Philips 3200 Vs Breville Barista Pro
After testing both models, I have to say that the Philips 3200 comes out on top for me. It’s a super-automatic espresso machine, offering an incredibly convenient beans-to-cup experience.
The quality of the espresso and milk is impressive, and what really stands out is its easy-to-use cleaning cycles, making maintenance a breeze. For the price, this model is a solid all-rounder that delivers great value.
On the other hand, the Breville Barista Pro is a larger, semi-automatic machine. While it delivers excellent espresso and arguably the best milk foam in this price range, it does require more hands-on effort since it’s not fully automatic. Plus, it lacks some of the additional features that other machines offer.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for convenience and easy maintenance, the Philips 3200 is the better choice. If you prefer a more hands-on approach with exceptional espresso quality, the Breville Barista Pro is a solid option.
Philips 3200 vs Breville Barista Pro: Specs & Features Comparison
| Feature | Philips 3200 EP3221/44 | Breville Barista Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (inches) | 9.8 x 17 x 14.6 | 13.9 x 16.1 x 16 |
| Weight | 16.5 lbs | 20 lbs |
| Water Tank Capacity | 60.85 oz | 67 oz |
| Bean Hopper Capacity | 9.6 oz | 8 oz |
| Grind Settings | 12 | 30 |
| Price | $454.28 | $795.99 |
| Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
The Philips 3200 EP3221/44 is a compact and lightweight espresso machine, measuring 9.8 x 17 x 14.6 inches and weighing just 16.5 pounds. It features a plastic body and offers a 60.85 oz water tank capacity with a 9.6 oz bean hopper. With 12 grind settings and a ceramic burr grinder, the Philips 3200 provides stable and consistent espresso extraction, along with good drink temperatures.
The machine is user-friendly, offering a touchscreen interface and programmable options for time, brew strength, and drink size. It has a 3-second heat-up time, a frontal water tank, and a one-touch Americano function, making it convenient and quick.
The Philips 3200 also stands out for its quiet operation, easy cleaning, and adjustable height spout. It’s priced at $454.28, offering great value for a super-automatic machine.
In contrast, the Breville Barista Pro is a larger, more robust machine, measuring 13.9 x 16.1 x 16 inches and weighing 20 pounds. With a brushed stainless steel body, it comes with a slightly larger 67 oz water tank and an 8 oz bean hopper. The Barista Pro offers 30 grind settings and uses a steel conical burr grinder.
Although it’s a semi-automatic machine, it excels in delivering high-quality espresso and milk frothing. It features a 1-minute heat-up time, a side-mounted water tank, and a potent steam wand for frothing dry foam.
The machine includes programmable features for time, brew strength, and size, but it operates with buttons instead of a touchscreen. It’s also priced higher at $795.99, reflecting its premium build and manual control features.
While the Philips 3200 is an excellent choice for those seeking convenience and a quiet, automatic experience, the Breville Barista Pro caters to those who enjoy a hands-on espresso-making process and are willing to invest in a more premium, customizable machine.
Philips 3200 vs Breville Barista Pro: Differences
The Philips 3200 comes out on top with a 3-2 win over the Breville Barista Pro, thanks to its rich espresso, versatile milk texture, and handy extra features. Below, I’ll share my experience with how each of these machines performs.
COFFEE FLAVUOR
Winner: Breville Barista Pro
BUILT-IN GRINDER
Grinding is the first step in the espresso-making process, and both the Philips 3200 and Breville Barista Pro come equipped with built-in grinders, eliminating the need for a separate one.
The Philips 3200 features a ceramic flat burr grinder, while the Breville Barista Pro uses a steel conical burr grinder. A ceramic grinder is known for staying cooler during grinding, which helps preserve the delicate aromas and flavors of the coffee.
This makes the Philips 3200 quieter and better for maintaining the coffee’s fragrance. In contrast, the Breville Barista Pro, with its steel grinder, can be a bit louder during operation, especially when used early in the morning. As for grind settings, the Philips 3200 offers 12 options, while the Breville Barista Pro provides an impressive 30, giving you more flexibility to fine-tune your grind for the perfect espresso.
The Breville Barista Pro includes a 54 mm stainless steel portafilter with four filter baskets for both pressurized and non-pressurized shots. A pressurized basket is forgiving with grind size, making it easier for beginners to pull decent shots, while a non-pressurized basket requires a more precise grind for optimal extraction.
The Philips 3200, being a super-automatic machine, does not require manual tamping, which makes it more user-friendly. However, I appreciate the Breville Barista Pro’s included stainless steel tamper, which is a step up from the cheaper plastic ones commonly found in other machines.
HEATING SYSTEM
Both machines feature single-boiler systems, meaning they can brew espresso and prepare milk foam one after the other. The Philips 3200 uses thermoblock technology, heating up in around 20 seconds, while the Breville Barista Pro uses a ThermoJet heating system, which can reach the right temperature in just 3 seconds and switch between brewing coffee and steaming milk in under 10 seconds.
This rapid heating ensures that your espresso stays hot while you froth milk. However, the Barista Pro requires preheating the portafilter separately for more precise espresso extraction, which is something to keep in mind.
BREWING SYSTEM
Both machines use a pre-infusion process, which wets the coffee grounds before full pressure is applied to extract the espresso, improving flavor and reducing the risk of channeling. The Breville Barista Pro allows you to control the pre-infusion time, while the Philips 3200 does not.
This flexibility on the Barista Pro may appeal to more experienced baristas. Both machines extract espresso at 15 bars of pressure, although the Philips 3200 produced a weaker shot during testing, with a thinner crema compared to the Breville Barista Pro, which offered a richer, more aromatic shot.
MILK FROTHING SYSTEM
The Philips 3200 excels in ease of use with its LatteGo system, a fully automatic milk frother that creates consistent foam with the press of a button. This is perfect for beginners who want a quick, no-fuss coffee experience. The Breville Barista Pro, however, uses a manual steam wand, offering greater control over milk texture and temperature.
While it requires more skill and practice, it also gives you the opportunity to create latte art and customize your milk texture. For those who enjoy the art of milk frothing, the Breville Barista Pro offers a better experience, but for simplicity, the Philips 3200 is hard to beat.
DESIGN & USABILITY
Winner: Philips 3200
DIMENSIONS, FOOTPRINT, & WEIGHT
The Philips 3200 features a sleek, black design with chrome accents and a user-friendly control panel, making it a great choice for those looking for a simple, yet stylish machine. The Breville Barista Pro has a more industrial look with its brushed stainless steel body, giving it a robust and professional feel. However, both machines are quite heavy, and positioning them on your countertop may require some effort.
PRE-PROGRAMMED COFFEE OPTIONS
The Philips 3200 and Breville Barista Pro both offer convenient pre-programmed coffee options, but with different features that cater to varying preferences. The Philips 3200 makes it easy to prepare a variety of milk-based drinks with just the push of a button, including espresso, black coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato, and more.
The Breville Barista Pro, however, requires more hands-on effort, as it uses a built-in steam wand to froth milk, giving you more control over the texture of your drinks but also necessitating a bit more skill and involvement.
Both machines feature a hot water function, allowing you to quickly heat water for tea or other beverages in less than a minute. The Breville Barista Pro has a dedicated hot water dispenser, while the Philips 3200 requires you to remove the milk carafe to access this feature. While the Philips 3200 offers this function more indirectly, it may be slightly more inconvenient for some users.
In terms of customization, the Philips 3200 offers three levels of coffee strength, along with adjustable brew temperatures, shot length, and milk volume. The Breville Barista Pro provides more flexibility, with five brew temperatures and a broader range of coffee volume and shot length adjustments. Both machines remember your settings, making them convenient for regular use, but you can always adjust them when needed.
For those times when you run out of coffee beans or need to prepare a decaf, both machines accommodate pre-ground coffee. The Philips 3200 features a bypass dose chute for pre-ground coffee, while the Breville Barista Pro allows you to simply place the pre-ground coffee into the pressurized filter basket and brew.
SPOUT & CUP CLEARANCE
When it comes to spout and cup clearance, the Philips 3200 has a dual coffee dispensing spout that can be adjusted from 3.3 inches to 6.9 inches, making it suitable for larger mugs. The Breville Barista Pro, on the other hand, has a fixed clearance of 4 inches, which is generally sufficient for most cups, but if you need extra space for larger mugs or travel cups, you can remove the drip tray as a workaround.
Both machines offer a double shot function, allowing you to brew two cups of espresso simultaneously, making them perfect for busy mornings when you need your caffeine fix quickly. However, the Philips 3200’s milk spout is positioned higher than ideal for smaller drinks like cappuccinos, which can lead to a bit of a mess if the cup isn’t correctly placed. The milk has to travel a greater distance to reach the cup, so misplacement could result in splashes and extra cleanup.
WATER RESERVOIR & BEAN HOPPER
The Philips 3200 comes with a front-access water tank that holds 1.8 liters, while the Breville Barista Pro has a 2-liter tank located at the back, which can be harder to access in cramped spaces. The Philips 3200 also offers a 9.6 oz bean hopper, compared to the Breville Barista Pro’s 8 oz hopper. Both machines feature top-loading bean hoppers with sealed lids to preserve the freshness of your beans.
CLEANING & MAINTENANCE
Winner: Philips 3200
The Philips 3200 wins this round due to its removable brew group, which can be cleaned manually and lubricated for longer-lasting performance. It also has an automatic descaling function, making maintenance easier. The Breville Barista Pro requires manual cleaning of the steam wand after each use, and while it’s relatively low-maintenance, it lacks the same level of automation as the Philips 3200.
UTILITIES & OTHER FEATURES
Winner: Philips 3200
AUTO OFF
Both machines come with an auto-off feature to save energy, but the Philips 3200 allows for more customizable shut-off times, ranging from 15 to 180 minutes. The Breville Barista Pro has a 30-minute auto-off timer. Additionally, the Philips 3200 offers more pre-programmed drink options, including Americano, cappuccino, and latte macchiato, while the Breville Barista Pro is more limited to espresso, hot water, and a couple of milk options. The Philips 3200 also includes a bypass dose chute for pre-ground coffee, which can be handy in certain situations, such as when running low on beans.
Quick Overview of Philips 3200
The Philips 3200 Series is a fully automatic espresso machine designed to make your coffee experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. It allows you to make up to five types of coffee—both black and milk-based varieties—with just the press of a button. Whether you want a strong espresso or a frothy cappuccino, this machine delivers fresh coffee at the perfect temperature every time.
⏩ Key Features
- Classic Milk Frother: One of the standout features of the Philips 3200 is its Classic Milk Frother system. It dispenses steam, allowing you to create silky smooth milk froth for your favorite milk-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. This frothing system is easy to use and ensures that your milk has a creamy, velvety texture to complement the espresso.
- Intuitive Touch Display: The machine comes with a touch display that makes it extremely easy to select the coffee drink you want, with just a tap. Whether you’re in the mood for a classic espresso or a latte, the user-friendly interface streamlines the process, making it less intimidating for new users.
- My Coffee Choice Menu: The My Coffee Choice Menu is a feature that allows you to customize your coffee experience. You can adjust the strength and quantity of your drink, offering three different settings to suit your preferences. The Aroma Extract System is designed to maintain the perfect balance between brewing temperature and aroma extraction, ensuring that you get a deliciously balanced cup each time.
- AquaClean Filter: Maintaining your machine has never been easier. The AquaClean Filter purifies the water used in brewing, ensuring that your coffee tastes fresh every time. The machine will alert you when it’s time to change the filter, and once changed, you won’t need to descale the machine for up to 5,000 cups. This is a great feature for people who want to enjoy a hassle-free coffee routine.
⏩ Pros
- Consistent Espresso Extraction: The machine delivers stable and consistent espresso extraction, ensuring that each shot of espresso is just as good as the last.
- Good Drink Temperature: While the coffee is not scalding hot, it comes out at a temperature that’s perfect for drinking immediately, making it convenient when you’re in a rush.
- Customization Options: There are plenty of ways to tailor your drink to your taste, such as adjusting the strength, brew temperature, shot length, and milk volume.
- Easy to Use: The intuitive controls and one-touch brewing make it incredibly simple, even for beginners.
- Authentic Espresso Flavor: The espresso has a rich, authentic flavor with a good crema on top, providing that traditional coffeehouse taste.
- One-Touch Americano: The One-Touch Americano feature is an excellent addition for those who prefer this popular coffee style.
⏩ Cons
- Drink Temperature: The coffee doesn’t come out as hot as some people might prefer, but it’s warm enough to enjoy immediately without waiting.
- No Cup Warmer: Unlike some other machines, the Philips 3200 doesn’t have a built-in cup warmer, which means you may have to warm your cups separately for the best experience.
Quick Overview of Breville Barista Pro
The Breville Barista Pro is a premium espresso machine that delivers high-quality coffee with a quick and efficient process. It’s part of Breville’s Barista Series, which offers all-in-one machines designed for coffee lovers who want professional-level coffee at home. With its integrated grinder, it allows you to go from whole beans to freshly brewed espresso in under one minute.
⏩ Key Features
- Dose Control Grinding: The Breville Barista Pro comes with a precision conical burr grinder that offers dose control grinding. With the press of a button, the grinder delivers the perfect amount of ground coffee to ensure maximum flavor extraction from your beans.
- Optimal Water Pressure: The machine uses a low-pressure pre-infusion process that gradually increases the pressure at the start of the brewing cycle. This helps ensure that all the coffee’s flavors are extracted evenly, resulting in a balanced and flavorful cup of espresso.
- ThermoJet Heating System: The ThermoJet heating system is one of the fastest in the industry, reaching the optimal extraction temperature in just 3 seconds. This means that you can quickly transition from brewing espresso to steaming milk without any delay.
- Precise Espresso Extraction: The PID digital temperature control ensures that water is delivered to the coffee at the perfect temperature (within ±2°C), providing consistent and precise espresso extraction every time.
⏩ Pros
- Quick Heat-Up Time: The ThermoJet heating system achieves the perfect brewing temperature in just 3 seconds, so you can quickly brew your espresso without any long wait times.
- Strong and Consistent Heating: The PID temperature control ensures that the machine delivers precise and consistent water temperature throughout the brewing process.
- Separate Hot Water Dispenser: For those who enjoy a cup of tea or need hot water for other purposes, the Barista Pro has a dedicated hot water dispenser.
- High-Pressure Steam Wand: The steam wand is powerful enough to froth microfoam for your lattes and cappuccinos, giving you that café-quality milk texture.
- Quiet and Smooth Grinder: The grinder operates quietly and smoothly, making your coffee-making process more enjoyable.
- Cup Warming Tray: The built-in cup warmer ensures that your cups are pre-warmed, so your coffee stays at the perfect temperature.
⏩ Cons
- Manual Tamping: Unlike fully automatic machines, the Breville Barista Pro requires manual tamping of the coffee grounds, which might not appeal to everyone, especially beginners.
- Limited Convenience Features: While it’s a great machine for those who like to have more control over the brewing process, it doesn’t have as many automated features as some fully automatic machines, which might make it less convenient for people who prefer a more hands-off experience.
Conclusion
The Philips 3200 is an excellent choice for those who want a hassle-free, user-friendly coffee machine with the convenience of one-touch brewing. It offers a variety of customizable options for those who want to personalize their coffee, along with easy maintenance through the AquaClean filter.
The Breville Barista Pro, on the other hand, is perfect for coffee enthusiasts who want more control over the espresso-making process. Its fast heat-up time, high-quality grinder, and steam wand provide a more hands-on, professional-level experience.
Both machines have their unique strengths, so choosing the right one depends on whether you prefer a more automated, easy-to-use machine (Philips 3200) or a more customizable and professional option (Breville Barista Pro).