Product Description
Watch the set-up and use video here . Note: The video features our original ARO Orbit™, but the set-up is the same for the new PRO version.
Introducing the ARO Orbit PRO™, the ultimate professional-grade spirographic espresso distribution tool. Crafted from durable aluminum and featuring precision ball bearings, the ARO Orbit PRO™ is engineered for both dedicated home baristas and professional cafés. We've optimized every aspect of this tool – from meticulously engineered gear ratios and pin placements to an ultra-smooth mechanism that spins with the touch of a finger. Elevate your espresso with unmatched consistency in every pull. Perfectly fluffed and distributed baskets of espresso are just a few spins away.
Here's a quick geometry lesson: Hypotrochoids and epitrochoids are curves defined by tracing a point attached to a circle that's rolling along the inside or outside of a fixed circle, respectively. Spirographs use this concept to create dazzling geometric patterns. The ARO Orbit PRO™ utilizes this mechanical motion to efficiently distribute and fluff the grounds ensuring a consistent extraction every time, no matter how early in the morning it is.
Key Features
- Durable Aluminum Construction: Built to endure demanding environments, the aluminum housing provides a sleek, professional appearance while ensuring strength and longevity. Finished with a premium, scratch-resistant satin anodize that resists wear and corrosion.
- Precision Ball Bearings: Each gear is equipped with maintenance-free, sealed ball bearings for an ultra-smooth mechanism that effortlessly rotates with the touch of a finger.
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Novel and Innovative Gear Design: Three gears work in harmony for optimal mixing, distribution, and fluffing in as few as four spins.
- The Sweeper: An extended-arm gear that whips the pins through clumps at high velocity to break up compacted grounds.
- The Scrambler: A short-arm gear that moves the pins laterally across the basket, mixing and redistributing grounds to equalize density and promote a level bed.
- The Edge Dancer: A compact gear that pushes and pulls grounds near the basket edge to ensure complete coverage.
- Stainless Steel Pins with Spares Included: Uses 10 pins to trace dozens of hypotrochoid and epitrochoid paths. Twenty pins are included with every order.
- Adjustable Pin Depth: Pin height is adjustable to accommodate a wide range of basket depths.
- Magnetic Portafilter Attachment: Equipped with 9 powerful neodymium magnets to enable one-hand operation on most* portafilter baskets. It auto-aligns for a secure grip, ensuring consistent and efficient distribution every time.
- Fast, Repeatable Distribution: Spirographic mechanical motion fluffs and redistributes grounds in seconds, producing a uniform, level bed in 4 spins. Well suited for both home workflows and commercial environments where consistency matters.
*Note: The magnetic portafilter attachment works best on baskets that attract magnets. For non-magnetic baskets, two-handed operation may be necessary.
Selecting the Ideal Gear Material for Your Workflow
You asked, we listened! We’re excited to offer the ARO Orbit PRO™ with four unique gear options: plastic, silicone, aluminum, and brass. Choose the combination of look, feel, and value that best fits your workflow.
Plastic Gears: Our most affordable option. Lightweight, smooth, and quiet in operation. Made from additively manufactured PLA plastic with embedded stainless steel ball bearings. Choose plastic if you want the best value for your money and don't mind minor layer lines from the manufacturing process.
Silicone Gears: A worthy upgrade over plastic, silicone offers the quietest and smoothest rotation, absorbing vibrations for a softer feel. Molded from durable, food-grade silicone with embedded stainless steel ball bearings, these gears feature a subtle matte finish that blends seamlessly with the body of the tool. Choose silicone if you want a more premium feel than plastic without stepping up to the cost of metal gears. Note that the silver Orbit comes with gray silicone gears. They are not a perfect visual match due to the difference in materials, but we think they pair perfectly!
Aluminum Gears: Our flagship and most balanced option. Precision-machined from solid aluminum and anodized to perfectly match the Orbit’s matte finish, these gears look like they belong. Featuring press-fit stainless steel ball bearings, they deliver a crisp, mechanical feel with smooth, lightweight motion that feels both refined and responsive. Choose aluminum if you want the best blend of durability, aesthetics, and performance.
Brass Gears (plus matching Brass Lock Ring): Our heaviest and most premium option. Machined from solid brass with press-fit stainless steel ball bearings, these gears deliver smooth, weighted rotation with a satisfying sense of control. The warm, brushed metallic finish adds a rich, high-end look that pairs beautifully with either a black or silver Orbit body. Choose brass if you want the most substantial feel and a touch of luxury in every rotation. Bonus: this version includes a matching brass lock ring for an added premium touch!
Please message us if you have any questions about what gear material to choose!
Set-Up and Use
- Install 10 pins by inserting them into the holes in the gears. If a pin hole is hard to reach, try rotating the tool a bit so that the gears move into a new position. You can also remove the adjustment sleeve to get better access to the pin holes. Be careful here and take your time. Our pins come with a flat-tip, but they are still pokey!
- With your portafilter basket empty, place the tool inside of the basket to determine if you need to adjust the pin height on the tool. Holding the tool under a bright light will help significantly. If an adjustment is needed, hold the jam nut and rotate the adjustment sleeve until you reach your desired height. Then tighten the jam nut against the adjustment sleeve to lock its position.
- Fill your portafilter with espresso grounds and place the tool on top. You will notice a white circle around one of the pin holes. The tool can be rotated until the white circle is closest to the edge of the tool. In this configuration, the pins are furthest away from the edges and the tool is easier to place on your portafilter without a pin getting caught outside the basket.
- Spin the tool 3-4 times, no need to overdo it. After the final spin, hold the tool on top of the portafilter and give the portafilter a few light taps on the counter to settle the grounds. Give the tool one more final slow spin and gently remove it from the portafilter basket.
- Place the tool in its stand, tamp your grounds, and go brew some espresso.
Watch the set-up and use video below. Note: The video features our original ARO Orbit™, but the set-up is the same for the new PRO version featured in this listing.
What's in the Box?
- ARO Orbit PRO™ gear mechanism with adjustable pin height sleeve
- Stand for storage
- 20x pins (0.25mm diameter*), including two pin storage tubes
Compatibility
See image below for more details!
- 58mm
- 55mm (La San Marco/Dalla Corte)
- 54mm (Breville/Sage Barista)
- 53mm (La Spaziale/9Barista)
- Cafelat Robot*
Note: The magnetic portafilter attachment works best on baskets that attract magnets. For non-magnetic baskets, two-handed operation may be necessary.
If you have a different type or size of portafilter, please contact us. We plan to offer additional options to increase compatibility in the future, so please let us know what you're using.
*The ARO Orbit PRO that is compatible with the Cafelat Robot includes extra-long, 0.35 mm diameter pins to reach to the bottom of the tall Cafelat professional and pressurized baskets. You’ll receive two packs of 10 pins; each pack contains eight 87mm long pins and two 77mm long pins. Place the two shorter pins in the outermost holes on the largest gear—these holes are angled outwards which ensures the grounds at the basket’s edges are fully mixed in for complete coverage.
Care and Maintenance
For daily maintenance, simply brush off any loose grounds and/or wipe clean with a cloth. When it's time for a more thorough cleaning, remove the pins, sleeve, and lock nut from the gear mechanism. Wipe down the gear mechanism with a damp cloth while avoiding getting water inside the rotating parts. The pins, sleeve, lock nut, and stand may be hand washed with lukewarm water and soap. Be sure to rinse well, and dry immediately. The ARO Orbit PRO™ is not dishwasher safe.
For the plastic geared version only, the three small gears are additively manufactured from PLA plastic. Keep away from extreme heat. Do not store on top of your espresso machine.
Other Useful Info
Total height of the tool when placed in its stand is 71mm (in its shortest configuration).
The outside diameter of the 58mm stand is 76mm. For the 55mm, 54mm, 53mm sizes, and Cafelat Robot version, the outside diameter of the stand is 70mm.
The pins are 55mm long and have a diameter of 0.25mm.
The gears can be removed using a 1.5mm allen key inserted through the center holes. Proceed with caution as reassembling requires the gears to be attached with a specific orientation. Please contact us for further details!
The Cafelat Robot version includes an extra tall, matte-black, 3D printed plastic stand designed to hold the longer pins. Its weighted base keeps everything stable, and the integrated catch tray neatly collects stray grounds for a tidier workspace. All other versions come with an aluminum stand.
Looks great, is machined nicely, feels good to use. Distributes the coffee perfectly. The howto guide is also helpful. The only downside is that there is a little play on the 58mm portafilter when resting on top, so it moves a little bit when spinning. Also it can fall the portafilter when pushing too hard.
Silicone gears are perfect. Very well made tool, a pleasure to use. Highly recommended :)
I have already tested several WDT tools over a longer period of time. The ARO Orbit pro is by far the best of all, even the slightly higher price was worth it. i can only recommend buying it.
First i will talk about the manufacturing quality that you will feel the first time you hold the piece. It is easy to install and the calibration method. In the end, all you need is about ten turns to get the most delicious cup of espresso
Wait Don't forget to buy some extra needles. This tool has become essential from the first cup you taste.
Thank you very recommended
I like it because it has the same performance and cheaper price than other products
I hope you make a lot of good products
Robot Brass Orbit Pro rattles and makes janky noises, arrived with the wrong ring, and the right one took weeks to get and binds. Not worth the premium. Never again.
I like the Orbit Pro Aluminium and at first sight, the price seems to be adequate in comparison to similar products from other suppliers. But the delivery took more than 2 weeks (ARO promised 2-4 working days, at least this is, what the website suggests.
Above all I had to pay 39,71 Euro to customs to receive the item.
That was definitely the last order from my side, you should sincerely review your logistics concept.
Only been using a few days but device seems well made and effective.
I chose version with magnets. It clamps to the basket very well. However detaching requires a bit of a ‘yank’ and can then leave some holes in the coffee bed if not careful.
I would probably have chosen without magnets if had known this.
If the magnets were less powerful it may have been just right.
Another point is a bit esoteric, which is that the device has an impressive spirographic movement but when in use the movement is barely visible. A small led inside could perhaps light up the action!
I agree with some who have said a dimple to locate a finger when turning would make sense.
Figures for the number of turns necessary are provided and helpful (as are spare needles) but no mention of reversing the direction of turning in creating a better or worse distribution or stressing the device…
Made my first cup with this and it immidiately stopped channeling its my new favorite tool
Should've ordered this a long time ago!!!
Great equipment, solid design, great manufacturing and excellent workflow.
i have tried many wdt outhere and sofar this is what i am settle with, why? the work flow, the spin, the looks, and the material. not only this is a very well design the support given by the company is top notch!. thank you ARO and thanks Nate
I use a 55mm flat burr espresso grinder with a bottomless portafilter. I have constantly fought channeling due to clumping. I tried a manual WDT tool with unpredictable results - sometimes no channeling, other times, channeling. I thought it may be it my poor technique. I read about mechanical WDT tools like the ARO and wanted to try that.
So far, I notice a slight improvement in channeling over the manual tool. I still experience channeling, but less frequently. I'm trying different rotation speeds, and directions to improve performance. Nothing to report to date.
Another note, the "tines" are very fragile and do not easily line up to fit in the portafilter, making the device a little finicky to use and prone to bend tines.
As to build quality, I think its exceptional. The gears run smoothly and the device itself looks great. With the exception of the issue with the tines, the build is five stars.
So, at this point, I would have to say that the slight improvement in extraction quality over manual WDT, does not justify the increased cost. I will continue to use the ARO and learn the "secret sauce" to better extractions.
This works great, but beyond that, it is a pleasure to use such a precise tool on a daily basis.
I‘ve ordered the aluminum one and I am very happy with this product.
Distribution is very even and makes no mess like with an ordinary WDT.
I got the aluminum geared version- very smooth operation. I can tell my shots are pulling more consistently as well. Even were they not, its super fun to use!
There aren’t many options like this for the 54mm that we have. I do wish there was a sleeve/guide for the needles, but other models with that feature is twice the price and quite frankly not worth it. This fluffs the grind just fine. I immediately realized I was manually doing a poor job at it.
I am very happy with this distribution tool! It was very easy to set up and adjust for my portafilter and does a great job with distribution. It has solved my channeling issues and has noticably improved my espresso.
I love how well my grinds are distributed in my portafilter after a few quick spins. I got the all aluminum model and the machining is precise and smooth. Definitely high quality materials and manufacturing. A few minor improvements for me would be stronger magnets on the base of the ARO, a knob of sorts to facilitate easier spinning, and last would be some sort of outer sleeve that slides down below the needles to make aligning on the portafilter easier and the sleeve slides up as you set it on the portafilter and the needles drop down. It’s very easy to inadvertently pinch one of the needles while seating it on the portafilter. Even with these “flaws” I am very happy with my purchase an have easily put it in my workflow
I know that this was a splurge gift for myself, but I was expecting better quality. the part you hold to turn is still made it plastic. defeats the purpose of aluminum. and it doesn't fit snugly with my 58mm portafiltrr so it's a 2 handed operation to keep it still
Amazing little device. Pretty much instantly made my shots way more consistent and got rid of channelling, even on trickier light roasts. Best bit is that it's fun to use! I'm actually amazed I didn't buy it sooner. Got the all aluminium version, it's very well made and the quality is high. Packaging was great too. Make sure you use it with a good quality basket.
Got the black and brass. It's nice to look at, fun to use, does a great job with my coffee grounds, and It's solidly built.
This is my second ARO Spirographic distribution tool. The first one went to our new home, and I needed one in both locations. I love this thing. Beautifully made, and pleasing to use. Love it.
Good delivery times considering shipping was from US to UK, and the tool feels really well made (I went for the Aluminium gears); very heavy duty yet the gears spin with great ease. The best part is that it's just very fun to use! Only used for 3 shots so far so can't comment on how it affects the coffee itself, but it should make things at least more consistent.
Excellent!!
What a fun tool. It works very well to distribute and unclump the coffee grounds, making a perfect puck every single time. The height adjustment is a good addition and makes it much more useable than competitive products. It is also very reasonably priced, feels great and sturdy. A must have in my opinion!
I do like this unit compared to other wdt tools. Makes a very even distribution. I have the Lelit Bianca 58mm portafilter. Unfortunately the ARO it just a TINY bit loose and wiggles around a bit when using. But 99 times out of 100 I get a even distribution and no channeling as long as I'm holding it steady.
I also have the 54mm for the brevell. This fits perfectly.