Philips 4400 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo Milk Frother - Black/Silver

Overall, the Phillips EP4447/90 (4400 series) Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with Milk Frother could easily be the only coffee machine you’d need for you, for your family and even for hosting a party/gathering. You could pair it with other regular coffee machine that have more capacity to serve on all occasions, but in terms of coffee flavor alone, this one outshines other similar devices, add to that the multiple drink options and the fully automatic process (except for the manual part of feeding the beans, cleaning, etc.), and you have a winning device. The Phillips 4400 series is easy to operate and to configure, thanks to the bright display and buttons on the front panel. You can adjust the settings for the different drinks and save them under different “profiles”. There are three profiles to use: guest, blue and yellow. Once you change a setting, it is automatically saved on the active profile, which comes in very handy when setting up the best combinations of coffee, water and milk/foam for your taste and needs. Two attributes to highlight are that the device is fast and silent enough to not bother you or others much. You can choose to brew one or two cups at a time, and even if choosing to brew just one cup, this machine is fast enough that you or your family or your guests don’t have to wait much to enjoy a great cup of their favorite coffee drink. For my personal preferences, I mostly brew regular coffee and espresso for my everyday needs, followed by cappuccino a few times a week. I have my personal profile set so that regular coffee comes in strong (not like americano, which usually has a watery taste), so I really love it. You can adjust the settings to make it lighter if needed, but the point I am trying to make is that it feels like I am having real coffee. When brewing espresso, this machine seems to extract, most, if not all, of the flavor from the coffee beans, just a great experience. The cappuccino has been the only drink I’ve brewed in which the milk Frother is used, and it’s been a delight. I might experience with other drinks in the coming weeks, but these three suit my needs perfectly. The versatility of this machine comes in handy when other family members and friends that come over get their preferred coffee drink as close as what they’d like to, the machine is easy to adjust. Even if some drink came too strong, it can still be fixed; for example, a cappuccino came too strong, you can fix that by adding a little more milk/foam at a press of few buttons. Also, if the taste is too weak then you can select an extra shot (choosing “More Drinks” option in the front panel.) for a more intense flavor. Note though, and it is also stated in the manual and online, it gets some time to perform the calibration for the best coffee flavor results, you just need a little patience. I would have given this machine a 5/5 but there are some little nuances that prevent it to have a perfect score, these are not cons per-se but they just get a little in the way of a whole experience; for example, when extracting the bottom tray you have to be careful not to spill any water, the water container doesn’t easily slide in as it brushes against the drip tray, the water filter once became detached when adding water, the cover of the bottom tray feels like it doesn’t fit perfectly, the floater on the drip tray had to be replaced as it originally came twisted (I contacted customer support and got a replacement for it.) These and a couple of other little things make it feel that some details were lost in the design and manufacture of this otherwise wonderful machine. - Pros: relatively silent, very fast, multiple drinks, settings can be saved, attached Frother, easy to operate/select drinks, overall versatile. - Cons: narrow water receptable, some parts feel a little flimsy. >> Assembly and cleaning before first use This espresso machine is easy to assemble, with most parts fitting into place without needing to look at the user manual. However, follow the user manual that comes in the package for guidance on how to prepare the unit for first use, which includes to clean/rinse the coffee machine, soak and add the water filter to the tank, use the water hardness test strip to adjust the water hardness level. The manual is also very useful as it gives you instructions for proper cleaning and maintenance of the unit, as well as a general view on how to use the machine. Overall, the device feels sturdy and well made, but with some caveats. My unit came with a twisted (defective) bottom floater (the so-called drip tray full indicator) and it didn’t properly fit in the drip tray (bottom tray) preventing the drip tray cover to be closed correctly. So, I reached support, and I was glad and grateful that they were able to provide me with a replacement piece, which at last fitted perfectly. In addition to the faulty part, I feel that some of the components didn’t seem to fit or be adjusted perfectly. Here are some examples. The dip tray cover feels like it is misplaced when it is not, so I tend to double check each time I clean the dip tray that indeed its cover is in place. The water tank rubs against the bottom parts a little too much for my taste. At least once, the water filter came off when adding water (despite following very carefully the instructions on the manual on how to add the water filter) so now each time I refill the water tank, I automatically check if the water filter is in its place. The latter reminds me of one of the things I’d say is difficult which is placing the filter inside the water tank, good luck if you have big hands as the tank is very narrow. As I mentioned earlier, these are some of the little things that get in the way of this espresso machine reaching a perfect score. >> Calibration As noted in online references, there is the need to do a few (up to 20 it is stated) brews for the algorithm to calibrate the coffee brewing process. In my case, it did take less than 20 brews (or perhaps close to it) to start getting the right coffee. The first few brews were not good at all, in fact, besides the watery coffee drink, the coffee grounds were soaked in water and almost seemed like disintegrating, so I was not sure if I got a faulty machine. It was not until several tries that I started getting great espresso and regular coffee flavors, and at that point the coffee grounds seemed compact enough to give the impression that enough force/pressure was being applied. You can also adjust the grinder settings to get stronger coffee, but reading the manual, it is advised to do so after a hundred or so brews. I have mostly been using medium roasted beans and I assume the calibration went fine as the coffee comes out very tasty. I have also used dark roasted coffee beans, and I also feel that the results were great, especially for espresso. Like other similar espresso machines, it is not recommended to use caramelized or flavored coffee beans. Now, some say not use dark roasted oily beans on the espresso machines, but this machine handles those just fine. There is also the option to use already pre-ground coffee, let’s say if there is someone who’d want decaffeinated coffee or some other style to whatever is in the bean tray already. >> Espresso/ Regular Coffee Espresso and regular coffee are my drinks of choice, and I like them strong, so, at its highest-level setting, this machine produces strong, rich and tasty coffee, and I’d say it extracts most of the flavor out of the coffee beans. The coffee comes out hot and foamy, I always like that extra layer of foam on top of the coffee cup. >> LatteGo / Milk System I love the LatteGo feature as you don’t need to be holding the milk container while the Frother does its job. Make sure when using the LatteGo system to check the cup position as milk could be poured outside the cup. I was surprised that the milk that comes out is very foamy, when I used other manual Frothers, I don’t usually get too much foam, well, the milk is hot, but not too much foam. In this case, this device does a much better work than others, it produces foamy milk froth almost immediately. One thing though, at least when brewing cappuccino, since the milk/foam goes in first and next the coffee (not the two at the same time), you’d still need to manually stir the end result a little to mix all properly. Nevertheless, the foam and resulting drink comes out very foamy and with great taste. >> Some other notes - The Frother and the milk container don’t “click” when assembled as the manual suggest, mine needs an extra push for one to “slide” into the other to be secured (no click). - A few times the “Add water” message appeared despite the fact that there was still enough water, pulling the water tank and placing it back would do the trick for the message to go. Note that until you get rid of the message, you cannot brew anything. - It comes with a water hardness test strip with 4 levels, which according to the Phillips website is not available anymore. - There is always some milk left in the milk container after using “all” of it. So, always be careful to clean it. - If not manually cleaned, the auto-clean function automatically kicks in before the machine is shut down, which is nice but also tells you that you need to regularly check the drip tray and clean it.

I’ve been a K Cup user at home for many years and have always been happy with it. For higher-end coffee I would venture out to the local Starbucks or coffee house. That has all changed since receiving my Philips 4400 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo Milk Frother. Now I’m able to enjoy top-shelf espresso and coffee drinks at home…with a push of a button! Setup: When initially opening the box, my first impression was, “this could take a bit of work to figure out and set up!”. Although initially hesitant, it was quite simple to setup and use with just a little guidance from the included manual, online resources (HomeID app) and practice. In the box is the brewer unit, a hardness test strip, ground coffee spoon, a water filter and maintenance items. All you need to be up and brewing are beans or ground coffee, milk and appropriate glasses! Once all parts are unboxed and the HomeID app has been downloaded, simply start the setup walkthrough on the app. to prepare the machine. There are videos and pictures to guide through the process. Essentially the steps are checking your water hardness with the included indicator strip, set the machine hardness, prime the included water filter and add it to the tank, fill the water tank, remove the cover on the bean tray, add beans, adjust the grind size (optional) and replace the cover and assemble the LatteGo milk frother…which snaps together in a second. Those are the major steps. The machine had a sticker on it indicating that beans had been run through as part of the QA process, but it also goes through a cleaning of the system on startup so there are no concerns about machine cleanliness. Now the fun begins! Usage: Unlike other coffee and espresso machines/presses, the Philips 4400 series automatically makes an array of cold and hot coffee drinks with the push of a button. There are seven preset drink selector buttons on the control panel, along with hot water, profiles, clean and settings. Once a drink option is selected, the display provides guidance as to what is needed for the blend and the strength and amount of coffee and milk are adjustable at this point. The dispenser height is adjustable depending on the style of drink selected and milk will froth automatically if part of the selected drink. It’s that simple! For the Profiles, there are two set up out of the box, Yellow and Blue, and additional profiles can be added. A cool feature is that any specialty drink that is selected will be automatically added to your profile for later use without having to create it again. I really enjoyed this feature as Café Latte, which is my favorite coffee drink, is not on the main page for preset drinks, but is added to my profile for easy access. This is an impressive machine that is built with quality and looks great at the same time. The color option I have is Black/Silver, so there is just enough stainless to tie into our other kitchen appliances. Also to note, although it’s a fully automated machine, it is also very customizable in terms of grind size, strength of drinks, setting up profiles, etc. The coffee output is in line with or even better than the specialty coffees I’ve been buying over the years. I’m a bit regretful that I hadn’t moved to a system like the Philips 4400 sooner. I’ve only tried two different beans so far but can say without a doubt the coffee drinks will rival any of the fancy coffee shops and in the long run will be much more cost effective as well. HomeID app: This is a great app, it’s a bit different than the standard app that typically controls the associated product. For this machine, the app is a guide for set up and usage and also has a number of articles about brewing coffee, selecting beans, grind size, etc. It’s been a wealth of information about coffee, assorted drink recipes and brewing as well as providing information about the machine itself. Clean Up & Maintenance: The system automatically cleans the grinds out after each use and also runs water through the system when powered down. The grinds and water are caught in the catch tray for easy clean up. There is a float in the water tray to indicate when it needs to be emptied. For the grinds, pull out the catch tray and remove the collection bin and clean out the grinds. There is also a clean function that can be run from main panel on the machine. For maintenance, the “brew group” needs to be cleaned weekly, deep cleaned monthly and lubricated every 2 months. All of these steps are outlined in the HomeID app. Pros: - Solid build of the machine and accessories – this system should last for many years to come. - Perfect for home or office use based on the solid build and ease of use. - Ability to set up and update different user profiles - So easy to use, just select a drink and hit the button! - Easy to Clean – removable spill tray and grind container are cleaned in minutes - No longer filling the landfill with K cup containers - Looks great with the black and silver colorway, matches existing appliances. Cons: - So far the only issue I’ve had is the factory sticker on the bean tray cover will not come off! Overall the Philips 4400 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo Milk Frother is an incredible machine for producing “fancy” coffee drinks or the perfect Cup of Joe. It’s overall ease of use, preset drinks and programmability make it a great choice for home use by coffee lovers or a small office environment that needs a coffee upgrade. The taste of fresh coffee drinks every morning is definitely worth the purchase!

We were lucky to pick up this super new model (4400) from our local BestBuy in Winter Garden, FL - the store manager helped us decide and we couldn't be more pleased. It actually makes coffee faster than our old Keurig - even with the grinding process. The Milk Frother is a game changer and doesn't feed from the same spout as the coffee, so it keeps the milk (and, awesome, the hot water) from smelling like coffee for the non-coffee drinker in our household. LOVE THIS ITEM.

Well done Philips, well done. I own a couple of other manual machines so I was really looking forward to having it all done for me for those early mornings.. Not to overlook the packaging, there were handles to assist lifting the machine out of the box, I appreciate I didn't have to go into full wrecking crew mode to extract the machine. Everything you need is in the box and the setup is easy with the HomeID App. Don't be distraught with the lack of a paper owner's manual, download the HomeID App. I am somewhat experienced with making coffee, but the app is wealth of information about how to customize your machine to your liking. It may take a few dozen brew trials to get it perfect. The Philips 4400 is an easy-to-use machine, love the profile options so once I get it dialed in all I have to do is push a button for my cappuccino and boom, it is ready. You can customize the grind size, grind amount, milk amount and total output. I actually liked experimenting with what I thought was my perfect cup of coffee. You can make several different types of drinks; I especially like the hot water and milk option for hot cocoa seeing how fall is right around the corner. Quality of manufacture seems to be on par with what I expect from Philips products. They have made this unit easy to clean, maintain and use. However, I wish the water reservoir had a level window you could see from the front. My machine is placed in a corner so I can't see the water level until I need to add, no big deal though. This will also tell you when you need to empty the catch tray, by way of a red pop-up button and the grind chamber by way of the LED readout. One other CON, that I really thought was going to be nice is the LatteGo. It does take away the manual foaming of milk, but it isn't really convenient after the fact to store any leftover milk. It barely sites upright in the fridge and does not have the ability to self-seal when detached from the machine. Not a big deal so the tradeoff is not having to froth the milk manually, but the cleanup and storage is a little more. The LatteGo works perfectly though. I like that the dispenser head is adjustable so I can use a larger mug when I want to. It is kind of tight getting the mug aligned with the LatteGo so the milk goes into the cup and doesn't spill over the side, but that is a one-time only mistake. I still can't fit my favorite travel mug under it though... For your basic coffee, unless you use espresso beans you will have to either use pre ground, yes there is an option for that or replace the beans in the grind hopper. I appreciate the grind hopper does appear to seal well so it will help to keep your beans fresh. In short, read the HomeID app recommendations and don't be afraid to experiment for your perfect cup of coffee.

Once we figured out that the machine needed to break in we absolutely love it! Do yourself a favor and buy a cheap bag of coffee and run it through the machine because all those coffees are going to be terrible. Once you run the machine a bunch it makes delicious beverages!

I have had the pleasure to use this coffee machine for approximately the last 3 weeks and I am pleasantly surprised. Overall is has enough customization features and over 10 coffee drinks to choose. BUILD/DESIGN The build quality feels very substantial, it doesn't feel cheap or flimsy even though it is made of plastic. The footprint is fairly small, approximately 10 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 15 inches tall. The water reservoir slides into the machine so it is not added space and the water filter is internal to the water reservoir. The milk frothing cup, attaches and detaches in one smooth motion which allows you to keep any unused milk in the refrigerator effortlessly and bring it back out when needed. The cup clearance is about 5.5 inches, I wish it would have a taller clearance for travel mugs. COFFEE It takes whole beans and ground coffee via a bypass chute. The brew, dependent on the beans and strength selected, has brewed a smooth cup of coffee with very low acidity and a nice layer of crema which shows the brew unit has extracted all the oils from the coffee to produce a flavorful cup. The grind setting can be adjusted for your personal taste and coffee selected. It is not good to use extra dark roast beans because most are so oily they stick and gum up the brew group/unit. BREW UNIT-MAINTENANCE THE BIG BONUS UNLIKE MOST MACHINES IS YOU CAN CLEAN THE BREW GROUP/UNIT-IT IS DETACHABLE. I had to write that in caps because every other machine i have had to painstakingly remove screws and take the machine apart to clean the brew unit. This unit ALLOWS you to effortlessly remove the brew unit and rinse it and clean off all the grime every week. Every 2 months you are to use a cleaning pill to remove the oil residue- This is AWESOME it lets me clean it frequently and ensure there is no moss or fungus, believe me it grows in the brew units that are not cleaned. This unit ensure you will have a clean and great cup of coffee. PRO coffee customization iced coffee option BREW UNIT CAN BE CLEANED EASILY CON cost of filter it's still a little noisy spout clearance won't fit travel mugs OVERALL It is a great machine which does more than any one coffee nerd needs, A-/B+

This machine is very nice, and I love how the LCD screen gives you a clear indicate of the "status" of machine, even walking you step by step on how to resolve an alarm like "adding water" - you get a literal visual on how to do it. Onw thing I don't like, and I could be wrong, but I have made over 50 espresso shots with this machine is that no matter what coffee beam I am using, I don't get "pucks" but rather wet slop of grounds in the brew chamber. I have an open ticket with Philips support, but I need to catch them one day when I am not busy at work. Aside from this, the machine is very quiet, the LatteGo mike container is easy to clean in the dishwasher, and the milk never actually touches the machine! This machine can make 12 different beverage options, and I like that warm up time is about 30 seconds from power on to "ready to brew". All in all, I am content but I will follow up with Philips Support to find out why I am not getting the "pucks" I am expecting.

Highlights: Pros:

I like the Philips 4400 coffee machine overall, but it does have a few issues. My biggest issue is I do feel the coffee is a little watered down compared to another automatic machine I use. I have tried multiple setting and have the coffee all the way up and it’s ok but still watered down. The other thing I don’t like is as part of the setup you are asked to get an app, but it doesn’t actually do anything with the machine. It doesn’t connect to it and at least for me didn’t give any useful information. Last issue is the instructions manual is lacking. Its mostly just warning and not really any trouble shooting or how to change the coffee strength. The quick start guide is good but it’s not a full manual. It’s not all bad thought, and there are a lot of things I do like. The setup is simple, and you get brewing pretty fast. The water tank holds a good amount of water, my other machine I’m refilling after a few coffees and this last way longer. I also like all the options for coffee and the fact that the setting saves, and you can have two profiles. I also like the lattego, just add milk and it auto adds it to the coffee. The machine is quite when it grinds and even when you first turn it on it doesn’t take long to get ready and start brewing a cup. The fact that it’s automatic is great, and if you don’t have one, I recommend getting one rather than brewing or using pods. For me the biggest downside is I feel the coffee is very water down even on the highest settings, which is the biggest issue if you like a strong cup of coffee.