Philips 5500 LatteGo: 20 hot and iced drinks

What Philips says the machine does

Amazon lists this model as the EP5546/70, a fully automatic machine that grinds whole beans and also accepts ground coffee. Philips names the core drinks as espresso, coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato, americano, caffè crema, latte, ristretto and coffee with milk, then adds the three iced options. The listing does not explain exactly how the iced recipes are made, so it is worth reading the manual before assuming they replace a dedicated cold brew function.

Two convenience features stand out. SilentBrew is described as cutting noise by 40% compared with earlier Philips models, which matters in an open-plan kitchen at six in the morning. QuickStart lets you switch on and brew straight away, with the machine heating according to the chosen recipe rather than running a long warm-up first.

The LatteGo jug in daily use

LatteGo is the reason most people shortlist a Philips. The milk system has two parts and no tubes, and Philips claims it rinses clean in under 10 seconds. In practice that means no hidden pipe where milk residue can sit, which is the usual weak spot of carafe and cappuccinatore designs. The listing also says the system can froth plant-based alternatives, a useful note for oat or soya drinkers.

One detail to check: the spec table marks the machine itself as not dishwasher safe. The listing does not say whether the LatteGo parts can go in the dishwasher, so plan on rinsing them by hand unless the manual says otherwise.

Size, tank and the specs that matter

The water tank holds 1.8 litres, which is middling. A couple making four or five drinks a day will refill every day or two. The body measures 43.3 cm deep, 24.6 cm wide and 37.1 cm high, so it slots under most wall cupboards, and at 8 kg it is manageable to slide forward for refilling beans. Power is listed at 1500 watts.

What the listing leaves out is just as important. There is no figure for grinder settings, no bean hopper capacity and no mention of user profiles. If you like to tune grind size for each new bag of beans, that missing information is a genuine unknown.

Against the De'Longhi and Siemens alternatives

The De'Longhi Magnifica Evo Next offers 13 drinks with LatteCrema Hot, a colour touch display and three user profiles, so it suits a family that wants saved preferences, though its grinder has only 3 settings. The Siemens EQ700 brings a larger 2.4 litre tank, a 5 inch touch display and app control, but it is deeper on the worktop. The Philips trades those extras for the simplest milk cleaning of the three and the iced menu.