting point. Espresso often turns into a hobby bordering on obsession, so be warned. :D