The Bezzera BZ10 performs its main tasks admirably. It delivers the temperature and pressure required for a perfect espresso with great consistency. As one of the most affordable espresso machines in the heat exchanger segment, it is a strong contender for the price-performance podium in our test series.
You can find more about the comparison with 11 other heat exchanger espresso machines here.
Good espresso! What more could you want?
If you primarily want good espresso, you can't go wrong with the Bezzera BZ10. It masters the most important tasks of an espresso machine. The brewing temperature is extremely consistent, fluctuating only slightly between 92 and 94 degrees. Very rare spikes to 95 degrees were hardly significant, provided no more than one espresso was brewed per minute.
Bezzera BZ10 Front View
The frothing performance of the Bezzera BZ10 also leaves nothing to be desired. Creamy milk foam can be easily frothed with this espresso machine. The pressure is sufficient, and the quality is just a matter of practice.
Given a price starting from 1460 CHF in Switzerland and from 1100 € in the EU, the Bezzera BZ10 is a very good entry-level choice for anyone primarily interested in beverage quality.
The machine makes compromises in some areas regarding materials and comfort. If that doesn't bother you, you don't need to read further. However, if you have, for example, heat-sensitive fingers, you should still check out the next sections.
If you want to learn how to prepare good espresso, visit our Home Barista Online Course or get a good insight with our article "Preparing Espresso".
Sharp edges and sensitive fingers
An espresso machine gets hot! Of course, because the water has to be heated. In a heat exchanger, the boiler is heated to over 120 degrees Celsius. The flowing pipe then transfers this temperature to the brewing water. Starting from the boiler, the temperature spreads throughout the espresso machine. In higher price segments, boilers are insulated to keep the temperature primarily within the boiler. In the BZ10, this temperature distributes generously everywhere – wherever temperature can be absorbed: in the metal!
Another heat source – in the BZ10, intentionally with its own heating – is the brew group. From there, temperature also spreads along all heat-conducting parts. And with the BZ10, it gets particularly hot. You should never touch brew groups anyway. But what about knobs and switches?
The on/off switch of the BZ10 and the switch for coffee dispensing can hardly be touched for more than 2 seconds, even with milk-frothing-resistant hands. The temperatures at the switch reach well over 60 degrees! This is not very user-friendly.
The steam wand is a classic steam wand – not a modern cold-touch wand. However, a rubber cover allows it to be touched here.
Bezzera saves on deburring the edges of the curved stainless steel housing. If edges on the inside are sharp, it doesn't bother you much and primarily requires caution when, for example, removing the water tank. But even at the front, clearly visible corners of the machine, you can cut yourself when quickly reaching for the espresso cup. This could be done much better.
Size, weight, and technical information about the Bezzera BZ10
With a width of 25 cm, a height of 37.5 cm, and a depth of 42.5 cm, the Bezzera BZ10 is quite compact – but still weighs 19 kilograms. The vibration pump is clearly audible and also causes some vibration, which, for example, makes the lid over the water tank noticeably rattle. The boiler volume is 1.5 liters, and the water tank holds 2 liters.
Hoses need to be inserted into the water tank to draw water. There are now much more aesthetically pleasing variants with an outlet in the bottom. But as I said – we are in the entry-level segment of espresso machines, and the Bezzera BZ10 was deliberately kept affordable.
The machine's hot water dispensing is activated via a lever, as is the steam for frothing milk. A nice double manometer shows the boiler pressure and the water pressure during espresso brewing.
Barista Trainer Michel Aeschbacher testing the Bezzera BZ10
The machine comes with a plastic tamper that is only suitable for the trash. The included sieve is significantly larger than the stated 16 grams. We easily filled 21 grams into the sieve. This has consequences for the size of the final beverages. If you follow our recommended beverage ratio of 1:2.5, then the final beverage will also be proportionally large (21 g*2.5 = 52.5 = 2 espressos of 26.25 grams each).
The side view image clearly shows that the drip tray is a bit short. An extra 3 cm would have prevented drops from constantly dripping over the front of the machine.
The backflush valve also contributes to the constant dripping around the espresso machine. We explain this in more detail in the video.
Heated brew group of the BZ10 vs. Faema E61 brew group
Most heat exchanger espresso machines are still constructed with the E61 brew group, which will soon celebrate its 60th birthday. The E61 brew group is essentially brought to temperature by a warming water circuit.
A brew group is the front part of the espresso machine into which the portafilter and thus the coffee are clamped. The well-heated temperature of the group is important, otherwise the brewing water would give off its own temperature to the metal and thus no longer reach the temperature required for brewing espresso. In our tests, we defined a desirable temperature of 93 – 94 degrees.
The Bezzera BZ10 uses a brew group with electrical heating. The consistent temperature of the BZ10 proves Bezzera right here, and the group leaves nothing to be desired.
Consistent brewing temperature of the Bezzera BZ10
From our point of view, neither an E61 nor an electrically heated group has fundamental advantages. Much more important is that it ultimately brings the right temperature to the group. However, this does not depend on the brew group, but on the overall context of the device. How far is the water's path from the boiler to the group? How quickly does the heat exchanger heat the water? When does the boiler reheat?
The disassembly of the Bezzera group is perhaps slightly easier than the disassembly for maintenance of the E61 brew group, as only three screws need to be opened. However, from our point of view, this is not significant.
Also, the heating time of the machine is not significantly faster. The BZ10 also took a good 22 minutes to reach full temperature.
Conclusion on the BZ10 from Bezzera
The BZ 10 delivers what it promises: good espresso and good milk foam quality. That's a pleasure! So, if you're primarily focused on beverage quality, you'll be very satisfied with the BZ10.
However, the machine makes compromises in terms of its construction and scope of delivery. The included plastic tamper is useless for preparing good espresso. The machine has many spots that overheat, but which, like the toggle switches for espresso extraction, are actually important.
We also dislike the unbroken metal edges on the machine, as they pose a risk of injury in everyday use.
As a very consistent espresso machine in the entry-level segment of heat exchangers, the Bezzera BZ10, despite its material weaknesses, is a candidate for the podium in terms of price-performance. Consistency is very important, especially for beginners in espresso preparation. And the Bezzera BZ10 undoubtedly delivers on this attribute!
Preparation of Espresso with the Bezzera BZ10
We are currently testing all commercially available heat exchanger espresso machines and will then summarize the test series with a comprehensive comparative test report.
