My obsession with coffee has grown over the past few years, fueled by working from home at strange hours during the lockdown. I've been in the market for a while for a good starter espresso machine and am really happy with this one.Fist off, it's an attractive machine. It takes up little counter space and fits nicely under a cabinet with plenty of room to open the bean hopper on top. There's also a small, non-heated pad on which to store a couple cups or a frothing pitcher. The sizable water tank is on the right side but pulls out straight from the front. This is great because you can set this near another appliance and don't need to move it to refill the water. Since espresso is usually small in portion size the water tank lasts a long time between refills. It ... MoreMy obsession with coffee has grown over the past few years, fueled by working from home at strange hours during the lockdown. I've been in the market for a while for a good starter espresso machine and am really happy with this one.Fist off, it's an attractive machine. It takes up little counter space and fits nicely under a cabinet with plenty of room to open the bean hopper on top. There's also a small, non-heated pad on which to store a couple cups or a frothing pitcher. The sizable water tank is on the right side but pulls out straight from the front. This is great because you can set this near another appliance and don't need to move it to refill the water. Since espresso is usually small in portion size the water tank lasts a long time between refills. It should be noted there is no included water filter. Since coffee in general is affected by water quality I use filtered water from my fridge and would recommend doing so.This is also the first time I've used whole beans to make coffee and it couldn't be simpler. Just fill the top with your espresso of choice and the machine does the rest. The lid on the hopper has a nice rubber gasket to keep the beans fresh and dry, too! I noticed it even shakes the beans gently to make sure they flow into the grinder smoothly. In the front of the hopper is an opening in which you can put a scoop of ground coffee if you want to switch to something else or just make a cup of coffee rather than espresso. I tend to drink iced coffee, so I haven't tried that yet.On the front is a series of buttons, each with 1-3 small lights. Pressing the espresso button, for instance, selects between a single or double shot. The size button toggles between three different levels. The LEDs are a little small and kind of cheap looking for such a nice machine.One neat feature is that the drink dispenser slides up and down to accommodate different size cups. I much prefer this over what most machines do where you have to flip down a platform for smaller cups or pull out part of the platform for larger cups. There are dual nozzles so you can make a single or dual cups in one shot.To make espresso just put the cup under the dispenser, press the espresso button and hit the start button. The machine does the rest, grinding the beans, tamping down the espresso internally and brewing.The resulting drink is outstanding. I've never been a fan of expresso from the pod type machines because it just tastes like burned coffee to me. This, on the other hand, has a rich flavor that I really enjoy. The machine produces an attractive looking espresso with that nice light brown top layer and looks like something you would get from a coffee bar. My wife, who is not a coffee drinker, has been requesting lattes from me, so that should say something!This is my first foray into steaming milk and while it takes some practice I'm starting to get better at it, It should be noted that there is no included frothing pitcher, which you will need. I got an inexpensive stainless steel one and it works well. The first few tries my milk came out foamy, but I'm starting to the get hand of angling the pitcher just right to create some rotation and get that nice, creamy micro-bubble texture. Watch a few online videos and you'll get the hang of it in no time. There are other machines that use a container of milk to automatically froth, but I actually prefer to do it this way since it gives me more control over the finished product. It's simple enough to just pour a little milk into a pitcher.The milk wand pops on and off easily for quick cleaning. I give it a good rinse in the sink immediately after using it and pop it right back on, easy peasy. That's pretty much all the maintenance needed, other than dumping out the drip tray and internal bin where the machine drops the used espresso. There's a way to get into the internal brew system for further cleaning by taking out the tank and opening the side, but I don't force doing that much.I couldn't be happier with this as a first espresso maker and its dead-simple operation. I look forward to getting better at my barista abilities and trying out all kinds of new espresso drinks!

The Philips 1200 Automatic Expresso Machine is a worthwhile addition to even the most sophisticated kitchens. It is a very attractive unit, elegantly styled in glossy black and matte black elements. The unit takes coffee beans and grinds them, then brews traditional coffee or classic espresso and, using the milk frother, can create cappuccino and lattes, all in three strengths and three sizes.Philips Automatic Espresso machines are manufactured by Philips Saeco which is a unit of Koninklijke Philips N.V. , a $20 billion Dutch electronics, lighting and medical products company founded in 1891. Among its best-known consumer products are Norelco grooming devices, Sonicare oral health products, Magnavox & Philips audio and video products, Philips kitchen appliances ... MoreThe Philips 1200 Automatic Expresso Machine is a worthwhile addition to even the most sophisticated kitchens. It is a very attractive unit, elegantly styled in glossy black and matte black elements. The unit takes coffee beans and grinds them, then brews traditional coffee or classic espresso and, using the milk frother, can create cappuccino and lattes, all in three strengths and three sizes.Philips Automatic Espresso machines are manufactured by Philips Saeco which is a unit of Koninklijke Philips N.V. , a $20 billion Dutch electronics, lighting and medical products company founded in 1891. Among its best-known consumer products are Norelco grooming devices, Sonicare oral health products, Magnavox & Philips audio and video products, Philips kitchen appliances and personal healthcare. Saeco, based in Bologna, Italy developed the first completely automatic espresso machines in 1985 and became a unit of Philips in 2009.Here is a summary of the key features of this superb device:• Philips 1200 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine (Model: EP1220/04)• Produces coffee, espresso, hot water, steam on demand• Thermal flavor extraction technology brews at a precise temperature• Electronic touch controls with LEDs for all settings• 15 bars of pressure for coffee/espresso extraction• 61 ounce removable water reservoir with auto-metering• AquaClean water filter can be added to water reservoir (not included)• Three individual cup brew sizes for coffee and for espresso• Three brew strengths for both coffee and espresso• Ceramic burr-type bean grinder with 12 fineness settings, 20,000 cup capacity• 10 ounce coffee bean storage capacity on top of unit• Aroma seal bean cover to maintain coffee freshness• Can also use pre-ground coffee (poured into separate flap in bean storage area)• Cup warming tray area on top of machine• Twin coffee dispensers adjustable in height from 3.4” to 5.8” above drip tray• Milk frother with easily-cleaned, removable two piece pannarello• Adjustable water hardness setting• Adjustable water temperature setting-• Automatic descaling mode and cleaning-needed warning light• Drip tray with water level sensor is easily removed for cleaning• Waste container holds grounds from at least 12 servings, easy to empty• Removable brew group for easy cleaning• Color: Glossy Black and Matte Black, chrome highlights• Includes full instructions and trouble-shooting guide• 1400 watt heating unit• Cord length: 40 inches• Dimensions: 14.6 inch height, 16.5 inch depth, 9.0 inch width• Weight: 16 pounds• Two year warranty on parts and laborWhen you unbox the Philips 1200 Automatic Espresso Machine you should be very impressed by the elegant design and the quality of construction. It is a beautiful combination of glossy black and matte black surfaces, accented by chrome dispensers and features a full, but very intuitive control panel on the upper part of the front, angled slightly upward for maximum legibility. Below the control panel, on the left side of the coffee dispensers, is a classic pannarello for steam and hot water. On the right side is the slide-out 61 ounce water reservoir. Below the dispensers is a large drip tray which easily slides out for cleaning. It holds a massive 24 ounces before it must be emptied. In the center of the drip tray is a compartment for holding used coffee grounds after brewing. That container will hold the grounds for more than a dozen large cups of coffee and it is easily emptied and cleaned. Note: Although the instructions suggest that the removable plastic parts are dishwasher-safe, do not take a chance! The high temperatures of most dishwashers can easily damage or warp these parts and replacement would be very costly. A quick rinse and some light had-washing is all that is required!To start using the espresso machine, you simply fill the water reservoir and add coffee beans to the top tray. The unit will hold 10 ounces of coffee beans and has a nice, sealing top which protects the freshness of the beans. There is also a flip-up section to allow you to add ground coffee to prepare your drinks. A nice option if you have a preference for pre-ground coffee!Next, just press the on/off button and wait. The unit will go through a cleaning cycle and run some hot water through the lines. This takes about 60 seconds and then you can select your drink type (espresso, coffee or hot water. Once you make your selection, you can adjust the strength and quantity of your drink by pressing two adjacent controls. Then press the start button to activate the process. You will hear beans being ground in the ceramic grinder and the brew group will extract the maximum flavor from those grounds using 15 bars of steam pressure from the boiler. The liquid is dispensed through twin nozzles into a single larger cup or a pair of smaller cups. The nozzles can be raised or lowered to match the height of your cup – a handy feature if you use tall travel containers for your coffee.How good is this super automatic espresso machine? I have a good perspective to judge it since I previously owned a classic Saeco Magic Comfort Super Automatic Espresso Machine that I purchased for over $1,600 about twenty years ago. It was widely regarded as one of the finest automatic espresso machines ever made. (See photo) As I noted above, Saeco was acquired by Philips in 2009 and its designs form the basis for all of the Philips Automatic Espresso Machines. This Philips model 1200 is clearly a direct descendant of my great Saeco machine. It has all of its features as well as the same general layout of parts. But the new Philips 1200 has been improved in many important ways.First, the unit is more compact and takes up less counter space. It fits nicely under kitchen cabinets and the access to the bean storage is much better. The water tank arrangement is far better. One issue with automatic espresso machines is the need to refill the water reservoir frequently. The news Philips design provides a much larger reservoir and it is much more accessible for refilling it. The controls are much more intuitive and provide more flexibility in customizing the drink produced. The drip tray and the waste grounds receptacle are far better. When you use an espresso machine frequently you really appreciate every design element which enables easier maintenance. This Philips 1200 certainly gets an A+ in all of these seemingly mundane, but vitally important areas.The quality of an espresso machine really comes down to taste of the drinks produced, consistency of output and ease of use. I give this Philips 1200 the highest marks in all of these areas. The espresso always has the thick, rich crema you expect from a good coffee house and the aroma is superb. The machine has outstanding consistency in quality, so you can expect the same fine result each time. The steam from the pannarello is strong and hot, which facilitates quickly making properly steamed milk for cappuccinos and other lattes. It is flexible, so you can put your milk container next to the coffee machine, rather than on the drip tray.But keep in mind the old computer saying: GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out)! The quality and taste of the beans you use will be the biggest determinant in the quality of your coffee drinks. If you are not happy with the taste of your coffee or espresso, try another brand of beans or experiment with various roasts until you find one that suits your taste. The problem of bad tasting coffee/espresso will almost certainly be traced to the beans, not the fault of this fine machine!There are only a few negatives I can note about this device. First, the water reservoir is designed to accommodate an AquaClean water filter but none is included. These cost about $35 for a pair (or you can buy a generic equivalent for about $17/pair) and its omission is hard to understand. If you trust your water source you really don’t need the filter, but it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind. Second, the instructions, while pretty thorough could certainly benefit from a nicely illustrated quick start guide. I urge you to go to the Philips website and view the videos available there (and on YouTube) which demonstrate the correct operation and maintenance of the device. Finally, while the machine does have a space designated as a cup warmer, it is really not very efficient. If you like warm cups, better to just run them under hot water for a few seconds. But these are relatively minor issues.When you add up the superb aesthetics, the delicious taste of the coffee and espresso produced and the fine design and technology features of this appliance, the Philips 1200 Automatic Espresso Maker has certainly earned a full five stars and my strong recommendation.

Overall as a coffee machine this one is decent. There are several features that make it very appealing but when you take it out of the box and actually put it to use there are things left to be desired as well.Right out of the box the setup frustrated me. The manual is pointless, a bunch of pictures that should guide you but don’t really help at all. There was no clear indication that the water filter was NOT included in the box but there are instructions for how to put it in, so I wasted time searching through everything trying to find the filter. I finally get it set up, complete the water test, set the water hardness and make a drink - not even a little bit tasty! To be expected, there is a warning to brew a few before actually making one to drink. I had some ... MoreOverall as a coffee machine this one is decent. There are several features that make it very appealing but when you take it out of the box and actually put it to use there are things left to be desired as well.Right out of the box the setup frustrated me. The manual is pointless, a bunch of pictures that should guide you but don’t really help at all. There was no clear indication that the water filter was NOT included in the box but there are instructions for how to put it in, so I wasted time searching through everything trying to find the filter. I finally get it set up, complete the water test, set the water hardness and make a drink - not even a little bit tasty! To be expected, there is a warning to brew a few before actually making one to drink. I had some cheap coffee in the pantry so I used that up to make a few cups then I switched to some wonderful beans that my son had roasted. I absolutely love the ability to make the drink straight from the beans instead of having to use grounds and I’d highly recommend using this option - I tried grounds a couple times and ended up with a mess inside the machine and grounds all in my cup.I can’t seem to get the steam wand to make any froth, all I ever get is just hot oat milk. I’m not a big fan of the foam anyway, and my coffeehouse orders always ask to leave it out but I decided to give it a couple tries and have never been able to make it happen. I do like the way the milk steams though, I get the perfect temp every time. I think my teenage son has used this more than I have because it makes hot water so fast, he’s been making hot cocoa for himself every morning.I am by no means a coffee connoisseur so this machine does the job. I’ve been able to make my own drinks each morning and skip the trips to the coffeehouse, but I don’t feel that what I’m making at home is the same quality as what I get from there. However, I do like saving the money so that’s plus. I wish the water tank was bigger so we didn’t have to refill it as often and I wish it had come with the water filter. If you’re looking for a fancy espresso machine this is definitely not the one for you, but if you are a regular joe like me just wanting to save on the trips to the coffeehouse this will get the job done. The customizable features are really convenient and much appreciated.