Hikaru V60 Smart Brewer tested: Great temperature, poor water distribution

The Hikaru V60 by Hiroia delivers the most precise temperature stability we have ever measured in a filter coffee machine. Nevertheless, we do not recommend it due to design flaws in the water distribution and a price tag of 700 to 800 CHF that is completely disproportionate to its performance.

Why we conducted this test

We systematically test filter coffee machines. The Hikaru is the most expensive consumer machine in this series. Our test protocol includes temperature measurement, brewing profile analysis, and sensory evaluation. We worked with both the included Hario V60 and alternative drippers.

Technical specifications

The Hikaru operates with a boiler system (700 ml, 830 W) and offers an adjustable temperature range of 80 to 96 degrees Celsius. The flow rate can be regulated in 10 levels from 1 to 10 ml per second. There are 9 presets, divided into three sizes (S/M/L) and three roast levels (Light/Medium/Dark Roast). Control is via an app (iOS 13+, Android 10+) or via three buttons on the device. The shower head has 5 holes with a diameter of about 2.5 cm, which corresponds to a 1-euro coin. The heating time is about 4 minutes from a cold start.

Temperature measurement: Top marks

We measured three brews at different temperature levels: profile 2 at 92 degrees, profile 3 at 85 degrees, and profile 4 at 96 degrees. The machine maintains the set temperature throughout the entire brewing process with a maximum deviation of 1 degree. This is exceptional. For comparison: even high-quality consumer machines show temperature fluctuations of 3 to 5 degrees.

The three temperature curves are almost horizontal. At 85 degrees, the machine stays between 84.1 and 85.5 degrees. At 96 degrees, between 95.2 and 96.0 degrees. At 92 degrees, between 91.4 and 93.1 degrees.

The technical explanation: The boiler is fully heated before brewing. There is no instant heating effect that would reach its limits at higher flow rates. This results in the constant temperature.

Water distribution: the core problem

The shower head has five holes with a diameter of about 2.5 cm. The water hits the coffee bed centered. With a conical filter like the Hario V60, this means: the center is heavily agitated, while the edges receive less agitation, leading to under-extraction.

We brewed 18 g of coffee with profile S (290 ml, 5 pulses). The water barely reaches the outer coffee particles. They get wet, but are not agitated. The extraction is uneven. You can taste this: the coffee has little body, and a slightly dry note remains in the aftertaste.

With manual pour-overs, we control water distribution by moving the kettle or using spiral pouring patterns. The Hikaru shower head is rigid. It cannot compensate for this.

Attempted solution: Orea and Mellow Dripper

We repeated the brewing with an Orea flat-bed filter. Additionally, we placed a Melodrip between the machine and the filter. The Melodrip has its own shower screen, which redistributes the water and reduces the impact velocity.

Our recipe: 16 g coffee, 250 ml water, 5 pulses of 50 ml, 93 degrees (Light Roast).

The result: The coffee, a Rwanda natural called Shyira, is juicy, balanced, and has body. The dryness is gone. The extraction is significantly more even.

The setup works, but it requires two additional components (Orea, Melodrip) that are not included and whose existence most buyers are unaware of. An 800-euro machine should brew good coffee without such workarounds.

Our video on the Orea dripper.

App and operation

The app, called Hikaru Brew, is functional. We can freely set flow rate (1 to 10 ml/s), temperature (80 to 96 degrees), pulse sequences, and pause times. There is a recipe library with proven profiles from professionals. QR code sharing works. The connection via Bluetooth 5.2 is stable.

Our critique: The preset profiles (S/M/L) cannot be edited directly. We have to copy them into our own profiles. This is cumbersome. The app announces an update that will add this feature; at the time of testing, it was not yet available.

The machine has no rinse function. We cannot pre-rinse the paper without creating a separate profile for it. This is a detail, but it shows: the software is not fully thought through.

Operation without the app: Three buttons (S/M/L) on the device. That is enough for everyday use. We only need the app for individual recipes.

Boiler versus flow heater: Why boilers make sense here

We wondered why Hiroia installed a boiler. The heating time of 4 minutes is longer than with a flow heater, for example, the Melitta Epos at about 1.5 minutes.

The physical limits: A flow heater cannot maintain the target temperature at high flow rates (for example, 10 ml/s). We measured this in other tests: at 6 to 7 ml/s, the temperature drops by 3 to 5 degrees. The Hikaru brews at up to 10 ml/s, which is only possible with a boiler or a flow heater with high energy input.

The trade-off: We accept the 4-minute heating time if the machine delivers. With the Hikaru, it delivers, but only in a very specific setup, see the Orea solution.

Comparison: Sage Smart Brewer, Melitta Epos

Both cost about a quarter, i.e., 200 to 250 CHF. Both have materially similar processing, a plastic-metal mix. The Melitta Epos has a larger shower head with a better distribution pattern. The Sage has a shower head with a radial design. Both brew better coffee without workarounds than the Hikaru in the standard setup.

Temperature stability: The Epos fluctuates by 2 to 3 degrees, the Sage by 3 to 4 degrees. That is worse than the Hikaru, but in practice, it is less relevant if the water distribution is correct. An even extraction at 91 degrees is better than an uneven one at exactly 93 degrees.

Price justification: The Hikaru costs four times as much. In return, we get: more precise temperature, more setting options, and an LED light show during brewing. This does not justify the extra cost.

Who should buy this machine?

The target group according to the manufacturer: Coffee professionals and enthusiasts who want reproducible brews.

The real target group in our view: People who, first, already own an Orea or similar flat-bed filter, second, are willing to experiment with Melodrip or similar adapters, third, place temperature stability above everything else, and fourth, have 800 CHF to spare and do not want to take the path of least resistance.

Not suitable for: Anyone expecting a plug-and-play solution.

Design and workmanship

The machine looks like it was built for Instagram. Ribbed surface, LED ring, round shapes. In practice, the LED blinking after 20 minutes is annoying. It cannot be turned off, only the signal tone can.

Workmanship: Solid. Plastic (Tritan, BPA-free), stainless steel shower head, glass carafe. Nothing rattles, nothing looks fragile. But nothing justifies 800 CHF either.

Conclusion