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Philips Versus Bellucci⎮Which is the better superautomatic coffee machine?


          
            Philips Versus Bellucci⎮Which is the better superautomatic coffee machine?

The Bellucci Slim Series of Superautomatic Coffee Machines were released to the Canadian market in the Spring of 2021. 

At Espresso Canada we are proud to have incorporated the Bellucci line into our mix of superautomatics alongside our popular Philips Saeco brand. Here we compare these two leading brands to understand the similarities and differences between the two.  Our goal is  to help you choose the machine that best suits your needs.

Brief History of Bellucci Brand

Sestilio Bellucci was the original North American distributor for Saeco Coffee Machines. During this period Bellucci worked closely with the research and development team at Saeco.  He was able to provide insights into coffee habits in North America and key features which were important to this demographic.

When Saeco sold the Italian company to Philips Domestic Appliances, Bellucci continued to stay connected in the superautomatic coffee machine space. He began to use his vast knowledge and experience to design his own line of superautomatics that had all the elements that were important to his customers.  Committed to the idea of a rich coffee first and foremost, he also concentrated on creating machines that were sleek and elegant but easy to use and maintain.  This was the vision that led to the birth of the Bellucci Slim Line.

Bellucci Slim Line

What is a superautomatic coffee machine?

Both Bellucci and Philips are considered superautomatic coffee machines. That is they are both a coffee machine that makes a coffee with the push of a button.

Superautomatics are also referred to as fully automatic or bean to cups machines.

With the push of a button, the machine will take fresh coffee beans from the bean hopper, grind them, tamp them, produce the coffee and dispense the used coffee grounds into a dump box.

The process is easy and very clean.  They do not require much effort, are very intuitive making it an ideal type of coffee machine for both home and office.

Questions to ask yourself when considering a superautomatic

Here are some important questions to consider when you are ready to purchase your superautomatic espresso machine. Considering these questions will help guide you in determining the features that are really important for your coffee taste and coffee lifestyle.

1. Is the machine for home or office use?

2. How many people will be using the machine?

3. What kind of drinks will you be primarily be making: coffee or milk-based?

4. Does the machine need to accommodate travel mugs? 

5. Will non-espresso drinkers use the machine: what kind of coffee do they expect? 

6. Do you have any decaf coffee drinkers?

7. Where will the machine be placed or reside, and is the bean hopper and water tank easily accessible?  What are the dimensions? Will it fit under by cabinets?

8. Who will maintain the machine?

9. Does the price justify how often I will be using the machine?

10. Who can help me understand how to use my machine or provide service if needed?

Bellucci Vs Philips Superautomatics

SIZE

When countertop space is at a premium, a few inches can make a world of difference.  Also consider the height of the cabinets.  If you want to ensure your machine fits nicely under a low cabinet the SLIM LINE has the clear advantage.

BELLUCCI
PHILIPS 
W x D x H 
W x D x H 
7 x 15.5 x 12.5  inches or
178 x 396 x 320 mm

9.7 x 17.1 x 14.6  inches or 

246 x 432 x 372 mm

 

 

On the topic of size, be sure to consider all the other components as well, like water tanks, bean hoppers and dreg drawers (the drawer where the used coffee pucks are dispensed).

Smaller water tanks and bean hoppers mean that you may need to fill these containers more often depending on usage. And a smaller dreg drawer means it will need to be emptied more frequently. 

The placement of the water tank is also an important consideration.  Depending on where the machine is housed, the front loading water tank on the Philips may make it more accessible and easier to fill.

Bean Hopper Water Tank Dreg Drawer
BELLUCCI 175 g

1.2 L removable

Located on the back of the machine

10 pucks
PHILIPS
275 g

1.8 L removable

Front loading

12 pucks

 

The final consideration regarding size is the cup height. This may seem insignificant until you want to make your coffee directly in a travel mug to save time during your morning prep.

BELLUCCI CUP SIZE
 PHILIPS CUP SIZE

 4.5 inches (114 mm)

If you remove the external drip tray is 6.25 inches (158 mm)

5.7 inches

Max height 145 mm

 

Quality of Coffee

This is probably the most important question.  Let's examine what each model has to offer.  The internal components and technology contribute to the quality of coffee produced.  With the greater bars of pressure and the oversized brew group, the coffee produced on the Bellucci slim line is thicker and more velvety.


BELLUCCI COFFEE QUALITY
 
 PHILIPS COFFEE QUALITY

Bars of Pressure

More pressure results in a thicker layer of crema on top of your coffee. The pressure allows coffee oils to emulsify

 19 Bars of pressure
 15 Bars of pressure
Coffee Richness

Bellucci uses an oversized brew group which accepts a few extra grams of coffee.

This produces a tight dry puck. 

 

Philips uses a brew unit.  Dregs are looser. 

Coffee Selection

Only one coffee can be made at one time.

No bypass doser available. 

 

Two coffees can be brewed simultaneously.

Higher end models like the Philips 5447/94 allow you to put an extra shot of coffee in any milk based drink. 

The bypass doser allows a preground coffee option which is ideal if anyone uses decaf or wants a different bean selection. 

Coffee Customization

There are two coffee selections that are referred to as mild and strong. 

You can program the volume of coffee for each coffee selection including the Americano.

You can adjust the volume, temperature and coffee strength for each coffee you make.

The higher end models such as the EP4347and EP5447 have profiles that you can program. This keeps you coffee choice in memory.

Machine Maintenance

Both brands are easy to use and easy to maintain.  Both brands have a removable brew unit.

BELLUCCI MAINTENANCE
PHILIPS MAINTENANCE
BREW UNIT

Removable. Wash once a week with warm water.

Brew unit lubrication is not required because there are fewer moving mechanisms on this design.

Removable. Wash once a week with warm water.

The Philips models require a brew unit cleaning cycle. Once a month, use a Cafiza tablet in the bypass doser.

Lubricate brew unit every three months.

DESCALING

Depending on water harness, descale every two to four months.

The machine will prompt you.

No filter required, best to use filtered water for better tasting coffee.

You can opt to use the AquaClean water filter and you will not need to descale until you reach 5000 cups (after 8 filter changes)

The machine will prompt you to descale after 8 filter changes.

DRIP TRAY

Two separate drip trays are found on this model. The internal drip tray collects only a minimal amount of water expelled by the machine. 

During warm up cycle the Bellucci machine rinses and the water is collected only the external drip tray only.  

This model has a long drip tray which needs to be emptied more frequently.  This drip tray collects a greater water of waste water due to electrovalves and brew unit releasing a great amount of water into the drip tray.

 

Milk Based Drinks

The crowning achievement of the Philips line is the LatteGo feature. Any LatteGo machine has the ability to make milk based drinks at the push of button. The LatteGo cup is easy to use and easy to clean. With only two pieces it is by far the easiest and most hygienic milk system on the market. 

Philips LatteGo Cup

 

The selection of milk basked drinks that can be made with the push of a button is more extensive with Philips especially with the higher end models such as EP4347/94 and EP5447/94.

The Bellucci offers the  Slim Vapore with a classic milk frother which gives the user the opportunity to make any milk based drink desired.  It will be up to the user to control the heat of the milk, froth produced etc.  The user will serve as the coffee barista and should have a knowledge of milk to coffee ratios for each milk based drink.

The Slim Latte model has a milk cup for milk basked drinks. Milk based drinks can be made with the push of a button using this model.  The only consideration is that the milk tube used on the milk cup of the Slim Latte model requires more attention when cleaning as opposed to the LatteGo cup.

 

Philips EP5447/ 94 has 12 drink options available at the push of a button

 

Espresso Canada's Professional Opinion

Espresso Canada has over 35+ years experience with superautomatics.  Here we have compared two leading manufacturers of superautomatic coffee machines Philips and Bellucci. Each brand has its own merits. They will both make a great coffee at the push of a button. What you need to consider is which features are the most important to you.  Reviewing the questions above is really important to help you select the machine that is right for you.

Here is a summary our our thoughts on these two popular brands:

  • When it comes to size, sleekness and elegance, Bellucci is the winner in our book.
  • On the topic of quality of coffee: Bellucci produces a richer coffee with a thicker crema right from the get go.  The Philips machine takes time to adjust and you need to have the patience to dial in the machine.
  • If you love milk based drinks and plan to make them regularly, the Philips LatteGo series is the winner in this category. 
  • If you always enjoy a coffee in company and want to make two coffees at a time, Philips is the way to go.
  • If you have two distinct coffee drinkers in the house and one wants a decaf, you need a machine with a bypass doser so Philips is your choice.
  • Both Bellucci and Philips coffee machines have a two year manufacturer's warranty so you can rest assured you have security and support with your purchase

We hope we have been able to give you some food for thought as you make your superautomatic coffee machine selection.  At the end of the day, regardless of the brand you choose, you will be happy that you can make a coffee with the push of a button with no mess and no fuss.

 If you have any questions about these two coffee machine brands or any other coffee related inquiries, do not hesitate to contact us.

 

 

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