Customer Ratings & Reviews

This machine automatically grinds, tamps and dispenses espresso or lungo coffee. It is very easy to release the puck without having to whack it against something. This machine is also fairly compact in design and is very stylish and attractive. It does not take up much counter space in the kitchen, and it is also light weight and easy to move around due to its plastic construction. Beside these advantages, it also produces well brewed, rich, and smooth coffee in my humble opinion. For comparison, I have a budget drip coffee maker and a budget espresso machine with twenty bars of pressure. The machine can produce two types of beverages: espresso and lungo. Lungo is just an espresso with more water. It only has three buttons, one for expresso, one for lungo, and one for aroma booster. There is no on/off switch and there are no settings for the grinder either. Hopefully, these features will be added in the future. As for cleaning, it is so easy, just rinse the portafilter. There is no need to do any maintenance. I like this espresso machine so much, I use this everyday, two times a day. I recommend this for anyone who appreciates quick and quality coffee. It does not come with instruction manual but you can download it from the manufacturer website.

PHILIPS BARISTINA Easy to use - Good starter espresso machine – Decent brews OVERALL The Philips Baristina does a great job simplifying the process of making a good espresso. After you add water in the back, and beans on the top, then you can make espresso all day long with a simple press of button and emptying the portafilter between brews. The user has 2 primary options Espresso or Lungo (which uses more water thus not as strong flavor). It worked well in my testing, with consistent brews each time. It is advertised as “quiet” and maybe is it a tiny bit more quiet than my other 3 espresso machines (yes I have a problem, I know), but as with any grinding process it is still somewhat noisy. In short it does a very good job, is super easy to use, and a fair value. SETUP Continuing the “no instruction manual trend”, you have to scan a QR code on the box to figure out how set up the machine. I was not impressed with the instructions. The default page was in Spanish, then you had to pick which exact model you had (back to the box to check the UPC code), then some vague instructions and video. It was not hard, but could have been better. Short version (rinse everything out, put in water, plug it in, hold the middle button for 5 seconds let it run a while, then rinse it all out and start using it. The final (missing?) instruction is that you need to run 3-5 cups of espresso through the unit before getting something drinkable. TIP: USE FILTERED WATER. Based on tons of experience you should use filtered water to help keep the high temp pumps and heaters from failing due to excessive build up. TIP: DESCALE OFTEN. If you are a heavy user (4 / day for example) then you will want to descale the machine about every 4-6 week. TIP: DON’T USE FLAVORED / OILY / GLOSSY beans. Build in grinders are easily clogged by the oils in these beans. If you don’t do these 3 tips, then regardless of the maker, you can expect to replace the machine sooner than needed, depending upon your water hardness level. I went form replacing a machine every year, to never having a failure the past 5 years. So far, this is the easiest to setup espresso machine I have used. There is not real “dialing in” process as you find on more manual machines. USE / TASTE / ETC Using the Philips Baristina is dead simple, put in the empty portafilter, select the type of espresso, slide the portafilter to the right, and wait a few moments. You can change the strength (button press) and the volume of liquid (advanced) if you want to. But out of the box it is properly calibrates for a smooth coffee. For my taste the coffee is a little too smooth, but I will play with strength and volume settings later to tweak the output. The crema is good, not too much, not too little. I can’t quantify it, but it is lacking some character and complexity. Though still acceptable. It was interesting to me that the “puck” is smaller than my other machines, it is less compacted (if at all), and much more course and very wet. Regardless it is still a good tasting and acceptable brew. I suspect this uses less beans as well, which in turn could save some money on beans in the long run. If I was served this in any restaurant I would be completely satisfied. RECOMMENDATION If you are new to espressos, or just don’t like the fuss, but still want a good drink, then I think the Baristina is an excellent choice. If you want more control over grind and other settings, you might want a more (or less) advanced machines to help you develop your perfect flavor. I will likely take the Baristina, to my office, where I can have a quick espresso without too much time/effort.

I have owned a few espresso machines, including ones which automatically grind the bean. However, this is the first espresso machine I have owned which grinds the bean, tamps and brews automatically. If I have the time, I like to hand grind my coffee to ensure a perfect grind size and amount of coffee. However, at times, I am in a rush to get out the door and am unable to prepare a descent cup of espresso. I am not a fan of coffee pods since the brew normally taste stale and creates an unnecessary amount of waste. This Philips Baristina machine is a perfect balance between freshness, convenience and no added waste. I like how this machine is made out of recycled plastics and is 100% recyclable in some areas. Philips is environmentally friendly with this product. The options to operate this machine are about as simple as it gets. The only options are a standard espresso, lungo, and body (flavor) boost. After selecting the type of coffee and the optional booster, just need to move the portafilter handle right and the machine takes care of the rest. The machine took a few cycles to product a descent brew and discard puck, so be patient. The first couple cups were watered down and the puck was more mud-like and would not fall out with the press of the button on the portafilter. After the machine automatically made the necessary adjustments, the taste was pretty good. I could make a better espresso with having more control over grind size and amount, but this was definitely better than any pod coffee. It is worth mentioning that this machine does not have an on/off switch, so I would recommend unplugging it when not in use. Maybe this was Philips environmental way to get owners to unplug their appliances rather than turning off the power. Pros Environmentally friendly Great tasting brew Quick and consistent Cons No manual adjustments for grind size, or coffee quantity This machine might be able to knock the socks off a coffee connoisseur, but this machine does such a fantastic job at quickly making a much better espresso than any pod machine can do. The Baristina is a pod machine killer with respect to taste and waste.

My wife has been collecting coffee mugs for many years, almost all are tall 13-14oz mugs. We are big coffee drinkers, we probably have not missed having a morning coffee for over 30 years. Back in the late 90's we frequented a big name coffee chain. But as they got more and more expensive, we decided to "invest" in an espresso machine and do it ourselves (ok I do it all the time). Our first machine was a starter completely manual machine and hand tamper. I probably took me 25-30m to make two tall cups of espresso (4 shots each). I put up with this for several years, before the machine's boiler failed. But I'd learned a lot, and found out how important it was to start with fresh beans that are ground right before making. Back then good burr grinders were quite expensive, but they produced a consistent grind which was also very important. I also found that using filtered water made a much better cup of espresso than tap water (for years I was not a believer, only when I started using a better coffee could I really tell the difference. Ok, over the past 20 yrs I've "invested" in 5 or 6 espresso machines. Most were more expensive, and more automatic than the last. For the last 4 years I've been using a pretty expensive "Semi-Automatic" espresso machine. For the first 3 years it was great, since then it's been a maintenance nightmare; getting parts from the mfg, impossible. Putting up with gasket leaks, drips etc. So on to my new Philips Baristina (300). When unboxing the first thing I noticed was the weight of the box, it was only 14 lbs. Just by looking at the box you know how compact it is. It comes in six colors (Yellow, White, Black, Red, Green and Walnut). The Baristina operates much more simply than most "Semi-Automatic" machines (if it were fully automatic it would self empty the portafilter). But for a Semi-Automatic machine it grinds coffee directly into the portafilter and auto tamp the coffee into the portafilter, and then moves the portafilter back over the coffee cup. To turn the machine on you need to place the empty portafilter under the cup then slide it to the right, then select the espresso size (Espresso left button, Lungo right button, boost center button), and if you want it strong. Lungo is a coffee drink made by pulling more water through an espresso puck for longer with more water, making a larger less concentrated/milder coffee (cafe Americano uses the either brewing method plus some additional heated water). The machine has a 32-35oz water tank on the back (no water filter necessary/available). While grinding the machine is fairly quiet (<73db) and while brewing slightly quieter (<70db). As I said the machine is simple, no on/off button. Once the portafilter is empty, insert it over the cup, and slide it to the right, then select espresso or lungo. Grinding and brew time is very quick; ~42s for Espresso and ~65 for Lungo (this is faster than most "capsule" machines). The boost button does not affect the brew time. If you want to make coffee with pre-ground beans (or decaf) you can fill the portafilter with a teaspoon of ground coffee (~10g); about 1/2 full, and then press the boost button for 5 seconds. The default drink volume can be changed by holding the Espresso (1oz to 2.4oz) or Lungo (2.4oz to 6.75oz) button down for 5s, which will cause either to blink while filling the cup. Once you have the level you want press the blinking button to set the new drink volume. This is so helpful for me when I use a 14oz mug, to make a double. When brewing you can stop then brew by hitting the selected brew button when brewing. The brew temperature comes out a consistent 185F, which is ideal. The espresso crema that is produced is a little airy but significant in volume. It's better than any capsule machine I've used, but not quite as dense as the best machine I've owned. But for Lungos it's nearly ideal. Cleaning the portafilter is a breeze, just dump the puck out (it usually falls out in a single piece), if it does not drop immediately there is an ejection button on the bottom. The puck comes out fairly dry, a good sign. The machine looks nice, but it's obviously plasticy, it easy to move the machine when sliding the portafilter to the right. The grinder holds about 100g (3.5oz) of beans. Keep the lid on it, as the center turns while it grinds. How does it taste... Espresso 8 out of 10, Lungo 9 out of 10, color me surprisingly impressed for such a small machine. The TDS (total dissolved solids) is a little on the light side but far better than any capsule machines I've tried. I'd love to see a stainless-steel version in the future, just to match what I've had and to add a little more weight. With this Baristina (300) machine I have two options for various cup sizes: either use it with or without a drip catcher, which is about 1" tall. Without the drip catcher (the base is 3"x4" wide) tall cups (4 1/2" to 4 5/8") fit fine under the portafilter (5.2" away) but the 3 1/4" cup base wiggles in the drip catcher cavity. And without the drip catcher I'm always cleaning up after I've made coffee (which I've had to do with many machines I've owned). If only the drip catcher was a 4" square or the narrow edge was 1/2" wider, larger cups would fit better in the drip catcher cavity. It would also be nice if the drip catcher lid fit into the drip catcher cavity or even better if the whole base had a removable/cleanable tray. And if you forget to empty the portafilter, it can (sometimes) be refilled and much of the new coffee gets scraped off when the portafilter slides to the left to start brewing, (another mess to clean up). If it runs out of water when brewing it stops and blinks at you until you refill the water canister. If it runs out of beans when grinding, it just stops, you're kind of stuck (something else they should correct). So, make sure there are enough beans in the grinder. But at this price point and simplicity to use it's VERY impressive, I'm very happy to have it, it makes great coffee drinks easily.

I recently had the opportunity to test out the Philips Baristina Espresso Machine, and I must admit, it has truly transformed my coffee experience. The Philips Baristina Espresso Machine is more than just a kitchen appliance, it's a personalized barista at your fingertips. With its sleek design, intuitive controls, and exceptional coffee quality, making it the go to appliance in my home. So, let’s go over some of the features of this brew master. Design and Build Quality: The Baristina boasts a sleek, modern design that fits seamlessly into any kitchen decor. Its compact size is perfect for smaller spaces, yet it doesn’t compromise on performance. The machine feels sturdy and well-built, with a stylish finish that resists fingerprints and adds a touch of sophistication to my countertop. Ease of Use: One of the standout features of the Philips Baristina is its user-friendly interface. With simple 3 button operation, you can enjoy your favorite espresso as you please, from automatically grinding the perfect amount of beans to pouring your perfect cup is truly a moment of bliss. No settings, no options and no gimmicks, just a simple swipe and you’re done. Performance: The quality of the espresso produced by the Baristina is exceptional. This is achieved with its powerful 16-bar pump and built-in conical burr grinder. This combination ensures rich, flavorful espresso with a velvety texture. The Baristina features a 41 oz water tank, 6 oz bean capacity, Ceramic conical grinder and two beverage options, Expresso and Lungo. The unit weighs about 11 lbs and comes in just under 14 inches (13.6 inches to be exact) for height, 7.1 in width and 15 in depth. Conclusion: Overall, I am extremely satisfied with my Philips Baristina Espresso Machine. It combines style, ease of use, and top-notch performance, making it a fantastic choice for both novice and experienced coffee enthusiasts. If you’re looking to elevate your home coffee experience, I highly recommend giving the Baristina a try!

I had an espresso maker at home but the wife would never really use it as she preferred a quick and easy brewing process you see with most pod based brewers, so we switched back to one of those but I missed the selection and tastes you get out of the different roasters out there. This machine is fairly simple, you have the machine itself, hopper for the beans, water tank and portafilter for the brewing process. Setting it up you're guided to fill the water tank to run some cycles of water through, I then brewed 5 cups for the machine to get dialed in with the beans it's grinding and get a proper portion to brew. Over these brews you see the puck being tossed because more dense and pretty much coming out in one piece. It has become consistent and the espresso button on the left is 1.35oz and the lungo button on the right is 4oz, the button in the center is labeled as "extra strong" and gives the brew an intensity boost. You would simply press this after selecting the brewing option. Brewing is neat, the hopper grinds into the right side of the machine, you insert the portafilter and slide it over to the right, when done dosing the beans for the brew it slides back to the left to begin. Once done, simply remove the portafilter and press the button on the bottom side of the portafilter to eject the grounds. The brewer has a nice overall design and is very simple to use that this has replaced the pod based system we had been using and gets used daily. I am curious to see how a change in beans would go, at this time I have been buying the same bag, but curious to see if you will need to do a few brew cycles to tune in the dose once again. If you're keeping a similar roast in bean, it might not be too dramatic, but a medium to a dark I would be curious to see. My next bag may need to be a different roast. I am glad not to have limitations, and have a few roasters locally which I can buy beans from and enjoy at home, this also opens the option to buy beans from other while travelling and have that taste at home!

The Philips Barastina Espresso Machine is a really impressive product that brings very good, fully-automatic espresso to a price point that I wouldn't have believed until a tried it. While I'm far from a snob (and I don't think real snobs would even consider me a connoiseur), I enjoy a cup of espresso much more than regular coffee, and definitely enjoy being able to bring the full cafe latte experience home. Previously I've used a few different types of espresso makers but have never been able to afford a fully automatic machine. The Barastina makes the whole process simple provided you have a way to steam (or worst case froth) your milk. #Unboxing, first impressions# Unboxing and setting up the Barastina was pretty simple. The unit comes fully assembled in the box, minus a separate smaller package inside for the Portafilter (which is sold with several different colors for the handle). I took the machine out, cleaned the portafilter and water tank, and then dug around trying to find a manual. This was the only real negative from the experience - there isn't a proper manual in the box. There is a small pamphlet that says Instructions but is really just a bunch of warranty information for different countries. There IS a QR code inside the packaging to get the manual online, but I don't feel like it was called out especially well. Still, the obvious thing when I couldn't find a printed manual was to find a QR code, and that worked well enough. That said, there are only 3 buttons on the machine, so it's not like it's terribly complicated to use. The main thing I was concerned about was the initial setup and running the first clean water through it, which the manual covered. Just to call it out more clearly: *If you're purchasing for an older or less tech savvy person you may want to prep them for the QR code* #Making a cup, and taste tests# The Barastina has only 3 buttons - Espresso, "Intensity boost", and Lungo. The process for making a cup of delightful espresso is SUPER EASY with this machine. Make sure the Portafilter is clean, fill the hopper with whole beans, press the button(s) for your preferred beverage, and slide the portafilter over to start the grinding process. It grinds the beans and tamps them in the Portafilter for you, then it pops back to the left and the pressurized hot water starts flowing through. I noticed immediately that it produces a wonderful crema with every pour. The fact that it does this without any hassle and at a very affordable price is remarkable to me. Another nice thing I found is that the Portafilter is designed to not let you re-lock it to the right (for the grinding phase) until you've remove it from the machine. This stops you from forgetting to clean out the filter between uses. If you're making a double espresso, you are forced to pull out the Portafilter and clean it in the sink before you make another shot. That can come in handy on a busy morning where you lose track of what you're doing in the kitchen. It certainly helped this morning when I was trying to make my wife a Latte while we were bustling about getting the kids ready for school. I went to boop it back to the right for the second shot and it wouldn't lock, reminding me that I had to clean it first. Very handy. #Final thoughts# I'm really impressed with the Barastina. It takes almost all of the hassle out of making a decent espresso. I fortunately have a separate steamer available for milk based drinks, but I've also experimented with an inexpensive frother and gotten decent results for an uncultured swine like myself. Since the steamer is the part that usually gets gross faster on an expensive machine, it may not be too bad that this doesn't have one built in. As stated in my unboxing impressions, the only negative I have for this was the lack of a printed manual + the lack of a giant sticker or something to call attention to the QR code for the online manual. I don't think this is a big deal for the average person but if you're buying it as a gift for someone less tech savvy, you might want to pre-download it and email it to them :)

I love this espresso machine so much already. It is so easy to start up and so easy to use. It did not come with step by step instructions so I had to look it up online under the Philipps website, but it was easy to find and the instructions were very thorough and easy to follow. Make sure to run a clean cycle first by holding the intensity button for 5 seconds. After that the espresso maker is ready to use. I brewed my first cup then tossed it, per the instructions and after that brewed a lungo cup and it was so delicious. I also made 2 shots of espresso to drink and the dark roast coffee beans I used that I bought from Marshalls tasted so good and had a nutty flavor to my espresso. It says to use unflavored beans so I will be sticking to dark, medium or light roast with no flavors. The smell of the espresso maker brewing your cup of espresso or lungo smells so yummy it filled the kitchen with a coffeehouse smell. After each cup you have to toss out the coffee in the portafilter. I use the suggestion to use the used coffee grinds for my plants so I eject it right into my plants. Win win situation here. It's also really easy to clean the portafilter and all the coffee comes out so easily by pressing the eject button. I rinse it really quickly and place it back to use again if brewing another cup. Easy. You can also customize your cup size (2 cup sizes for each type of brew) by holding the brew button for 5 seconds and you can add a boost of intensity by pressing the intensity boost button with your brew. This is a beautiful compact sized espresso maker that I already love. I would def recommend this!

Philips is a household name in Europe and I’m very much familiar with the brand. Philips' products are usually of good quality and durable. The Baristina is a well-made product, and the design is sleek and attractive. The machine is fairly small for an espresso maker. The grinder is made of ceramic so the machine should be durable enough to produce many many espresso shots. Instructions are clear and easy enough to follow to set up the machine for the first time. The Baristina is all about as simple as it can get for getting an espresso shot straight from coffee beans of our choosing. The machine is designed exactly for that purpose: eliminating the multiple processes involved in preparing for an espresso shot. The conventional method for making an espresso can be a bit overwhelming and this machine successfully simplifies the process. All we need to do is make sure that the portafilter is empty and clean then we just need to slide the portafilter to the right. An espresso shot will be produced accordingly to our predefined setting; it’s that simple. The machine takes care of the beans grinding and tamping, as well as the brewing process. Because there are no complicated settings involved, the result may not be perfect if you want your coffee with specific characteristics. There’s no way to control the grinding process, nor the amount of coffee on the portafilter and water characteristics but that is exactly due to the design of the machine. I’m saying this because if you are a coffee person who loves tweaking your drink, this machine is surely not for you. However, those who just want to get their quick coffee fixes in the morning and don’t want to deal with the conventional steps in making an espresso, then this is a very good machine. This machine makes espresso-making more accessible to other member of the family in my household. Aside from making an espresso, there is also the option to make a lungo and you can also control the intensity of your drink for both espresso and lungo. The machine does not come with milk frother nor does it come with the espresso glass. Coffee mug works just fine so there’s no need to get an espresso glass if you don’t have one.

The espresso machine effectively bridges the gap between traditional espresso shots and pod-based coffee, and it excels at this task! The machine is incredibly user-friendly, so much so that I initially searched for additional settings buttons, only to find there are none. Depending on your preferences, this simplicity can be either a benefit or a drawback. For instance, you can’t adjust the grind or amount of coffee with this machine. However, you can press the intensity button to increase the coffee added to your shot. A neat feature I found in the instruction manual allows you to increase the volume of each shot. This setting is permanent once configured, unless you reset the machine. This is where the machine bridges the gap with pod coffee. By adjusting the Lungo setting, you can increase the shot volume to 6.7 ounces, nearly a full cup of coffee. I plan to use the machine this way, keeping the espresso button unmodified and setting the Lungo to make a cup of coffee. Cleaning the machine is very easy, although I do struggle a bit with the portafilter since it can’t be disassembled, at least not that I’ve discovered. Taste-wise, the coffee is delicious! I’m quite impressed with both the espresso and the Lungo settings, as the coffee is consistently good after the initial 4 or 5 brews. For the past two years, I’ve made a latte every day after lunch using two shots of espresso with a very inexpensive machine. The Baristina is a significant upgrade, requiring a fraction of the effort. I’m still using my old machine’s milk steamer, but I intend to purchase the matching Baristina milk frother. If you’re a true espresso fanatic, this might not be the machine for you. However, if you want flexibility and the option to move away from pod-based coffee, this is an excellent choice!

This thing makes making espresso and lungos so easy! I thought it would just be a handy machine to replace my manual espresso machine since I am too lazy to make and clean up shots, but it turns out it makes an amazing drink as well! Pros: - Easy cleanup - Stylish - Perfect shots Cons: - Only makes espressos, need a separate frother for other drinks Setup: There is not much to do, put the pieces together, plug it in and clean it out by holding the intensity button for five seconds. This will make water flow to clean out the internals before first use. Be sure to wash the various parts as well. Use: Easy as can be! After putting some coffee grounds in the grinder and placing a lungo cup on the machine, you must pull the portafilter to the right where the grinder will fill it up after selecting your cup size. The portafilter will push itself to the left on top of the cup in a very satisfying spring loaded fashion to then brew the cup. There are no portafilter baskets or tamper needed as the machine does this all automatically. Make sure you do not use flavor coated or caramelized beans as this could mess up the machine. There is no on or off button as the machine is always in a standby state. Flavor: The drinks come out with a nice layer of crema and flavorful body and heart. You can choose between an espresso or lungo with extra intensity if desired. I have no complaints about the quality of the shot it pulls. Only once in a long while will you see a little bit of grounds in your crema but it is rare. Cleaning: Cleaning couldn’t be easier. Simply take out the portafilter, push the button on the handle over the trash can and the espresso will fall out ready for another use after a quick rinse.

Very nice espresso machine. I love how compact it is and its so easy to use and clean afterwards. It has a nice coffee beans grinder on top. I love this as its the best way to get fresh coffee. I normally use light beans as they tend to have more caffeine and are less oily. Using the machine is super easy and I low how quiet it is. I had other machines in the past and they were so noise that I could not make my morning coffee without waking up everybody at home! Its very simple to use and it automatically grinds and tampers your grounded coffee inside the portafilter, no need to press and tamp your grounded coffee. I can choose between an espresso and a lungo (when I need a little bit more). I did notice that the first brews (around 5 or 6 for me) they were kind of watery and felt run down. But after that, they became better tasting and more strong. I guess it needs kind of a "break in" period to reach its maximum potential. After using it, it was super easy to clean, you just pop out the grinded coffee, it drops out of the portafilter, almost like on a cake shape. I've drop a few of these on my plants (used coffee grounds are a great fertilizer, and the size is super convenient for potted plants!!!). After popping it out, cleaning the portafilter was as easy as a simple rinse under running water, very convenient, especially if you are short of time in the morning before work!!! Highly recommend it, just remember to "break it in" for a bit!

Great coffee machine! The convenience is the first benefit. Easy to use, easy to clean. The coffee volume is also customizable. We can have a cup of Americano in seconds. We have used it for a month, every time it gives us the same smooth cups. Very satisfied. Plus its small size and elegent design, highly recommend.

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.

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 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.

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.

The Philips Baristina has become my go-to for afternoon pick-me-ups in my home office, offering the perfect balance of simplicity and performance. What I love most is how fresh coffee beans unlock incredible aroma and flavor. With its ceramic grinder, it delivers precisely ground beans for an authentic espresso shot every time. From espresso to lungo, this machine easily handles my varying afternoon coffee cravings, and with its 16-bar pressure pump, it consistently produces rich, full-bodied shots in under 60 seconds. Cleaning the Baristina is a breeze. Unlike other machines with hidden, messy compartments, all you need to do is rinse the portafilter or wipe down a few key parts, including the removable drip tray. It's efficient, eco-friendly, and thoughtfully designed, with 50% recycled plastic and 100% plastic-free packaging. Plus, it uses energy efficiently, which makes it a greener choice. The used grounds are even perfect for composting, which adds to its low-waste appeal. Despite its small footprint, the Baristina doesn’t compromise on power or quality. It’s compact enough to fit snugly on my office counter, yet it packs a punch when it comes to delivering barista-level coffee. I particularly enjoy how quiet the machine is; it’s great for keeping things peaceful in a home office setting while still delivering bold flavors. Its intuitive “swipe and brew” system simplifies the brewing process, so all I need to do is swipe the handle, and it takes care of the rest. From the ideal grind size to precise pressure, this machine gives me the authentic espresso experience, all while being super user-friendly. Its sturdy design, backed by a 2-year guarantee, makes it a reliable and worthy addition to any coffee lover’s workspace or kitchen.