Philips 3200 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, LatteGo Milk Frother, 5 Coffee Varieties, Intuitive Touch Display, 100% Ceramic Grinder, AquaClean Filter, My Coffee Choice, Black (EP3241/54)

I purchased the Philips 3200 Lattego with an additional filter as part of Amazon Prime Day, so my review is directly tied to that discounted price.I find that this machine is really worth the money. It makes excellent espresso and latte macchiatos. That is a given, but how does it handle milk alternatives. I feel like there isn't much comment on this, and I think it is worth discussing.Since realizing, after two decades of pain and suffering, that I am lactose intolerant, I switched from milk products to oat milk. I typically purchase Silk brand's original oat milk, but I also buy their creamy version, and other brands of oat milk. This machine does a good job of heating and frothing the oat milk, however, because it is quite a bit thicker than milk, it uses less oat milk in the automated process. This doesn't bother me too much, because I typically use the latte macchiato function twice in a row to fill my coffee mug. Yeah, it is a healthy amount of espresso in the drink, but that can be adjusted. It does work with oat milk, and I prefer it that way. I have not tried it with soy milk, almond milk (might be a good choice given how thin it is), cashew milk, or other milk alternatives.I recently also thought I would try lactose-free Horizon organic milk, and it works as a normal milk product would. It froths a lot more than the oat milk does, so be prepared for a lot of foam. It tastes a lot like an espresso drink you would have at any coffee shop, other than Starbucks. Even using Starbucks espresso beans, it comes out slightly less perfect than they can do, but over significant use, it surely pays for itself and it is still darn delicious.One tip to mention is that when using pre-ground beans, make sure to close the lid after you load in one scoop. Don't overfill it and don't load it too early. When wanting to use pre-ground coffee beans, make sure to power up the machine and let it do the cleaning cycle first, before loading in the grounds. My machine doesn't seem to do the pre-ground stuff as well as I'd like, and it has to do with the process. I am not sure why, but it will sometimes take two or three tries to get the machine to make it correctly, but once it does the first time, you can repeat the process in the same power cycle without issue. Load one scoop of grounds, close the lid, choose the drink, let the machine work. When it is done and you can select a new drink, repeat the process of loading the grounds, closing the lid, then choosing the drink.I'm not entirely sure I would buy this machine at full price, but if you see it on sale, it is a great deal. I think the regular price of this one versus a higher end one from Philips is only $100 or so in difference, and the higher end models, 4300, 5400, etc., offer more options. That can be important for some. On sale, with the milk carafe, it is a bargain and worth it for the first super-automatic espresso machine. I think the price to consider picking it up if money is an issue is the $650 or so price point. Amazon Prime Day's deal was less than. Highly recommended.Made in RomaniaUPDATE: I have been using this espresso maker for some time now, and I still think it is a great buy, especially on sale. Everything has held up great since purchase. I thought it might be good to leave some additional thoughts. First, the issue when using ground coffee seems to be less so. I have only experienced issues with it twice since my last review. Second, the one new negative thing I have found is that it can be a little noisy when in use. That doesn't stop me from recommending it, but if you need something super quiet, this might not be the one you want. And finally, don't forget to clean out the cavity where the used grounds fall out of. I never thought to clean it and one day my wife noticed some mold smell coming from that area and I had to stick my hand in and clean it out as best I could. I use it daily and I clean that part about once a month, and that seems to be good for me, but also note that I live in the dryest region in the United States, so we don't really have humidity to make the problem worse. That's all. I still highly recommend it, especially when on sale!

This is easy to use/learn and makes great coffee. It looks impressive and functions exceptionally. I have enjoyed the coffees and the frothed milk feature. Im very happy with the purchase. The brew station is the same as the higher tier machine in this brand so this is a great mid price machine. The noise level is not unusual and the end product is well worth it. Medium roast coffees work best so pick a great bean and enjoy.

From least concerning to most concerning:1. Annoyance. The milk delivery system is clumsy. Milk splashes all over your espresso nozzle and countertop. Not alot but I hate having to wipe up loose droplets every time I make a drink.2. Annoyance. I have tried every setting but the milk receptacle will never use the proper amount of milk it designates for the drinks so there is always leftover milk and I am not putting it back in my carton.3. Concerning. The drip tray always fills up with water every drink made. There is no leakage as I watch my drinks getting made so my theory is that it's coming from the milk steaming system? Its not just a few drops either. It covers the entire bottom of the drip tray. I find myself having to empty it every single drink I make. I live in a hot humid area so mold is a giant concern. If this was the worst thing I could maybe live with it and empty/dry it regularly but it gets worse.4. Unacceptable. The used grounds disposal system sucks. It was almost good the way it dumps them into the little basket but this thing leaves moisture and used grounds all over the internal mechanism itself. There is always moisture inside this thing. In the mechanism and on the floors and walls of the area the mechanism slides into. I have frantically cleaned and dried this thing feeling confident I couldn't clean or dry anymore but a new droplet will come from somewhere or I will find a small lump of moist grounds I somehow missed. This is laying the groundwork for mold city.Conclusion: This is a cool machine at a decent price (considering the price of the professional machines out there well over $1,500). It has cool features and yes, made some decent drinks. But even with those cool features and ability to make an ok cappuccino or latte, it is a dangerous machine. It is inevitable that this thing will grow mold if you don't vigorously clean and dry it constantly. Its bad enough always having moisture everywhere but mix it with coffee grounds and it's even worse. God forbid you didnt clean or dry it well enough and leave town for a week or two. After some research I have found other people have shared pictures of disgusting mold cities grown in their machine. I jumped the gun due to the sale but im not hanging onto this thing. Im getting a refund.Bonus: The pictures I included are from making one drink after I already cleaned and dried it after an evening drink the night before. It was clean and dry before I made this drink and these are the end results.

I have purchased 4. Different home locations and gifts. They make great coffee with minimal fuss and maintenance is a breeze. I have owned much more expensive machines and I cannot appreciate a difference in drink quality; beans, grind, water and milk kept consistent, this produces similar to better drinks. I can't vouch for other models in this line, but this one is easily worth the now lower cost.