Customer Ratings & Reviews

Works great for what i need. Coffee tastes great. Easy to use.

Enjoy makes great cups of coffee. But the water tank is not large enough. But overall Great Machine.

Works well. Makes good expresso and an even better cup of coffee. It would be nice if the water filter was included with the purchase and not a separate item.

This review is for the Philips 1200 series espresso machine. My first thought when thinking about an espresso machine has never been Philips. I didn’t even know they made them. I have had over a dozen other espresso makers over the years and never once recall seeing one made by Philips when shopping. So I was thinking they would be behind or lacking in some areas. And boy was I wrong! First off this machine has the fastest warm up time of any I’ve had. So you get your fix sooner. Second it is very user friendly. Me or my wife never had to look in the owners manual to figure anything out. All the buttons/controls are straightforward. It frothed milk very well. I was a little surprise it didn’t come with a stainless steel frother. But I already have a few so no big deal for me. And this is the first machine I can fully break down to clean. (See photos). Love that it has a sealed bin for your whole beans. So just full it and forget about it for a few days. Always getting fresh ground beans every time. Just like any other unit it took us both a few days to find our magical settings for our coffee and espresso‘s. But now that we have all is good.

Living “at times a coffee shop exists”, one stoplight town, getting a decent cup of coffee can be a challenge. Combine that with working remotely, and the options become even fewer. After the closing of one iteration of the local coffee shop, i decided to commit the $ to a next level coffee maker. I am not a barista. Never even want to be. There are fancier machines on the market for $$$. I have worked in a office where they exist. It was breaking down on a quarterly basis. My Phillips has performed admirably for 2.5 years. Not only does it make a very decent espresso (and, yes, the steamer does a good foam), it also makes a great cup of coffee. Just need hot water for tea? It can do that for you, as well. Ok, of course things are not all roses and sunshine. I dont know what cup they think people use, on the maximum cup size, it will only fill a cafe size cup half full for coffee or tea. Support by the manufacturer is abysmal. When my foamer stopped foaming, when I finally got a response, their answer was to have me ship off the whole unit. At my expense, of course. After one more deep search online a reddit post saved me. The plastic instert on the foaming attachment had been knocked out of place by dropping it too many times. Pushed it back in place with a chopstick and it wss back in business. I joke that I pass my favorite cafe and coffee shop on mu commute to the office, but now that I have moved my desk to another room, it no longer is. :)

If you don't want to read the rest then I'll tell you right here...Yes it's a great machine, it's a great first time automatic machine and I would 1000% recommend it. So it's a "YES, go and buy one" from me if you are looking into buying an automatic machine and this is your price range. It's a decent size machine but there's still enough room in front of it, on the countertop to work. Meaning you have enough space to handle everything you need to do to make your coffee & you don't need to work off to the side. Width is less than a 4 slice toaster, which is phenomenal for an automatic in my opinion. Ergonomically this makes sense that you want to be in front of the machine with cups and so forth...not off to the side or on another countertop entirely. So the size is great for what this machine is capable of. The dispenser slides up and down to accommodate different sized cups...I personally, found this to be amazing and REALLY useful! It feels solid and not even close to like it going to break. The machine allows you to access 3 different fluid volumes for each of its functions. i.e. short shot .5 oz, reg shot, 1oz, long shot 2oz. It does the same for coffee brewing allowing you to pick how much water goes through your grinds kind of like the way a "kcup" machine lets you choose your "cup size" but it feels more “refined.” There's also a way to program your MAX level drink so you can run the machine with the programming steps and get the exact water volume you want for the function you are programming. I have had no need to program this function as the presets work for what I need and probably most users needs to be honest. You can also pick your water temp by programming. So for people who like really hot coffee, this machine should be able to keep up with you. You can also pick the brew strength for each...so if you like weak espresso but dont want 2 ozs then you can pull a weak .5 oz shot...not sure why you'd do that, but you can, same for coffee. Also, the machine comes with a water hardness test strip and you can set the machine to your water hardness. That’s a really nice feature addition to the unit. This machine relies on whole beans being FRESHLY GROUND and IMMEDIATELY brewed but...if you have ground coffee, you can override the grinder and use your pre ground coffee, 1 tbsp and 1 drink selection at a time. I did this for a few days until I had time to stop by and pick up some whole bean and it worked surprisingly well and was easy to access through the machine controls. The machine also "allows" you to buy a water filter to use in the water bin if you're into that sort of thing. It doesn't come with one...which at this price, I feel it should, but I've been running it without the filter and I’ve been perfectly happy so far. Speaking of that...the machine is "smart" and it tells you when your filter needs to be replaced and when you need to descale...it also tells you when you are out of water and when your grind bin and water tray need to be emptied. The great thing is, if you run out of water halfway through a brew....when you put more water in and slide it back it...IT FINISHES THE BREW THAT IT WAS DOING and doesn't just quit or force you to make a new one. That is awesome! The water bin has made me press on it a few times here and there...with the machine telling me it was out of water or thinking the reservoir was removed when it was in actuality full and inserted. No big deal, I just pressed on the front of the bin to "seat" it and the machine comes back to life. This may be annoying for some but its such a little tiny annoyance that at this price point I'm willing to deal with it. It’s actually a LOT more quiet than I thought it would be and the grinder works great. I've seen reviews of people having problems with coffee temp and grinder adjustments and I feel those negatives written are mainly user error and improper user expectations being placed on the unit. This is not a $3000+++ machine and shouldn't be treated like one or compared to one. READ the Manual and you should be fine. Speaking of the manual, I wish they listed the water output for each drink for each level. I had to stand there with a measuring cup and pull one of every option drink selection and drink level option to figure out what the water volume was going to be for each setting. It should be written down and given to the customer somewhere because I shouldn't have had to literally stand there for over an hour and run the machine 3x through every drink selection to figure out what volume was being delivered with my selection and then either memorize it or write it down myself. That is something the manufacturer SHOULD’VE SUPPLIED to me! That is a huge miss to have not provided that information in the manual or even a sticker on the unit behind the water reservoir or something. Only way I was able to reference ounces when I was speaking on the machine earlier in the review...was because I stood there, made my selection, picked "one dot" ran it, measured and then did the same for "2 dots" and "3 dots" for every drink/Hot Water selection. Especially annoying!!! Two more quirks. First, there is a sticker on the top of the machine when you unbox it, letting you know that they "do their best" to clean the machine but it was tested with real coffee in the factory and that if you find dirt/coffee in your NEW MACHINE to REST ASSURED your unit IS NEW and it's only there because of the testing. I'm unsure how I feel about this. I'm not a fan of having some random coffee run through a machine costing hundreds of dollars to the person buying it. Although I do appreciate that the unit was verified as working and "properly adjusted" before leaving the factory. Also...because of this...how would you know if you did get an actual USED UNIT? Like I said...in one way I hate this practice and sticker and in another I appreciate it so I can't give a firm stance one way or the other but be aware that running the unit with "actual coffee" is part of the manufacturing, testing and set up procedures in the factory. NOTE: My machine was CLEAN and I did not find any evidence of coffee inside...but I did find fingerprints of grease spooged on it in 2 spots where grease doesn't belong and that needed to be wiped up quickly. No big deal. Second quirk is the machine does this automatic rinse thing when it shuts down, thereby expelling water into the drip tray...this tends to both use the water in the reservoir faster and fill the tray pretty quick when you turn the machine on and off, even only twice a day. I find myself constantly emptying this tray and its tedious. It also does a quick spurt upon startup, to prime itself so make sure your cup isn't under the spout until the machine startup process is complete...unless you want that spurt of rinse water in your drink, then by all means, go for it. This procedure also uses water and fills the tray. I have found the tray get full pretty quickly, even only power cycling the machine 2 times a day. Now...the grinder is relatively quiet, I was surprised actually and expected to hear a cement truck on my countertop and it's nothing like that at all. It's consistent with filling to proper amounts from brew to brew and to be honest is SO NICE to have access to if you appreciate fresh coffee. It 1000% taste different than my exact same beans being ground ahead of time and run through my manual machine. It taste so much better being fresh! Per the manual "the grinder does not need adjustment until you brew xxxxx cups of coffee" and per me "IT DOES NOT NEED ADJUSTMENT UNTIL YOU NEED TO ADJUST IT." Mine works perfectly out of the box for espresso and drip and I don't know why people are buying this and reviewing and complaining it's hard to adjust or its not adjusted properly. Just stop it already...that machine is ran at the factory with real coffee and calibrated to work out of the box!!! That was the case for me and my machine. If you grind it too fine, some machines won't even have to strength to pump it past those fine grinds...so all you're doing is prematurely wearing out your machine. If you want to make espresso with basically powdered coffee then you shouldn't be shopping for a machine anywhere close to this price level! And this machine shouldn't be compared to a commercial machine you use at work either. This is an entry level, HOME USE, fully automatic at a specific price point and it does a WONDERFULLY BEAUTIFUL JOB if your not the type of person that buys a Honda and expects the performance of a Ferrari out of it. Been using it for going on a few weeks now, minimum twice a day and I am over the moon about having it. You can choose a standby time in 15 minute intervals up to an hour, so you can walk out the door and forget to turn it off and it will rinse itself and turn off so it's not on all day for nothing. Or if you know you're going to be back for another one in a half hour, and that is your routine then you don't have to start the machine up from cold and wait for it...it's just ready to go for your refill by setting the stand by time for longer. This machine and it's features are very moldable to its user. It's VERY user friendly and all the intimidation I had about getting into an automatic is null and void. It is very easy to use and clean...and refill...and rinse off. I would buy one of these in a heartbeat, knowing what I know now. I really love it and I really love not having to stand there and manually go through all the steps to get my morning fix anymore. It LOOKS GREAT in the kitchen....fancy-ish. I have gotten a few comments from people thinking I spent a small fortune on a fancy machine so it has good "presence." I do not get the amount of crema that I normally get out of my manual machine, and this might be why people are trying to adjust the grinder but in spite of getting less crema, I get fresher tasting espresso so its a trade off I am more than willing to make.

The Philips Automatic Espresso Machine is pretty good, the machine helped to clear up some space on our counter. Originally we were using one machine for coffee another for espresso. The nice thing with this is you can brew espresso or coffee. There is the container up top that you place coffee beans in, however there is also a small little compartment in the middle up top that you can place a scoop of pre-ground coffee. The beans can be used to brew espresso or coffee. There is a lot of programmability, there is the simple brew settings on the face such as amount of grounds or water, in the grounds container there is a grind knob. In the manual there is also a few other programmable options such as water temperature and a larger amount of water for example. The manual definitely gives a lot of information, but there is a couple things you may skip over based on your machine, since there are several options available but they use the same manual for each. I do wish they give a little more information in terms of setting up the grind settings based on yours, I know the machine is set to adjust after a few grinds, but telling you espresso beans light roast is good between these grind setting, medium roast between these settings and dark roast between these settings. Give you an idea what is in the ballpark for what you are brewing. I looked up a couple videos on line to give me a better understanding to dial it in. Could help some individuals in terms of setup. Once I got everything dialed in I have enjoyed the machine. There is a little compartment that catches the grounds that you can easily remove to dump the grounds. The water container slides out from the front so it is easy to remove, refill and place back in the machine with the location of this container. I mostly drink iced beverages myself, I do occasionally steam my milk, but I don't do any fancy art. The wand was fine, easily removable to clean, which I can say the same for the brew group. You can easily remove it from a panel hidden by the water tank, you can simply take it out rinse under the tap. Overall this is a good automatic brewer, which can definitely get better the more you understand it. Taking a little time to understand the tool you are working with can help to create a better beverage, I do think opting for the milk frothing cup would be the better option unless you really want to get fancy with your milk, but if you're looking for an automated machine, just opt for the additional options. But with what this machine is, it's great, I would just suggest into opting for a couple options to make it more automated.

Had a Nespresso vertuo and found it to expensive. Bought the Philips coffee machine very easy to operate, great coffee and saves $

The Philips 1200 coffee machine is an excellent choice for coffee lovers. Its compact and easy-to-use design provides a practical experience. The quality of the coffee is exceptional, with an intense flavor and pleasant aroma, thanks to its efficient heating system. In addition, cleaning is simple, which makes it ideal for everyday use. I recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable machine with great value for money.

This thing is incredible. I've made espresso the old fashioned way before; never again, unless there's no other choice. Been drinking french press for years, with fresh roasted beans, and never thought I'd change, but noticed how much money I was spending on barista drinks each month, and realized I was bored with french press. This machine has made me love coffee at home, again.

Recommended, very good purchase. Works very well and the coffee is excellent.

If you’re looking for a few, simple daily coffees on demand and an expresso occasionally, this is the one for you! If someone wants a cappuccino or latte, easy enough to froth some milk manually with the steam wand. Good value buy when on sale!

I want to preface this by saing i got this on sale during black Friday for $330. At that price point, I think its really a good value machine. Its very easy to use, and makes decent coffee with no fuss. At the $500 msrp that this often sells for though, I think there are much better machines on the market, both superautomatic and semi-automatic. The coffee this machine produces is often weak and watered down, even with strongest settings in place. This is because the internal brew group only holds a maximum of 7g of ground coffee, which is lower than the capacity of similar machines and much lower than what would be used for a typical shot of espresso. If youre someone who doesnt like their coffee all that strong, than maybe this machine would work great for you, but it really didnt do it for me. I loved the ease of use, but the inability to make a stronger cup of coffee lead to me returning it. Im someone who doesnt really mind to be involved with the whole espresso making process so I opted for the Ninja Luxe Cafe instead and am much happier. If I wanted a fully automatic machine though, I would have gotten a dehlongi as they have a higher brew group capacity that can produce a slightly stronger cup.

Very good for the price, top tier, you don't need one that serves 500 cups a day if it's for your house that's pro enough.

My wife I are somewhat coffee & espresso elitist so an outstanding cup is exactly what every morning should start with. This little gem in a word delivers! Best $430 I have spent in a while. If you want to hit the easy button on an amazing cup of coffee or espresso this is what you are looking for.

I've never owned an espresso machine or an automatic one at that. I love that we don't have to make drip coffee, it saves us time and also saves us coffee beans as it only grinds what we need. Every cup is fresh and this machine works flawlessly every item. All we need to do is dump the used beans every couple of days and we are set. I should have bought this a long time ago.

Took a day or so to get used to it. Making great lattes is easy and fast, and we're having some fun with this machine. Normal coffee is more like an Americano style (espresso with hot water), but we prefer it that way. We love how the beans are freshly ground on the spot - it makes for a fresh/quality cup. There are a couple downsides. The water reservoir is small and needs to be filled often. The waste portion fills up quickly (grind waste and water waste), so we empty it as often as we're needing to fill the reservoir. The value is very good here for the excellent quality of coffee - so we don't mind the minor inconveniences. One last thing - our machine did not come with the water filters - I'm not sure if that was unique to ours, but it made me a slightly angry to have to go online to search and buy them. Would have been 5 starts if not for this.

Makes a great espresso and coffee, the frother/steamer is awesome and easy to clean, and the grounds dispenser is simple to pullout and dump in the garbage. The only issues we have is that it does NOT come with the Philips AquaClean filter inspite of it being listed as a necessary component. I knew about this from other reviews, so I pre-ordered it separately. I feel that it should come with one and have a link to order more in the future. The second issue is the manual does a poor job of explaining initial setup and the youtube video we found wasn't exceptional either, but we did get it working and are more than happy with the end result.

Good coffee machine for every day use .. its not the best for expresso but has a good quality..

Wife loves this. Essy to use and quality product. Highly recommend.