We always recommend Regular Robot for home-user, but it's completely your choice. The Barista Robot with the gauge system is also a bit more involved whereas the Regular Robot is bullet proof.
The Barista Robot has a built in pressure gauge which will display the pressure from the basket during extraction. The flexible tube and fittings are all made in the EU. These items are not under warranty.
- The pressure gauge displays the pressure that you exert with the arms. It does not create the pressure.
- If the pressure gauge reads no or low pressure you will need to pay attention to shot time and therefore grind setting, force applied and coffee dose. Please find more on the 'Brewing Tips'.
- Extraction pressure
We recommend extracting at between 4-8 bars on the gauge. Whilst you can experiment and go lower we believe 8 bar puts you at the upper end of what is desirable.
When Pre-Infusion aim to ensure the water is gently soaking into the coffee, but make sure you are not just letting the arms fall under gravity as this may case leaks.
A typical shot profile may be Pre-Infusion at 1-2 bar for 5 seconds, extract at 6 bar for 20 seconds.
- Tube position
The flexible tube and metal sleeve should arc upwards in the correct position. In rare cases it can accidentally be moved out of position - the tube arcs downwards - in this case do not push the arms down until you have moved the tube back to the correct position.
With the arms raised, you can simply flick it back to the correct orientation with a finger on your left hand. If you attempt to make coffee with the tube out position, you may trap the flexible tube and metal sleeve between the arms and the main body.
If the metal sleeve and the flexible tube is being pinched, damaged or broken, please purchase the spare parts. These items are not under warranty.
It is also perfectly normal to see water inside the flexible tube.
You do not need a pressure gauge to make good coffee, it will however give you an idea when you first use it how hard you need to push down to get the required pressure. Without a pressure gauge you can simply place a bathroom scale underneath and aim for 16-18kg which will put you in the right area. Here is a guide of the Robot weight/pressure and the figures are approximations:
But don’t get hung up on numbers, the visual indicators and taste are just as if not more important. After a dozen or so uses you will get a feeling of how much force they need to exact and not read the gauge anymore.
Installation Manual
You can always convert the Regular Robot into Barista Robot with the pressure gauge kit or vice verse.
Pressure Gauge Kit: Regular Robot: how to install the pressure gauge kit
Replacement Tube: Barista Robot: how to change the replacement tube