There’s nothing more disappointing than splashing out on a coffee, only to be met with a watery and bitter brew. Especially when you consider that the cost of a daily £3 coffee from your favourite cafe or chain can quickly add up – reaching a hefty £15 per week, £60 per month and an eye-watering £720 per year – and that’s not even factoring in any weekend indulgences or extra treats.
Thankfully I don’t spend anywhere near as much on coffee nowadays as after being invited to test out the Philips 5400 Series, I thought I’d see if it was truly worth the hype and whether I’d miss my flat whites from my local cafe.
What does the Philips 5400 Series coffee machine do?
The coffee machine is capable of brewing everything from an espresso to lattes, cappuccinos, latte macchiato and more – all at the simple press of a button. This bean-to-cup machine requires you to simply insert beans into the top – there’s also an option for ground coffee – and it grinds them for you.
Depending on your preference, you can adjust the grind setting to your taste. The machine also boasts a milk frother and automatically rinses after each use meaning no blocked tubes or filters anywhere so it’s easy to clean and leaves your counters mess-free.
What coffee can the Philips 5400 Series machine make?
You can watch the video below for all the coffee options – and see the coffee machine in action. This coffee machine has gone viral with many people raving about it. So here’s everything you need to know and how the machine works – results at the end of the video.
Is the Philips 5400 Series coffee machine worth it?
The coffee machine can whip up everything from an espresso to lattes, cappuccinos, latte macchiato and more – all at the touch of a button. It’s a bean-to-cup machine, meaning you simply pop beans into the top – there’s also an option for ground coffee – and it grinds them for you.
Not only do I now save money on going out for a coffee, because nine times out of 10 I will pick up a sweet treat I see in the cafe’s pastry display, but I also save money on paying for something that I can now easily make at home.
I pick up a £4 bag of beans from Tesco and it lasts us ages showing you don’t need to but fancy coffee to enjoy a good, strong cup at home. So thinking logically, £4 for multiple coffees is a no brainier when you could easily spend that in a day for one coffee. Plus, I always find joy in picking up new beans and making a fresh, hot cup of coffee as soon as I wake up. If you work from home, you’ll know all too well that you can get lazy – so this helps me stay awake and be more productive than I would be without one.
My favourite drink to make in this machine is a cappuccino. You can adjust how strong you want your drink to be, how big you want it to be and how much milk froth you want. In fact, each person can even have their own profile.
My profile is pink and my boyfriend’s is green meaning we get up, click our colour and voila, we have our drink ready to go meaning no faffing around trying to remember what setting we like or accidentally forgetting to change the setting and having a coffee we don’t like.
So how does that work? You click your profile, such as pink, and set the levels to how you like it such as a strong shot, a medium cup and a lot of froth. Philips will then display a message saying that the settings have been ‘stored in Pink profile’ and then it will remember that setting until you change your settings.
Is the Philips 5400 Series coffee machine worth buying?
Yes. Whilst it may be expensive, sitting at £619.99 at johnlewis.com and Amazon – now slashed in price with it also being sold on the Philips website itself – the coffee machine actually saves you money in the long run. The Philips 5400 Series Bean to Cup coffee machine can be bought in installments too so no need to fork it all out in one go.
The machine is a fantastic addition to any kitchen – even if you’re like me with limited space and small counters – and with Christmas on the horizon, yes it’s less than 90 days away, it would bring a smile to any coffee lover’s face. The idea of waking up to a fresh coffee every morning without parting with a fiver each time is brilliant. I can choose how strong I want my coffee, the size I prefer, and whether I fancy a little foam or a lot.
It also adds a touch of enjoyment to my daily routine now, particularly at weekends when I don’t fancy braving the cold, queuing for ages, or paying an exorbitant delivery fee to have one brought to me.
What reviews does the Philips 5400 Series coffee get online?
On johnlewis.com, it boasts 4.6 out of five stars with one saying: “I have now bought two of these coffee machines because I was so impressed with the first one I bought. Having used Nespresso ( capsules ) for a few years, making coffee with this coffee machine is matched with a Nespresso machine ( I was having to spend lots of money on the capsules every month ) in quality.”
Another wrote: “I’m blown away by the ease of this machine and especially the latte go milk system so simple and easy to clean. Can’t recommend it highly enough only downside is you’ll drink more coffee” with another saying: “I love our machine, it makes so many great coffees and being able to have them with extra shots is perfect. I find I don’t really buy coffee when out and about as it’s such a waste of money. Can’t fault it so far.”
Meanwhile on Amazon, where it has 4.5 out of five stars, another added: “We purchased a bean-to-cup machine due to the ongoing expense of our Nespresso pod machine. When I discovered we were spending nearly £1,000 a year on pods, the large upfront cost of a bean-to-cup machine seemed worthwhile, considering the much cheaper per-cup price. I did some calculations and deduced that we would break even in the first year of owning this machine, so we decided to buy it.”
They wrote a very detailed review with them ending on: “But if you choose to buy this machine, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
A fifth said: “Absolutely love this Philips Espresso Coffee Machine. Very easy to set up and use. Makes great coffee, loads of choices, especially love the iced coffee with almond milk and caramel syrup. Really attractive piece of kit on display in the kitchen too.”
In helpful advice, whilst some loved it, others questioned: “Makes good coffee. However, in the first month we have probably used 3 basic recipes and would query whether you really need to pay the extra for such a variety of preprogrammed drinks. Fits well under kitchen cabinets.”
If you want a coffee machine, there are alternatives such as the bean to cup Siemens EQ700 2.4 Liters Coffee Machine. Similar to this coffee machine, it has a number of coffee making options, available for £992, down from £1,009.
Going further down in price point, you can buy the Melitta Latticia OT Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine for £395. You can also pick up this De’Longhi Magnifica S 1.8 Liter Espresso Machine | Automatic Bean to Cup, Espresso, Cappuccino Maker for £299, down from £349. If you want something under £100, you can try this Versuni PHILIPS L’OR Barista Sublime Capsule Coffee Machine for £69.99 down from £109.99.