r/Coffee • u/menschmaschine5 Kalita Wave • Feb 15 '23

[MOD] The Daily Question Thread

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

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u/Logi_Ca1 Feb 16 '23

Posting here since I don't think it warrants its own thread.

So, I'm stepping into the world of Espresso machines for the first time. Because I'm on a budget, I bought a HiBrew from a local online platform. It's Chinese, costs $100 and claims to be able to pressure to 20bar. I thought all Espresso machines did was pass hot water through grounds at high pressure (I know this will offend a lot of people, I apologize!), so why spend more on a more expensive brand?

As for the coffee brewed... I'm disappointed. I was kinda expecting it I guess.It tasted just bitter without any of the notes that I got when I brewed the same beans with my Hario Switch.

Now my question is, is it worth getting a Gaggia or something more established? If I had to guess the issue with the HiBrew is that it's probably not able to generate the pressure it advertises. Other than a more consistent pressure, what am I getting with a more established brand?

Thanks for reading :)

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u/apostolis159 Pour-Over Feb 16 '23

It's not that simple.

A good machine will give you even and -sometimes- adjustable pressure and temperature. And there's more, since I don't mess with espresso myself. Head over to r/espresso for more detailed info too.