Philips 3200 LatteGo Automatic Espresso Machine Review 2025

Do you love a great cup of coffee? Do you also sometimes enjoy a few specialty coffee drinks? If you answered yes to both of those questions, then you’re going to like what you read in this—our Philips 3200 LatteGo review.

Philips is a big name in the coffee machine world. And their Saeco machines are, for the most part, made in Italy. The 3200 series is offered at a generally lower price and is made in Romania where labor costs are lower, which helps keep the total price of the machine down.

Philips’ 3200 espresso machines encompass a number of different models. But the one we’ll be focusing on here is the Philips LatteGo EP3246/70, which is the one with the milk carafe and auto-frother. 

You can get one of the less expensive models if money is tight or if you’d prefer to have one of the variants with a steam wand. All of the models in the series are functionally similar, but the less expensive variants don’t offer auto frothing or temperature control that’s quite as precise.

In any case, if you’re in the market for a capable machine that will allow you to enjoy a few of your favorite specialty drinks, you owe it to yourself to give this one a closer look. Read on, and we’ll give you all the details you need so you can make an informed buying decision.

Overview of Philips 3200 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine With LatteGo

Form Factor, Footprint & Aesthetic

We’re impressed with the general aesthetic of the 3200 LatteGo, and we think you will be too. One thing to make a mental note of, however, is the fact that where many of Saeco’s products are offered in both stainless steel and black options, this one, in particular, is available only in black.

We don’t regard that as a bad thing because black works well in many (but not all) home kitchens. 

Still, a jet-black appliance will stick out like a sore thumb in some home kitchens, and if yours is one of those, then it will serve as a strike against this model.

Here’s a quick overview of the unit:

Taking these items from the top, the dimensions of the Philips LatteGo 3200 are surprisingly modest. But if you live in a smaller home or apartment, finding a permanent home for your new best friend might be a bit of a challenge.

The raw numbers are a bit deceptive, however. While you may be able to slide the unit under your cabinets, unless they are unusually high, you’ll still need to pull it out every time you want to fill the top-loading bean hopper.

The good news on that front is that the unit only weighs 17.6 pounds, so moving it around as needed isn’t that big of a deal.

The grounds container is a little on the small side in our view, so you’ll probably need to empty it slightly more often than you’d prefer, but that’s a small complaint in the grand scheme of things.

One issue that is slightly more of a disappointment is the height range of the adjustable spigot. 

It will accommodate cups ranging in height from 3.34” to 5.7”, which is fine if you’re a casual coffee drinker. 

On the other hand, if you’re a power drinker with one of those super deluxe jumbo cups, it’s simply not going to fit under the spigot, which will be a little frustrating.

Even so, it’s not that big a deal to push the button a couple of times, order a double dose of your favorite drink and simply pour the fresh brew into your larger container.

Reservoir Size

We love coffee, and we drink a lot of it. In our book, there’s no such thing as a water reservoir that’s too big. In fact, we especially love machines that can be plumbed with a dedicated water line. This isn’t one of those, of course, but for the money, a sixty-ounce reservoir is nothing to sneeze at.

Even better, all of the Philips 3200 coffee machines come with the AquaClean filtration system, which dramatically reduces the amount of time you have to spend descaling. With your filter in place, you’ll be able to brew up to 5000 cups of your favorite coffee drink without having to worry about the descaling issue at all, and that’s amazing.

If you live alone, the reservoir will serve you well even if you’re a power drinker. You can brew a whole lot of coffee with sixty ounces to work with, after all. Even if you live in a moderately sized household with several coffee drinkers, the reservoir will hold up well.

Integrated Grinder & a Generously Sized Bean Hopper

We regard this as a very strong segment of our Philips 3200 LatteGo review because the grinder built into this model is outstanding. While we’re a bit underwhelmed at the 9.7 oz. hopper capacity, the grinder itself is superb for two reasons.

First, it’s got twelve grind settings. While there’s no formal standard, many of the coffee machines with built-in grinders for sale today have something in the neighborhood of six grind settings. Twelve grind settings are absolutely superb.

Even better, the grinder has ceramic burrs, which are vastly superior to stainless steel burrs. The reason is simple—stainless steel burrs heat up when you grind coffee. That heat can easily burn your freshly ground coffee, which in turn, can completely ruin the flavor of whatever drink you’re planning to make.

Ceramic burrs don’t suffer from that problem. So anytime there’s a choice in the matter, go with ceramic. Your taste buds will thank you!

A final point where the grinder is concerned—Philips recommends not adjusting the grinder settings until you’ve brewed 100-150 cups in order to break the machine in properly.

One minor wrinkle to note is the fact that the bypass chute can be a little finicky. It will literally hold no more than one scoop of coffee. If you’re using pre-ground, be very careful not to overfill the bypass chute, or you’ll be asking for trouble.

The Boiler System

Many of the less expensive coffee machines on the market today utilize aluminum boilers. 

Fortunately, the Philips 3200 LatteGo superautomatic espresso machine doesn’t cut any corners where the boiler is concerned. The boiler is high-quality stainless steel that heats quickly. 

Even better, while most of the machines in the 3200 series only offer vague temperature settings (normal, high, and maximum), the LatteGo EP3246 features a temperature icon displayed on the front face of the machine, enabling you to broadly set the desired temperature of whatever drink you’re making.

The Brew Group and Control System

This is another exceptionally strong portion of our Philips 3200 LatteGo review. We love the layout of the control system and the pushbutton convenience of the drink options on offer. While there may not be a ton of choices here, the ones that are present are clearly labeled and easy to find.

Using this machine, you can make:

While it’s not at all difficult to find machines that offer more in terms of selection, this model has the basics covered. It’s true that machines with LCD touch screens are flashier and more fun to use. All that extra technology is something of a two-edged sword and makes such units a bit more prone to break, or at the very least, they contain more components that might break.

We love the simplicity of the LatteGo EP3246, and we think you will too.

This model does come up a bit short where drink customization options are concerned. It allows you to adjust the aroma strength and quantity of coffee use via three settings (low, medium, and high). If you’re making a milk-based drink, you can also adjust the quantity of milk added to your drink.

The quantity can only be adjusted if you’ve selected the highest setting. You’ll get an indication from the LED lights when the machine is ready to accept further adjustments, and those will be saved automatically for one-touch use the next time you select the highest setting for that particular drink.

In addition to that, all of the models in the Philips Saeco 3200 series have an auto-shutoff feature that can be set to 15, 20, 45, or 60 minutes, at your preference.

The Milk Frothing System

The Philips EP3246 has a carafe with an 8.79-ounce capacity, which is a little on the small side for our liking. But honestly, unless you drink a ton of milk-based drinks throughout the day, most people won’t have an issue with it at all.

Using it is a lesson in simplicity. Just fill it with milk, slide the spigot over your coffee cup if you’re making a milk-based drink, make your drink selection and go.

The one thing to be mindful of is the fact that there are two options where milk frothers are concerned—systems like this, where everything is done for you, and steam wands.

Both options have advantages and disadvantages. With an auto-frothing system, you gain convenience but give up fine-grained control. 

With a steam wand, it’s the opposite. Less convenient, but you gain a very high degree of control over the quality of the foam produced.

Most people who buy superautomatic machines are more interested in convenience, which makes an auto-frothing system a good match for this type of unit.

Very Easy to Use and Clean

While we love high-tech gizmos and gadgets as much as anyone, we have to admit that Philips did a great job designing the control system. This machine is simple and intuitive to use. 

While it would be overselling it to say that there’s no learning curve at all, it is a very slight one, and it probably won’t take more than ten minutes or so to learn the basics of its use. That’s amazing.

In a similar vein, the unit is also delightfully easy to clean. There’s a section in the (well-written) user guide that outlines all of the cleaning duties you’ll want to attend to and give you a recommendation on the cleaning frequency. Just follow the guidelines in the book, and you shouldn’t have any trouble at all.

Pros & Cons of Philips 3200 Coffee Machine

We like almost everything about this machine. For the money, it represents a tremendous value. 

And even better, if you’re on a budget, you can buy one of the less expensive models in the 3200 series and get essentially the same machine with the same basic capabilities (the big things you lose are precise temperature control and the convenience of the auto-frother).

The only two potential wrinkles to talk about here are as follows:

First, the drink selection is somewhat limited. If you’re looking for a machine that will allow you to make a dozen or more drinks with one-touch convenience, you’re going to have to spend more money. Such things are simply beyond this model’s capabilities.

Second, to a degree, you get what you pay for. Invest a couple of thousand bucks in a high-end coffee machine and you’ll get one made with top-quality parts. Invest in something in this price range and you’ll get more plastic.

This is a good machine; there’s no doubt about that. But to keep the price low, the company did have to make a few strategic sacrifices, so you’ll find plastic in many places rather than stainless steel.

Philips 3200 LatteGo Review Conclusion

As long as you can live with the tradeoffs we mentioned in the last section, this is an awesome machine and earns a solid recommendation from us. We love it, and we’re pretty sure you will too. Drink up!

Other Options to Consider

If you like the 3200 series but they’re just not a perfect fit for you, whatever the reason, here are a couple of other options you may want to consider:

De’Longhi ESAM 3300 Magnifica

This unit is in more or less the same section of the market as the machine we just reviewed, and it’s offered by one of the biggest, best, and most respected companies in the industry.

It features an even better grinder than the machine you just read about and offers a different selection of specialty coffee drinks. Best of all though, this unit features a double boiler and a steam wand, rather than an auto-frother. An exceptional machine by any reckoning.

Gaggia Brera Super Automatic

This is a great option if you’re on a budget. While Gaggia isn’t one of the biggest companies in the industry, they’ve got a long history of making well-designed coffee machines. It’s got a somewhat smallish water tank (just under 41 ounces), and the spigot isn’t terribly high—only accommodating cup sizes between 3.25” to 4.5”.

The grinder here only has five settings, and this machine has its limitations. But it’s well-built and made of stainless steel, rather than plastic. The control system is almost retro—it’s so old school—but for the right user, it’s an amazing machine. That user might be you!

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Official Manufacturer Support

Sources & Resources

• Philips 3200 LatteGo User Manual.
• Philips USA, Official Brand Website. 
• 15 Great Espresso Drinks, A Couple Cooks. 
• What is Coffee “Aroma”?, Espresso and Coffee Guide.
• What’s the Difference Between a Latte & a Latte Macchiato?, Starbucks Stories and News.