The full review is available on Rendeljkinait
I didn't give out many "top rated" awards among the products I tested in 2024, but the HiBREW H10A coffee maker was one that received it. Now here is its successor, which was modestly named HiBREW H10 Plus, which has changed not only in appearance but also in its contents. More sophisticated accessories, wooden handles, a solenoid valve, and a few other little things that made the 2025 model even better.
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HiBREW H10 Plus Coffee Maker Test – Technology That Hides Under Clothes
Last year, regarding the HiBREW H10A, everything just came together, what came together was an almost perfect product at a very low price, and it seems that the market has discovered this. HiBREW was not lazy to continue to strike the iron and launched the HiBREW H10 Plus, which At first glance, it has changed mainly in its external featuresBefore you get fooled by the color, this dark white/butter design already existed for the HiBREW H10A - we had the inox version at the time - but I've only seen the HiBREW H10 Plus in this version, not in a stainless steel version.
I don't usually do much math on product packaging, but the good news is that in the case of the HiBREW H10 Plus there is an outer and an inner packaging and the Styrofoam insert was also free, because some courier service tried to pierce it with an armor-piercing spear, which was partially successful. Fortunately, the contents remained intact., so all accessories escaped, so in this case it is not about unnecessary waste production, but about protecting the device.
The accessories were also placed in the Styrofoam packaging, and there are quite a few of them included with the Hibrew H10 Plus:
- 3 coffee baskets, 2 of which are non-pressurized (1 and 2 servings) and one is (2 servings)
- 1 piece, very nicely crafted milk jug
- 1 piece, replaceable, wooden handle portafilter
- 1 piece, good weight, ribbed 58 mm tamper
- 1 measuring spoon, which also serves as a cleaning tool
- 1 piece of description
In fact, all you need to perfectly arrange your coffee grounds is a good coffee needle and a coffee pad,
everything else is given. The HiBREW H10 Plus looks really cool in real life, and this “enamelled” surface also doesn’t collect fingerprints, unlike the previous brushed metal surface. You'll even find steel where you wouldn't think at first., essentially only the drip tray and the huge 1,8 liter water tank are plastic. However In some places the joints could be nicer, for example, the metal frame of the front panel doesn't fit perfectly with the side panel. This is something you wouldn't normally notice, but it caught my eye because I've had many coffee makers
Source: Order China
The good thing is that this old-fashioned, black vinyl material has been completely abandoned, instead wooden handle The portafilter and steam regulator have also been updated, which is no longer a rotary switch, but a lever that helps those who want coffee foam. The same is true for the compactor - which fits much better into the coffee basket than before -, here too wood dominates and of course the “handles” can be replaced everywhere, if for some reason you don't like them. The HiBREW H10 Plus Uses 58mm, catering standard, meaning that anyone who wants to buy accessories has a very wide range available to them. The problem is that the steam wand cannot be extended sufficiently, and so it's very difficult to put any glass underneath, but in principle you'll use the metal milk jug tilted anyway.
Source: YouTube, Hibrew H10 Plus vapor tube
What is HiBREW H10 Plus? Regarding its control: nothing has changed compared to the previous model. On the front panel you can see the four buttons with which you can set the functions, from left to right: on/off, making 1 or 2 cups of coffee, and steaming. Between the four buttons is the pressure gauge – in technical terms, a manometer – – it is worth noting that 20 bar is not even the ideal, as most manufacturers advertise –, and on the top right a small display provides information about what is currently happening.
And then I'll quickly take a look at the difference between the H10A and the H10 Plus:
- wooden handles
- wider and better drip tray
- they have improved the spout (you can't see this by default, you have to look under the coffee maker)
- they marked the values on the pressure display clock
- You can start steaming with a lever, not a knob
- in the H10 Plus there is a solenoid valve to release the pressure
- larger and more sophisticated milk frother in the package
- the tamper is better, it fits better in the coffee basket
- the portafilter has three lugs, not two (so it is not compatible with the H10A)
- pressure value can be adjusted from the menu (this function did not exist before)
- Italian, ULKA vibrating pump instead of the previous noname
In connection with the above, it occurred to me that HiBREW reads customer feedback and has fixed a lot of things on the previous machine. The most impressive of these, and the reason I would buy these normal-width ones instead of the narrow coffee makers, is that It can also fit two larger glasses. What's more, it's quiet, as it uses a vibration pump from the Italian manufacturer ULKA. Since this is one of the parts that tends to break in coffee makers, it's good that you can get the part included.
Of course, you don't need to worry about the above if you don't want to mess around and just drink coffee, but as you can see, the machine offers a lot of possibilities. Two concepts are worth clarifying right away: the role of pre-infusion and the solenoid valve.
What is pre-infusion?
Pre-infusion is nothing more than pre-injection,
which can last up to 10 seconds in the case of the HiBREW H10 Plus. This function does nothing more than pre-soak the coffee grounds, thus making the brewing more even. I experimented with it, but in the end I turned it off because it made the coffee grounds very wet, but of course it is also time-dependent, and it is good that this function exists at all. You can tell that the HiBREW H10 Plus is pre-soaking by hearing the ULKA pump it injects water, plus the pressure gauge needle moves up and down at lower pressure.
The solenoid valve is also good because it prevents water from dripping onto the grid after brewing, because it blocks its path and releases the remainder into the drip tray when it is no longer needed. Of course, the HiBREW H10 Plus also includes a mechanical overpressure valve – OPV – which increases safety.
In this price range, all machines have thermo blocks, this means that It is not a metal boiler that heats the water, but rather the water passes through a heating element. The disadvantage is that it is more difficult to maintain a consistent temperature than boiler solutions, in return, it heats up in 30-40 seconds, and I think that's what's important in practice. Fortunately PID controller also, so it constantly corrects the temperature, keeping it even, which is usually not a feature of this category. But, that's why I praised the HiBREW H10A to death at the time, because it can do things like this, so the same pathos applies to the HiBREW H10 Plus.
Source: Youtube, Hibrew H10 Plus thermo block and solenoid valve
But how was the coffee? It was really good, but not at first. You have to play with the values, adjust the brewing time, and switch on the pre-infusion, and I don't think the average person needs that. The coffee crema forms a good, rich dark brown surface, but it fades a little quickly. Of course, all this requires a good coffee grinder – your own HiBREW G3 I used my grinder -, the proper preparation of the coffee - coffee needle, tampering -, but after that it all comes together nicely. I also tried to make milk drinks - and I'm pitifully weak at foaming -, mainly cappuccino, which requires steaming milk or plant-based milks.
Non-foaming plant milk
The barista's plant-based milk froth
Capuccino (and an almost tree)
Milk
The tamper leaves such a beautiful impression
Barista plant-based milk that foams
Long
Non-foaming plant milk
The barista's plant-based milk froth
Capuccino (and an almost tree)
Milk
The tamper leaves such a beautiful impression
Barista plant-based milk that foams
Source: Order China
so If you are lactose intolerant, buy this otherwise you won't be able to create bubbles with the steam wand. I used Billa's own brand Vega Vita oat milk for this, but it is available in Hungary Jewel and The Bridge products are also good, about that In my HiBREW H13A test I wrote. To steam, you need to pull the wooden switch on the right side or press the button with the steam pictogram on the front panel. If you don't do this, The machine is dispensing hot water. The HiBREW H10 Plus creates bubbles brilliantly, but Latte Art patterns require practice, so I can't show you that, but the foam was delicious, even if not pretty. However, since the milk frother is larger than before and the steam wand can't be folded out far enough to the side, I kept hitting the tray, which is an annoying ergonomic mistake.
Summary
The HiBREW H10 Plus deserves the name Plus because it has improved in many ways compared to the previous model. However, I didn't like a few things about it, one of which is that the coffee splashes a little, which can make you dirty, the other is that it is not compatible with the previous portafilter, because the fitting is now "three-winged" instead of two. And the steam wand can only be turned sideways slightly, which prevents milk frothing. Also, whoever made the springs on the portafilter so tight, I would have to take out the coffee basket with my bare hands a few times as punishment.
However, the its accessories are much better, the look is cool, the wooden handles are nice, it has a solenoid valve, PID controller, ULKA manufactures the vibration pump, It supports the 58mm catering standard, so you can add a lot of accessories, and its tray is wide enough for two glasses.
What is a solenoid valve?
The coffee maker solenoid valve (also known as a solenoid valve) is a electromagnetically controlled valve, which plays a key role in regulating water and pressure. The solenoid valve opens or closes in response to an electrical signal. This allows the machine to control when the water flow starts or stops. It can also control pressure, allowing water to be released into the drip tray when it is no longer needed.