Terra Kaffee TK-01 vs. Philips 3200 LatteGo: Which Espresso Machine Should I Buy?

Grinding

Winner: Philips 3200 Series with LatteGo 

For those who wish to seriously control the grind, the Philips is the machine for you. With 12 different grind settings (and, yes, an option to use pre-ground coffee if you wish), the Philips is a truly customizable machine, where the strength of the coffee largely depends on how you configure your settings. The Terra Kaffe only offers five grind settings, so this category is handily won by Philips. It should be noted that the Terra Kaffe can also accept pre-ground coffee, although the manufacturer recommends against it. 

Brewing

Winner: A tie 

Although the coffee brewed with the Terra Kaffe was strong with a beautiful crema, the machine did have some hiccups at times. When the bean capacity was low, for instance, the machine did not offer any alert, meaning that the coffee brewed with minimal beans was weak–or mostly water. The machine also did not signal an alert when the water receptacle was low, which meant that the coffee brewed was only a partial cup. The Philips offered a sensor, on the other hand, alerting to refill both the water and the beans (and to clear the grinds) when necessary. 

Because both machines offer the ability to adjust the grind and, therefore, the resulting extraction, the coffees produced were comparable and strong. But the Terra Kaffe uses 19 bars of pressure to press coffee, as compared to Philips’ 15 bars, and its coffee was impeccably clean, pure, and strong, with no bitter notes. In this category, it soared to the top. 

Foaming

Winner: Philips 3200 Series with LatteGo

Both machines come with separate milk-foaming receptacles, but the LatteGo’s milk-foamer fits neatly onto the Philips 3200, and the hands-off foaming system makes it a dream to work with. The foamer locks in place and foams in mere seconds, producing a luxurious, frothy cap of milk for lattes and cappuccinos. Terra Kaffe’s separate system was confusing to assemble. It also required additional storage, which may be difficult for people with smaller kitchens or less cabinet space. In the end, the LatteGo was the clear winner here. (The foamer, it should be noted, doubles as an exact measure for the beans, so you don’t have to worry about knowing how many beans to pour into the grinder when the receptacle is empty.) 

Pre-Programmed Drinks 

Winner: Philips 3200 Series with LatteGo

Both the Philips and the Terra Kaffe do offer a handful of pre-programmed drinks (for Philips: cappuccino, latte, espresso, coffee, and latte macchiato; for Terra Kaffe: espresso, cappuccino, Americano, latte), and the Terra Kaffe has a lovely cup-warming area above the machine–assuming your cabinetry doesn’t get in the way. At the price point, however, four custom pre-programmed drinks felt slim, and the Terra Kaffe does not offer a regular coffee option–their Americano is the closest fit–and so the Philips won this competition. 

Design 

Winner: Terra Kaffe 

When it comes to design, the sleek, modern Terra Kaffe, with its digital interface, wins the automatic espresso race. Available in two colorways–white and black–this modern-looking machine is the kind of piece that can sit prettily on the countertop without becoming an eyesore in the kitchen. Easy-to-read buttons alert users to how many of each type of drink has recently been brewed. The Philips 3200 comes in black and in silver, and is a slightly less streamlined-looking machine, with no digital capacity. Although red light alerts do tell you about low water, low beans, and when the water filter (part of the machine’s “AquaClean” system) needs to be changed.

Is the Philips 3200 LatteGo Worth the Price?

Although it may look less modern, the Philips 3200 LatteGo is a sophisticated machine, with plenty of bells and whistles to make it a worthwhile investment. Coffee is exemplary, the machine is compact and well-conceived, and the strength of the brew can be customized both using the system’s 12 different grinds and through a button that allows you to strengthen or weaken the coffee to your personal preference. It comes with a water filtration system that ensures that you’re getting the purest, cleanest brew possible, and the built-in milk foamer doubles as a bean scoop, making this an all-in-one system that works well for those who prefer to have the machine do the majority of the work. We think it’s worth every penny.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

James Beard Award-nominated writer Hannah Selinger has written about food and drinks for local and national publications since 2015, and is currently at work on a food-related memoir, to be published by Little, Brown in 2025. A former sommelier and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, Hannah has worked for some of New York’s top restaurant groups. Her writing has appeared in Eater, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, The New York Times Magazine, Wine Enthusiast, Bon Appétit, and elsewhere. Hannah lives with a coffee-obsessive, whose unparalleled taste informs her high level of coffee-based knowledge.