The simplicity of Espresso Making: Cafelat Robot

Enjoying a good cup of espresso has become one of my daily rituals to give me an energy boost and to reset my mind to concentrate on something new or getting things done. For many years I enjoyed the average Cappuccino from the well known franchises around. But one day around a year ago I was taken to a small coffee place and had the best Cappuccino I ever had in my life. I wanted to know more about espresso and how I can do something like this at home.

So after joining a short barista lesson and learning the basics I was starting to look around for a setup to make espresso at home. And here the complexity started. So many types and brands of machines and each with its own up and downsides. The first obvious choice was an electric espresso machine with an integrated water boiler. I already had a particular model in mind but some things held me back from buying it: The machine was very expensive, it was a complex system that had to be cleaned and maintained thoroughly, it was large and heavy and impossible to be taken anywhere.

Then I heard about the manual espresso makers. They are using levers to apply the required pressure by hand. A very simple method. There are a handful of famous brands around — for example the ROK and the Flair. I was about to buy the Flair when I learned about the Cafelat Robot. And this machine had a big advantage: Its simplicity. Whereas the ROK and the Flair have brewing chambers that need to be but together and preheated, the Robot was promising a very simple setup: Put the ground coffee in the brewing chamber, put the sieve on top, fill up with boiling water, mount it in the machine and push the levers. Although it is a quite pricy machine I was ordering it and after a few days it arrived.

In hindsight it was the best choice that I could do. I am amazed by the simplicity and the hands on feeling of the coffee making process. Although it is a manual process that takes some time, every step is very easy. Especially the cleaning process is outstanding: After you pressed the hot water through the espresso ground, you unmount the brewing chamber, take out the sieve and give it a quick rinse in the sink. The ground espresso “cake” will fall directly into the bin without much hazzle. After that you give the brew chamber a rinse and you are done. Ready for the next cup — which makes it a good choice when you want to make a few cups in a row.

The quality of the coffee depends heavily on the quality of the coffee ground and the pressure and speed during the brewing process. After a few shots I was able to reproduce an outstanding quality espresso and I enjoy the small ritual every single day. I want to recommend the Cafelat Robot as the simplicity choice for coffee making!

— Kai

What are your experiences with coffee making? Please leave a comment if you have more input on the topic or get in touch with me if you have tips, methods and recommendations for bringing simplicity into your everyday life!

I was not paid for this product recommendation and bought the product by myself.