True Life: I Was Addicted to $6 Coffee Drinks…Until I Tried the Philips LatteGo

If you’re a hardcore coffee lover, you know: It’s not just a daily dose of caffeine—it’s a lifestyle. From my morning cups to my special Friday afternoon cold brew to “I’ll just get myself a little treat” seasonal lattes, I’ve never met a coffee drink I didn’t like. There’s one downside, however: All those lattes, espressos and macchiatos can add up fast. And even though my wallet isn’t a fan, the at-home options seemed to pale in comparison to my neighborhood cafés. That is, until I tried the Philips 5500 LatteGo. This fully automatic espresso machine makes 20 different hot and iced drinks at the touch of a button and is like having a coffee shop in my kitchen, minus the long wait times and pricey add-ons. Read on for my honest review (and apologies in advance to your favorite barista).

As a millennial woman, I’m embarrassed to admit how technologically challenged I am. Luckily, the Philips 5500 LatteGo is a breeze to use. To install, I just plugged it in and followed the instructions on the display. It walked me through how to test my tap water hardness so I’ll know when it’s time to clean or “descale” the machine, how to activate the AquaClean water filter, and when to add beans to the built-in ceramic coffee grinder; you can even fine-tune the grinder with one of 12 options, from fine to coarse. (Or use ground coffee, if you prefer!)

After that, I was ready to start brewing and decided on a quick espresso to test out the flavor. I chose the coffee strength, the size and the quantity, and less than a minute later I had a delicious, piping hot espresso that was as good as any post-dinner doppio from my local Italian coffeehouse. Two things I was impressed with off the bat: The QuickStart technology means less waiting for your caffeine fix, while the SilentBrew technology makes the LatteGo up to 40 percent quieter compared to previous models, so you don’t have to worry about waking up the whole house no matter how early—or late—you’re brewing a cup. I also love that you can specify the exact drink volume (in milliliters), so there’s no danger of over or underfilling your cup.

I mentioned that the LatteGo makes up to 20 hot and iced coffee recipes—and I was particularly intrigued to try the iced varieties. A refreshing iced latte was calling my name, which also allowed me to try out the milk system. I poured the correct amount of milk into the container and watched as the LatteGo’s cyclonic frothing technology created a silky-smooth milk foam that was just as frothy as anything I could get at the shop. In fact, you can make luxurious steamed, frothed or foamed milk however you like it, and yes, that includes with plant-based milk. 

One of the coolest features, IMO, is the one-touch customization; the touchscreen lets me personalize any drink and save it under multiple profiles for easier and faster brewing. You can save up to five profiles with the personalized strength, volume and milk froth levels you want—perfect for keeping my fiancé’s double espressos and my iced café lattes separate, yet easily accessible.