HiBrew H10A - REVIEW

[ToninoC]

Hello everyone. A few weeks ago, I bought the HiBrew H10A through AliExpress. This is my first espresso machine, so I don't have anything to compare it with. After reading this forum intensively and watching a lot of videos online, I decided I didn't want to spend a lot of money (the costs keep rising) on a machine that I wasn't sure I could use effectively.

It seems that the folks at HiBrew are willing to make coffee machines of reasonable quality with decent materials and some features that should place them in a higher category (at a higher price). Ultimately, almost everything is made in China. So, at least for me, the fact that it's Chinese doesn't make it dismissible from the start.

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect recipe, but I'm getting closer. Additionally, I'm realizing that even my sense of smell is adjusting, and I'm beginning to know if the coffee will be "drinkable" just by smelling it. In any case, I'm starting to pull better espressos than 99% of the cafés, and luckily, at least in my city, there are now some real coffee shops where they serve you non-torrefacto coffee that you can drink without having to put in two packets of sugar or mask the bad taste with milk.

Review of the HiBrew H10A Espresso Machine​

In this review of the HiBrew H10A espresso machine, we analyze its features, operation, and performance.

HiBrew H10A Features:​

Price and Accessories:

• Price: Approximately €290. AliExpress price as of 16/06/24.
• Accessories: It comes with a metal jug for frothing milk. I've tried it with barista-grade oat milk (Lidl), and the results seem quite good to me (from my limited experience). It makes crema.
• Pressurized basket (not used, nor will be).
• It also includes a metal tamper, but it doesn't fit perfectly to the sides of the basket. It's slightly less than 1 mm off. The metal tamper, not the plastic junk that other machines come with, is 58 mm (measured with a digital caliper) and the basket seems to be about 58.5 mm. I've ordered a constant pressure tamper that hasn't arrived yet, also from AliExpress (brand MHW-3BOMBER).

Additionally, I've purchased (not included with the machine):

• A coffee needle distributor €3.46 (~$3.81).
• A Fuego brand leveler €17.67 (~$19.44).
• A Fuego brand metal cup for pouring ground coffee, fits perfectly in the basket, €12.30 (~$13.53).
• A scale that supposedly measures with 0.1 g precision (not very satisfied) €11.27 (~$12.40).
• A metal ring for distributing coffee in the basket €5.40 (~$5.94).
• A HiBrew brand bottomless portafilter (haven't used it yet) €67.31 (~$74.04) (probably could have done without it).
• A very useful silicone mat €24.44 (~$26.88).

And of course, a grinder. After much consideration, I chose the HiBrew G5. I'm still looking for the ideal grind. I'm a bit surprised and uneasy because I have to set it outside the "Espresso" zone and into the "Turkish coffee" zone, even beyond the dial. Otherwise, the needle on the pressure gauge doesn't enter the green zone (espresso zone). I bought the machine and grinder for €385.40. ($424) I ended up paying €19.67 in taxes (EURO ZONE).

The coffee maker includes a PID controller, a front pressure gauge, and an adjustable pre-infusion function.

Design and Construction:​

• Material: The exterior is described as stainless steel, although it is very thin, and a magnet sticks to it, albeit not strongly.
• Weight: Approximately 3 kg, very light.
• Water Tank: 1.7-liter capacity, easy to remove.

The portafilter with a replaceable basket fits standard 58 mm baskets, although not all are compatible due to the portafilter having three lugs instead of two. The portafilter is massive, so the first coffee doesn't come out very hot. To get a hotter coffee, before preparing it, I pour hot water over the portafilter. To improve thermal stability, right before attaching the portafilter to the machine, I press the brew button for a few seconds, let some water out, and immediately stop it.

It doesn't have a solenoid valve, which apparently reduces costs but means the pressure isn't automatically released after stopping the pump, causing it to drip slightly after making coffee (8-12 drops). This can be solved by placing a bowl underneath.

Operation and Performance:​

Heating System:

• Thermal block instead of a boiler, allowing for rapid water heating. It takes about 30 seconds to reach 92°C after turning it on.

Pre-infusion and Temperature Control:

• The pre-infusion can be adjusted in time (between 0 and 10 seconds).
• PID temperature control: Allows switching between Celsius and Fahrenheit and adjusting both brewing and steam temperature.
• Temperature can be regulated from 90°C to 95°C. It even has a cold brew extraction temperature of 25°C, which I haven't tried.

Steam Operation:

• Steam generation seems quite efficient for the machine's size.
• Possibility to adjust the steam temperature between 125°C and 150°C in 5°C steps, although the steam flow and power may vary.
• Since it only has one boiler, after using the steam, it's very hot to prepare an espresso, and it needs to be purged until the temperature drops.

The "manometer" isn't really one. It doesn't have markings with the reached pressure. It has three zones: a white one, a green one where the needle should move when making coffee, and a red one indicating overpressure.

Access to the water tank is very simple, making refilling an easy maneuver. Additionally, everything is visible, so checking the water level is immediate.

An H2 alarm indicating water shortage has already gone off, so at least I know that works.

Also to mention that the extraction amount is configurable for both single and double espresso. However, the pre-infusion is also counted, so to get about 36 ml of coffee, we need to select the 40 ml option. In the double espresso button, the minimum amount that can be selected is 50 ml. With this option and 4 seconds of pre-infusion, I'm getting about 40-42 ml of coffee.