[PRE-ORDER] ARO Orbit PRO™ with Metal Gears

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 have 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 is a quick geometry lesson: hypotrochoids and epitrochoids are curves defined by tracing a point attached to a circle that is rolling along the inside or outside of a fixed circle, respectively. Spirographs use this concept to create 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 matte black anodize, it resists wear and corrosion and maintains its look over time.
• Precision Ball Bearings: Equipped with maintenance-free, sealed ball bearings for an ultra-smooth mechanism that effortlessly rotates with the touch of a finger.
• Novel and Innovative Gear Design: Features three separate gears working in harmony for optimal mixing, distribution, and fluffing in as little as four spins.
  • The Sweeper: This extended-armed gear whips the pins at high velocities, slicing through any clumps in its path.
  • The Scrambler: This short-armed gear bounces the pins back and forth across the basket to scramble and mix the grounds, ensuring even distribution and a level bed.
  • The Edge Dancer: This small gear pushes and pulls grounds near the edge for complete basket coverage.
• Precision Pins with Plenty of Spares: Utilizes 10 pins with 0.25 mm diameter to trace dozens of hypotrochoids and epitrochoids, distributing and fluffing espresso grounds in your portafilter basket. Twenty pins are included in every order.
• Adjustable Needle Length: Features the ability to adjust the needle length for a custom fit with virtually any portafilter basket depth.
• 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.
• Efficient Distribution: Spirographic mechanical motion ensures consistency and fluffs grounds in seconds, providing a uniform and level espresso bed. Ideal for commercial cafés where every second counts.

*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 are 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 do not mind minor layer lines from the manufacturing process.

Silicone Gears: A worthy upgrade over plastic. Silicone offers quiet and smooth 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 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 they pair well.

Aluminum Gears: Our flagship and most balanced option. Precision-machined from solid aluminum and anodized to match the Orbit 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 refined and responsive. Choose aluminum if you want a 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 high-end look that pairs 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. 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

1. Install 10 pins by inserting them into the holes in the gears. If a pin hole is hard to reach, try rotating the tool so the gears move into a new position. You can also remove the adjustment sleeve to get better access to the pin holes. Take your time. The pins have flat tips, but they are still sharp.
2. With your portafilter basket empty, place the tool inside the basket to determine if you need to adjust the pin height. Holding the tool under a bright light helps. 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.
3. Fill your portafilter with espresso grounds and place the tool on top. You will notice a white circle around one of the pin holes. Rotate the tool until the white circle is closest to the edge of the tool. In this configuration, the pins are furthest from the edges and the tool is easier to place on your portafilter without a pin catching outside the basket.
4. Spin the tool 4 to 8 times; there is 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 1 or 2 more slow spins and gently remove it from the portafilter basket.
5. Place the tool in its stand, tamp your grounds, and brew your 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
• Twenty pins (0.25 mm diameter), including two pin storage tubes

Compatibility

See image below for more details.

• 58 mm
• 55 mm (La San Marco / Dalla Corte)
• 54 mm (Breville / Sage Barista)
• 53 mm (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 let us know what you are using.

*The ARO Orbit PRO that is compatible with the Cafelat Robot includes extra-long, 0.35 mm diameter pins to reach the bottom of the tall Cafelat professional and pressurized baskets. You receive two packs of 10 pins; each pack contains eight 87 mm long pins and two 77 mm long pins. Place the two shorter pins in the outermost holes on the largest gear. These holes are angled outward, which ensures the grounds at the basket edges are fully mixed in for complete coverage.

Care and Maintenance

For daily maintenance, brush off loose grounds or wipe clean with a cloth. When you need 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 water inside the rotating parts. The pins, sleeve, lock nut, and stand may be hand washed with lukewarm water and soap. 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 71 mm in its shortest configuration.

The outside diameter of the 58 mm stand is 76 mm. For the 55 mm, 54 mm, and 53 mm sizes and the Cafelat Robot version, the outside diameter of the stand is 70 mm.

The pins are 55 mm long and have a diameter of 0.25 mm.

The gears can be removed using a 1.5 mm Allen key inserted through the center holes. Reassembly requires the gears to be attached with a specific orientation, so contact us if you need guidance.

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 collects stray grounds for a tidier workspace. All other versions come with an aluminum stand.