Philips 5500 LatteGo Review: What Can This New Machine Do?

During my Philips 5500 LatteGo review I was reminded that Philips fully automatic coffee machines have never stood out from the crowd. Rather, simplicity has always been the order of the day. The results are good, but boring.

What it started with the more affordable Philips 3300, the traditional manufacturer now continues with the Philips 5500 Series LatteGo.

The espresso becomes as lively as with Jura, the noise quality is pleasant and the range of functions as expansive as with DeLonghi. And all this in a fully automatic coffee machine costing just $999.99.

So, full marks, test winner across all classes, device of the decade? Not quite. Sure, I can absolutely recommend the 5500 LatteGo, but also point out a few quirks and limitations. In this Philips 5500 LatteGo review I’ll tell you all about what I liked and what irritated me during my testing. So, buckle up and let’s do this!

Philips 5500 LatteGo Review Overview

I have always had to credit Philips for one thing: the manufacturer remains true to itself and its brand idea. Each new series or machine within a series connects quite seamlessly to its predecessors. There are improvements, but no overly crazy changes.

The Philips 5500 Series LatteGo is the manufacturer’s newest release, and represents the jewel in the LatteGo crown. Still, the machine’s main features and functions are familiar:

As I said in the introduction, the Philips 3300 is the real reason why I’ve been looking at Philips with different eyes lately. It relies on the same approach as the new 5 Series, but sits two function classes lower.

Sure, the 3300 has no fancy screen. Still, this doesn’t really matter. That’s because the operation concept is simple and intuitive – scales, buttons and symbols. Whether you can see your cappuccino on a screen or not hardly makes a difference.

The grinder and LatteGo milk system act at the same volume level, and even the taste of espresso and coffee is almost identical. So, is it worth saving a little cash and buying the 3300 LatteGo instead?

Yes and no. The 3300 will definitely convince you, but the 5500 offers an even better price-performance ratio overall. In other words, for what it can do, the Philips 5500 is a true bargain.

Philips 5500 Series LatteGo Features

Now that we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with, let’s continue this Philips 5500 LatteGo review by checking out the machine’s roster of features.

Size and Design

I’ve always been impressed by the design language of Philips fully automatic espresso machines. So, I wasn’t surprised to unbox a sleek and stylish coffee maker. Sure, there’s plenty of plastic in the construction, but that’s to be expected at this price point. Anyway, the machine feels pretty substantial.

I particularly appreciate touches like the upward-angled display and large drip tray. Plus, seeing as the LateGo milk system fits onto the front of the machine, the 5500 has quite a modest footprint.

Up top there’s a rather small 9.7-ounce (275-gram) bean hopper with an aroma seal lid. And I should make special mention of the 61-ounce (1.8-liter) water tank. Sure, its capacity is quite limited, but you can remove the reservoir from the front of the machine. Trust me, that’s so much better than having to reach behind the machine every time you need to add water.

User Interface

In terms of one-touch operation, I’ve never had anything to complain about with Philips machines. Seriously, anyone who has experience with any machine will immediately know what to do here.

Taken as a whole, the user interface looks a little cluttered. Still, the color display is a nice comfort point that simplifies drink making. Then again, it’s not even completely necessary. Overall, the user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed using the sliders for adjusting settings, and the touch buttons are clearly labeled.

Ceramic Grinder & Bean Hopper

The Philips 5500 LatteGo is equipped with an impressive ceramic flat burr grinder. Plus, you have 12 adjustment settings to play with. In my experience, it’s best to stay away from the finest level, and start out with level 3 or 4. Oh, and if you’re using really fresh espresso beans, err on the coarser side.

If it says “SilentBrew Technology” on the label, you’d expect to be impressed. Fortunately, Philips isn’t joking.

I measured the 5500 grinder at 61 decibels, which makes it even quieter than the 3300, even if my sound test wasn’t exactly scientific. Either way, Philips has never been as quiet as it is today, and remains a true leader in this regard.

Incidentally, I should mention that there’s a bypass doser for ground coffee located in the bean hopper. That might come in handy if you like to enjoy the odd decaf drink here and there. Plus, Philips even throws in a measuring scoop to make your life easier.

LatteGo Milk System

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I absolutely love the LatteGo milk system. Thanks to its tubeless design it’s super easy to clean. Plus, seeing as it’s an integrated carafe that clicks onto the machine, you can easily keep leftover milk in the fridge.

Because of its design, the LatteGo milk system doesn’t let you obtain two drinks with milk foam simultaneously. Still, at least you can decide how much foam the thing should produce.

I realize that few people want to mess with foam settings. After all, milk foam to the max is one of the decisive reasons for buying a fully automatic coffee machine.

However, with the latte I stayed below the maximum amount so that the drink plus extra coffee could fit in my Coffeeness latte glasses. On the other hand, when making a cappuccino I used 7 ounces (210 milliliters) of milk and foam to get the most out of the 5500 model.

Specialty Drinks

The Philips 5500 LatteGo offers a full menu of specialty drinks, and you’re able to tweak multiple settings to get exactly what you want. Still, there’s one aspect of the menu that really gets my goat.

With its latest generation of fully automatic machines, Philips has started to exaggerate its advertising claims. While not legally actionable, I consider this to be inappropriate. How would you interpret the following statement about the 5500:

Our 20 coffee specialties range from warming coffee drinks […] to ice-cold coffee drinks. We have calibrated our brewing system so that even ice-cold coffee drinks have the same delicious taste as hot coffee drinks.

While reading, everyone will assume we get a similar machine to the Jura Z10 or the DeLonghi Eletta Explore – a device that can also prepare iced espresso or cold brew.

But the truth is in the 5500 operating instructions: “The coffee is prepared with warm water. For best results, brew over ice cubes.” In other words: cold preparation or iced coffee? You have to do that yourself!

Philips, what’s the deal?! I understand that you’ve worded this in a way that’s legally unassailable. But the intention behind your communication couldn’t be clearer: you’re jumping on a bandwagon that your machines can’t keep up with. Shame on you!

User Profiles

Seeing as you can adjust so many parameters for each drink, it was a relief to learn that the Philips 5500 LatteGo comes with four user profiles. After all, if you’ve spent loads of time perfecting your cappuccino recipe, it’s going to be infuriating when someone else comes along and changes everything!

The Philips 5500 LatteGo in Use

You know what’s coming: Set the coffee to 4 ounces (120 milliliters) and the espresso to 1.4 ounces (40 milliliters). Here, the Philips machine is no different from others.

However, you couldn’t do much else anyway, because the amount of water per shot can’t be finely adjusted. Then again, you can easily find your ideal volume on the scale, so I have no problems with that.

With four coffee strength levels plus an extra shot function, the Philips 5500 makes it easy to get coffee specialties of the highest quality. I can’t say whether and how the extra shot corresponds to the settings for normal coffee, as we can’t adjust it individually.

That being said, I would recommend using level 4 out of 5 for my Coffeeness beans. When it comes to coffee, I’m not entirely sure whether a second shot would be a good or bad idea.

If milk comes into play, a cappuccino at espresso level 4 is just right, while the latte can (surprisingly) tolerate a second shot.

In the pictures of my cappuccino and latte macchiato you can see what the LatteGo milk system is about. Both drinks look the same and the foam becomes rather firm. So, even with the cappuccino you can’t escape the layers.

Ultimately, you shouldn’t expect silky smooth milk froth for a café au lait or flat white. But you can overlook this, because the 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63 degree Celsius) drink still tastes great.

The only strange thing is that I didn’t notice this with the 3300 milk frother. This indicates that the smaller model’s foam settings may have been adjusted a little better.

How Does Espresso From the Philips 5500 LatteGo Taste?

I always try to make my reviews as detailed and comprehensive as possible. But in this Philips 5500 LatteGo review, what Mauricio said about the coffee and espresso sums it up best:

Both drinks are just “really good.” The machine really gets everything out of my Coffeeness Signature Espresso Roast and even places Philips in the same league as flavor giants like Jura. I have to say that really surprised me.

At 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius), the 5500 espresso has an optimal drinking temperature. However, seeing as the longer coffee clocks in at 167 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Celsius) you should sip it a little more slowly.

Personally, I like espresso more than coffee. Of course, that doesn’t have to be the case with you. In terms of flavor, both were full-bodied with pleasant notes of chocolate and nuts.

Best Coffee for the Philips 5500 LatteGo

How Do I Clean the Philips 5500 LatteGo?

Cleaning the Philips 5500 LatteGo is extremely easy. Let’s start with the LatteGo milk system.

Break the milk container down to its three parts, throw them in the dishwasher if desired and then take care of more important things. In this respect, Philips remains unique – and uniquely good.

The water tank, grounds container, etc. are just as easy to clean. As for the removable water tank, it’s made of fairly flexible plastic, which ensures that you can grip it tightly and give it a good clean. So, no more excuses!

The brew group must (as always) be regularly removed and rinsed with water. Oh, and the corresponding programs for cleaning and descaling are even stamped there as a small reminder.

As you can see, there is really absolutely no reason why the machine should get overly dirty. If it does, you can’t blame the milk system, the brew group or the model itself!

Philips 5500 Series LatteGo Technical Specifications

Philips 5500 LatteGo vs Other Super Automatics

I’ve mentioned the Philips 3300 LatteGo a couple of times already in this review. Still, to give you an even better idea of how the 5500 LatteGo measures up to the competition, let’s throw in a couple more of its main rivals.

Philips 5500 LatteGo vs Philips 4400 LatteGo

At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking the Philips 4400 LatteGo is the same machine as the 5500 Series. That’s because these two fully automatic machines share many of the same features and look almost identical. However, peek below the surface and a few key differences show up.

For starters, the Philips 4400 LatteGo offers just 12 specialty drinks, whereas the 5500 is fully loaded with 20 options. What’s more, the 4400 Series doesn’t include the awesome Extra Shot function. Finally, you’ll have two fewer user profiles with the Philips 4400 LatteGo and will have to do without the milk system auto-rinse function.

At $1,199.99, the 4400 costs only slightly less than the 5500. So, I’ll leave it to you to decide whether spending a few bucks more is worth it or not.

See Also: Philips 4400 LatteGo Review

Philips 5500 LatteGo vs DeLonghi Eletta Explore

If you’re fully committed to the idea of being able to make all the iced drinks under the sun, you might wanna check out the DeLonghi Eletta Explore. However, be prepared to pay a lot more for this machine. It currently runs at a whopping $N/A on Amazon.

Listen, I love DeLonghi super automatic espresso machines, and the Eletta Explore makes superb espresso. Still, I did feel like there was a lot of unnecessary stuff on the menu, and I just couldn’t get excited about the whole cold foam iced latte thing. With that said, choose the Eletta Explore over the Philips 5500 if you enjoy iced espresso. During my testing I found the DeLonghi cold espresso to be very delicious.

Overall, the DeLonghi Eletta Explore is substantially more expensive than the Philips 5500 LatteGo. And the fact remains that the Philips can produce wonderful espresso and pretty darn good milk foam. However, if you want a flashier and more versatile machine for hot and cold coffees, the DeLonghi Eletta Explore will certainly deliver.

See Also: DeLonghi Eletta Explore Review

Philips 5500 Series LatteGo vs Others Comparison Chart

Verdict: Philips 5500 LatteGo Review

Great taste? Check. Super quiet ceramic grinder? Check. A skillful milk system that is easy to clean? Also check. The Philips 5500 LatteGo jumps practically all the hurdles that some of the best fully automatic espresso machines can’t overcome.

From where I’m sitting, the price could hardly be better. You just have to decide whether you only need the even more affordable Philips 3300. However, this does not work according to household size:

I can only recommend these Philips fully automatic coffee machines for one to three people. Otherwise, the limited capacities of both the water tank and LatteGo system will quickly become annoying.

The half point deduction in my star rating isn’t the fault of the machine that I tested. Rather, it’s there for the ice-cold lie that Philips is serving us with its cold drinks nonsense. This doesn’t (necessarily) make the price-performance ratio worse. But we can’t let it pass either.

Philips 5500 LatteGo Automatic Coffee Machine FAQ