Philips 3300 vs Gran Lattissima: Beans or Original Capsules?

This UK edition compares Philips EP3347/90 Black Chrome with the De’Longhi Gran Lattissima EN640, which Nespresso UK sells in white and black finishes. The Philips grinds beans into an internal brew unit. The Gran Lattissima is built by De’Longhi for Nespresso Original capsules. It will not take Vertuo pods, and no capsule of either kind goes into the Philips.

The fairest way to choose is to run the same morning through both machines: two flat whites or cappuccinos before the school run, a longer black coffee mid-morning, and a clean worktop before bed. That routine says more than a count of drink icons on the front panel.

One morning, two very different routines

This table compares jobs, not timings. The Gran Lattissima Clean rinse does not replace washing its milk parts. The UK Philips reference is EP3347/90 with LatteGo, not every machine sold under the 3300 name.

This comparison is drawn from manufacturer documentation for the UK Philips EP3347/90 and the De’Longhi Gran Lattissima EN640 sold by Nespresso UK. It is not a hands-on test: there has been no matched taste, noise, temperature, speed or reliability check.

Philips 3300: bean-to-cup without a portafilter

The Philips grinds, doses, brews and drops the spent grounds into a bin inside the machine. You keep the water tank and hopper topped up, choose a drink and adjust strength or volume if you want. There is no portafilter to fill, tamp and knock out, which is the main reason people move from a manual espresso machine to a bean-to-cup model.

The ceramic grinder has 12 settings. Treat those as a way to fine-tune the beans you have loaded, not as twelve coffees. If you already buy beans from a local roaster or a supermarket you like, the Philips lets that bag become the household coffee. A single hopper suits a home that drinks one coffee most of the time; it is less suited to switching beans cup by cup.

Philips UK lists espresso, coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato, iced coffee and hot water for EP3347/90. Hot water is a useful button, but it is not another coffee. When you compare menus, compare the drinks you actually make rather than the total on the box.

WhichCapsule note: If you are deciding between two bean-to-cup machines with automatic milk, read Philips 3300 vs Magnifica Evo. For a step up within the Philips range, see Philips 3300 vs 5500 LatteGo.

Gran Lattissima: a new capsule for every cup

Gran Lattissima starts with a sealed, pre-portioned Original capsule. Drop it in, attach the carafe if you want milk and press the recipe. For a household where one person wants an intense espresso and another wants a decaf flat white, that cup-by-cup freedom is the strongest argument for capsules over a hopper.

Nespresso UK describes one-touch cappuccino, latte macchiato, flat white and caffè latte, plus hot milk so you can build your own drink. The coffee sizes sit alongside those milk recipes. A larger menu than the Philips does not mean more types of coffee: several buttons use the same capsule with a different amount of milk or foam.

The carafe has more removable parts than LatteGo. Automatic milk is convenient, but the lid, the milk tube and the frothing head still need regular washing. That is the real trade against buying a smaller Original machine with a separate frother. The Gran Lattissima review explains the machine’s own routine in more detail.

WhichCapsule note: Nespresso UK sells the EN640 in a white Fresh Vitality finish and in black. The machine is the same; check the colour and the box contents on the listing you choose.

Two flat whites: who washes up afterwards?

Before the first drink, both machines need clean milk equipment and fresh milk from the fridge. On the Philips the coffee comes from the hopper and LatteGo sits on the front. On the Gran Lattissima you insert a capsule for each coffee, clip the carafe in and position the cup. If the second person wants a different coffee, that is simply another capsule on the Gran; on the Philips it means the same beans or the separate pre-ground route.

Then finish the milk job properly. LatteGo has no milk tube to thread back in. The Philips manual asks you to clean it after use, under the tap or in the dishwasher as described. If several small carafe parts would tempt you to leave the washing until later, that simpler design is a genuine reason to prefer the Philips.

On the Gran Lattissima, use the prompted Clean rinse straight after the last milk drink, then wash the carafe parts as the instructions describe. The rinse pushes hot water and steam through the milk outlet; it does not clean every surface that milk touches. Allow time for that, even though the button on the front says Clean.

WhichCapsule note: This is a planning comparison, not a replacement for either manual. Use the instructions supplied with your machine for milk storage, washing and reassembly.

The weekly job: brew unit or capsule bin?

With beans, the coffee residue stays inside the Philips. The manual asks for a weekly water-only rinse of the removable brew unit, with coffee-oil treatment and lubrication on their own schedule. Do not wash the brew unit with milk-system detergent, and do not treat a descaling cycle as a coffee-oil clean. They are separate jobs.

The Gran Lattissima leaves used capsules rather than loose grounds. Empty the capsule container and drip tray before they fill, and wash the removable parts as directed. Leaving damp capsules in the bin overnight is a habit to avoid. There is no grinder to look after, but the carafe still needs its routine.

Hard water is common across much of England, so plan for descaling on both machines. Set the water hardness during setup where the machine asks for it, follow the descaling alert and use the method in the manual. A water filter reduces scale; it does not promise you will never need to descale.

WhichCapsule note: A fair comparison includes daily and periodic care. A quick coffee routine can sit alongside a more involved milk-washing routine.

Decaf, different coffees and the big-mug question

If two people drink different coffees, note how often they switch. Original capsules make regular, decaf or a different blend a per-cup choice. The Philips has a pre-ground compartment for an occasional different coffee, but that is a separate step, not a second hopper. Only ground coffee goes into it, never a capsule.

If you mostly drink a large mug of black coffee, a Philips coffee recipe, an Original lungo and an espresso topped up with hot water are three different drinks. Adding lots of milk to a short coffee base can also make it taste mild. Count how many capsules or coffee preparations your usual mug really takes before you decide.

Vertuo is a separate Nespresso system with its own machines and larger cup sizes. Vertuo pods do not fit the Gran Lattissima, so do not buy it to use up an existing Vertuo collection. If capsule variety and automatic milk are what you want, stay within Original-compatible machines.

Space, plug and the sink-side routine

Both machines are sold in the UK with a three-pin plug. Measure the space with the water tank, milk container and drip tray pulled out, not just the closed machine. Check whether the hopper lid on the Philips or the carafe on the Gran Lattissima clears a wall cupboard when you lift or attach it.

Think about the route to the sink. LatteGo comes off as a whole and splits into two pieces. The Gran Lattissima carafe comes apart into several smaller parts that need somewhere to drain. In a small kitchen with a crowded draining board, that can matter more than the drink list.

The Gran Lattissima water tank is listed at 1.3 litres by Nespresso UK. If you make several milk drinks a day, you will refill it regularly; keep a jug near the machine rather than carrying the tank across the kitchen each time.

Check the exact UK model before ordering

Whether you buy from John Lewis, Currys, Argos or Nespresso directly, match the full model code: EP3347/90 for this Philips and EN640 for the Gran Lattissima. A product family name can cover several finishes and milk systems, and an import may carry a different plug or electrical specification.

Keep new, refurbished and used listings separate. Check who sells and delivers the machine, the return terms and which accessories are in the box. A brand storefront or a matching photograph does not on its own confirm the package a particular seller will send.

What people actually ask

Is the Philips 3300 easier to clean than the Gran Lattissima?

LatteGo is a two-piece milk container with no tube, so there are fewer milk parts to handle. The Philips also needs brew-unit rinsing and grounds emptying. The Gran Lattissima has no grinder or loose grounds, but its carafe has more parts to rinse and wash. Compare both lists of jobs.

Does the Gran Lattissima Clean button wash the whole carafe?

No. The Clean rinse flushes the milk outlet with hot water and steam. The carafe parts still need to be taken apart and washed as described in the instructions.

Can either machine use beans and Nespresso capsules?

No. The Philips EP3347/90 uses beans, with a separate compartment for pre-ground coffee. The Gran Lattissima EN640 uses Nespresso Original capsules only. Vertuo pods fit neither machine.

Which is better if one person drinks decaf?

The Gran Lattissima makes it easy: choose a decaf Original capsule for that cup. The Philips can make an occasional decaf through its pre-ground compartment, but it does not have a second hopper. The better fit depends on how often you switch.

Is the Gran Lattissima made by Nespresso or De’Longhi?

De’Longhi builds the Gran Lattissima for the Nespresso Original system, under the model code EN640. Nespresso UK sells it alongside its other Original machines.

Which one makes better coffee?

There has been no matched tasting of these two machines here. The Philips gives you any beans you like and grinder control; the Gran Lattissima gives you portioned Original coffees with easy variety. Those differences should guide your choice more than a single taste verdict.

Choose the coffee format your household will stick with

• Philips EP3347/90: you want your own beans, automatic brewing and a milk container with only two parts to wash.
• Gran Lattissima: you want a different Original capsule for each cup and accept the carafe rinse and parts wash.
• Mixed household with a decaf drinker: capsules make switching simple; on the Philips, plan around the pre-ground route.
• Neither: if avoiding milk cleaning is your priority, automatic milk on either machine still needs washing.

The bottom line

I would start with the Philips 3300 for a household that has settled on beans and wants the simplest milk container to wash. I would start with the Gran Lattissima for people who like Original capsules and regularly choose different coffees from each other.

Run through two milky coffees and the clear-up afterwards before you order. The right machine is the coffee format and cleaning routine you will happily repeat every morning, not the one with the longer list of buttons.