Spaniards have long discovered that there is more to life than roasted coffee . Capsule coffee makers, chains like Starbucks and the foodie tide have educated the taste of the population. That he is even able to appreciate the smell of freshly ground coffee or the difference between an espresso and an American coffee. For that consumer who wants more than a capsule coffee, coffee makers like this Philips 2200 Series emerge .
It is an automatic coffee maker, more voluminous than other simpler ones, yes, also more expensive . But, of course, more complete , long-term economic and ecological. Make espresso, less intense coffee, cappuccino and, of course, a cup of hot water to make an infusion. You can introduce coffee beans to grind them instantly or coffee already ground . But, after having several coffees in the last few days, the time has come to tell you how the Philips 2200 Series works with LatteGo, which is the exact model that we have tested.
Coffee beans or ground
If you are one of those who appreciates the smell and taste of freshly ground coffee, you will appreciate the possibility of using coffee beans in this coffee maker. It has a tank at the top where you can place a good handful of coffee beans. The machine, when pressing the button to prepare a coffee, takes the necessary beans, grinds them instantly and obtains the necessary dose of coffee for the cup that you have to have previously placed on the lower tray.
Detail of the compartment for coffee beans. Under the small lid is the deposit for the option of ground coffee
The fundamental advantage of this system is that you control the quality of the coffee, its origin, its freshness, type, price and all the characteristics you want of the coffee. Something that with capsules or even ground coffee is much more difficult to control. But if you use ground coffee or if at some point you run out of beans but find it easier to get a packet of ground coffee, this coffee maker can also do its job with this type of coffee. To do this, you just have to insert it into the smallest lid that can be seen in the photo above. Of course, in this case the dose of ground coffee that must be introduced into the tank is for a single coffee.
Milk tank for cappuccino
One of the features that stands out of this Philips 2200 Series coffee machine with LatteGo is the removable glass to put milk . This glass is the one that brings this model with the surname LatteGo to prepare the popular cappuccino or cappuccino of the Italians . The machine heats the milk that is placed in this glass and pours it into the cup before serving a smaller dose of coffee. As it is a removable glass, the system makes it easy to clean it and only place the necessary dose of milk to avoid leaving milk unused from one day to the next.
Another of the buttons on the front panel of the coffee machine is to prepare a "coffee", just like that. The difference between espresso and coffee is that the latter comes out in greater quantities but more diluted than espresso. And if someone wants to make an infusion, all they have to do is press the "hot water" button and the machine simply prepares a dose of hot water in the cup.
To be able to prepare all these drinks, the Philips 2200 Series has a water tank on the side that is easy to remove and replace . The capacity is 1.8 liters, so it is not necessary to fill it with each coffee that is prepared. Also, for cities with poorer water quality or more lime, this machine has a water filter system called AquaClean. In that sense, being in Madrid where we enjoy good water, we have not had to use this option.
Side water tank with capacity for 1.8 liters
Maintenance and cleaning
Is it comfortable or do you have to empty and clean the pieces every day? Although it all depends on the rate of coffee consumed, the Philips 2200 Series coffee machine is designed so that you do not have to empty the deposits or clean it every day.
Best of all, you don't have to worry about when to empty or clean some parts because the machine will notify you . On one side is the used ground coffee tank. Once the coffee beans have been ground, this ground coffee goes to a box where the remains are stored. Every 2 or 3 days of normal use (with an average of about 3 coffees per day), the coffee maker alerts you to empty the coffee remains in the trash . Then you just have to pass the plastic box through the tap and the task is done.
Another task is to refill the water tank when it is empty. This, without a doubt, is the simplest. Perhaps the one that attracts the most attention is to empty the water and coffee that falls on the bottom of the machine . It is collected in a removable tray. And even if you try to avoid spilling water or leftover coffee, you don't get rid of this job. And the machine generates its own excess liquid that ends up falling into this tray. The coffee maker is also responsible for notifying you of this task.
Here we see the tanks where both the coffee and the excess liquid are stored
Personalized and automatic coffee
We live in Spain, the country where there are as many types of coffee as there are citizens in a bar. How? You do not believe me? Go into any cafeteria at 8 in the morning and stay for a while at the bar counter. The Philips 2200 Series falls short of the customization of a bartender, but it does allow some adjustments for each coffee.
Specifically, you can choose the amount of liquid served between 3 options from smallest to largest. The second customization is for the intensity of the aroma , from milder to stronger. From this last section, the difference between one and the other has not been so clear to us, but at least that is what the manufacturer claims. The most coffee growers will appreciate the option to adjust the degree of coffee grind through the grinder wheel located in the bean tank.
Control panel of the coffee machine with possible customizations
And if the Philips 2200 Series is characterized by something, it is by the automation of the entire process . If the coffee machine is plugged in, with water and coffee beans in each tank, you just have to press the button so that the machine takes over the whole process. And if it is a cappuccino , with milk in the glass for it. Of course, the coffees can be prepared one by one or, at most, two by two and aiming well in the placement of the two cups .
Greener and cheaper in the long run
Capsule coffee makers have their advantages. But make no mistake, they also have major drawbacks. And it is that they are very little ecological . Most of these capsules cannot be recycled because they are not considered packaging. So they end up among the rest of the non-recyclable garbage. Furthermore, the quality of the coffee they contain is questionable and not at all transparent. Against that, this Philips 2200 Series only generates coffee residues that can go perfectly to the organic garbage can. No packaging in between.
But it is not the only advantage. Also on the economic issue we can control the cost of coffee consumed and, above all, choose more freely between the many options of coffee beans or ground that can be found in the market. And, no matter how cheap or white label the capsules we buy for other types of machines are, they are still more expensive for each coffee consumed.
Photo gallery
The good is expensive
And we come to the section that everyone wonders, especially if it has come this far. The price of the device in question. The Philips 2200 Series can be found for under € 500 in some stores. For example, on Amazon at the moment it costs 470 euros . Without a doubt, a more expensive price than many of the existing coffee machines on the market and with less complete systems. But, we already know, that the good is almost always more expensive.
Summary
Philips 2200 Series is a coffee machine that a very coffee-growing public may like . It is not a solution for all audiences, not by far for all budgets. But she has a determined audience that can appreciate all the things she does. And, above all, the convenient system that you get from your purchase to make a gourmet coffee at home or in the office.
In my opinion, you could have more customization options for each cafe. Starting with taking advantage of the milk tank not only for cappuccinos. In Spain, any customization that is achieved would be a very important point in its favor.
It is comfortable to handle on a day-to-day basis. And, most importantly, thanks to the system used and the control of the coffee quality is in the hands of the user, the end result can be very satisfactory. That is, it can make very rich coffees. And this is what it's all about. And how do you like your coffee?