Customer Ratings & Reviews

$400 espresso machine arrived in no discrete packaging, covered in skid marks and punctures. Unboxed espresso machine and it was covered in dust from the road. Ordered a replacement, which took 9 days as a best buy total member! After that, i was emailed by an associate who said i could return in store. When i came to the store, they told me that associate was incorrect and had to drive myself to the UPS store 30 minutes away. The espresso machine is fine. Plastic construction is disappointing at this price point, considering the breville bambino at $300. Only kept it because it was on sale and under warranty.

Was great for the first 3 months, then stopped making proper coffee. needed to send in for service

The Philips Baristina espresso machine is the ideal espresso machine for the regular coffee drinker. My daughter is a college student and has minimal room in her college house for appliances, so this is the ideal size machine for her. We also think it looks very nice sitting in her kitchen, the design is simple but stylish. There is a QR code on the box to scan for instructions, which are straightforward and very easy to follow. So far we have brewed espresso shots and lungo shots with whole beans, and we have also brewed coffee with ground coffee. With whole beans, you simply press the espresso (or lungo) button, and move the portafilter to the right. The beans are ground directly into the portafilter, and then it automatically slides back to the left and brews your shot of espresso. You just have to dump out and rinse the portafilter before you brew another shot. To brew decaf coffee with ground coffee, you put a tablespoon into the portafilter, insert it, and use the intensity button. The first espresso shot we made was a little light, but every shot we’ve brewed since has been perfect. We’ve made a few lattes so far and they’ve been delicious. It is really handy to be able to just fill the water canister, add whole beans and have fresh brewed coffee/espresso for each and every cup. Cleaning is simple by popping out the used puck from the portafilter and then rinsing it out.

So this is my FIRST expresso maker, and I'm impressed. I'm new to this, so give me a break on this review. It took me a second to learn, but I after reading the instructions I got it. You will need to run this about 4 times before it settles in with the proper settings for the best brew. After that, you should start to get some fresh flavors out of this machine. Setup was easy, and not confusing like some other machines like this. I went with this one, because I'm new to this. I wanted something that's I could just plug up and use. All I had to do was put the included handle on, and it was locked into place. Nothing to it, good for beginners like me. I like the look of this one compared to others on the market, as it looks nice and compact. On that, the size is perfect for someone with a smaller kitchen. Flavors that come out of this little guy are amazing. Be sure to get the right beans, as this could effect your outcome. Try different kinds until you get the one that you enjoy. I figure I will try a few different kinds, but I'm impressed so far. Is recommend this to a novice user, or someone afraid to get into this area. The price is good considering that these can get into the thousands quickly. So leave that to the experts, and start with this one.

I’ve owned more than a few coffee or espresso machines in my time so I hope I’m qualified to say up front that you should probably look somewhere else for a good espresso machine. Does it make espresso that you can drink to get a caffeine jolt to get through the morning? Yes absolutely and it’s at least as good or better than other espresso I’ve had! Is the built in grinder and tamper plus lack of hidden grounds storage convenient? Yes, the grinder is sufficient and the auto tamper is cool, and I do hate that gross slimy trash compartment some use (although the solution here is empty after every pour…for good or inconvenience). No, as a means of getting coffee in a smallish footprint on the valuable real estate of the kitchen counter this is a solid passable solution. However they had to go one further and advertise how quiet it is, showing a picture of a cat sleeping a foot away from the machine as it pours the espresso. That is a straight up lie to a hilarious degree! I got this in the mail after work, so way too late in the day to mess with caffeine but I set it up and prepared it for the next morning. I go to work pretty early and I try my best to be quiet to avoid waking the rest of the family, I figured a machine so quiet a cat could sleep almost on top of it would be perfect! Then I hit start and everything was shattered by the noise of this machine. In hindsight I don’t know what I expected the grinder to sound like, since there’s no way to quietly turn beans into powder, but even pouring water through the grounds sounded like the machine was trying to tear itself apart. I was actually worried I’d done something wrong in setting it up so I pulled the plug from the wall to avoid breaking it then went back through the box to find the instructions. There are no instructions but when I checked the Phillips website it had a video showing how to use the machine and commented how quiet it was. I tried again and this machine is definitely not quiet but the coffee that pours is very strong and tasty so it's worth it. I really like the kind of semi-auto pilot process because you just fill the water reservoir in back and put your beans in the top and whenever you want a shot you push the handle to the right and set your cup on the left side. It grinds and tamps the grounds then pops the handle to the left and pushes the hot water through and into your cup. Clean up isn’t exactly like the pictures, again it shows firmly packed saucers of used grounds just dropping out but mine was more of a wet grainy soup that required rinsing to get clean. Overall, this is a really small and easy to use espresso machine, which is great for small spaces like apartments or crowded kitchens (assuming you have an outlet, that’s another story and my fault not the Baristina). You just have to get past the absurd marketing of how quiet it is when its actually like a malfunctioning robot with all the whirring it does in the process. If you love espresso and don’t have any reason to worry about a little extra noise in the morning this is a great option. Not a good one for guys trying to quietly get out to work without waking the kids or wife.

I got my Philips Baristina BAR300 espresso machine about a week ago and after a disappointing start it has become my favorite coffee brewer I have ever owned. First impressions were not kind. The packaging feels cheap and unstable which isn’t ideal when you have something expensive with plastic and electronics. The manual is hard to read and has poor grammar. The machine itself also feels lighter than expected. Once I found a QR code to scan for a better manual things got a little easier. Set up and the initial cleaning process took maybe 15 minutes or so. Then it was ready to brew. I timed the entire process once I got used to it. The time it takes to rinse out the porta filter (The part that holds the ground coffee and needs to be dumped and rinsed after each use), reinsert it into the device, hit a button and wait for the cup to brew is about 75 seconds. I am really impressed how fast it heats up. First you remove, empty and rinse out the porta filter. I have had a few espresso machines in my time and this is by far the easiest porta filter to empty and clean I have ever used. After it is clean you reattach it to the Baristina by just sliding it into a groove. At this point you hit the button for espresso or lungo and the extra strength button if so desired. It automatically grinds the coffee and then moves the porta filter into the brew position. Then somehow it heats up and completely brews the cup in about a minute. It really is impressive how fast the process is. Lungo (a term I didn’t know before this) is just an espresso with more water used so more like a regular cup of coffee. After the first few uses (where it seemed a bit watered down, the manual warns of this) it seemed to adjust on its own to a perfect consistency. I now get a perfect cup quickly brewed every time. The only thing that worries me at all about this device is longevity. It has a built in grinder which is awesome but it is another point of possible failure. Then there is how it automatically locks the porta filter into place once it is about to start brewing. Again, a cool feature, but also one that could possibly fail. However, even with those concerns and the terrible first impression I’m still giving this device a solid 5* review. It brews a perfect up of espresso or lungo every time and it does it remarkably quickly. A feature that I really appreciate for that first cup of the day! I would absolutely recommend this device to a friend.

The Philips Baristina Espresso Machine is a super convenient espresso machine. The best part about this machine is how quick it grinds and starts pouring, it's super simple to use and requires no real interaction. pros -makes espresso shot, or lungo -includes an intensity button, to increase the amount of coffee used for stronger cups -the machine runs very quiet when operating, even the grinding of beans isn't as loud as i was expecting -16 bar pump pressure -easy cleanup cons I really couldn't find anything wrong with the machine, I felt the need to wipe down the unit where the wand attaches to keep loose grounds from accumulating, but outside of that there really wasn't anything negative to the machine that i experienced. If I absolutely had to nitpick, I would say the only personal gripe i had w/the unit, was the lack of a frothing attachment, I was just surprised it didn't have one, obviously not a deal breaker. Overall this unit is a beast, throw in your favorite coffee beans, pull the lever press the button and in a couple minutes you have a fresh ground hot shot/lungo of espresso. The automation of the unit makes this very attractive, the extent of my coffee making now is just to make sure there is enough water in the unit. Would recommend!

My wife and I both enjoy a good latte every morning. I have a countertop espresso machine that I bought years ago. It makes good drinks, but it’s a lot of work! I prefer to use high quality whole beans which I grind as I brew. To make a latte, I grind the beans, fill the portafilter, brew, then clean out the portafilter. This gets repeated several times to make a couple of “venti” sized lattes. I also use the maker’s steamer to make the frothed milk, so that’s extra time and cleanup. When I came across this Philips Baristina Espresso Machine, I was intrigued. It touts a built-in grinder that automatically fills the portafilter and has easy to cleanup. I decided to try it, and I’m glad I did! This espresso machine is very easy to use. Just dump whole beans into the top container, fill the water reservoir, and press the espresso button. When you slide the portafilter to the right, the magic begins. The machine grinds the beans and fills the filter with just the right amount. Once that’s done, it automatically slides the portafilter back to the left and brews. When it’s done, the portafilter can be removed, and it has a convenient button that ejects the used coffee. Since the machine uses high pressure and temperature, the ejected coffee grounds come out as a solid clump instead of a loose, wet mess. There’s no more tamping to get the grounds out and there’s so few grounds left behind, there’ really no need to rinse between cups. The machine also makes “lungo” which is a larger size brew using lower temperature water. Since I prefer like a larger sized drink, I experimented with the lungo option, but it does not make a rich enough brew. Instead, I just make several espressos. Since emptying the portafilter is so easy and there’s no manual grinding and filling, I can make cup after cup with nothing more than the press of a couple of buttons. It has a coffee button which will run as much water as you want through grounds in the portafilter, allowing you to use pre-ground coffee. It’s a good feature, but honestly, if you want coffee, it’s easier to just use a traditional coffee maker or a “pod” style maker. Overall, I like this Philips Baristina Espresso Machine. It’s incredibly easy to use and I can whip up a couple of lattes in minutes. Cleanup is super-quick. So why the 4-star rating instead of 5? Well, there are a few minor things that I don’t like. First of all, the water reservoir is not very large, and it’s not well designed. There is no handle or grip to aid in removing it from the machine so you have to grasp it firmly and pull. The reservoir’s lid just sits on top. Not being hinged or otherwise attached, it’s easy to knock loose when removing or replacing the reservoir. The reservoir itself just feels “cheap”, especially compared to the rest of the machines. There is no low water warning. The button’s light will flash if it runs out of water while brewing, but there’s no advance warning. Since I have my machine on the counter under some cabinets, it’s hard to see behind it to easily check the water level. An indicator when the reservoir is low on water would have been nice. Better yet, if the reservoir sat on the side instead of the back, it would be easier to see and access. My other small complaint is that this particular model does not come with a steamer nozzle for frothing. What I did to remedy that is buy a small electric frother “pot” that has a built-in whisk and heater so I can froth while the espresso makes. In reality, I find that more convenient than using a steamer nozzle, but it’s not quite the same. Another small criticism is the lid for the bean container. It’s made of inexpensive plastic just like the water reservoir. It does have a gasket around it in an attempt to seal the container, but it’s not very tight. Beans left there will go stale after a while. I’d like to have seen a better lid, maybe hinged with a latch to hold it tightly closed. Other than my minor issues, this is a very good espresso maker. It makes great coffee and is simple to use. Cleanup is a breeze and it looks nice with clean lines and a compact size not much larger than most “pod” coffee makers. I’m glad I chose this Philips Baristina Espresso Machine and I highly recommend it.

I've had my share of espresso machines and they always end up getting little use. Laziness kept me from taking the time to readjust my grinder for espresso and I had to keep multiple beans since espresso amplifies some of the nasty parts of beans that I don't like. My last one was a pod type machine and I didn't like having to always fill reusable pods and buying aluminum caps for them. I also hate the idea of expensive disposable plastic pods. While the espresso was good once I found the right beans, it cut into my flow having to fill a pod when I needed a hit so I'd end up making drip or use my aeropress. Moka is actually my favorite but least used because I have to make time to prep it. So I'm back to wanting espresso and decided to give the Baristina a shot. There are no controls other than if you want more grinds or if you want lungo or a traditional shot. After a few throw away cups to let the machine calibrate itself I took my first swig. Quite bitter, but not the fault of the Baristina. Like I said, I have to get different beans for espresso because it seem to bring out the bitterness to where it's almost a metallic sting. I have more tastebuds than the average person (supertaster) so bitter is pretty extreme to me. Once the espresso is finished you drop out the puck with the ejector button and out comes a nearly dry puck of used coffee you can use for compost or toss out. The instructions are limited, but the use is simple enough there really aren't any instructions needed beyond the pictures on the box. Put the brew head in the slot and cock it by sliding it tot the right. Push your desired button(s) and wait a few minutes for your espresso. It surprises me how quiet the grinder is. It's nothing like my freight train big grinder but it's also not as fast. It's plenty fast enough to fill the brew head is a few seconds. The brewing is also pretty quite compared to other machines I've had, but it still gives enough pressure to get a nice shot. They did a terrific job of designing this machine to keep the noise down. I'm pretty impressed with the Baristina and I think it'll be sitting on the counter actually being used for a long time. A shot before a workout will give a good boost to push myself.

It is a good coffee making machine.. not great but good. However In 6 months, the portafilter started malfunctioning. After many calls and emails to the customer service finally they agreed to replace it. We sent the old one. Weeks now we have not received the new replacement. 5 calls, each at least 20 minutes to somewhere other side of the World has not gotten us anywhere. I have seen bad customer setvice but have not seen this bad, especially from a World Class Dutch company. So if you are lucky and not run into any problem with the machine go ahead and buy because the coffee it makes is goid. But if you are not lucky.. you will waste your money.