The Philips 5400 LatteGo is a top-tier, fully automatic espresso machine designed for home baristas who want convenience and versatility. With 12 drink options, customizable user profiles, and an intuitive interface, it offers a café-like experience without leaving the house.
This review explores the machine’s design, features, performance, pros and cons, user feedback, and more to help you determine if it’s worth the investment.
A Quick Overview of the Philips 5400
The Philips 5400 LatteGo stands out for its balance of ease of use and high-end functionality. It simplifies the coffee-making process while offering the flexibility to create a wide variety of beverages, making it an excellent choice for busy households with multiple coffee preferences.
Design and Build Quality
The Philips 5400 combines sleek aesthetics with functionality. Its black and chrome finish gives it a premium feel, and the compact design makes it suitable for most kitchen countertops. Weighing about 18 lbs, it is slightly bulkier than some competitors, but this adds to its stability during operation.
Key Design Elements:
- Touchscreen Interface: The highly intuitive touchscreen display is easy to navigate. All 12 drink options can be accessed directly from the interface, which also allows you to customize each beverage.
- Adjustable Spouts: The spouts are adjustable, accommodating a wide range of cup sizes, from small espresso cups to tall travel mugs. This feature ensures versatility, whether you’re brewing a quick shot or filling a large cup for your morning commute.
- LatteGo Milk Container: The LatteGo milk frothing system is detachable, dishwasher-safe, and easy to clean. However, some users have pointed out that the plastic lid may feel less durable compared to the rest of the machine.
While the machine has a modern and functional design, some users feel the use of plastic parts, especially in the milk system, detracts from its long-term durability.
Key Features
1. 12 Pre-Set Drinks: With 12 preset drink options, the Philips 5400 offers an extensive selection of coffee beverages, including espresso, cappuccino, flat white, latte macchiato, and more. It even allows users to add an extra shot for stronger coffee. This variety makes it ideal for households with different tastes.
2. LatteGo Milk Frothing System: The LatteGo system automates milk frothing, making it easy to create milk-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. This two-part system, free of tubes, is a breeze to clean under running water or in the dishwasher. However, the foam produced may not be fine enough for those who are looking for professional-grade microfoam for latte art.
3. Customizable User Profiles: One of the biggest advantages of the Philips 5400 is its ability to store up to four personalized user profiles, each with unique settings for coffee strength, temperature, and milk volume. This feature is perfect for households where different members have specific coffee preferences.
4. Aroma Strength and Grinding Levels: The Philips 5400 offers 12 grind settings and 5 levels of coffee strength, allowing users to fine-tune their coffee’s flavor. The ceramic burr grinder ensures consistent grinding, but some users may need to adjust the settings to achieve their desired taste.
5. Hot Water Function: For those who enjoy tea or Americanos, the machine includes a hot water function. However, the LatteGo milk container must be removed to access this feature, which some users find inconvenient.
Performance and Coffee Quality
The Philips 5400 excels in brewing a variety of milk-based drinks, but its espresso quality can vary depending on the settings used. Out of the box, the default espresso may taste weaker than expected. To improve the flavor, users can tweak the grind size, water temperature, and coffee strength.
Tips for Optimizing Coffee Quality:
- Grind Finer: Adjust the grinder to a finer setting (around 3-4 out of 12) to enhance the espresso’s flavor extraction.
- Increase Water Temperature: Raising the water temperature from the default setting can improve the coffee’s richness.
- Extra Shot: For stronger coffee, the extra shot function adds intensity without bitterness, giving you a bolder flavor.
Milk-based drinks are a highlight, with the LatteGo system producing dense, creamy froth suitable for cappuccinos and lattes. However, the froth may not be as fine as what you’d get from a manual steam wand, which might disappoint those who enjoy crafting latte art.
What Users Are Saying
User feedback on the Philips 5400 LatteGo has been largely positive, especially regarding the machine’s ease of use and versatility. Many appreciate the customization options and the wide range of drinks available. The ease of cleaning, particularly the LatteGo system, has been frequently praised.
Positive Feedback:
- Ease of Use: The intuitive interface and automatic functions make it simple for users of all experience levels to brew great coffee.
- Variety of Drinks: With 12 drink presets, the machine caters to a wide range of tastes, from strong espresso to frothy cappuccinos.
- User Profiles: Customizable profiles are a hit among households with multiple coffee drinkers.
Criticisms:
- Espresso Strength: Some users feel the espresso is weaker than expected without manual adjustments.
- Plastic Components: While the machine is easy to clean, some users worry about the long-term durability of plastic parts, particularly in the milk frothing system.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Wide Range of Coffee Options: With 12 preset drinks, the Philips 5400 offers more variety than most espresso machines.
- LatteGo System: The automatic milk frothing system is easy to use and clean, making it perfect for milk-based drinks.
- Customizable Profiles: Up to four user profiles allow each household member to save their preferred settings.
- High Level of Customization: Adjustable grind size, coffee strength, and milk volume ensure a personalized coffee experience.
Cons:
- Weaker Espresso: The default settings produce a weaker espresso, though this can be adjusted with finer grinds and higher temperature settings.
- Foam Quality: The milk frother does not produce the fine microfoam needed for professional-grade latte art.
- Plastic Parts: Some components, like the LatteGo container’s lid, may not be durable enough for long-term use.
Price Points and Value for Money
The Philips 5400 LatteGo is priced between $899 and $999, depending on where you purchase it and any available promotions. While this puts it in the higher price range for home espresso machines, the features and convenience it offers justify the cost for most coffee enthusiasts. The versatility, ease of use, and wide range of drink options make it a worthwhile investment, especially for households with multiple coffee drinkers.
Color Variations
The Philips 5400 comes in a sleek black design with chrome accents. While this color scheme fits well in most kitchens, the lack of additional color options may be a drawback for those who prefer more personalization in their kitchen appliances.
FAQs
How much does the Philips 5400 cost?
• The Philips 5400 typically retails between $899 and $999, depending on the retailer and any additional accessories.
How many drinks can the Philips 5400 make?
• The machine offers 12 preset drink options, including espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato, flat white, and more.
Is the LatteGo milk system easy to clean?
• Yes, the LatteGo system is designed for easy cleaning. It is dishwasher-safe and does not have any complicated tubes to clean.
Can you customize the drinks on the Philips 5400?
• Yes, the Philips 5400 allows you to customize coffee strength, milk volume, and temperature. It also supports up to four personalized user profiles.
Does the Philips 5400 make good espresso?
• While the default espresso settings may produce a weaker shot, adjusting the grind size, water temperature, and strength settings can significantly improve the flavor.
Can you use the Philips 5400 for hot water?
• Yes, the machine has a hot water function, but you need to remove the LatteGo milk container to access it.
How does the Philips 5400 compare to other espresso machines?
• The Philips 5400 offers more drink options and customization features than many other machines in its price range. However, some users feel that the espresso quality is slightly weaker unless adjusted manually.
Conclusion
The Philips 5400 LatteGo is an excellent option for anyone looking for a versatile, user-friendly espresso machine with a wide variety of drink options. It excels at milk-based drinks, thanks to its easy-to-use LatteGo system, and the customizable user profiles make it ideal for households with multiple coffee drinkers. While the espresso quality may require some tweaking, the machine’s overall performance, ease of use, and customizable features make it a solid investment for coffee enthusiasts.
Disclosure: Our blog contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.
