ESENDE

Gear

Bean-to-cup: whole-bean coffee at the touch of a button

If you drink your coffee black, the De’Longhi Magnifica S is the safe bet. If you take it with milk, the Philips 2300 LatteGo: it froths by itself and cleans in two parts.

Reviewed on 8 November 2026 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The quick pick

  1. Black coffeeDe'Longhi Magnifica SSee price on Amazon
  2. My pick with milkPhilips 2300 LatteGoSee price on Amazon
  3. The most completePhilips 5400 LatteGoSee price on Amazon
Black bean-to-cup machine pouring a milky coffee in a kitchen
Illustrative image generated with AI.

A bean-to-cup machine grinds, doses, tamps and extracts for you. It doesn’t give you the control of a portafilter machine, but it wins on convenience and uses whole beans, which is already a step up from capsules.

What to check before buying

  • Milk. Manual steam wand (cheaper), or an automatic system such as Philips LatteGo.
  • Cleaning. Tubeless milk systems are quicker to clean.
  • Water filter. Philips claims up to 5,000 cups without descaling if you replace its AquaClean filter when prompted.
  • Space. Measure your worktop: they’re all around 35-45 cm tall.

De'Longhi Magnifica S

Black coffee

For espresso and long coffee, with milk by hand now and then.

DrinksEspresso and long coffee
MilkManual steam wand
Tank1.8 l
  • Easy to use
  • Automatic rinse
  • Milk is manual
See price on Amazon

Krups Roma

A compact alternative to the Magnifica.

Pump15 bar, Thermoblock
GrinderMetal conical, 3 levels
Tank1.7 l; 260 g of beans
  • Compact
  • Only 3 grind levels
See price on Amazon

Philips 2300 LatteGo

My pick with milk

For cappuccino without fuss.

DrinksEspresso, coffee, cappuccino and hot water
MilkLatteGo: 2 parts, no tubes
Tank1.8 l
  • Automatic froth
  • SilentBrew, quieter according to Philips
  • Four drinks: less variety than the 5400
See price on Amazon

Philips 3300

For hot or frothed milk without LatteGo.

Drinks5
GrinderCeramic, 12 levels
MilkFrother that also heats without foam
  • Ceramic grinder with 12 settings
  • The frother isn’t LatteGo
See price on Amazon

Philips 5400 LatteGo

The most complete

For households where everyone drinks a different coffee.

Drinks12, with user profiles
MilkLatteGo, plant-based drinks too
DisplayTFT touchscreen
  • Saved profiles
  • ExtraShot function
  • The most expensive
See price on Amazon

My pick

Magnifica S if you drink your coffee black; Philips 2300 LatteGo if you take it with milk. To keep them going, see the cleaning and descaling page.

Sources

I haven't tried all of these products in person. The data come from the manufacturer's website or, when I don't cite one, from the amazon.co.uk listing (each source says which). I write with the help of AI and check every figure against those sources. I don't publish prices because they change daily: the one that counts is the price you see on Amazon when you buy.

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