The king of portable coffee makers - HiBREW H4A test

I like coffee, good coffee. I like coffee fresh, thick, creamy, like I get it in a coffee shop, in a small cup, with a drop of cream, without sugar. I like the bitter taste of coffee, a little sour or, depending on the coffee, sometimes a little sour. I love it everywhere, even on the road, which is why I bought the Hibrew H4A a year and a half ago!

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This test can again be considered a kind of durability test, because the H4A has been serving me for more than a year. During this time, I brewed quite a lot of coffee on it, so I gained some experience. You have to, because even though it seems easy to make coffee with it, it's not that good coffee. Any kind of coffee comes out of it at first, but believe me, it can be better!

Before I get to the science of cooking (I know, preparation, but let's leave that for now), let's see the machine first!

HiBREW H4A is not a large structure, approx. as big as a half-liter thermos. Formally, it is the same, that is, with a little exaggeration, we get a cylinder. Its height is just under 23 centimeters, its diameter is 7,5 centimeters, so it's really not big. Its weight isn't the same either, it's barely half a kilo, it weighs exactly 0,575 kilograms on the scale, empty of course.

It is basically a simple structure. It has a heating pad and a small pump. It heats the water with a power of 80 watts, then pushes it through the coffee cake with a pressure of 15 bar. With one filling, 60 milliliters, i.e. a little more than half a deciliter, of water can be filled. In other words, what comes out of it corresponds roughly to a portion of coffee. That is, a double, because 30 milliliters of water are needed to brew an espresso.

One of the most interesting things about the H4A is that it is a 3-in-1 coffee maker, which means that you can put Dolce Gusto or Nespresso capsules in it, and you can also use it with ground coffee. I don't really use capsules, but if someone wants to brew several coffees on the go, it's much more convenient to bring capsules than a coffee grinder.

The machine can basically be used in two ways. It can be a 220-volt power supply or a car cigarette lighter charger, but the power source can be USB or an external battery. However, there is a huge difference between the two solutions, i.e. using the regular power supply and the USB, with the former the machine heats up the water, but with the latter we have to pour hot water into the machine or you press cold water through the coffee.

The structure of the machine is simple, but logical, making it easy to use. The top cap can be removed, and you can fill it with water, either cold or hot. The biggest part below is the engine house, here is the heating pad, the pump and everything. Underneath, we find the piece that can also be unscrewed, into which you can put capsules or ground coffee. finally, the glass into which the coffee flows is at the bottom.

It is important to note here that the coffee machine is available in two configurations. The one in the article is simpler, but there is also a package that includes a stand for the coffee maker. This comes in handy if, for example, we use it in the office and we want to prepare the coffee right away in a cup.

Making coffee is therefore relatively simple, especially with capsules, there is no trick involved. If you make the coffee in the car or there is a two-twenty nearby, you fill the top with cold water, put the capsule in the bottom, place the bottom "cup" where the coffee flows out and wait about 5 minutes.

If you use crazy coffee, you use the stainless steel insert, which is similar to the one in the lever coffee makers, only smaller of course. There is a line inside this filter that shows the maximum level until you can fill the coffee. Well, now comes the point, that is, what you should pay attention to when making coffee.

the preparation is fundamentally different from the manual brewers, because here the coffee cake must not be excessively compacted. Besides, you're better off if you don't use the most delicious crazy coffee. If you grind at home, as I do, this is not an insurmountable problem, but there are also some coffees available in the store that will be good.

When coffee is made, the hot water causes the ground coffee grains to swell. The patty should be compacted before cooking, because if you don't do it this way, channels may form in the patty, through which water can pass more easily, so coffee will not boil out of most of the patty.

However, in the case of the HiBREW H4A, if you compress the cake too much, the machine cannot push the water through it. Although 15 bars are written in the specification, my experience is that there can be problems with very hard compressed coffee, especially if it is ground very finely.

So the point is, if you want delicious coffee, the grind should not be too fine, the height of the patty (compacted) should reach the maximum level indicated on the filter, and do not over-compact the patty.

Well, that's why I said that using the capsule is much easier, since you just take it out of your pocket, put it in the machine and start the process.

Does the HiBREW H4A have any faults or disadvantages?

Well, strictly speaking, there is no error. It would be nice if it had a battery, but even if it did, the only method that would work is to fill it with hot water. In addition, it can be powered by an external battery, so I don't think the lack of a battery is a crazy problem, and the machine would be much heavier in the battery version. So I give up the built-in battery with a light heart.

Of course, it would be perfect if it had a battery, it could also boil water in battery mode, but unfortunately we are not there yet.

All in all, I can't report any errors, and that's good. This is even better, because if you get into coffee making, you can approach the level of quality of large-arm machines. No, you will never reach it, but you can approach it. Believe me, it is not a negligible skill during a long car journey, since you can get great coffee at a rest stop on the highway or even on a pass in the Alps.

What I can suggest is that you consider buying the larger set, the one that includes a stand. This is much more convenient if you use it in a place where there is a table next to the outlet, and the coffee will not drip into a plastic cup, but directly into a cup.

Well, let's quickly summarize this short article!

So the situation is that here is this relatively simple, but all the more great structure from the HiBREW range. The company makes good machines anyway, but the H4A is simply great. Built from very good materials, it is a very easy-to-use structure, which is the perfect gift for coffee lovers at any time. Even for Christmas.

I surprised myself with it at the beginning of last summer, and have been using it ever since, if not on a daily basis. If I'm on the road, if the family goes on a long trip, it's filled with coffee and water in the car, so if you'd like a little coffee, after 5 minutes you plug it into the cigarette lighter and the double-presso is steaming in my glass.

I also have a capsule at home, I bought it last year, but as I wrote, I don't use it. Let's say it doesn't hurt to have it in the package on the way, just in case I need an extra dose. It hasn't been until now.

What is clear is that it is much more convenient to use with a capsule, if only because you don't even have to wash the dishes after making coffee, you pour out the remaining water, wipe it a little, and the capsule can go in the trash.

At the end of the article, here is the price!

It's quite strange, but my contact person said that he can only provide this coupon that he adds to the article for one day, that is, it expires on November 3rd. The reason for this may be that I got a much better price than usual. Instead of the original HUF 32, the simpler package costs HUF 400. The original price of the more expensive pack, which also includes a stand and carrying bag, is HUF 24, which you can reduce to HUF 500 with the coupon.

So, if you were to buy it at these prices, you don't have much time. Use the BGDB022 coupon code, the delivery takes place from a Czech warehouse quickly, without additional customs or VAT payments. Click on the link below:

HiBREW H4A portable coffee maker

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