Philips 3300 LatteGo Review: A Worthy Upgrade?

When I read through the facts about the Philips 3300 LatteGo Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, my eyebrows rose to just below my hairline.

In my super automatic espresso machine guide, Philips machines have so far only attracted attention with solid boomer marketing. In comparison, the new version suddenly looks like a marvel of modern coffee technology.

Currently costing $799.00, this mid-range machine claims to bring a touch display and app control, prepare cold coffee and have a certified quiet grinder. Even with a superficial analysis of the marketing statements, most of it turns out to be hot air.

Nevertheless, I ended up rather liking this fully automatic coffee machine during my testing. Still, can we come to terms with the marketing shenanigans? Let’s take a closer look!

Overview: Philips 3300 LatteGo Review

Philips is both a brand and a group, producing Saeco coffee makers in addition to its own machines. While Saeco shakes up the middle and upper classes with innovative, functional machines, Philips has specialized in more affordable models for the most part.

The range is divided into so-called series and currently consists of five series classes with ascending functionality:

All the above machines have practically the same design, offer a similar brewing process and carry a comparatively affordable price tag.

Their advantages, such as simple operation, good cup results and decent milk foam are similar. Likewise, disadvantages such as a loud grinder or overly firm foam with little flavor have always been in evidence.

Spoiler Alert: The 3300 fully automatic coffee machine has made several improvements here.

False Promises

At the start of this Philips 3300 LatteGo review I got pretty het up about the marketing nonsense conjured up by the manufacturer. In fact, I was rather angry.

I guess that’s because the wording and statements are misleading, suggesting functions that this fully automatic machine simply doesn’t have. Three things made me particularly cranky:

Long story short: None of that is true. The app is only an additional resource in which you can find, for example, the operating instructions or tips for drink preparation.

The touch display has nothing to do with a smartphone interface. Rather, it’s just the usual touch buttons, but now with colorful pictures.

Oh, and the “refreshing cold drinks” are only semi-lukewarm coffee, to which you should definitely add extra ice cubes. So, something that most other fully automatic coffee machines can do.

Unproven Claims

In addition, there are statements that can hardly be substantiated and simply fire off hollow superlatives. These include:

At least we can easily measure the quiet brewing during testing. But nobody knows how quickly or slowly a milk system is cleaned. And 5,000 cups can only be achieved by people who live in a limescale-free water environment with extra filtration.

Philips 3300 LatteGo Features

Now that I’ve got all that off my chest, let’s take a closer look at the most notable features of the Philips 3300 LatteGo.

Size and Design

I have to say that I rather like the design of all Philips fully automatic espresso machines. True to form, the Philips 3300 LatteGo has a relatively compact footprint, so it won’t take up an ungodly amount of space in your kitchen.

What’s more, at just 17 (43 centimeters) inches tall, this machine should fit below overhead cabinets. Just don’t cut it too close – you will need to access the bean hopper up top.

As expected, the 3300 LatteGo has too much plastic housing for my liking. Still, that does help keep the price down. Anyway, there are actually enough metal accents to elevate the machine somewhat.

User Interface

I know I threw a hissy fit about the manufacturer’s false touchscreen claim. Still, the Philips 3300 LatteGo user interface is actually very intuitive and easy to navigate. Drink options are represented by pretty color icons, and you select by pressing a button.

Elsewhere, there are buttons for adjusting coffee strength, temperature and size. You can choose between three preset levels for all of those variables, although you can adjust the dispensing quantity for the highest size setting. To do so, simply press and hold your preferred drink button for three seconds.

Ceramic Burr Grinder

Until now, a Philips grinder has always produced well above 70 decibels – only topped by the LatteGo system, which managed over 90 decibels before its redesign.

During testing, my phone app registered 63 decibels from the 3300 grinder, making it not only the quietest Philips has released, but one of the quietest I’ve ever experienced.

Add in the fact that there are 12 grind adjustment levels and it’s clear that Philips should be talking up its grinder rather than misleading customers about the display and app.

For my coffee beans, I ended up getting the best results with the grinder set to 4. This was because I used fresh beans, which should be ground a little coarser. If your beans have been stored a little longer, it’s best to start at level 3 and check the result in your espresso cup or coffee glass after preparation.

LatteGo Milk System

Honestly, I’ve always really liked the LatteGo milk system. It’s neat, effective and always super easy to clean. Plus, you can simply take the thing off and store it in the fridge when it’s not in use.

Although the LatteGo milk frother is still much louder than some wands, it doesn’t interfere with the preparation as much as it used to. In addition, I have the feeling that the milk foam quality has been improved. Either that or I now use better milk!

In any case, I found that the milk froth for both the latte macchiato and cappuccino was pretty darn great. I particularly appreciated its consistency and appearance. Ultimately, the sweetness of the milk worked in harmony with the machine’s style of coffee, and I thoroughly enjoyed drinking it.

Aroma Strength Settings

As I mentioned earlier, you’ve got three aroma strength settings to choose from. While that doesn’t sound like much, you actually have quite a bit of leeway to fine-tune your drink.

As always, I pushed the coffee strength to the limit – even if this is almost too much of a good thing. And if you prefer to use dark roast coffee beans, I might recommend sticking at level 2. In any case, you won’t find yourself complaining about a lack of oomph.

Water Reservoir

The Philips 3300 LatteGo water reservoir holds 60 ounces (1.8 liters), which isn’t bad at all. Plus, it’s conveniently located on the side of the machine, making it a breeze to remove and fill.

I’m a huge proponent of using filtered water to make coffee, so I was happy to see that you can install an AquaClean water filter in this Philips machine. Heck, the 3300 even comes with a complimentary filter to get you started.

I’d recommend installing it right away and going through the steps to test your water hardness. That way, you won’t have to descale your machine for quite some time.

Specialty Coffees

To be honest, the specialty drink menu on the Philips 3300 LatteGo is rather limited. You’ve got a choice of five drinks: latte macchiato, cappuccino, espresso, coffee and iced coffee. Still, given the fact that you can adjust strength and volume settings, I’d say you’ll be able to make something along the lines of an espresso macchiato.

That said, flat white aficionados might be left feeling rather disappointed. In my experience, the milk foam is a little too thick for that particular beverage.

User Profiles

I’d love to be able to tell you that the Philips 3300 LatteGo has multiple user profiles. However, that just isn’t the case. Sure, you can customize specific drinks to your heart’s content and save the settings. But if someone else comes along and starts tinkering, all your hard work will have been for nothing.

The Philips 3300 LatteGo in Use

In past reviews I’d sometimes been a little underwhelmed by the taste of espresso from Philips machines. However, the 3300 fully automatic coffee machine can obviously do more than its older siblings.

My espresso was not only nutty and sweet, it also had a great crema that I wouldn’t have expected from the manufacturer or this particular fully automatic coffee machine.

All that said, the coffee results divided us a little during testing. For me it was a touch too lame, for Mauri right on the money. But since we still had room to increase the aroma strength, we could readjust things next time we use the machine.

On the subject of “ice-cold coffee” from the 3300, I only have one word: Nope. Machines such as the Jura Z10 and the DeLonghi Eletta Explore have recently introduced independent concepts for fully automatic cold brew – and have received rave reviews from me.

On the other hand, the 3300 idea is limited to minimally cold extracted liquid. And according to the advertising, it becomes a “refreshing pleasure” in which the aroma is preserved. In reality, we’re looking at a dull, boring drink, which doesn’t taste any more exciting with ice cubes.

Best Coffee for the Philips 3300 LatteGo

Philips 3300 LatteGo Cleaning

Dishwasher open, drip tray and the three parts of the milk frother in. Now the machine is already pretty much clean. In other words, The 3300 fully automatic coffee machine from Philips is just as easy to clean as the rest of its siblings.

The USP “easy cleaning and descaling” was one of the original ideas behind the series and, in my opinion, still works best for the target customer base.

Whether you can prepare 1,000 or 5,000 cups with the AquaClean filter installed is kind of irrelevant. I mean, you do have to descale this model at some point.

This is a bit more cumbersome without a touchscreen display, seeing as you have to decipher the flashing lights. Nevertheless, the descaling process is fairly straightforward. I’ll leave it to the user manual to explain all the ins and outs.

Philips 3300 LatteGo Technical Specifications

Philips 3300 vs 3200

I figured it wouldn’t hurt to do a quick comparison between the new Philips 3300 and its older sibling, the Philips 3200 LatteGo. After all, you may be wondering whether it’s worth upgrading or not.

The 3300 series represents a further development of the 3200 series, but remains true to the basic characteristics of the class:

If we look for the differences between the 3300 and the 3200, only two things stand out:

On paper, this is very little to justify the price jump. Still, during my testing I did identify clear improvements in milk foam and coffee quality. Anyway, the grinder alone is a clear advantage in general, which we usually only see with DeLonghi espresso machines. And not only in this price range.

Verdict: Philips 3300 LatteGo

I’m still conflicted about the Philips 3300 LatteGo, even after this very positive review. I guess I can’t get away from feeling like the manufacturer basically wants to fool us. This mid-range machine wouldn’t even have been necessary!

Surprisingly, the 3300 is one of the quietest models in my fully automatic coffee machine guide. Plus, it offers us a great aroma profile that’s very memorable. Philips, what else do you want?!

In terms of price, this model is definitely worth every penny and I think it’s the most complete package from this manufacturer.

So should you buy it? If you are looking for a simple, quiet and powerful machine, most definitely. But if a coffee app, touchscreen display and “cold brew” are important to you, look elsewhere.

In the latter case you’ll have to dig deeper into your pocket and consider models such as the DeLonghi Eletta Explore. However, these are also much more complex – and that’s what Philips is trying to avoid.