Balthazar_B wrote:Yes, that dawned on me at some point. One needs to affirmatively lift the portafilter onto the piston to enable the ears to engage before turning the handle. Else success is elusive.

The trick to getting the portafilter locked in place easily is exactly the inverse of the trick of getting it off without the basket getting stuck. Just give it a little wiggle as you are lifting it into place so it is seated on the piston before you turn.

Glad that the pf removal technique works!

Onto the pf loading...I hadn't had any issue with locking in the portafilter and so didn't cover that in the review...

FWIW, when I am locking in, I just make sure the ear is centered (in relation to the bayonet as shown in pic) and is facing north/south, Then just lift the portafilter up and it will go into the groove. I thought the technique is similar to how I lock-in portafilters on other machines. Just make a mental note where the slots are and where the ear(s) should be positioned (in the center in this case), then lift the portafilter up into the group head and push it all the way to the right.




The slot/groove angle to allow lock in is rather large , so it's ok if you just eyeball it and don't get it exactly centered. Flip the robot over and you will see what I mean - you can even do a few dummy lock-in exercise when the Robot is upside-down which allows you to see exactly what is happening. One thing for sure, the tactile feedback is different and it won't lock in tight like a typical portafilter. So it can feel strange if you are using this for the first time.

I sometimes am unsure that the back ear of the portafilter has caught in the group because there's play when "locking in", but it always seems to be properly installed despite my uncertainty.

The tilt method works great for removing the portafilter without the basket/cylinder getting stuck to the piston, but when I look in the portafilter and try and wiggle it onto the piston, I do not feel it engage with the piston at all. The portafilter remains loose in the group and only when I start to pull does the piston engage with the cylinder and lock things in.

AFAIK, this is all perfectly normal and by design, but just takes a bit of getting used to coming from machines where the portafilter fits tightly into the group from the start.

Yes the PF is meant to be loose, as is the piston. They all self-align when the piston seal meets the basket.

Hi,

I received my Barista Robot midweek, and I was finally able to play with it this weekend. Now, I consider myself as "Experienced Beginner", a beginner who has been learning a lot the theories, but lack the time, equipment, and desire

If I were to give a one word description of the Robot, I would choose "forgiving". Assuming you use appropriate hot water, I found it was difficult to negatively over- or under-extract a pull, i.e., sink shots. I was using a Zojirushi water boiler to get the hot water, and the shots I got was consistenly good. I pulled shots with and without Sam's method to pre-heat.

So, if you are a beginner who prefer straight espresso, this is not a bad way to start at all. Pair it with a good hand grinder, you can enjoy excellent espresso for about $600.00, and spend the rest of your money getting various coffees to improve your palate.

Arriving home to this got me chuckling. It was like being greeted by a pet who's happy to see I'm home.

drgary wrote:Arriving home to this got me chuckling. It was like being greeted by a pet who's happy to see I'm home.

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Gary, if I didn't have my own Robot I'd be...wait for it...green with envy.
Sorry.

My aluminium barista Robot just arrived and ain't she a beauty!

Everything packaged just fine. I'm now eager to pull the first shot.

Just one little question regarding the pressure gauge tube: is it normal for it to rub that much against the lever arm when you lift it? As opposed to the normal version, one doesn't even have to hold the lever arms in the up-position, because the pressure gauge tube is doing so: is that the way it's supposed to be?

Any photos to show what you mean? If you mean does the tube touch the "head" section of the Robot when the arms are up, then yes it does. But the tube is not tight.

I think i might have a damaged pressure gauge tube, it looks broken and when pulling down the arms it gets blocked by the body..

video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mVgwt6qvvVvv7WwJA