The Philips 5400 LatteGo and Philips 4300 LatteGo are two near identical-looking super automatic espresso machines.
The Philips 5400 is typically around $200 more expensive than the 4300 and for that, you get:
- Quieter milk frothing
- Four more drink options
- Two more user profiles
- A slightly nicer user interface.
In this comparison of the Philips 4300 vs 5400, I’m going to run through how the 5400’s upgrades affect its performance and usability to see whether it’s paying a premium to have them.
Please note I’ll be focusing on the version of each model with the LatteGo milk frother, rather than with a steam wand.
Let’s go.
Should I Buy the Philips 4300 LatteGo or the Philips 5400 LatteGo?
I recommend the Philips 4300 LatteGo over the Philips 5400 LatteGo.
The Philips 5400 LatteGo just doesn’t do enough to justify its higher price than the 4300.
The Philips 5400 is quieter, looks slightly nicer, and has more user profiles than the Philips 4300.
You’re going to reap the most from these benefits if you’re using the machine in an office environment.
Its quietness makes it less of a disturbance to colleagues and you’re only going to actually need four user profiles if there are at least four of you using the machine.
So I’d only recommend buying the Philips 5400 LatteGo over the 4300 if you’re buying the machine for an office.
What are the Differences Between the Philips 4300 and 5400 LatteGo?
There are four differences between the Philips 5400 LatteGo and Philips 4300 LatteGo:
- Quieter milk steaming: The Philips 4300 reaches 90 decibels when steaming milk. The Philips 5400 reaches 72 decibels.
- More drink options: The Philips 5400 LatteGo has four more drink options than the Philips 4300 LatteGo.
- More user profiles: The Philips 5400 LatteGo has four user profiles compared to the Philips 4300’s two profiles.
- An upgraded control panel: The Philips 5400 LatteGo’s buttons and digital display are illustrated with pictures of each drink. The Philips 4300’s just have icons of each drink on their buttons.
I’m going to run through these upgrades in more detail.
Quieter Milk Steaming
The Philips 5400’s milk frother is noticeably quieter than the Philips 4300’s.
The Philips 4300 LatteGo reaches around 90 decibels when steaming milk that’s similar to the sound of a hairdryer.
The Philips 5400 reaches around 70 decibels which is around the sound of a kitchen tap on full blast.
The Philips 4300 LatteGo’s milk frother is annoyingly noisy, you can hear it very distinctly in any room adjacent to the machine when it’s steaming milk (this usually takes around 10–15 seconds per drink).
The Philips 5400 LateGo’s milk frother is noticeably quieter, bringing it in line with Jura and Delonghi super automatics. You probably won’t be able to hear it in a next-door room if the door is shut.
This quieter milk frothing is worth the extra cost if you’re buying an espresso machine for an office or if you have a child or pet that you don’t want to wake up in the morning.
Extra Drinks
The Philips 5400 has four more drink options than the Philips 4300. However, I think that the 5400’s caffe latte is the only drink that can’t be recreated on the 4300.
The table below shows all the drinks that the two espresso machines can make.
| Philips 5400 LatteGo | Philips 4300 LatteGo |
| Espresso | Espresso |
| Drip coffee | Drip coffee |
| Cappuccino | Cappuccino |
| Latte Macchiato | Latte Macchiato |
| Americano | Americano |
| Cafe Au Lait | Cafe Au Lait |
| Ristretto | Ristretto |
| Cafe Crema | Cafe Crema |
| Flat White | – |
| Cafe Latte | – |
| Espresso Lungo | – |
| ToGo travel mug | – |
| Milk froth | Milk froth |
| Hot water | Hot water |
I think that you could easily replicate the Philips 5400 LatteGo’s flat white, espresso lungo and ToGo travel mug with the 4300.
- Flat white: This is just a cappuccino with a bit less milk. You can make it by having the 4300 brew a cappuccino and turn its milk volume down to the lowest setting.
- Espresso Lungo: This is indistinguishable from a cafe crema set on its lowest size. I challenge you to try and tell the difference between the two drinks in a blind tasting.
- ToGo travel mug: This is the same as the 4300’s drip coffee put on its largest size and set to a double serving.
The only drink you cannot recreate with the 4300 is the caffe latte.
The Philips 5400 LatteGo makes this by dispensing your coffee and then your milk so the milk integrates with the coffee more than with a latte macchiato. You can’t hack a Philips 4300 LatteGo into brewing this way.
I still wouldn’t buy a Philips 5400 LatteGo just for its latte. The machine produces a very stiff, large bubbled milk foam that just isn’t suitable for a latte.
If you want a latte machine then I’d instead recommend the Delonghi Dinamica Plus. This actually steams your milk to a latte-suitable texture.
More User Profiles
The Philips 5400 has four user profiles. The Philips 5400 only has two user profiles.
When you’re on a specific user profile, each drink’s size, strength, and milk volume settings will save over to the next time.
You’ll only make use of these four user profiles if there are four or more of you using the machine.
This, combined with its quieter milk steaming, is why I think that the Philips 5400 LatteGo is a better office coffee machine than the 4300.
A Better Illustrated Control Panel
The Philips 5400s and digital display screen are labeled with photos of each drink rather than just icons.
This is useful if you (or anyone using the machine) are not sure what the difference is between a latte and a latte macchiato or a cappuccino and a flat white.
It’s worth mentioning that the benefits of having images instead of icons do reduce as you get to know what each of the drinks is.
What Do the Philips 5400 LatteGo and Philips 4300 LatteGo Have in Common?
The Philips 5400 LatteGo and Philips 4300 LatteGo have the following in common:
- Drink quality: Both machines use the exact same espresso brewing and milk steaming system so their drink quality is identical. They can both only steam your milk to one texture.
- Build quality: Both machines have relatively poor build quality and low levels of durability by super-automatic espresso machine standards. I think that low build quality is a bigger problem with the Philips 5400 because it’s a mid-price super-automatic rather than a budget one.
- Grinder: Both machines use a flat ceramic burr grinder with 13 grind size settings. They both also have a bypass doser for pre-ground coffee.
- Cleaning process: Both machines run automatic rinse cycles but need to have their drip tray and used coffee grounds container emptied and cleaned manually. You can put both their milk systems in the dishwasher.
- Descaling process: Both machines use an AquaClean water filter meaning that they only need to be descaled every 5000 brews. The filter itself needs to be replaced every three months.
- Shape and size: Both machines measure up to 9.7″ W x 17.0″ D x 14.6″ H. Both machines give you five strength, size, and milk volume settings for each drink on their menu. Both machines also allow you to make double servings of each of their black coffee drinks.
If you’d like to find out more about either of these machines then you can check out Philips 4300 LatteGo review and Philips 5400 LatteGo review.
Philips 4300 vs 5400: Final Verdict
I generally recommend the Philips 4300 LatteGo over the 5400. You get better value for money with the 4300.
I’d only recommend the Philips 5400 LatteGo over the 4300 if you’re buying an espresso machine for an office. This is the only situation where the machine justifies its additional cost because of its quieter milk steaming.
Source: https://nookcoffeebar.com/espresso-machines/philips/4300-vs-5400
