Some like it hot: Cafelat Robot Temperature Mods - Page 7

#61: Post by **drgary** » May 12th, 2023, 4:29 pm

A plastic piston will have its own challenges. I'm thinking of the one that La Pavoni installed in the early third generation machines. They would distort over time. But that's a different machine that can keep the piston heated over a long period of time. I don't see why a 3D printed piston wouldn't work for the Robot, as long as you can do it out of food-safe plastic.

#62: Post by **jpender** » May 12th, 2023, 8:00 pm

That's something I have wondered about. The pin focuses quite a bit of force into a small area. The 40 shots I pulled with mine weren't enough to see any deformation but after a year of regular use would it still work?

I don't know anything about 3D printing. The only 3D item I've ever had printed didn't impress me. It had a bumpy, ridged surface texture and mediocre rigidity. But there are probably better 3D printable materials.

HB member @Miltonedgebert has said he plans to "machine" one. And Paul Pratt has posted in the past that it would be trivial to make one but perhaps not profitably.

#63: Post by **drgary** » May 12th, 2023, 8:06 pm

if someone wants to create a good 3D printed piston as a hobby, that's great. But if pulling very hot for very light roasts is your preference, maybe the Flair 58 is a better choice. I like to choose coffees that are a good match for my gear and keep it simple.

#64: Post by **jpender** » May 12th, 2023, 9:29 pm

Simplicity is important to me as well. I don't like to faff about just to get a good cup of coffee, at least not on a regular basis. It's part of why I love the Robot.

The point about appropriate gear is well taken. In fact the Robot has driven my coffee tastes over the last few years. I am drinking darker coffee than I had in the past and that's largely due to the Robot. So I'd like to open that up so that I can explore a bit more without having to spend a lot of money. And I think a replacement piston, whether DIY or purchased, isn't a major change. Just a significant one.

The Flair 58 has a lot going for it but my sense is that it is not yet a mature product. The updates to it are very frequent. Maybe in another five years.

#65: Post by **Paul_Pratt** » May 13th, 2023, 4:27 am

The basket blanking plugs have slowly been out in the wild for a few months now. I am trying to get the distributors to stock them first as it will be cheaper for shipping.

#66: Post by **buckersss** » May 13th, 2023, 10:04 am

Thanks Paul. First I'm seeing of this. I bought from Cafune 2 months ago. The did not have the plug listed on their website, if they had, I would have purchased it.

#67: Post by **jedovaty** » May 18th, 2023, 10:45 am

User @DragonFly posted this recently. Most here likely read all the threads, but just in case it was missed, it's pretty cool.
Cafelat Robot Pre-Heating Mod.

#68: Post by **Glen** » June 10th, 2023, 8:13 pm

Would it work to make a gasket that is not just a ring, but rather, one that extends down around the bottom edge, covering the bottom -- i.e., a gasket that looks like an upside-down jar lid?

(That would be for the purpose of reducing temperature decline during the shot, not as much for increasing the starting temperature.)

#69: Post by **jpender** » June 11th, 2023, 1:57 am

Glen wrote:Would it work to make a gasket that is not just a ring, but rather, one that extends down around the bottom edge, covering the bottom -- i.e., a gasket that looks like an upside-down jar lid?

That is how the old Faema Baby gasket was:

I've never seen temperature measurements from that machine but I would imagine that the piston effect is muted.

I tried something like that 2 1/2 years ago with my Robot. At first I just covered the bottom of the piston with 2-3mm of silicone and that made very little difference. The exposed side of the piston below the seal was probably soaking up a lot of heat. There isn't a lot of room there but I added a thin (~1mm) strip of silicone around the side. While it wasn't as good as preheating with boiling water it made a pretty big difference.

One downside is that a gasket that covers the piston would be more expensive to replace. And it would be pretty thin on the side. You can't just extend the seal to below the piston (I foolishly tried it) because it would make engaging the PF a nightmare. To do it like that, like with the Baby, you'd have to rejigger the piston so that it is shorter.

#70: Post by **Glen** » June 11th, 2023, 2:30 am

Very interesting -- thank you!