Well it could not be easier! Follow these simple steps to our link

Crema is that lovely foam on the surface of an espresso which is regarded as a sign of good extraction. It's actually an emulsification of oils within the coffee combined with outgassed Carbon Dioxide.

Perhaps the most important factor here is to use freshly roasted coffee as it contains higher levels of CO2.

Arguably the next most important contributor to crema creation is pressure. We recommend our GC model (get the GC Conversion Kit if you have an older Presso or ROK model) used with finely ground coffee. The resistance you feel when pulling down the arms indicates this pressure. Lastly our Smartshot basket is the sure-fire way to create great crema.

Our espresso machine is simple. There's a linear series of events that starts with hot water at the top-end to coffee at the bottom-end. The amount of coffee (dose) and it's fineness of grind that's crucial when using either our regular or naked portafilter. That's because it's the coffee itself that creates the pressure needed for espresso, not the holes in the basket.

If you feel only a little pressure when pulling your shot, then it's normally down to the coffee grind. If you are using pre-ground coffee try completely filling up the basket, tamping down hard and leaving 20 seconds between lifting the arms and pulling down. This 'pre-infusion' allows the grinds to swell. If you're using a grinder then try a finer grind. If you grind your beans, grind finer.

If all else fails you could get our crema-plus portafilter or crema-plus kit. Check out this video for more information.

To clean your ROK EspressoGC, simply remove the portafilter by turning to the right, knock out the coffee ‘cake’ into a bin and rinse off any remaining coffee grounds that may be left on the body. Occasionally wash with soapy water but do not put the ROK EspressoGCthrough a dishwasher. The salts will destroy the high quality finish.

Occasionally, you may want to maintain your EspressoGC more thoroughly. See video here.

See how to clean and polish the metal parts here.

This depends a lot on how firmly you press the arms down and how fine the coffee grounds are. In normal usage expect between 5 to 10 bar.

Pre-warm the portafilter - put it in a cup of boiled water for a few minutes (make sure the ROK EspressoGC body is warm and not out of a cold cupboard etc).

Warm up your cups with some hot water before you use them also. Check out our video here - https://youtu.be/vAf9gG_3mYI

After some time there may be a build up of oily coffee residues on the surface of the silicone screen. This creates a slippery connection between the silicone and the steel basket. This can be solved by cleaning the surfaces with a cloth soaked in warm soapy water. Drying the two surfaces before pulling a shot also helps.

Follow the step by step video here

The coffee grind should be specifically for making espressos. The grind should be fine. If it’s coarse, the water will pass through too easily so it won’t create enough pressure. If it's too fine it might be too dense and create too much resistance.

If your are looking for great grinds we suggest having a look at our ROK GrinderGC.

Of course you can. It's been designed to make a double espresso but using the supplied accessory splitter-spout you can make two single espressos.

If the arms are too hard to pull down, STOP. The coffee might be too fine or tamped too densely.

Empty the portafilter and try one of the following:

1. Use a less fine coffee.
2. Tamp with less pressure.
3. Reduce the amount of used coffee.
4. Try both 1,2 & 3 above.

Watch our step by step video, here.

If the upstanding 'teeth' on the silicone screen are not matched to the cavities in the body, then it can leak. If you run your finger over the circumference and feel lumps then try refitting it. 

See our step-by-step video here:

Some pour-over filters use expensive custom filter papers. We at ROK purposely designed the W1 to take generic, inexpensive conical papers which are readily available. Ensure you buy the simple cone shape paper in a two cup size. Size 02 for the Hario V60 works well.

Recently the Dutch food and product safety authority, NVWA advised to ’no longer use bamboo plates’. Ref https://netherlandsnewslive.com/nvwa-advice-no-longer-use-bamboo-plates/89392/‍

As the ROK W1 Filter uses Bamboo we felt it necessary to set the record straight. In recent years much has been written about Bamboo composite materials and their food safety. We chose Bamboo composite for good reason. Grown sustainably, Bamboo is a great carbon sequestrator, is stable and tough and if it eventually goes to landfill, it degrades naturally and is a good fertiliser due to its high Nitrogen content.
‍

When we first researched this material we questioned its safety as a food contact material. Bamboo composites generally use Melamine as a binding agent. Melamine has been used for a generation for children’s plates and cups as it’s very durable. The latest findings indicated that some Melamine resins may leach Formaldehyde at higher temperatures. 
‍

So we set out to find and test a variant that we can be confident in.
‍

The strictest standards are specified in Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 and FDA’s CFR 21. Most tests for specific migration use 70 degrees C as a test temperature, but as the W1 Filter may be exposed to 100 degrees we specified our own test to meet and exceed a ‘foreseeable use’. We decided on 100 degrees C for 30 mins. Basically, boiling the filter in slightly acid water for 30 mins, then testing for any leaching. The permissible amount of Formaldehyde is 15 mg/kg. Our test result was thirty times less at 0.1 mg/kg. This gave us the confidence to continue with this material.

We always strive to help people craft the best coffee possible, without expert Barista skills.

Watch our movie here.