The full review is available on Rendeljkinait
With the cold weather, the pumpkin spice latte and the HiBREW H2C have arrived, which is a similar, multifunctional coffee maker to the previously tested model from the manufacturer, the H17. It comes with 5 adapters, so you can put Dolce Gusto, Nespresso or Lavazza capsules, but also ground coffee and ESE pods, so you can have a different experience every morning when you start your day with black soup.
The H2C is surprisingly compact and I'm not just writing this out of bullshit, it really is, as it measures 260x110x268 millimeters and weighs 2.5 kilograms. And here's the spoiler: it beats the H17 tested last week in that it can handle more with one capsule, so
- on the ESE pod,
- on ground coffee,
- Dolce Gusto
- and Nespresso capsules in addition
- You can also put Lavazza capsules in it.
The H2C allows for a wide range of drinks, to put it mildly , no matter which type you stick to. In addition to the adapters , the package also includes an instruction manual and a tamper , with which you can evenly press and compact the ground coffee. Interestingly, it also comes with a needle, which is specifically designed to clean the Dolce Gusto capsule adapter if it gets clogged. The other interesting thing is a small cylindrical object, which also strengthens the accessories and is used to wash out limescale that may form over time from the system, using it like a pump.
HiBREW H2C coffee maker test – Autumn menu: coffee, coffee and more coffee
The H2C has a power of 1450 watts and HiBREW doesn't specify this model either, but it probably uses a thermoblock-based, flow-through heating system. This is indicated not only by the compact size of the machine, but also by the possibility of a cold/hot function. Most competitors at a similar price work with the same solution, and there would be absolutely no room for a boiler inside.
The 20 bar "fairy tale" is also true for this model, which I have already mentioned in the H17 test, but I will write it down here as well. This is a good number, but not entirely realistic, because the ideal pressure required for brewing coffee is less than this, about 9 bar. 20 bar is just the maximum power of the pump, but the water passes through the capsule/pod/ground coffee at a pressure that is not that high.
The predecessor model, the H2B, had a very simple control panel on top, with three buttons, and this was retained in this version, only given a new, more modern look. The middle button, when pressed briefly, is used to turn the machine on and off, and when pressed for a long time, theoretically allows you to switch between hot and cold options, but in practice this did not happen. No matter how many seconds I held it down, it never turned blue, although according to the description it should indicate cold, but I could not achieve this in any other way. The red color remained, which clearly indicates a hot end result. It is true that cooling coffees are best sold in the summer, but it would be a super convenient feature if it worked, but my failure remained a mystery worthy of a Scooby-Doo.
The maximum temperature is 95 °C.
The minimum temperature is 80 °C.
The pre-soaking process basically takes 0 seconds…
...but you can set it to up to 10 seconds
The display will flash until it warms up and is ready to use.
The water volume can be adjusted in 7 stages.
Medium water volume
Maximum water volume
The maximum temperature is 95 °C.
The minimum temperature is 80 °C.
The pre-soaking process basically takes 0 seconds…
...but you can set it to up to 10 seconds
The display will flash until it warms up and is ready to use.
The water volume can be adjusted in 7 stages.
Medium water volume
Maximum water volume
The maximum temperature is 95 °C.
Source: OrderChina – HiBREW H2C
There is a separate button for adjusting the water pressure, you can choose from 7 steps: 30/60/90/120/150/180 or 210 milliliters, but this is usually indicated on the capsule packaging, how much is ideal. You can also vary the brewing temperature to your liking, in a total of 8 steps: 80/85/90/91/92/93/94 or 95 degrees Celsius, but 92 °C is the basic one.
Similar to the H17, the H2C also has a pre-soaking function, which – as you might guess – you can also “activate” from here. This is an extra function during which the machine moistens the coffee (which can be in a capsule or a pad) at a lower pressure than average for 1-10 seconds before brewing. This way you can expect everything nice and good, more precisely a rich aroma and a nice crema, which is usually promised by more expensive espresso machines than the one tested, not by such multifunctional, capsule models. According to the manufacturer, Dolce Gusto (and other brands) capsules do not require additional pre-soaking, but I was surprised to find that the difference is indeed noticeable.
The capsule prepared without pre-soaking was sweeter, while the pre-soaked one had a "louder" and more concentrated flavor, so it's clear that pre-soaking the HiBREW H2C really works.
The annoying thing about this whole coffee maker is that you need the right button combination for half of the settings, so until you get used to using the machine, you'll have to look at the advertising material or flip through the instructions a few times.
Source: OrderChina – HiBREW H2C
Another annoying factor is that the H2C is quite loud. It starts out quite noisy in the first few seconds of brewing, I measured close to 50 dB. After brewing the coffee, it automatically removes excess water with some steam, so you can expect less dripping when you remove one of the adapters, but of course it doesn't eliminate the phenomenon 100%, as you can see in one of the pictures above.
Summary
The HiBREW H2C is not a bad coffee maker, but it is far from perfect. However, the versatility is a huge advantage, as it can handle 5 types of coffee, be it Dolce Gusto/Nespresso/Lavazza capsules, ESE pods or classic, ground coffee. This way, you don't have to give up any of them and you can be sure that if guests come to you, you will be able to serve everyone, and the pre-soaking option is also available, which is a great convenience feature for those who value this.
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