Pippolino wrote:I also had the water flow out of the portafilter (from above). This was weird, and I couldn't reproduce it.

It happens if you get a bad seal. You already replaced the gasket but cleaning it or pushing a bit harder on the levers at the start can also help.

Old, stale beans can require an extremely fine grind. You could have a good grinder but if it's not adjusted fine enough you'll still end up with a fast shot.

@Pippolino: Stale coffee will act that way. The Robot is so simple that there's little to malfunction. Coffee can go stale as soon as two weeks after the roast date. I know that some Italian coffees and Nordic roasts last longer than that, but four months after being opened is a long time. Maybe you're used to the taste but it's likely to pull like stale coffee.

Assuming you replied to the wrong person here...

I have no issues with stale beans or fast shots. I just pulled my second shot for the day, and I'm in a happy place. Grind settings are just about spot on now, could do a bit better with the pressure stability but overall it was a great shot. Nice full body, great taste, and great crema!

Workflow optimization is the next step, but I suspect that the time it takes to boil water will be the limiting factor here. Just about everything works smoothly and friction free. I no longer miss my old Cimbali that was plumbed into my kitchen. My quality of boat life has just leveled up!

Once I'm through the pre roasted beans I'm going to focus my attention on getting a decent roasting process going. That will be the final piece in the puzzle, I should be able to have great coffee for 12 months without touching the shore...

You're right. I've edited above. Congratulations on getting dialed in!

THere are some good videos for handgrinders.. I've used the Kinu Phoenix and it is very smooth. Other good models are the Commandante C40, Lido .. you can read on HB about hand grinders.. generally 1/2 the cost of a good electric, or less and will do a great job. The Sette 270 has a good grind, but mine only lasted 2 years before the gear train broke, so I don't recommend that for longevity (unless that's been re-designed).. the Niche Zero is a favorite for value.

Jonk wrote:It happens if you get a bad seal. You already replaced the gasket but cleaning it or pushing a bit harder on the levers at the start can also help.

Old, stale beans can require an extremely fine grind. You could have a good grinder but if it's not adjusted fine enough you'll still end up with a fast shot.

drgary wrote:@Pippolino: Stale coffee will act that way. The Robot is so simple that there's little to malfunction. Coffee can go stale as soon as two weeks after the roast date. I know that some Italian coffees and Nordic roasts last longer than that, but four months after being opened is a long time. Maybe you're used to the taste but it's likely to pull like stale coffee.

It was the coffee. Thank you for the help. Just bought a new pack, had it grinded it not too fine, and there was a fair amount of pressure.
The robot works as on day one.

Thanks !

Well my beans have already gone stale. Yesterday was the first day that I suspected they went stale (I thought I might have lifted the puck with the double pour at first).

So beans last 5 days on a yacht.

I'm just curious if people are actually interested in my experience about brewing and roasting on a small yacht. If that's of interest could someone suggest a place to start a thread, I have no idea where to post something like that?

The Knockbox forum seems like a good fit, posting in the Water forum would be funny, but off-topic since you're roasting and brewing on the water.

Hi all, I'm thinking about buying a Robot soon, my original plan was to just purchase a Robot only, before making a second order with any extras (e.g. a 2nd basket) once I'd had some time to get used to making coffee with it.

However with the higher COVID related shipping costs that isn't looking too great at the moment, so... my question to all of you much more experienced users, is what extras to get?

• Mostly I will be making 2 espressos at a time, is it worth owning a 2nd basket to make the workflow easier?
• Anyone own the self-levelling tamper? Would you recommend it over the normal one? Somehow I find it to not be that aesthetically pleasing, but if it helps...
• Should I buy a spare filter screen? Or maybe even more than one?
• Robot hands, are they purely cosmetic, or do they make a big difference to the ergonomics?

I supposed I should also ask if anyone knows when the cheaper shipping options will return? (I'm fully expecting the answer to this to be 'don't know'?)

Thanks!

I've had mine for a little over a year now and only make one at a time so this will affect my recommendations.
That being said, an extra filter or two and the silicone bits are definitely a good idea though I'm still on my first of everything.
The hands are much more (or less!) aesthetic, for me they improve the comfort and control during the pour.
The regular tamper has been perfect for my needs, I quickly learned to visually centre it from the top.

Anticipatory congratulations!