First Look: New ROK GC Espresso Maker and Grinder

I was given a new ROK GC demo unit to try, along with their grinder. I had some fun!

This isn't sponsored, and I will be returning the unit.

Links:

[salarycat]

Would love to see a manual espresso maker showdown: rok, flair, robot and picopresso, with non-pressurized gadgets, in terms of quality of the coffee.

[GarikDuvall]

James, would love to see you do an updated version using their new ROK Presso Smartshot!

[wilsentwins]

I've been using this since before Covid. Not many people have reviewed this ROK presso. The latest version has many updates, from new competition screen, bigger arms, pressure bar, smaller plunger, etc. really has potential.

[mowaxbro]

I have had a ROK for about 8 years now. I saw one at a friend's place and instantly fell for it. Though his technique was not great I could see the potential! So I made a purchase myself. For the price I think something like this is pretty unbeatable. It sure takes some dialling in to get a really good shot especially with the grind. But once you do they are as good as anything else out there. A sink is it's best friend. I initially sit it in there and pour boiling water over it and through it. One shot is done back in it goes to remove handle. Just means excess water and mess is not a problem. And if you like having fun put your lips to the tip of the grouphead and you can blow the shot out into the bin. Just do it once you finished your coffee and it's had time to cool! This plus a Bellman stovetop milk steamer makes for an unbeatable match. As mentioned in other comments it's a little more fiddly if you are making coffee for a few others. Fortunately I don't have too many friends hence the time to write long winding comments lol. Great for glamping camping too!

[paulteresaszobody]

Really enjoyed this, James, so informative. While we know you by the hearing of the ear (we are Ben S.'s parents), we now get a picture. Just 2 things to add to your noted advantages to this type of espresso, based on our experience:
1) We live in remote areas of Africa where there is either no electricity or where conservation of a little coming off solar panels is desirable. We used the old version to serve espressos and caps to guests in the bush for years. Will never forget the look on an Italian catholic priest missionary's face when our daughter came out with a cap, with frothed "Nido" on top: "I can't believe it! Cappuccino!! Do you know how ling it's been since I've had a cappuccino?!" So, if you're into all things "unplugged" or "off-grid", this is an excellent answer! Which leads us to say...
2) If you're serious about being "green" for the above reasons as well as due to the felt need to eventually dispose of things without junking up our earth any more with electric machines and plastic, this is an answer! (Where we live on the edge of the Sahara there is no garbage service, everything gets thrown on the ground or buried; makes you think about where all our electrical apparatus and plastic products end up). This product gives decent coffee with peace of mind.

[stefanstillwell]

I bought the Rok GC about 6 months ago after watching this and have been beyond pleased with it, the quality of espresso I was getting with it within 2 weeks of use would be nye on impossible to tell apart from that of £2000+ machines I've worked with as a barista. I was so impressed with it I had to buy the grinder which was equally awesome, the size and uniformity of the grounds are top notch( the only drawback being that when making coffee for multiple people it can take a little longer than I'd like). Beyond the quality of the coffee it produces, the ritual of making coffee from start to finish with Rok products is just so satisfying, I cannot recommend them more highly!!

[DavidNewkirk]

I would love to see a video for those who are just starting/ wanting to make espresso from home. Like recommendations for bean types, beginner machines, grinders, and things to avoid.

[JamesMandy]

Hi James, lovely concise look at this gear. Nice job. I’ve had the original unit for many years (presso) and just today updated it to the new GC piston assembly. Just ran the first shot and must say the difference in the feel and extraction is very noticeable. Physical effort required to extract is far less, extraction starts almost immediately compared to previous assembly and now requires a bit of extra concentration in lever position to control the shot. Very obvious that new piston diameter reduces effort to build pressure and pressure builds immediately.

I would echo all of your thoughts to anyone who asked me about the ROK, esp regards to pre-heating. I dose around 16-17.5gm, often around 17.5, level by hand and tamp. Hottest possible water (off boil) as you suggest is a winner, as when it hits the chamber a few deg are probably dropping off, (without me measuring).

While I don’t use the machine daily (mostly when camping) I’ve never had a problem with it. I have a handful of other ‘portable espresso makers’ sitting in the cupboard and this one produces the best results in my opinion. It also looks damn cool.

Cheers, James

[karynneilsed.s.]

I’ve had my ROC espresso machine since 2011. Nine years. I got it to make lattes when I went camping. In 2012 I thought that buying expensive espresso machines -$700- would make better coffee. The $700 started to make yucky espresso (off tasting) in less than a year. I pulled my ROC out of the camping gear. I’ve been using - the old one- since then. It hands down makes better espresso than any machine I’ve ever owned. But here’s the thing- the waste reduction alone! The $100 espresso machines break down in under a year. My $700 machine is about to be donated - with the $1, 000 machine before that. And all through that time?? The original ROC is still pulling great espresso! I’m getting the new press today and I don’t have to buy a new frame to put it on! Significantly better in so many ways! Best espresso press I’ve ever had!

If you pull this thing out when your camping, you’d better be ready to be the morning barista. It pulls everyone in to see what this “cool looking contraption is.” If you have any engineers, firemen, or builders they will be enthralled.

[wonderfulterrawanderer]

in Indonesia, some street coffee shop franchise use Rok Presso. They have like 4 to 5 unit of it in their store shelf to speed up the production of coffee menu, because of the high demand. it is quite reasonable due to the extremely expensive electricity cost in our country

[josephmclemore]

Hey there James, Joseph from the states here, Texas to be specific, and I've been a follower of yours for several months at this point in time. I appreciate you doing this in-depth review of both the grinder and the espresso maker. I recently purchased the manual grinder for doing pour-over coffee in the mornings, and I wanted to note something that maybe you experienced but did not include in the video.

Prior to having this ROK grinder, I had had an electric chopper, and then a handheld electric "BRIM" conical burr grinder. I had been using the chopper for several years before recently upgrading to the BRIM, although I wouldn't quite call it an upgrade because it was just as noisy as the chopper, took forever, and I didn't like the process of removing the grinds from the device. Anyway, because I was mostly dissatisfied by the BRIM, I decided to return it and purchase the ROK, and I'm so happy that I did.

The ROK does not take long at all to grind (especially since I only do pour over), nail on the head there. The long throw of the handle definitely makes for an easy time grinding the coffee (I would also say kind of fun). But the thing I wanted to point out about using the ROK, is that you can FEEL the beans crunching and grinding in the burr. The vibrations travel through the whole machine and can be felt through the handle as you turn it. It is an oddly satisfying feeling, something I did not expect to experience not having used a manual grinder before. Also, being a musician, the sound of the cracking and popping of the beans being ground is enjoyable, although I feel probably not many people will side with me on that one, the volume level is a little louder than expected.

[Monte]

I have been a Rok user going on 8 years. The GC update was a major improvement. I agree with the advice about preheating the water chamber/piston and basket; I use the basket immersion in a cup of boiling water method. Finally I must comment on the excellent customer service I have received from Rok. I was in email communication with them about replacement parts when I received an unsolicited email from customer service saying that after review of my emails it appeared I was covered under warranty. Rok ended up sending me a complete new unit.

[zaugitude]

Not sure when I purchased my first “Presso” but I would really question twenty years; maybe more like ten. I now have three of them and just upgraded one with this mechanism; it has definitely upped the depth f flavor. Very nice that they make this upgrade available for owners of the older models.
Rather than trying to heat up the plastic parts of the machine, just put the portafilter in some hot water for several seconds; I put it in the cup I am going to make my cappuccino in, then it is prewarmed to so I am not putting hot espresso in a cold vessel.
The grinder is wonderful, I got the initial crowd-funded one and it is still working perfectly.
Finally, definitely going to open up the bottom of one of my portafilters.

[ElEphanTom]

Thank you Mr. Hoffman. After watching this video I bought this combo of grinder and brewer and as an entry level espresso-enjoyer am more satisfied than I thought, I would be, since it fits perfectly in my small kitchen, I love that style, it makes great espresso (even without any experiance in coffee making beforehand) and without the noise and cost of heavy machinery. Greatings from germany. And thanks for the lots of great content you provide. All that effort for making the world a better place with good coffee doesn't go unnoticed.

[RemuAiBON]

06:37 I use funnel from aeropress and it fits perfectly with rok's portafilter

[trevordodd]

I am a coffee newbie and received my Rok a few days ago and was struggling to get a decent espresso from it.
Finally after a few days of practicing with different coffees, grinds etc I am finally getting the results I was hoping for.
I now have a much better understanding and appreciation of what is needed to make a good cup of coffee.

[m.s.g]

That sproingy bit of hair at the crown has my undivided attention

[dharmaduf]

I had version 1 of the ROK grinder fresh from their Indigogo fundraising campaign. On the whole I liked it for the year I had it.

What I liked most is the zero retention of grounds. I used it almost exclusively for cupping, and measuring exact doses and little-to-no waste between beans was fantastic.

What I didn’t like was the way larger grounds and sometimes whole beans would pop out of the top of the tiny hopper. So I cut a used plastic takeaway container lid to fit the top diameter, put a hole in the middle the size of the drive axle, and then split the radius to easily slip it on and off.

The other thing I found challenging was changing grind size from finer to courser. Often the adjustment ring would start to spin freely and I would have to disassemble it and clean out whatever was jamming it. In other words, set it and forget it is best practice.

Permanently mounting it to a workspace was also a bonus. I used a small C clamp to affix it to the edge of my countertop so I could one-hand the grinding. But like you said, doing the actual grinding is a snap.

Cheers!

[Adam-oxzy]

I’ve had a rok first gen for about 10 years now. It is my go to for espresso when camping and caravan trips off grid.

[brianharder]

I've had the ROK for several years. I like it still. I've taken to doing the "double fill" method where by you pre infuse the coffee with the first chamber of water and then top off, lifting the levers so that when you pull the shot, you're pushing water rather than air. It makes pushing the rest of the water through to clean a bit more laborious but I like the feel of the process a bit more