If, like me, your morning coffee is non-negotiable, the Philips café aromis 8000 makes a strong case for bringing the coffee-shop experience home. This premium bean-to-cup machine combines a built-in grinder, an intuitive touchscreen and Philips’ lattego pro milk system to make everything from a straightforward espresso to iced lattes and flat whites.
Getting the café aromis 8000 up and running couldn’t have been easier. After unboxing, you just rinse the relevant accessories and follow the prompts on the touchscreen. Each step is clearly described on the built-in display, so you’re not left having to decipher a complicated instruction manual (though there is one on hand if needed, as well as helpful YouTube videos online). It even tells you when to submerge and prepare the water filter and when to carry out the hard-water test.
Once you’re set up, the touchscreen becomes your virtual barista. It guides you through the drinks menu and, importantly, lets you know when the machine needs some attention. Whether it’s time to empty the grind tray, add ice or run a cleaning programme, you’re prompted when action is required.
The sheer number of drinks is one of the café aromis 8000’s biggest selling points. With more than 50 options to sift through, you may feel overwhelmed by choice at first glance. However, I found the navigation menu quite simple, as the drinks are organised into four straightforward categories: black coffee, cold coffee, cold with milk and hot with milk – before branching off into more specific drink types. This means you can move from an everyday espresso or black coffee to something more indulgent, such as a flat white or latte, without needing to change machines or learn complicated recipes. There’s also plenty of scope for experimentation, and you can save your creations to a personal profile for an easy re-make later on.
The machine offers seven coffee-strength settings too, so you can adjust the intensity depending on your mood or the beans you’re using. I found that once I had my preferred brew settings dialled in, the machine delivered consistently delicious results. You can also tweak the grind size using a dial inside the bean hopper, giving you another level of control over the finished cup.
For milk-based drinks, the lattego pro system is another strong feature. It produces thick, creamy and velvety foam, and worked well with both dairy and plant-based milk. The machine comes with separate carafes for hot and cold milk, making it easy to pivot from a traditional hot latte to a refreshing iced coffee without having to wait for the machine to cool down.
Better still, cleaning the milk system doesn’t feel like a chore. The carafes can be rinsed under the tap for around 10 seconds for a quick clean, or placed in the dishwasher when you want a deeper wash. The machine also carries out its own rinse cycles when required. Like most machines with a milk carafe, it doesn’t keep milk cold unless refrigerated. So, while the HomeID app allows you to prepare coffee remotely, you can’t fill the milk carafe before bed and expect the milk to be ready for your morning coffee. It’s best filled shortly before you use it.
Despite everything going on inside the machine, the café aromis 8000 is surprisingly quiet. Philips says its silentbrew technology makes the machine 40 per cent quieter than its previous models, and in everyday use it certainly feels less intrusive than some bean-to-cup machines. I did notice that the machine becomes louder when the milk carafe is less full. Fortunately, this is an easy fix, and a quick top-up brings the noise back down.
However, the machine is not completely maintenance free. In a three-person household, I found myself emptying the grind tray roughly once a day. It’s not particularly difficult or time-consuming, but it’s something to factor into your routine if the machine is going to be used heavily. The touchscreen makes the process easier by telling you when attention is needed, so you’re not left guessing when to clean, refill or empty anything.
Key specifications
- Type of machine: Bean-to-cup
- Size: H38.9 cm x W25.1cm x L45.2cm
- Built-in grinder: Yes
- Milk system: Hot and cold milk jugs
- Water tank capacity: 1.9l
