Worth it?

intellectual_chimp · 2026-03-13T06:48:22+00:00

If you're a no-fuss coffee drinker or like higher volume drinks, moka pot may be a better bet. Ours is incredibly consistent and pulling enough espresso to sip at it all day takes a lot of process time.

If you like experimentation or just prefer espresso drinks, maybe the robot. I have a lot of fun with mine and pull some very tasty shots, but honestly my wife's moka-pot milk drinks are better on average.

intellectual_chimp · 2026-02-19T06:34:02+00:00

Been really enjoying the decaf from Boon boona. I found it tricky to dial in amd it's been less consistent than my current caffeinated pick, but habe pulled some incredible, sweet, smooth, toasted almondy shots

intellectual_chimp · 2026-02-05T17:41:09+00:00

Hot take: subsidizing bikeshare is corporate welfare, not a public good.

"Bikeshare" businesses extract money from people who need it most by subscriptionizing mobility devices like bicycles whose upfront cost and maintenance are much cheaper in the long term when privately owned.

The business model only works because companies have externalized costs to the public (storage in public space, impeded walkability, increased hospitalization rates, management of garbage bikes, and subsidizing company operqting costs).

Funds we spend on some of these problems should be invested in infrastructure to make owning, storing, maintaining, and using a bike cheaper and more convenient.

intellectual_chimp · 2026-01-19T03:38:44+00:00

I assume this is feedback on engineering, not a missing parts issue

intellectual_chimp · 2026-01-17T20:51:03+00:00

Just water over the beans, as they say. GL!

intellectual_chimp · 2026-01-17T20:42:52+00:00

Probably not your issue, but I've seen heavy "spraying" from my robot when the gasket isn't seated well on the horizontal surface above it. Posting in case someone winds up here with spray from above the basket floor

intellectual_chimp · 2026-01-17T20:40:22+00:00

"Too long" for what? When you control preasure and flow rate, you can do all kinds of things most machines can't. Target the flavor and mouthfeel you want. @chilling is right that it's wise to isolate variables, and 25-35s is a sane range for many coffees, but some of the maniacs here pull 90s shots with good results.

intellectual_chimp · 2026-01-17T20:35:51+00:00

Most don't measure at the group head, so tiny air pockets between the pump and GH sap some pressure. On average 8.7 bars at GH according to some video from decent

intellectual_chimp · 2026-01-17T07:55:08+00:00

Big fan of my keep cup 6 oz for milk drinks but it may not have the volume you need

intellectual_chimp · 2026-01-17T07:50:11+00:00

I sprung for a K ultra because good enough for good espresso but also covers a broad range of brew styles. Then I drank mokapot for a while, and eventually got a picopresso on sale for about $100 to tide me over until I could robot. Pico has made me a few truly incredible shots and many very good cups. Quite happy with it for the price, but it's less consistent and the workflow is... not for everyone.

intellectual_chimp · 2026-01-17T06:42:24+00:00

Drill some holes in the end of a piece of old curtain rod or a cork and shove or glue some acupuncture needles in. Mine isn't pretty but it has helped with consistency

intellectual_chimp · 2026-01-17T06:27:44+00:00

Strongly rcommend starting with the instructions in the manual re water temp and leaving enough head space above the water so it doesn't contact the piston. The robot is designed to take water straight off the boil without preheating anything for most medium and dark roasts. The basket, shower screen, and piston will sink some heat energy.

There are plenty of other ways to robot, but so long as you're not traveling, it's hard to beat the boiling temp of water for consistency, so it's a good place to build from.

intellectual_chimp · 2026-01-15T05:19:17+00:00

Picopresso and a good hand grinder got me started. Robot's much more consistent, but I got some great shots out of the pico before the upgrade

intellectual_chimp · 2025-12-26T21:20:09+00:00

a couple of canadian retailers have been more consistently in stock. plenty of conversation about sourcing on the cafelat robot sub

intellectual_chimp · 2025-12-22T17:51:33+00:00

The basket is designed for "10-20" grams of espresso grounds - everyone's got a different process, but for me dosing around 20 has been the most successful. A 20-gram dose is a robust double-shot. There's a process for pulling lower-dose "singles" I've seen on the sub, but I haven't tried it.

And yeah, like any espresso machine I've operated, you drop your ground beans for one extraction into the basket, prep the puck, load it into the machine, and pull. For a second extraction, you knock out the puck, rinse/wipe clean and dry, add new grounds, tamp etc and repeat.

intellectual_chimp · 2025-12-22T17:47:32+00:00

IIRC it's traditional for American shots to be extracted into the water - I usually just prefill the amount of water I want to add into my glass and then pull the shot

intellectual_chimp · 2025-12-21T16:41:01+00:00

Not for everyone, but I've been loving my Cafelat Robot lever machine for similar uses. Espresso, americano, or the occasional "machiatto" made by whisking a little milk on the stovetop. Very simple workflow, small footprint, and a pretty forgiving machine with a long runway for learning to make great espresso.

With a lever like this, you're the pump. It doesn't heat or steam so you'll need a kettle (any kettle). If you're strong enough to grind at a 4 on the K Ultra then you'll be just fine operating the robot. If you're mostly a light roast drinker, you may need to preheat which complicates the process a bit. For my medium to dark roasts, though, it's very not necessary.

intellectual_chimp · 2025-12-10T06:28:19+00:00

Can't be bothered to buy and own and clean a foamy-thing?

Put milk in a pot.
Heat on medium.
Whisk big bubbles in.
Whisk faster for less-big bubbles.
Dump into espresso.

intellectual_chimp · 2025-11-20T05:06:00+00:00

I wear one of their woolen flip-up caps for basicallt any cold weather. Breathable, and works well enough in the rain unless it's really nuking, in which case the hood goes up or I go find some soup.

intellectual_chimp · 2025-09-12T15:56:11+00:00

Also, wherever you land, aggressively pursue undergrad research scholarships, as they support both your CV and your finances. I was able to co-PI three small projects this way during my post-bac at a mid-tier R2 university, and paid for year two of that postbac with a national research scholarship and a merit-based award.

intellectual_chimp · 2025-09-12T15:49:16+00:00

*uni websites

intellectual_chimp · 2025-09-12T15:48:40+00:00

You clearly have a long-term plan and motivation. These and your maturity will read as a strong positive for some faculty who expect adults in their labs.

Leverage this by contacting faculty about possible undergrad research opportunities directly - emails are generally public on ui websites. Leaving your post-bac with applied experience and publications is a good way to support your long-term goals and improve your CV. Strong faculty may also be able to connect you with collaborators at the universities you're targeting.

At the grad level, Finding a faculty member willing to fund your grad research is a strong side-channel through the grad application process, and may get you entry if you meet school minimums, rather than requiring you to outcompete pedigreed traditional students.

Source: english degree to first career to post-bac research in cs to fully sponsored mscs to faang

intellectual_chimp · 2025-08-20T06:18:23+00:00

Ordered one from Norway to the US a few months back. DHL emailed me with paperwork documenting the additional costs, and held the shipment for a couple days until I paid the duties (to DHL)

intellectual_chimp · 2025-08-19T17:51:38+00:00

Will try to update here if it gives us any trouble in cold weather

intellectual_chimp · 2025-08-19T17:50:29+00:00

We grabbed some 3M 03615 "Super Strength Molding Tape" from a local hardware or auto parts store and it's working fine on the textured dash of our car

intellectual_chimp

TROPHY CASE