The Expobar G10 Barista

g10 barista review

Alongside the San Remo espresso machines, we also offer the Expobar range. The Expobar machines have traditionally been known as a budget range for the cash conscious, offering good quality, Spanish built machines for a good price.

Expobar have not necessarily been known for their forward thinking coffee technology, but this has all changed in the last few years, with the introduction of their own temperature control technology system. Expobar have developed their ever popular G10 espresso machine, to create a brand new, modern range, the Barista G10, which is now available in the UK.

The Barista G10 (available in a two or three group head) has individually controllable group heads, similar to the San Remo Verona and Roma, which can be adjusted individually to provide a different temperature espresso as required. This type of functionality is growing in popularity with baristas using speciality coffees, which benefit from a lower brew temperature to that of traditional espresso blends.

The main benefits of this machine are twofold – firstly, it can work off a 13 amp socket (unlike the Verona TCS, which generally requires single phase electricity), and more crucially, its price. At roughly the same price as the San Remo Capri, the Barista G10 offers the user functionality that until now has been beyond their budget.

The G10 Barista also has further built in technologies, such as self cleaning, on board statistical management (advising you on correct grind and number of cups served), and an intelligent power management system, to help control your running costs. All this plus your two steam wands, hot water tap, optional tall cup model (at no extra cost) and an 11.5 litre copper boiler mean you are getting one mean machine for your money.

Of course, there are drawbacks. Unlike the San Remo TCS system, which is stable to the exact degree from morning till night regardless of heavy operation, the Barista G10 does fluctuate slightly with constant use – we have found from our own tests that it can fluctuate by up to about 2 degrees, although it will regulate reasonably quickly. Overall, the machine is visually impressive, and the finish is also good for the price, albeit not as striking as the Verona.

However, for the technology Expobar are offering at the price it is available at, we feel the Expobar G10 Barista is a perfect choice for any establishment requiring a more stable temperature for their espresso. With this machine, you can feel confident in showcasing single origin coffees or 100% Arabica blends, both of which require more gentle treatment than traditional Arabica/Robusta café blends. You can also programme one side to a lower temperature (for example, for a guest espresso or a decaf option), and keep the other side at a higher temperature for your standard blend.

All in all, after trialling the machine in our showroom for a few weeks, we can confirm that for the price, the user is getting a machine with technology usually reserved for the big leagues. And although its not perfect, we agree that for the aspiring professional barista on a budget, there really is not better option.

Description

The G-10 Barista is an automatic espresso coffee machine with 2 individually controlled groups, electronic switchboard to control the coffee dosages volumetrically, and automatic water filling.

Features:

  • Separate 1.2kw, 1.5 litre boilers for each group head.
  • 3kw, 11.5 litre copper main hot water boiler for the hot water tap, two steam pipes and for preheating the water for the group heads.
  • Intelligent management of the power input by the machine, so the total consumption never exceeds 330 w.
  • Two steam taps (stainless steel) and one hot water tap.
  • Display offering advertising/messaging, automatic dosing of hot water, time management, auditing of total brewed coffees, daily automatic ON/OFF of the machine and control of the boiler and individual group head temperature.

Specification

  • Temperature controlled group heads allowing for individual control of each group.
  • Each group has its own dedicated 1.5 litre boiler.
  • On board diagnostics.
  • Self clean function
  • 11.5 litre copper boiler, allowing for no down time during rush hour and constant steam production.
  • Available in tall cup for no extra cost.
  • Spacious cup store and warm space.
  • Two stainless steel steam wands
  • Intelligent management of heating to help preserve energy.
  • Good working space.