Philips muscles in on Nespresso’s turf with LatteGo fully automated espresso machines
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Philips Series 3200 LatteGo
Ah Nespresso, they’re everywhere aren’t they? I have one. You probably have one. George Clooney definitely has one, and you can’t argue with George Clooney. Now, I love my Nespresso. Capsules are so convenient and I can switch flavours in a heartbeat. But, why is it that I still frequent Columbus Coffee Co for a cup of magic or Sarnies for a bulletproof fix? For the fresh brews and fresh roasts.
Everyone has their favourite bean blend or barista, and these are exactly the reasons Philips is banking on with their new range of fully automated espresso machines.
What’s a fully automatic espresso machine? It’s the kind you find at a hotel breakfast buffet or airport lounges where you press a button for the type of coffee you want, be it a latte or cappuccino, and it grinds the beans and brews it for you. The Philips 3200 Series LatteGo is exactly that, except a lot more compact and has some nifty tricks to make it worth your while.
Firstly, LatteGo isn’t just a name for the machine, it’s the design for the unique two-piece, tube-less milk dispenser system that uses air and pressure to froth and pump milk into the cup. It works with other milk substitutes too like soy, oat or almond milk. And because it’s tube-less, Philips claims cleaning is just a simple rinse without having to worry about gunk build-up.
The Philips 3200 Series LatteGo also has its own built-in AquaClean filter in its water tank to make sure you have the ideal water conditions when brewing your coffee, and reduce the need for descaling. Each filter lasts 5,000 cups.
For the coffee connoisseurs, the 3200 Series LatteGo features five preset brews (Espresso, Black Coffee, Americano, Cappuccino and latte Macchiato), with further options to tweak intensity (amount of coffee per pull), pull length (amount of water per brew) and foam.
It has a 12-step ceramic grinder good for 20,000 cups and an Aroma Seal lid to keep your beans fresher longer. So, instead of using freeze-dried coffee granules, or pre-packed capsules—ala Nespresso—you can buy whole beans from your favourite roasters and brew it fresh right at home. There’s also an optional single scoop hatch if you happen to have pre-ground coffee powder you want to use instead.
The full range of Philips fully automated espresso machines include the 2200 Series (S$999), 3100 Series (S$1,099), 3200 Series LatteGo (S$1,399), 5000 Series LatteGo (S$,1599) and PicoBaristo (S$2,099).
Philips has also teamed up with local coffee specialists Chye Seng Huat Hardware to launch the Philips 3200 Series LatteGo. In fact, for the whole month of October, starting today, on World Coffee Day (I’m ashamed I did not know this was a thing), you can check out the Philips X Chye Seng Huat Hardware “House of Coffee” Experience at 150 Tyrwhitt Road. There are also coffee appreciation, cupping and roasting workshops you can sign up for.
