Philips 5000 Series – Coffee Machine (Independent, Espresso Machine, 1.8 L, Coffee Beans, Ground Coffee, Integrated Grinder, Black)

Very good product. I have now second year and no issues. Im doing quite few coffees a day...

The media could not be loaded. I was looking to move from a capsule machine (Nespresso) to a proper machine.There were a few reasons for this. I was recycling the pods, but I still believe buying regular coffee reduces my carbon footprint. I also liked the idea of being free to choose which coffee brand to use easily and personalize my drinks.Being italian I was looking for a typical espresso result, so not bothered with too much technology, but more focused on result. Also had bad experience with some coffee machines at work, with many functions either giving average/low results.I narrowed down the choice to Gaggia/Saeco/Philips (they are now all the same brand owned by Philips) and Delonghi. Also decided to go for the standard pannarello, less things to get dirty and full flexibility, as it should be.The Philips machines are offering the ceramic grinder, which should give better results and longevity.Also, the offer on Amazon on the 5000 series was fantastic at the time of purchase.A few things that might be useful:- I noticed using the pannarello allows you to make a coffee straight afterward. Don't underestimate this, many machines would need a cool down period or you will have to run hot water to lower the boiler pressure. This machine maybe has 2 separate boilers? Wonderful- The pannarello is super quick and heats up the milk really well. Again, tried another machine in the office, and this is far better- Water temperature has 3 settings, low medium high. Very useful- I use the machine with softened water, so I have no suggestion on the filter as it is not required for me- the grinder has 5 grinding settings, I use it at 2, quite thin- the level of "beans" (strenght of coffee) obviously depends a lot on the quantity of water you are going to use. A standard italian espresso will be fine for me between 2 and 3 beans- Do not use "moist" strange beans, automatic machines don't like them. I use Illy beans medium roasted. 100% Arabica is really good, and Illy is a well known Italian proper brand. Lavazza uses quite a lot of Robusta on their mix, so the coffee will be a lot stronger... Italian restaurants use sometime Robusta mixes, but I like 100% Arabica for the taste. Usually used in bars ant patisseries- The machine requires more maintenance than a capsule one. You need to wash the infusor at least once a month, empty the water tray as the machine purges itself before and after (which by the way you should do also manually with the capsules) and you need to lubricate the infusor once every 4/6 months. If you don't want to do that, stick with capsules. But PLEASE, check they can be recycled or they are compostable and DO RECYCLE!I hope this helps someone decidingUPDATE: a couple of months in and we are both even more in love with the machine. I uploaded a video and pictures.My girlfriend is realizing now how good it is to try different coffees and settings.We tried the Illy beans and they were good, one of the best italian brand really. But I have to say now trying different types of coffee, when you go to an Italian espresso bar you have that aroma that comes clearly from a small hint of robusta beans. I tried the Vergnano Miscela bar 900 (which is the one used for the coffee made on the video and pictures by the way) and it is very nice!The red bag of Vergnano on the side is our next trial :) Vergnano is also a well known Italian proper coffee brand, I would recommend it.As for suggestions to get an italian type espresso, keep the grinder quite thin, not necessarily to its thinnest setting though, water temperature to maximum, if possible warm the cup before pouring the coffee, use italian roasted beans as they are quite heavily roasted and they create the typical strong aroma.On the cleaning side (if you are wondering that) it is not difficult at all. The bottom shelf holds all the water. The machine rinses a lot (rightly so) so it needs emptying regularly. The infuser can be rinsed easily, one a week/2 weeks. I am going to give it a deep clean and reapply grease soon (every 3 months)

Molto semplice da usare e da impostare, viene un buon caffè ed è subito pronto. Si pulisce facilmente, comoda la ricarica di acqua e caffè. Consigliata.

Después de muchos años años consumiendo café de cápsulas y cansado de pagar el café a precio de oro me decidí por esta cafetera. Pese a que de este modelo no hay mucha información ni opiniones por internet, he de decir que desde el primer café he disfrutado de la cafetera: fácil de usar y cafés excelentes. El precio, pese a ser cara, se amortiza durante los 6-8 primeros meses puesto que te ahorras un dineral si te compraras cápsulas. El manual de instrucciones podría estar un poco mejor explicado. La limpieza fácil. 100% recomendable.

El cafè sale muy bueno, però como tengas un problema, el Servicio de atencion al Cliente, muy simpaticos però totalment inoperantes. So que ha caido bajo philips.Me hicieron dar de alta en Philips, prometiéndome soluciones y unos pacs gratuitos y nada de nada.Jamás compraré nada de Philips.