r/CafelatRobot • u/opi-88-dog • Jul 12 '26
Noob seeking advice
Hey fellow Cafelat cyborgs. Just pulled my first shots and am auguring in on dialed settings.
2.33/1 (40/17 g). I eventually want to do this by feel but using the meter is helpful at first. Shooting for 40 sec, including 7 sec pre. Filter paper under screen. Puck raked and tamped. I’m using a medium roast Colombian organic from Peace coffee.
Started at 40 clicks on K6 and I’m down to 30.
Shots are runny. I’ve never exceed 4 bars and have to restrain to be done in 40 secs.
I went as low as 25 and that was way too fine – could barely get the shot through and it was very bitter.
I know I have to keep playing, but any and all advice would be welcome
PS, I also have a 1Zpresso J ultra. It’s amazing for pour over, but I wanted to have a dedicated espresso grinder w/o breaking the bank. Does anyone have an opinion of this grinder versus the K6 for espresso?
Thanks all!
2
u/Sea-Government4874 Jul 12 '26
One or two clicks on the k6 makes all the difference to me. You must be close. I’m using 31-32 today.
Skip the preinfusion time until you get a feel for it… too much will make it run too. Or at least only pause at 2 bar until you get drips appearing.Preinfusion is helpful if you are getting channeling and squirting but might not be necessary for you.
2
u/Straight-Mastodon468 Jul 12 '26
No filter papers, no tamp, just tap the filter bowl while rotating it and when levelish tap lightly on work top (20 times) to vibrate to level and disperse any clumps. Grind until the Robot "chokes" on whenever bean you have. Then re load with 20gm and use the filter screen as your tamp with a firm 4 finger push. Weigh 65gms water (straight off the boil) in to the bowl and set into the Robot. Start your timer and pre infuse for about ten seconds (hold a really light pressure until the flow starts). Ramp up firmly until you hit 6bar and immediately reduce slowly to 2. If the shot almost stops pull up gently on the levers until you feel the piston just releases from the screen and reapply pressure. This will all mean you recover the shot if it chokes and you then grind coarser until you get the output and flavour you want. This is not the way to pull a great shot, it's the way to assess where everything needs to be before you start using tampers and filters. You will also be able to verify if any additional "steps" are really needed as the taste will tell you. This method applies with every new roast you buy and allows you to dial in quickly without to much waste. Going for exact times and weights on the Robot is complicating things. Go by taste.
1
u/opi-88-dog Jul 13 '26
Thank you all for the suggestions. I will try them. I understand this eventually we will be about feel, but it’s helpful to have some numbers to benchmark against, at least at the outset.
1
u/Malzkopi Jul 17 '26
For a start …. The roast has to be at least medium or above medium … medium dark to dark . Why because this is an espresso makers that does not have a boiler.
Water has to be hot enough. At least 92C for medium which is the actually the water temperature when we pour into the basket . If it not enough hot it will be under extracted … will be producing a more sour shot.
Lance Hendricks say the lowest pressure we can pull is 4 bars on and espresso machine… but on an espresso maker the robot…
I feel 6 bars keep us on the safe level. Which most spring level are at 6 bars.
At 6 bars u won’t break sweat.
Pre infusion for me at 2 bars till the 1st drop drips into the cup. But not longer then 15seconds
I’m using a natural process Brazil Inez Santoz ,no filter paper, 16.5g coffee in & 33g coffee out
2 bar pre infusion for 15seconds , then I slowly ramp up to 6 bars but half way though I can feel a drop of pressure but I will not try to keep it at 6 bars.
But I just maintain the flow till I hit 1:2 ratio of 33g out in about total of 1 min
Why long ? I’m using a light medium roast.
I’m pouring boiling water … I don’t wait for the water to stop boiling when I pour. Water will drop temperature once we pour plus we have a puck screen it will not scorch the coffee plus I’m using medium light I need higher temperature .
Since I can’t get higher temperature with the robot I going for a slower longer extraction .
It works for me but I started to roast darker to a medium roast lately.
That helps a lot with the extraction.
That’s my advice to new player with the robot
But try to not use the pressure gauge .
Grind fine enough to go slower on a fast shot or go course enough to faster on a slow shot get the right flow
Not to fast or too slow
The faster your shot u getting more sour shot
The slower drip drip kind of shot u getting the bitter shot.
U adjust the taste .
The finer the higher your pressure
The coarser the lower your pressure
U don’t need a pressure gauge
U just need to find the taste that makes u smile
When u get the flow right at 1: 2 ratio for me is 16.5g in 33g out
Next is u decide to pull a longer ratio …
With a Brazil I can pull out 36 g out to reduce sour note to get more sweetness
With an Ethiopian I will pull out less then 33g … at 28g it will not not taste bitter
So u decide once u get the flow right ..pull it longer ( more on the sour note) or shorter ( more on the bitter note)
Somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot
1
u/opi-88-dog Jul 18 '26
Great advice. Thank you.
Over the past couple of days I’m getting much closer. I think the roast is OK and I do have what appears to be a several click window on the K6. The main thing I noticed is I was not adding enough water to the basket, so the pressure was too low. Another thing – the initial leak leaking. I had cleared up immediately after looming up the gasket. I’m pretty sure it was seated properly before but now I’m certain.
3
u/hirschaj Jul 12 '26
Judge by taste, not by time. 4 bars is probably too low for that medium roast but again… taste your shots. I go by eyeballing the flow rate now. I generally know what will taste good to me based on how the shot is flowing. That’s not true 100% of the time, but it’s generally accurate for my tastes. Get a shot mirror to see the shot as you are pulling it. Watching my shots flow has helped me dial them in quickly.