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Another happy Robot user here, having used it over a year.
I recommend it. I have never used a Flair or Rok. It's a joy to use, easy to clean, and easy to pull back to back shots.
Get the model with the gauge. Its worth it for dialing in your shots.
You are going to want a scale, and a timer. This $11 cheapie from Amazon works just fine, accomplishes both items, and fits between the legs on the Robot Cheap Scale
Like others have said, the grinder is key for the bottomless portafilter.
I have the Orphan Espresso (OE) Pharos 2.0 grinder. It's a beast of a hand grinder. Grinds about 1g/second, but does require some "user supplied" torque (i.e. strength) to do this. More of a workout than their other hand grinders with smaller burrs.
I also bought a milk steamer/frother so I can do milk based drinks for the people in my family who like them.
I decided to go with this keycap puller off of Amazon because of the metal build, thin stainless steel wires, and long narrow body. Ill clip the ends and twist them up with some needle nosed pliers. If it bothers you that it’s flared, bend the base of the wire after you clip the tip.
I just got the SearchPaen from Amazon yesterday and tried to for the first time this morning. It fits perfectly between the Robot’s legs and is very stable. SearchPean on Amazon
I wonder if you would experience less flex if you used a steel connector/coupling nut. First thread the connector nut the legs using m6 double ended stud, and then the stock bolts into the base and connector nut. In theory this should provide a solid threaded connection all the way though?
Something like these (lengths probably aren't right I don't have a robot yet)
For milk frothing I would suggest to add the Jura milk frother 72033.
I now use it daily for many years and milk takes about 4.5 minutes, that is a bit long, but no other milk frother delivers such sturdy foam :)
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/200105-Jura-milk-frother-72033/dp/B00Q31E0KQ
There's some on Amazon, too, for (predictably) a bit more money.
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So I never had the Weightman (which is why I was using the pictured shot glass 😅), so unfortunately cannot do a direct height comparison. If it helps, the scale is 21mm without and 24mm with the mat, measured off the base. The glass is a Rhino Double Shot one: https://www.amazon.com/Rhino-Coffee-Gear-BRESG01-Glass-Double/dp/B01FAV4DJM/
I think they only have small ones that act as a tamping station. What I mean is a 18x12in, pretty thick silicone bar mat. This is what I use as my main workstation for the robot on top of a kitchen island: https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Silicone-Bar-Service/dp/B06X6DZJJL ; you can find other similar products in rubber for cheaper but I chose to go with silicone for longevity and smell.
Weightman scale is out of stock but I just bought this Neoweigh Espresso Scale for $15 on Amazon. Looks like it has the same features and works well so far.
Haha thanks, they are just cheap ones I found on Amazon but I actually like them a lot.
LE TAUCI 3 oz Espresso Cups with Saucers, Demitasse Coffee Cup for Double shot, Cappuccino, Latte, Lungo, Ristretto - Set of 4, Ceylon blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Y5HG6XL/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_Z7C7W0Q1GWTSZ1DEEN2H?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Had them years, think I picked them up in a charity shop. These on Amazon (UK) look the same. Think it's an ancient, standard design. I've seen the same ones in more than one café. Bormioli Rocco Oslo Espresso Cup with Metal Handle 100ml, Hard Glass, 6 Cups https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005AFBORS/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_DA7N2NCNCM7XSTCYE8Z5
Before my lunar which I recenlty got I have used this one for a while. You just need to take the flip part off.
AWS Series Digital Pocket Weight... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012LOQUQ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I am 5'2" 115lbs and was having a hard time because I couldn't get leverage using it on my counter. So I got this $12 step up folding stool https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09B19W3N8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Problem solved :)
I don't think it's the biggest issue for you, but if you are worried about level, you can get a bubble level that kinda fits ontop of the tamper. It makes tamping a bit more awkward but at least you'll feel confident it's level.
Those look a bit too big. Picked this one up on Amazon just be mindful of overflow as these are not waterproof.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07SJTXGN7/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_Y64TBC50A5KC1DP6KDWE
Greater Goods Digital Pocket Scale - 750 x 0.1 Gram Resolution | Lab Analytical Scale, Gram Scale, Espresso Scale, Letter Scales
Glad you like it! I fear it would be too expensive though, the acrylic, the electronics, the screws, it all adds up real quick in small quantities :-(
The mirror is a cheapest-I-could-find blind-spot mirror, something like this: https://www.banggood.com/RUNDONG-Car-Mirror-Blind-Spot-Mirror-Wide-Angle-Round-Convex-360-Degree-for-Parking-Rear-View-Mrror-p-1158705.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN
It came with a swiveling base which makes it perfect for this application.
I may have misunderstood, but I think you said that the coffee was ground at the shop.
If that's the case, I wouldn't worry about your distribution and so on. It'll get a lot easier once you can grind the beans at home. It's hard making espresso at home with preground coffee.
If you want to speed up the extraction, you can try putting a paper filter below the puck (on the bottom of the basket). That might help stop the fines from clogging the holes on the basket. Also, you can reduce the amount of coffee that you use. Try 14 grams for example.
If you don't have a scale to weigh the shot as it drips, you should consider picking one up. A small scale that fits the robot runs about fifteen dollars - united states.
But as someone else said, the taste is the most important part. You can add more or less water,coffee, milk, sugar, etc.
Enjoy.
Are you only adding 60g of water to the basket? If so, try filling the basket up with more water, leaving only 1-2mm of space from the top rim to see if that helps build pressure. If this works, you may want to find a scale narrow enough to fit underneath your cup to measure the desired output that way. This is the cheap scale I use: MAUXS Scale or you can weigh after and just eyeball it moving forward if you don't wish to add any more equipment for the time being.
As far as technique goes, I remember being surprised at how hard I needed to push to build and maintain the desired pressure--it was much harder than I had imagined from watching the tutorial videos. Lastly, I've found that old beans make it more difficult to build pressure. If you'd like a suggestion, any of the espresso roasts from Red Bird Coffee are quite good and reasonably priced. Good luck! You'll get it sorted out and will be enjoying your Cafelat soon :)
I have a similar scale to this one and it has worked amazing, especially for the price. Easily fits between the robot, and leaves plenty of room for a cup underneath
The only thing missing from your features is an automatic timer start.
Even if you end up not liking it, it works great as a travel or backup scale, and for the price you really can't beat it.
Do you think a 57mm tamper like this could work?
The weightman scale is actually still available, just not through that specific listing. I bought a different scale at first, but the weightman is way faster and a little cheaper than the one I had before. Here's the new link:
https://smile.amazon.com/WEIGHTMAN-Digital-Silicone-Stainless-Included/dp/B07XQS8JL6
I'm using a maxus one from Amazon. Looks like a rip off of the weightman one. The one I'm using seems discontinued, but is similar to the linked one.
Looking forward to read your experiences with it! :)
The Smart Espresso Profiler App page says: The app needs an Acaia Lunar, or Acaia Pearl scale for flow profiling. That is, only these two scales are supported currently.
Please note that the Lunar is actually a little bit to big for the Robot: it fits only if you put it diagonally between the Robot's legs, as shown here.
I microwave milk in a narrow glass jar (originally a jar of peperoncinis). Then I use a very powerful $15 milk frother I got off Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D6XFHFF. It works well enough but I can't get it to make microfoam.
> I did pre-infusion around 15 s
Personally, I've had better results with an extremely short preinfusion. I usually start preinfusion at 2 bars until I see the first drops of coffee come off the basket and then immediately begin to ramp up to 6 bars. So usually by ~5 seconds into the shot I've already ended preinfusion and am at 6 bars.
YMMV, and full disclosure: I've only had this thing for like a week lol. Regardless, it might be worth trying a shorter preinfusion (like 5-10s) and seeing where that gets you.
> 17g in 55g out
That's a pretty long ratio (1:3.2), you're well into lungo territory there. So it's no surprise that your shots are turning out thin/watery. I would definitely try dialing this back to a traditional 1:2 to start and tweaking from there.
Also, I would maybe consider upping your dose to 18-19g. From what I understand, a higher dose allows you to grind coarser (which would likely help with your channeling issues) and gives you a little more room for error with the grind/yield as well.
> JX-Pro been testing range 1-5-2 to 1-6-0
Sounds like you're roughly in the ballpark for grind. For reference, at 18g I generally grind around 1-6-1 to 1-6-2 on the same grinder.
> I would like to decrease the output but I'm not sure how
I would pick up a small, cheap scale that fits (this is the one I use) and just stop your shots early based on yield. Alternatively, you can weigh your water in and just work out the maths for how much water you need to produce the yield you want, but Cafelat advises against this for two reasons:
- Thermal stability (the less water you have, the faster you'll lose temperature)
- Ease of building pressure (air compresses more than water, so it will be harder to exert high pressures the more air is between the piston and the water)
I’m looking at something like this. Long part would be screwed into original arm clamp. Gauge would screw into top elbow.
https://www.amazon.com/Sentry-Supply-650-6434-Bracket-2-Inch/dp/B00DUQ9ZDE
Or I’ll take off back nut and add a vertical extension bar behind the robot head. Just a couple inches above the head will be useful since it’s fixed.
I've got this one
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XQS8JL6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
300g limit which limits it's use to espresso.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00APE4OQ2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have this. I have no issues with it whatsoever.