Philips LatteGo 5500 review: bean-to-cup coffee at its easiest 

Introduction

Bean-to-cup coffee machines are big business, with the biggest choice being whether to go for a manual or automatic model. Naturally there are pros and cons to each, with manual machines favoured by those who want ultimate control over their drinks and automatic machines suiting those after convenience, who aren’t fussed about becoming a latte art master. 

The new Philips LatteGo 5500 is as automatic as they come – it’s essentially an automatic home coffee shop, offering twenty different coffee options, which range from standard milky lattes to refreshing iced coffees.

Design & build: Icontastic

The coffee icons on the machine’s screen slightly cheapens the look of the LatteGo 5500 in my opinion, which is a shame. However, it’s not all bad news though, it’s a good-looking machine generally.  

Well-made and measuring 246x371x433mm, the LatteGo 5500 is a good size for a countertop – I have standard size and high kitchen cupboards and had plenty of space to access and refill the bean hopper and water tank. 

The touch screen display is responsive and using the machine is intuitive – you simply select your desired coffee and adjust the strength, coffee volume and milk volume to your exact taste. There are four user profiles available (plus a guest setting), that allow you to save your preferences, making your favourite coffees a one button affair going forward. 

Features: Ease of use is key

The Philips LatteGo 5500’s headline feature is the 20 strong drinks menu which consists of (deep breath) espresso, coffee, cappuccino, latte, latte macchiato, iced coffee, americano caffè crema, caffè latte, espresso lungo, ristretto, flat white, café au lait, iced latte, iced cappuccino, iced americano, iced caffè crema, iced café au lait, iced caffè, iced espresso. Oh, and don’t forget frothed milk, hot water and travel mug drinks. It’s an extensive menu and I like that it offers cold brew coffees as well as hot. 

Perhaps more impressive than the breadth of coffees you can create is the fact that you can easily adjust the adjust the strength, coffee volume and milk volume, so you get your perfect drink and then the machine will remember (via your profile) for next time. 

The Philips LatteGo 5500 is equipped with ceramic grinders, which as well as being hard wearing, allow you to fine-tune the grind size of your beans, using one of twelve settings, from fine to coarse.

For busy mornings, the QuickStart function is a complete game-changer. It allows you to turn it on and brew a coffee right away – it heats up based on your selected drink. 

If you’re looking to reduce your environmental footprint, you’ll like that the LatteGo 5500 has five Eco Settings that allow you to reduce water and energy consumption – for example, choose to dim the main and cup lights more quickly, or use less water while rinsing. 

Another great feature is its AquaClean filter, which allows up to 5000 cups of coffee without having to descale.  As an added bonus, it purifies water before brewing begins so your coffee tastes even better. 

Performance: Coffee shop quality coffee

As well as powering up at lightning speed, the Philips LatteGo 5500 is a very quiet in use. I was shocked at how much quieter it is compared to my usual manual bean-to-cup coffee machine. 

As someone who like several different coffees the extensive menu was a hit, and I enjoyed trying them all… Philips calls its brewhead the ‘Aroma Extract system’, which finds the ideal balance between temperature (between 90°C and 98°C) and aroma; I have to say it makes great coffee every time. I didn’t have a single cup of coffee that was bitter, even when I used the extra shot function.

I really rate the customisation available within the menu – there are five aroma strength settings and the ability to control the size of your drink, and the amount of froth means although the machine is fully automatic, you still get what you want. 

The silky-smooth milk froth that the machine consistently produced was particularly impressive – you can achieve a coffee-shop quality cappuccino so easily. Iced coffees were as impressive as hot ones – with the same delicious flavour of the beans I used through the test. 

The milk jug simply clips on and can be stored in the fridge between drinks. However, I found the spout was often left with milk on it so needed a wipe afterwards to prevent any crust forming. The drip tray and coffee grinds are easy to empty, and go in the dishwasher with the milk system, however they are super easy to clean by hand, too. There’s even a clean button on the machine itself which automates cleaning functions ranging from a rinse to coffee oil removal – easy. 

Philips LatteGo 5500 verdict

If Latte art isn’t your thing and you just want to be able to make coffee shop quality drinks at home quickly and easily, then the Philips LatteGo 5500 should be a strong contender as your new best mate. While I wasn’t 100% sold on the look of the machine, I did love using it – it’s ready to use super quickly, is easy to clean and it’s very quiet too. It’s well worth the £650 price and is indeed one of the best value automatic coffee machine we’ve tested this year, along with the slightly pricier DeLonghi Rivelia. 

Philips LatteGo 5500 technical specifications

Bean capacity	275 g
Water Capacity	1.8L
Drink options	Espresso / Coffee / Cappuccino / Latte macchiato / Iced coffee / Hot water / Americano / Caffè crema / Caffè latte / Travel mug / Espresso lungo / Ristretto / Flat white / Café au lait /Iced latte / Iced cappuccino / Iced americano / Iced caffè crema / Iced café au lait / Iced caffè / latte / Iced espresso / Frothed milk
Pump pressure	15 Bar
Dimensions	246 x 371 x 433 mm, 8kg
Guarantee	2 years