Philips 3200 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Classic Milk Frother, 4 Coffee Varieties, Intuitive Touch Display, 100% Ceramic Grinder, AquaClean Filter, Aroma Seal, Black (EP3221/44)

I fell in love with this machine after using it for a week while visiting a friend. I'm not a coffee snob, but I do like my coffee. I don't care about crema, but I do care about convenience and freshness. This machine lets me make that one convenient cup of coffee I can finish before it gets too cold. And then I can make another one when I'm ready for it. Being freshly ground, and with a choice of settings I can get exactly what I'm in the mood for. While not quite as convenient as various pod machines, it does make a much tastier cup.I wasn't quite ready to spend full price (around $600 at the time) but I did find a used model for about half price. Since I had just performed major maintenance on my friend's model (the first in a year!) I was sure I could address any issues that might come up with a used model. What I ended up getting had clearly been returned with little or no use. It had been thoroughly cleaned and all the labels were intact.I've been using it for a month now and am still pleased with it.Some observations:About the obnoxious orange label so many reviewers complain about: pull off the paper layer and then take a paper towel soaked in 90% (or higher) isopropyl alcohol and lay it on the white stickum for a few minutes. It will then come off easily by merely rubbing your finger across it.Keep it close to the sink. The water tank will need filling at least daily. The flush cycle that happens when you turn it on and off uses a lot of water and fills the water tray quickly, so having easy access to the sink is important.Experiment. Not being a coffee connoisseur, I didn't know the difference between the various setting, other than Espresso. So I tried them all multiple times. You have some choice of strength, temperature and volume. Your selection of coffee beans is also important, and you may need to experiment with those as well. My first few batches were watery, even for my partner who usually has to add water to most coffees. I set the grinder to the finest setting.The milk/cream steamer does work. I did not find that it diluted the milk as some reviewers have observed. Since I don't really care about foam, when I choose to use creamer, I usually preheat it in the microwave instead while the machine is booting up. If you do use the steamer, don't forget to pull off the metal part and rinse it thoroughly.There is a hot water dispenser for diluting your coffee, or making tea. If that's all I need, I can do it faster on my induction stove top.The machine does tell you when you run out of water, and when you need to empty the grounds. It does not tell you when you run out of beans. As I was testing, I ended up with some watery coffee, despite the settings. Thorough checking of the machine revealed an empty bean reservoir.If I did have to come up with a complaint, it's that I can't easily switch beans. After removing loose beans in the reservoir, I have to waste 2 cups before I'm sure the new beans are going through. This is a nuisance as I'm trying out different beans, and switch between caf and decaf.Overall, I'm pleased with it. Would I spend the full $600? Probably. When 2 coffee bar coffees more than pay for a pound of beans, this will quickly pay for itself. I don't have to worry about the coffee getting cold before I get to my home office, and the only waste is coffee grounds which become compost.

You need this machine in your life! When I am out of town I always look forward to my "home coffee" and it is because of this machine. It does it all. Grind your beans, espresso shots, americano, coffee, hot water, milk steamer! It is an amazing product and I have had mine over a year and have not had any issues. It is easy to clean and maintain and is worth every penny! Love this thing.

Had it 6 months and other than the cleaning, it was fabulous. The manual that comes with it is pretty worthless. A lot of info is missing from it and they tell you to watch videos on youtube. I tried and they are awful. It turns out they have subtle differences between their products and the video makes it difficult to understand what to do because it is not the identical product to mine! Cleaning the brewer is a nightmare and has to be done weekly. No matter how many times I rinsed it, there was still coffee grinds hidden that would become visible as I rotated the brewer. Well, after 6 months of lovely coffee, suddenly the coffee became very weak and the grinder sounded odd. I contacted Philips (which was not easy to find the tel #!). The lady was very nice and asked about the coffee I was using. I told her it was always fresh as I roast my own coffee beans. She asked if the beans were dark and shiny, and I said yes. She told me that is a problem as the oil could cause a problem in the brewer. She has shipped me some pills to apparently get rid of oil buildup. Nowhere in the manual did I see that dark, oily coffee beans should not be used on this product. Because coffee is a HUGE thing in our family, I decided to start looking for a replacement brewer to keep on hand in case we have guests and the brewer goes bad (again). No luck. The manual does not give a part #. The Philips website does not give a part #. Google was no help either. The only brewers I found were Saeco and no clue which brewer is the right one! Sent an email back to Philips asking, and still waiting for a response. On their website when I searched to buy the brewer from them for this machine, nothing showed up as an option! If you cannot buy another brewer when the brewer goes bad, then that would mean the machine is worthless and I would have wasted $600. Not happy. If they are able to tell me what brewer is available to be bought for this machine, I will write and updated review.Update. Philips customer service was wonderful and problem fixed. It is essential to clean brewer weekly and let it dry. They sent me link to order another brewer so I use one for a week and then clean it and swap it out immediately with the other. The brewer was very reasonably priced so it was worth buying.Another update: same problems started up again. Reached out to customer service and was told I needed to send poof of purchase (again) and that if the machine was out if warranty I would be charged for repair. The same problem started again 4months after getting it back from the 3rd repair! No question there is a design problem with this machine as the inside plastic tubes I think disintegrate causing water to leak inside the machine. They replaced all the broken parts in January 2023 and starting in May it became clear they were going downhill again.When reading reviews, a lot of people respond after making one ir two cups of coffee. Back then I gave this product a 5 start rating. But due to all the issues since ai bought it I have dripped it down to a 1 start rating 😢