First Look Review: Cafelat Robot 

Two things: - it turns out you can get an Acaia Lunar under there but you can only use on cup. (I’m an idiot for not playing more with this) - yes I did swirl. Search for the Sprometheus video on the Kruve Propel glassware to explain why I was ok with this.

James, I am a simple cafe manager. Stop giving good reviews to things I shouldn't buy on my wage...

Watching James’s reviews is “a slightly weird but not unpleasant experience”.

"Immediately you're probably thinking about thermal management." Hahahaha if only I were so refined

"What is my purpose?" "You make coffee." "Oh my god..."

Not only was this the gateway video for me for the channel, but the Cafelat Robot has been my copilot throughout this maddening 2-3 years of Covid nothingness. The fact I acquired a new toy and hobby, learned some new skills and a lot about coffee in general, and get to drink (what I consider to be) great espresso everyday is just a confluence of wins in my book. Thank you to James and the team for delivering consistently great content in every video.

The trick for using the pressure gauge is to have it facing away from you. Then you lean over the top of machine to read the gauge. This position also means you get to use your body weight to push down on the lever arms vs having to push down on the lever arms with your own arms. -edit: Also fun tidbit, the "hands" of the robot can hold the tamper.

I got one of these about a week ago. It's replacing a broken GS/3 that's still sitting on my kitchen counter. I've had the GS/3 for years (serial number 97.) I used to entertain and the La Marzocco is glorious for that purpose. It however is not well suited for one person to make their morning coffee. It takes a half an hour to get to temperature and consumes a lot of electricity while doing so. It breaks about once a year and I have to lug it to the trunk of the car for transport to the local repair shop and after an expensive repair I have to lug it back. For me the GS/3 has lost it's appeal. I love the Robot. I'm happy with the coffee it makes and the effort required to brew and clean up satisfies my expectations. I also appreciate that it doesn't require a half hour to heat up. I'll make myself a coffee at a time where I otherwise wouldn't if I had to wait for my machine to get to temperature.

This was like the lock picking lawyer giving a lock a positive review

Who else loves the sound quality on James' videos? Superb!

You are by far my favorite RU-vid channel. You encompass everything for me. Gadgets, techniques, new & upcoming, but best of all you teach. Muchas Gracias Sr. Hoffman

I finally got mine and I absolutely freakin love it. The work process from brewing to cleaning is such a breeze. People also weren't kidding when they say that it takes effort to pull a bad shot from this just because of the way it was designed.

A Rok versus Flair versus Robot head to head to head comparative analysis might be nice.

James could you do a comparison of manual espresso brewers? Rok, Flair and Cafelat...

Have had it for a couple months.. probably one of the best things I have purchased in my entire life 🙏🏻

I just passed my first week of use on my new Robot. As someone who struggled with temperature surfing, PID kit installation, tamping, etc. on my Silvia years ago, this feels so much simpler. I'm grinding by hand and brewing by hand. And even with a sub-optimal grinder (Timemore C3, non-ESP version), I'm still doing okay and getting drinkable shots, though I do plan to get an appropriate grinder to really dial things in. I've seen people talk about pressure profiling, but messing with that didn't help my shot quality right now. I've now seen two RU-vidrs say just go to 8-9 bars right off the bat, and that's what I'll try tomorrow morning. Overall, I love my little Robot. It has a few things I'd change or modify. But, It's compact, stylish, and shows huge promise for tasty espresso in my near future (once I get the grinder).

"And let's make some coffee." It is always awesome how entertaining this show is and you haven't even starting making any coffee and sometimes never make any coffee. I love the channel, and I hope you have a great day!

I have a Robot and a Londinium R lever machine at home, and I switch between the two regularly as I enjoy using them both. People that have the Robot often note that the build quality and finishing on this thing are much higher than the typical stuff you see today. It hearkens back to a time when things were built to last a lifetime. The designer works with his hands restoring old espresso machines, and I think this played a large part in the build quality. The painted part is thick aluminum, and the rest (arms, portafilter, piston, basket and screen) are stainless steel. Everything that touches the brew path water is stainless steel or a food grade silicone seal. Note that there is just the one easily accessible seal to replace if needed (it's a standard size, the same as my Londinium, which uses three). When deciding between pulling a shot with my Robot or the Londinium, I could go either way. The taste is comparable, and the time difference is minor since the use and cleanup on the Robot is so simple (for comparison, I clean the Londinium group head and wash the basket between uses, so not a big difference). Sometimes I just want the feel and craft of pulling down the Robot's arms to make the shot. For its lasting value, quality of the shot and workflow, I'm pretty happy about my Robot.

I was honestly surprised when you said that the coffee is excellent out of this little Robot. Great review, thank you!

Best video in a while! And I don’t mean that the recent ones have been bad, but this one stood out. Well structured and pedagogical. And the new space is definitely the place, very nice work!

Just got one of these... and well... it's amazing. It's my first manual machine - I've had some experience with a commercial machine at our office (the director is a coffee geek and the office manager is an ex-barista), and I honestly adore the experience so far. The workflow is so clean and simple, I can really see it becoming part of the morning routine. Also, I've heard people say that lever machines are more forgiving than pump machines, but I didn't expect that my first shot would be enjoyable. When I messed up a shot on the commercial machine, it was literally swill water - here on the other hand, the grind was off, the extraction time was off, the ratio was off, and the end result still had crema, and tasted... not great, but good. I've certainly had many far, far worse espressos in restaurants before. Thanks to James for making me aware of this amazing machine.

I’ve had one of these since it’s original incarnation and it stands the rest of time and you can pull some nice shots anywhere and any time.

Thank you James! Not only for the reviews and the high quality of the channel overall but most importantly for sharing how to understand coffee and take the crucial aspect of making it into consideration. Coffee education as its best 👌 I’m not sure with the coffee machine that will ended up in my kitchen... but I’m sure that I’ll practice with it following your tips. Bravo!

You are the man…the look and simplicity of this machine is wonderful…judging from your reaction to the finished shot has convinced me to add this machine to my 20 year old Gaggia Classic…your honesty is much appreciated…your style is appealing…I look forward to future reviews, hints and tips…

I don't have a girlfriend, but at least I can have this. It will never leave me.

Thanks to watching this review and other reviews on James’ channel I went and bought the robot. It replaced a delonghi ec115..... night and day of difference. Love my machine. I love that I don’t have to plug it in and that descaling is almost nonexistent in my life. I use the machine 1-3 times a day.

Definitely a very unique little machine and seems to be very well thought out, just way out of my price range. I do still love the manual aspect of brewing espresso with these lever machines, I recently fell back in love with my ROK after installing the GC upgrade and getting a tamper custom made to fit the portafilter basket. There has always been something about any manual and hands on brewing method that I have always enjoyed, it is just something that took what was a Monday an there has always been something about any manual and hands-on brewing method that I have always enjoyed, it is just something that took what was a mundane process for me and turned it into something I take the time to appreciate. Recently I found a small company out of Indonesia that makes an aftermarket metal shower screen and gasket assembly that fits the GC upgrade chamber as well as a distribution tool to fit the ROK baskets. The shower screen is my next planned addition.

Thank you for the informative reviews that answer all of my questions. I purchased the same green Cafelat Robot last week and have had great success getting the quality of shots that I enjoy. No more expensive repairs to my Nuova Siminelli Oscar! Manual is the only way to go now for me.

Thank you James. I’ve been leaning very heavily towards a La Pavoni Europicolla but for half it’s price, this Robot’s for me! I also considered the Flair and the ROK but this design is far more elegant. Producing shots will be simpler as will temp. management.

Would like to see a version 2.0 with improvements. 1) Legs attach to outside of base to allow for scale or just inside outer edge. 2) Gauge flexible so can be pointed up for better viewing. 3) Portafilter handle set further away from leg once locked closer to straight preventing potential paint chipping point. Good machine for medium to dark roasts.

you're right about the looks of that thing, can't imagine it looks anywhere near as good in another colour

I've really been interested in getting a manual machine for home use. I absolutely love espresso but I don't want to spend hilarious amounts of money on a machine that I won't really use as much as something like my Aeropress or Kalita. This really seems like a cool alternative to a single group Linea or the like!

A year ago I had my first enjoyable cup of coffee at the office. They had what I thought to be a fancy brewer. The brew had nutty notes and wasn't pure bitterness like when I tasted coffee before. Then I discovered we had a coffee machine at home we only used for guests. a single cup turned into a cup every morning. then the blasted thing broke. I got a cheap french press and a Hario Skerton Plus grinder and a cup a morning turned into a ritual for enjoyment. Grabbing my beans, grinding them, smelling them and having a nice few cups of coffee. I admit I should tone down my consumption, but I enjoy making the coffee too much haha Now here we are, me watching multiple videos on coffee equipment I'd never be able to justify spending money on and I'm enjoying it greatly. I've been debating whether to get myself an aeropress now or wait for christmas to gift myself one then, but these videos always seem to tempt me towards the former while watching, it's becoming harder to resist. Anyway, thank you for making these videos, James ^^

I've had a Robot for over a year they're great. A few things: there are scales that fit and I highly recommend using one. Most importantly this allows adding more water for better thermal stability. Also if you preheat in some fashion you can raise the temperature enough for very light roasts. Personally when I add water I just let it overflow over the rim for a few seconds to bring the temperature up.

Great video James. Your research and info on machines and coffee are both informative and entertaining! I just ordered a robot and can't wait to make great espresso.

Love the new space! Really enjoy your channel - no faff, clear and honest.

- James: *swirls coffee* - People: he's not using a spoon! *outrage follows*

Straight up Chibi Robo...this thing gave me the design tingles. It is so gorgeous.

Your review of this has made me a very happy person. I loved my Flair but this is over the top! Good job.

Thank you for the detailed work, specifically for mentioning weights. It could be interesting to explore temperature sweet-spot with that kind of manual machines. Thanks again.

Loving the design, reminds me of Dieter Rams in a way. Great review btw, it finally got me to join your Patreon gang :) I am a big fan of manual espresso machines, using the Uniterra Nomad Espresso at the moment. Feels nice to keep it simple.

James, am new to 'proper' coffee but think I am only about 4 steps into my journey. Have an Areopress and an Oomph and like both in their own way. Like your approach, good balance of +ves and -ves and I can understand nearly all of it which is a bonus.

honestly thrown by the set change! Love watching your reviews as always.

Acaia cinco anniversary edition would fit with ease (and I really love that scale .. the metal case is ... awsome!) ... The new Pixys seams to be simillar size. Though I would really miss the metal case, which makes it easy to put the scale in some pocket for travel and not worry about it being safe. It is great to see another review of this style of espresso tool - I really love these simple manual ones and the Robot looks to be actually better than I though it would be. Thank you :)

It would be cool to see a shootout/comparison of various manual espresso machines, in various price ranges.

Don't weigh the water you add, just fill the basket to 5mm below the rim of the basket (check the manual). The more water the more stable the temperature, and the easier it is to build pressure (air compresses). The basket is supposed to lock-in to the right (check the manual). Put a cup under the basket after you removed your espresso to catch drips. Just some small fixes from which you'll expirience the Robot is even better that you already thought is was ;-)

I bought this a few months ago, after seeing this video, and it's been my favorite way to make espresso. It took a little while to dial ii, and get used to it, but it makes reliably fantastic espresso, is fun to use, and easy to clean. Thanks so much for posting the reviews!

For anyone that is curious about this produc. I just received my cafelat within the hour and its amazing. I have owend a Rok GC for about 4 months prior, so it taught me a lot with regards to pressure, thermal management, coffee grind size and tamping. The first shot was amazing. Thick. Great crema, extraction and heat. The pull was at about 6 bar. I adjusted the grind a little for my second shot and kept a steady 8 bar pressure and i cannot fault it at all. Night and day when comparing coffee quality and workflow. Highly recommend.

in regards to thermal management, stainless steel has a relatively poor thermal conductivity compared to other metal so heat loss may not be an issue as long as you don't take your time.

I almost considered buying one of these earlier this year. The couple things that turned me off were the price being higher than the Flair Signature Pro, I really couldn’t find much info on it, and I was already familiar with the Flair Classic. Happy with the Pro, it was quite the upgrade in my opinion

Mate im impressed with your Videos! I really like your Style and way to produce trustworthy reviews that not only Represent the Product but are pleasant to watch. Awesome!

This is the new hip version of 'art attack'!! Need the xylaphones jazz tune when your brewing. Love this machine! Thank you James

Cafelat Robot vs Flair vs EspressoForge vs Portaspresso vs Rok vs Aram vs Nomad--That's what a manual comparison should be.

Sooo next up, a James Hoffmann x manual brewer-designer collab? I say yes!

Great video, fun and informative, the new test area is superb, thanks for all you do for us coffee lovers ☕️😊

Reminds me of a 50s retrofuturist style, might be more of the blue colour. Love the little robot guy :)

Thanks for the first look video. Love the Barista Robot! Grown to love manual brewers where there's little to nothing to break. This thing is solid! No electronics to die or pumps to break down. Noticing you can likely save some steps and keep the basket in the handle to fill and knock out coffee at the end. Carefully placed thumb should hold it. Feel fortunate to have this machine at work and get to use it daily to brew for colleagues there. Consistent tasty coffee produced and good for back to back shots. I quite like the split shots options but more fiddly. I typically sit handle/basket in boiling water before use. Kitchen has a zip boil for hot water on tap though. One thing I've been trying lately is using a filter paper under the metal shower screen. Thought it may help with reducing possible channelling. Keep up the great videos. Cheers.

I'm glad to see that "Coffee Atlas" in Korean back there. ;)

im really not an espresso at home fanatic, but i love the way this thing looks, and the colour, and the fact that it received a positive review??? im very intrigued, i would love to hav eone now

I just got one after watching this video. I'm enjoying it immensely, I think I'm in love with this little 🤖. It's such an easy recommendation.

Is it just me or did James get a little hyper after the double shot of espresso. If anything, that's an honest and good review

I must admit that this thing looks really cool. Big potential for modding as well. It doesn't take much space either. All we need now is accompanying milk steamer in the similar design. Manual ofc. :)

I love the way James seems like he just took a bong hit after he drank the shot. He suddenly seems so relaxed and happy and the video just flows.

As always a nice, slick and informative review. I would love to see a side by side with the flair, I am strongly considering a flair and have to say at the moment I still think the flair has it for me as I can make espresso literally anywhere where I feel this is aimed at home only.

It seems like the niche zero and the robot pair pretty well together in terms of quality and cost and especially style. For under $1000 you get a setup that is capable of making very good espresso and is a good conversations starter/art piece.

I have a stupid idea for fitting a scale in there: have a scale on either side and put a thin piece of wood between them. Each scale will report half the weight.

I have the aero press which works all right as well as another one that you pump but I’m intrigued by this particular one that you’re doing here thanks for the video! Of course if you have space nothing works like a full-size real espresso machine but these are wonderful for smaller kitchens!

James, thank you for this review. Beautiful stuff. I would also like to hear your opinion on lever action machines as well.

I know I'm not the only one waiting for the manual / lever espresso comparative ! 💯 Flair vs Rok vs Cafelat 😍

I usually pre-heat portafilter and basket together (with the spout if I'll split the shot) inside the V60 kettle (it can be put over the lip so it doesn't get too wet). Works like a charm, but I use my coffee cloth to hold the (small) pf handler.

Looks like an awesome piece of kit for tinkerers, like myself. Would also be a great option for making mornings less loud.

"Don't put it in the dishwasher" - signature deadpan stare

So, after watching this and every other review of the robot, I ordered the barista model with the tamper that guarantees a level tamp. After a week of day and night use, and not enough sleep as a result... it is fantastic. Build quality is SOLID and the details are well-done, such as the rubber mat with impressions that lock onto the ridges on the base. I definitely recommend the 'donuts' that make the handles easier to use when pushing down in the 8bar range. I wish the pressure gauge pointed straight up because it's much easier to get 8-9bar when I lean over the robot. I can't see the espresso porn happen like when standing in front of it, but it just works once the grind is dialed. It is more important to go by pressure or appearance? I haven't tested that yet, but I know that going by pressure does work. If you can dial a grind that works with 4-6 bar, you can stand in front of the machine nicely. Now, the workflow is MUCH easier than most reviews indicate, and is MUCH easier and faster to do than to read about, once you have done it a few times: 1. Start to boil ~3cm of water in a small pan. 2. Place the basket into the portafilter and set it all in the heating water. 3. Lift the lever arms all the way so that the piston is as high up as it goes -- this is the position needed to let the portafilter tabs easily align with the guides they lock into. 4. Weigh the beans into your grinder -- I use slightly more coffee than for other lever machines. YMMV. 5. When the water starts to boil, start grinding -- I use slightly finer grind than for other lever machines. YMMV. 6. Remove the portafilter+basket from the boiling water and set onto a tea towel, which sucks water out of the basket. 7. Add the coffee to the (now hot) basket, fluff it with a toothpick, and tamp -- the tamper from cafelat is $$$ but EZ to use. 8. Put the shower screen into the basket and fill with BOILING water from the pan, up to 7-8mm below the top. Turn off heat. 9. Push the portafilter up gently onto the piston, with the handle pointing straight forward. The red gasket on the piston needs to push into the basket and seal in the 7-8mm space above the water your poured in. The guides limit how far you can push up, but don't go crazy (practice with a cold machine and empty basket once or twice). Rotate the handle to the right to lock in. It won't be perfectly square with the world, but the piston self-aligns once you press the lever arms down. 10. Slowly move the levers down and increase pressure up to 8 bar (though honestly anything above 4-5bar is fine -- finer grind ends up needing more pressure and thus more force). Stop when the espresso starts to blond. The machine can make a huge amount, and so you have to either control how much water you start with, or control how much of what you put in gets pressed out. 11. Remove the cup and put in a second cup to catch what's left. Squeeze out the remaining water. Lift the arms slowly to the top and press out the last bits until all you get is a bit of foam -- no need to go gorilla, just enough to dry the puck. Then lift the arms all the way, and unlock the portafilter by moving the handle back to the straight-out position. Tip the handle down

Great video James! Also nice to see the Niche pop up in more videoes after your review.

Of all the coffee machines this, I am finding most interesting. I like the manual machines and I like the style of this. Very nice!

I'm not even that into coffee, but I like watching your vids because you are just a fun and pleasant presenter. Good work man 👍

I can't stop thinking about where on the robot the coffee comes out. The colour of coffee doesn't help either...

2 video in 1 days! Love you James!

Hi James, I really like your videos. They are so easy to listen to and watch because of the proper English. Furthermore, I do like how neat and clean your areas are where you create your videos and the fact that your reviews are honest without the need of ranting if it is a bad product. Please continue what you do and how you are doing it. Greetings from the Netherlands. If bexit does ever succeed, please consider moving to the Netherlands :-)

Are we lever-users getting that La Pavoni review one day? 😎 Having that rich historic relevance, La Pavoni truly deserves that.

"Immediately you're probably thinking of thermal management". James, I wish I were sharp enough to be thinking of thermal management. I don't even have an espresso maker (sadly).

Nice Breville knock box 😁 I'm glad you did this video review because I've been interested in trying one of these machines and it looks like this one might be the best one out besides the Flair but I like this one better the way that it's designed, it looks more stable. Cheers ☕

I love mine, simple and over time great to dial in the workflow

I was one of the first few to back this on Kickstarter and have had it for nearly a year now. I love it, people always comment on the looks, how it's both retro and modern (whatever that means). It is good, but I find myself not using as often as my classic primarily because of time. In the morning I don't have time for all of the prep so I don't. It's now in the cupboard, but not because I don't love its looks and what it does just because of my time.

James if you enjoy manual espresso machines you need to try out a La Pavoni!

What a great review, thanks James.

The metal screen is thicker now and the finger pin is silicone so it can't be bent by the piston if crooked.

6:14 Fill the basket to just under the rim. Less air means better pressure response and less heat loss (ie. more boiling water means better heat). 10:22 No need to go to 9 bar for a lever machine, 6 is good enough and very easy to get and maintain .

Yeah! Welcome to the manual espresso club

I am not 13 videos deep into watching your channel and as a fellow coffee lover and former roster and barista... I love this... keep making videos

I never thought anyone would buy or review the thing online, except for the creator himself.. I have the exact same setup too, Niche and Robot. I found that it seems to absorb the same amount of water for coffee, so I usually add yield amount + coffee amount + 10g = water amount I do have a scale, and I add 10g because pressure falls off if you just squeeze to the end without some water left over.

When Paul started designing the robot, I thought it was just a Baby Faema clone. Seeing it now, I realize that he has created a pressurized Vietnamese phin coffee maker. A brilliant idea; the phin makes great drip coffee. This carries it to a logical next step.

Could you do a comparison of manual espresso brewers?

Love they layout of this video, you get right into the content keep doing your thing it's awesome

James, firstly thank you for the amazing videos. I would love to see a review of the Aram espresso maker please. It looks stunning and truly portable, albeit I'd expect it to be very heavy given the materials used in the production ?!?!... As an espresso lover I, just like many others, have a very decent set up at home however I have been for years awaiting that magical moment where a truly portable combo will accompany on my travels (yes I know aeropress is amazing and portable but not an espresso maker) ... as a compromise I take an aergrind + a cafflano kompresso with me for now (which I have to say manages to produce better shots with a bit of tweaking to grinding/tamping/force than what I saw in your product review).

When is the review coming? Some tips, tricks, and insights on how to learn making espresso with the robot would be very much appreciated :) Thanks!

Have you ever tried a La Pavoni Professional (hand lever)? That would be an interesting topic in a video. Keep it up! Love your work!

Love the new setup 🙌🏻

Oh my gosh I love the editing ❤

The music selectio is top notch, thanks for Junior State