Ken5 wrote:Personally I don't see why a new bracket can't be made for the existing gauge with a bend in it. Angling it facing up when the handles down would be the most natural position I am thinking. Still visible through the whole range, but perfect for most of the shot. It would also give more clearance between the setup and the right handle when in the up position, so probably no issue there.

Thinking there most be a reason it would not work though.

The problem is that, according to Paul in one of the Robot videos, the gauge is glued to the coupler so that you would probably destroy it if you tried to remove it. Maybe judicious use of heat could loosen it. Or maybe you could cut off the bracket and leave the gauge/coupler intact.

I wonder if the gauge is NPT threading. From what I've read you can mate BSPP with NPT but it's not an exact fit. Maybe that's part of the reason it's glued.

Grinder: helor 106
Beans: Ethiopian Sidamo from Vivace
Dose: 18.3
Flipped portafilter-basket over the brewista's lid and heated the piston with a cup. Heated the espresso cup + shower screen.
Pre infused for 10s or so
Ramped up pressure to 11bars declining to 8bars holding there and over the 6bar mark
Extraction time began just before ramping up pressure so not counting pre infusion: 45s.
Yield: 30g
Rinsed the mug with hot water
Added hot water to the mug then dumped the shot over it. Rinsed the espresso cup with little hot water and poured it over the mug. I let it cool down a bit and it was really really enjoyable! Manual conical + robot + dark roasts = heavenly americanos.
For anyone who thinks 11bars or longer shot times are extreme! You are missing out on the good stuff.

the last 4 days we've been away and with the help of the Robot we did not suffer from decaffeination withdrawal symptoms, in fact we enjoyed the coffee made with the Robot tremendously. I ground a batch ahead of time, put it in an airtight container and that was it.
Slight preheat of the PF and basket while heating water, one soak and refill and a 'regular' pull without even changing the grind setting (for the daily driver the Urania).
great piece of equipment I recommend to anyone asking about the entry into espresso.

With all this talk about the pressure gauge visibility, I thought maybe it was finally time for me to register an account and share.

I finally bought a robot in early March as my first venture into espresso.
Before purchase I had read through this entire thread and any other resources I could find, so one thing I knew was that the angle of the barista model pressure gauge was not considered optimal.
What tipped my hand was that when I finally decided to purchase, Prima was out of the Barista model in my preferred color. Therefore I went for a "DIY Barista model" mod.

I ordered the necessary parts and went with a plan of "I'll see where works best to place and mount things when the parts get here".
This was very quickly settled on as there is no resisting gravity or any other forces with this mounting, and the gauge is very visible when in use.
I was embarrassed to post until now because of the inclusion of scotch tape as my "prototype" mounting mechanism, and paper towel as my anti-rub guide for the tube moving up and down.
However, it has held up perfectly for 3 months of use, so there has been no need to change the "prototype" materials yet.

Parts list:
Pressure gauge with red line at 8 bar and MNPT fitting (This was not a 5-pack at the time I ordered): $6.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W1KDFMV/

5 feet PTFE tubing: $6.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073RDFTDV/

Legris BPT connector for piston: $5.61
https://www.grainger.com/product/18E451

Legris MNPT swivel elbow: $5.87
https://www.grainger.com/product/3ZNT1

FNPT coupler elbow with flat sides for easy mounting/sitting: $3.20
https://www.grainger.com/product/13Y887

Mounting: scotch tape
Tube guide: paper towel wrapped in scotch tape

I was too lazy to even try to source a metal sheath for the tube like the Barista model has.
I looked a bit for a filter screen for the gauge but didn't find one. Since I can see in the clear tube, it looks like it's been only very clean water in the tube so far, so that should be fine.

Total: $28.66 plus applicable taxes in your area (I had no shipping costs with Amazon Prime and a nearby Grainger branch)

The end result:

Nice work. Under $50 with tax and shipping. Tape works but a little clamp might look nicer.

The original pressure tube didn't have the metal sheath. It was added because occasionally the hose was getting pinched.

now we just need scale that got screen on the top side

This is the one I use that fits between the legs: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089JYMRK6/
Seems accurate and has a backlight and timer.

what I mean is a scale that got screen on the top side (if look from top view)

We (most likely to) place the robot to have pressure gauge side sit away from our body, lean over and use body weight (my arm not so strong ) to help pull the shot while awkwardly glare down-back at the (original position) pressure gauge (also up side down read) from that position while pulling

now you don't need to do that with those pressure gauge modification (but mine will place on a bit different spot from above) and with my "imagination scale" should be perfect (no more up side down pressure+weight reading)

pardon my English and my photo editing skill

like this

Any tips or advice on how to take the gasket off the piston without damaging it?

I have had the robot since the end of September and think it might be time to take it off, clean things and put it back on.

Have had no issues up to tonight and I usually go by 'if it ain't broke don't fix it.' Tonight after a shot that performed perfectly a very small stream of coffee colored water dripped down the outside of the basket, between the basket and the portafilter, as I squeezed out the excess water in the basket.

I might hold off taking it off for a few more shots to see if it clears up on its own.

Do you guys take off the gasket and reinstall it once in a while to clean things up?

Thanks!

Ken