Having a fully automatic espresso machine at home is quite a luxury that every coffee person loves to have.
The Philips 4300 and DeLonghi Dinamica Plus are two popular picks for an automatic coffee machine. But each of these models comes with a set of different features and is sold at a different price, so you have to understand which is the best pick for your personal needs and budget.
Key Notes
– The Philips 4300 offers 8 coffee drink options, while the Dinamica Plus has 16 coffee drink options.
– Both of them are equipped with automatic milk frothers, but the frothers differ in design.
– The Dinamica Plus is a premium model with a touchscreen display and Bluetooth connectivity.
Why The Philips 4300 Is The Better Pick
Differences Between Philips 4300 and DeLonghi Dinamica Plus
As I mentioned, each of these coffee machines is available at a different price range and set of features.
The Dinamica Plus is double the price but also has double the coffee presets and a better display. The Philips 4300 has a more accessible price and has a coffee menu that includes all the basic recipes, either black or milk-based.
The choice will come down to how much you can afford to pay, and which set of features you want readily available in your automatic espresso machine.
Preset Coffee Drinks
When it comes to preset coffee drinks, both the Philips 4300 and DeLonghi Dinamica Plus espresso machines offer a wide variety of beverages to choose from.
These machines are designed to cater to different taste preferences and coffee cravings, ranging from simple espresso shots to creamy cappuccinos, lattes, and more.
| Machine | Preset Coffee Drinks |
|---|---|
| Philips 4300 | Ristretto, Espresso, Coffee, Americano, Cappuccino, Latte Macchiato, Caffe Crema (lungo), Caffe Au Lait, Milk Froth, Hot Water |
| DeLonghi Dinamica Plus | Espresso, Coffee, Long Black, Doppio, Over Ice, Cappuccino, Latte Macchiato, Cappuccino + , Cappuccino Mix , Hot Milk, Caffe latte, Flat White, Espresso Macchiato, Coffee Pot. |
As you can see, the DeLonghi Dinamica Plus offers a few more options than the Philips 4300. Both machines include classic coffee drinks, including espresso, coffee, cappuccino, and latte macchiato.
However, DeLonghi has the habit of using redundant recipe names for drinks that are similar:
For example: Cappuccino Plus is a cappuccino with Doppio, which is a double espresso. Or Cappuccino Mix, which is a cappuccino made with espresso first then milk after so it’s mixed unlike the usual separated milk/coffee preparation.
So while the Dinamica Plus does have more options, they are all doable on the Philips 4300, too. The exceptions are:
Truebrew Over Ice: This is coffee brewed at a lower temperature for a refreshing over-ice drink.
Coffee Pot: DeLonghi can brew up to 30 oz coffee, which they call ‘Coffee Pot’ size. However, this is a disappointing and unnecessary serving size, as the machine can only use a limited size of ground coffee in a single serving, it is not enough to brew a full 30 oz capacity.
Overall, if you are a fan of basic espresso or milk-based coffee drinks, they are all available on both coffee machines.
I won’t favor the Dinamica Plus for having more preset coffee options, because I feel like it’s all marketing jargon to make it stand out, while in reality, you can do the same on any automatic coffee machine.
Customized Settings
When it comes to customizing your coffee experience, both the Philips 4300 and DeLonghi Dinamica Plus offer a range of settings to cater to your individual preferences. From adjusting the strength and temperature of your espresso to creating your own unique coffee recipes.
Customized settings on DeLonghi and Philips are
| Dinamica Plus | Philips 4300 | |
| Coffee Strength | 5 | 5 |
| Coffee Volume | 5 | 5 |
| Froth Level | 3 | 3 |
User Profiles For Customized Settings
The Philips 4300 allows you to save up to three user profiles, each with personalized drink preferences. You can adjust the strength, temperature, and volume of your coffee to suit your taste, and even customize the milk froth for your cappuccino or latte.
The DeLonghi Dinamica Plus also offers three user profiles to save special recipes. You can also go into the machine’s settings to change the default recipe of each coffee drink and save it.
I believe you are getting similar experiences in the customization area from both coffee machine models.
LatteGo and LatteCrema Automatic Milk Frothers
Both the Philips 4300 and DeLonghi Dinamica Plus are available in two variations: a classic steam wand frother or an automatic frother. In this comparison, we are looking at the auto-frothing models.
Philips 4300 is equipped with the LatteGo, which is Philips’s 2-part frothing system that includes no plastic tube. Only the frothing jug and the dispensing spout. This makes it extremely easy to clean and less prone to clogging. It has an 8 oz capacity, which is mostly enough for two cappuccinos or a single Latte Macchiato.
The Dinamica Plus features DeLonghi’s LatteCrema milk system. It works like the LatteGo in terms of frothing and auto dispensing, but it’s made up of several parts: the jug, the plastic tube, the dispensing spout, and small internal parts. This makes it more difficult to clean than the LatteGo by Philips.
While both deliver satisfying frothing results, take cleaning into consideration. Philips 4300 has the easiest milk system to clean compared to many automatic milk frothers, including the Dinamica Plus.
Controls and Display
The user interface is an essential aspect of any super-automatic espresso machine. Not only does it make selecting your coffee drinks easier, but it makes customizing and controlling your machine a breeze.
The Philips 4300 is equipped with a simple yet intuitive interface, making it effortless to select your desired settings. It features backlit touch buttons with a colored display that provides clear and concise information, allowing you to monitor the brewing process at a glance.
The display shows the selected drink type, strength, volume, and temperature and it gives you access to all the machine’s settings.
The DeLonghi Dinamica Plus has a more advanced interface, with a 3.5-inch color TFT touch display. The interface is responsive and user-friendly, providing easy access to all the drink options and settings. It also has a ‘favorites’ section, allowing you to save up to six customized drinks for future use.
Overall, the Dinamica Plus has a more feature-rich interface, which is reflected in its price. But the Philips 4300’s interface is also user-friendly and intuitive. The touch buttons provide the names of each coffee drink, while the screen allows for additional customization and settings.
The Built-In Grinders
As fully automatic coffee machines, both models are equipped with built-in grinders.
| Features | Philips 4300 | DeLonghi Dinamica Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Grinder Material | Ceramic | Stainless Steel |
| Grind Settings | 12 | 13 |
| Bean Hopper Capacity | 9.3 ounces | 10.6 ounces |
The Philips 4300 features a ceramic grinder that delivers consistent and precise grinding, allowing you to extract the full flavor from your beans. The grinder has 12 different settings, enabling you to adjust the fineness of the grind to your liking. The machine also has an Aroma Seal that preserves the freshness of your beans, ensuring they stay flavorful for longer.
The DeLonghi Dinamica Plus features 13 different settings that allow for more precise control over the grind. The grinder is made of durable stainless steel, ensuring it can withstand frequent use. The machine’s bean hopper is also larger than the Philips 4300, with a capacity of 10.6 ounces, allowing you to make more servings without the need for refilling.
The difference between ceramic and stainless steel burrs won’t affect your coffee experience by much. Also, the one extra grind setting the Dinamica Plus offers won’t make a lot of difference. I find both machines quite similar when it comes to grinding quality.
Connectivity
The Dinamica Plus comes with a Bluetooth connectivity feature that allows you to pair it with the DeLonghi app for further customization and controls.
Coffee Link App by DeLonghi allows you to remotely access your machine, tweak the settings, create and save recipes, or even brew a cup of coffee. It also comes quite handy if you need to troubleshoot an error or do some maintenance work.
Navigating these things through an app makes it extremely easy and more intuitive than on the machine.
This isn’t a feature available for the Philips 4300.
Value For Money
As I mentioned, the Dinamica Plus (retail price) is around double the price of the Philips 4300. Is it worth it’s value, though?
What you are paying for in the Dimanica Plus is design features like the touch screen and color display as well as superior customization settings and the connectivity feature.
But when it comes to the coffee recipes, they are similar in both the Dinamica and Philips 4300. Even if the Dinamica Plus chooses to use fancy names like Cappuccino Plus or Cappuccino Mix.
A cappuccino Plus is a double espresso cappuccino. To do that on the Philips 4300, you can simply select the Cappuccino option, followed by the Espresso option. It is one extra step, but the results are the same.
It is up to you if you want to pay the premium price for the Dinamcia Plus but to be completely honest, I don’t think you are getting a much higher experience than what the Philips 4300 has to offer.
Related Comparisons
- Philips Coffee Machine Comparisons
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- DeLonghi Dinamica vs Dinamica Plus
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