PHILIPS Baristina Espresso Machine & Milk Frother Bundle, Natural White

So far impressed! Simple and compact espresso machine. Love it. Though I’m hoping for longevity.

At first, the machine seemed great. It made decent espresso and everything felt smooth. Then, after about 5 months of normal use, the problems started. The portafilter began getting stuck halfway on its way back. It would stop in the middle, and the machine could not finish the cycle. A few days later it got worse. The machine basically died. It stopped responding to button presses and the buttons only flashed, like it was stuck in an error mode with no way to recover. Only after that did I read more reviews and realized I am not the only one. Many people report the same failures, and there are lots of comments about support being unresponsive, with no real help, replacement, or compensation. Unfortunately, I found that out too late. So I opened it up, and what I found was shocking. A small white connector that looks cheap and poorly protected, with visible discoloration that suggests oxidation or contamination. The portafilter position Hall-effect sensor PCB has clear corrosion and white crusty residue around multiple components and solder joints. Electronics should not look like this inside a kitchen appliance that deals with water and steam. Inside the machine, there is a yellow zip tie that appears to be installed from the factory to hold parts in place. That is not a proper mount or repair, it looks like a shortcut. Root cause of the portafilter sticking: Coffee dust and tiny grounds collect on the rail mechanism. Once that happens, the friction increases and the spring is too weak to push through it. So the portafilter jams halfway unless you constantly clean the rails. For a machine in this price range, that design is unacceptable. Bottom line: this machine is built with poor materials, poor sealing, and questionable assembly choices. Mine worked briefly, then turned into a flashing, unusable box of plastic. I strongly recommend avoiding it.

So but this doesn't stack up. Not even close to espresso.

The espresso was delicious 1 oz...a couple notes though: 1) The product box was damaged. Not the Amazon box it shipped in, the product box. Big hole, taped over by someone. Big hole. Big. I was sceptical, immediately. 2) Don't throw out the paper taped over the bean hopper. It's got the QR code for the user manual. There is none in the box. Nada. 3) Know your model number. It's on the bottom of the machine. You'll want to pick the correct user manual after you scan that barcode. 4) When I turned my machine over to get the model number things were rattling around in it. My scepticism ratcheted even higher. 5) My model number (303) wasn't listed on the page where the QR code lands you. Just pick the last one in the list of three. The cover of that user manual had my model number listed. 6) Don't bother with the "Make your first brew" button. It lands you on a 404 page not found. So awesome! 7) I flushed the machine according to the instructions in the user manual. Worked without a hitch. Huh. Cool. 8) Beans added to the hopper, portafilter clicks into its spot, press espresso button, cup in place, slide portafilter to the right, coffee starts grinding. The espresso light started flashing quickly. The trouble shoot guide in the user manual says it's because the water tank isn't on correctly. Huh. It was on just fine for the flush, but ok. I reseat it. Nope. I had to manually nudge the portafilter back over the cup, after which the espresso brewed just fine. It was yummy. 9) I pulled out the portafilter and emptied it. It seamed like not all the grounds were compressed into the puck. I wiped the slot where you put the portafilter and, yup, a good 1/2 tsp of wet grounds was stuck up in there. Wipe your machine after each use people. 10) The milk frother is PHENOMENAL. Seriously. I'm taking away a star for the portafilter not moving back to the brew position on its own. I'll try it again tomorrow but if it keeps happening, it's going back. I did slide the thing back and forth with just my fingers to make sure there wasn't grounds jammed in there. It moves freely, and is clean, so we'll see. I took a star away for whatever is rattling around inside the machine. For $400+ the thing should be solid. And, I'd never have known there was anything there if they'd have included a user manual in the dang box.

Great unit that grinds and brews espresso! I was very impressed with this machine. It is very slim and sleek looking. I made the switch from the Nespresso machine because I did not want to use the aluminum pods anymore. Before that, I used a Keurig machine but ditched that one because of concerns in brewing coffee from plastic as well as the poor quality of coffees. I love to use organic coffee beans to make the espresso as coffee is usually laden with pesticides. This machine is quick, quiet and also very easy to clean. In just a few minutes, you have an amazing shot of espresso ready for you. The frother also delivers very good steamed milk, which is great because I drink lattes. The machine lever works automatically when you slide it into position. The espresso puck so far has been popping out by itself before I even need to press the little lever. I’ll compost those! The only consideration is that you need a slim bottomed little mug, or a smaller size mug for your espresso. When you remove the little stand, it is not even for a regular sized cup of coffee, however, that did not affect the performance or flavor at all. When setting up the machine, I did need to go through two shots of espresso before hitting the optimum shots to flow out. In general, I am super happy with the performance so far. Having a grind and brew is a major plus in this price point. Let’s see how it holds out!

**Edit: It started leaking really bad from underneath and now from the sides. I called Phillips and was on video call for them to see what it was doing for 40 minutes. After all that they said they would email me with a proposed solution in 24-48 hours. That was 5 days ago! I’d like someone to get back with me please! Seems like we’ve been forgotten.** We are loving this machine! Makes a great cup of espresso/coffee and it’s super simple and easy to use and clean. It’s super quick too! Makes the cup of coffee before the milk frother is done! But both are making a far superior cuppa than what we had before and we’re really enjoying it. Plus it looks cute on our coffee cabinet in the kitchen. Love the design.

Works great

This is terrible plastic junk that would not power up, despite repeated attempts with the instructions. In the process, the handle broke off the cheap plastic portafilter body. The bean hopper is extremely small, and there is no apparent grind adjustment. I bet the water tank has BPA and PFAS too. This junk is best avoided. This is not even worth the $239 that I paid.