There are a number of manual espresso makers on the market, but none so novel as the Cafelat Robot. This completely plastic-free espresso press — which got its start on Kickstarter last year — is designed to look like a retro robot, the clawed "arms" of which act as levers when pulling espresso shots.

Don't let its cutesy looks fool you. This thing can produce a mean shot of espresso, rivaling any of its competition. Watch the demonstration video:

The robot comes with all the necessary parts:

• Main body of the Robot, with the arms and base assembled
• Portafilter without the spouts installed
• Basket of your choice (see below)
• Stainless steel tamper
• Stainless steel dispersion disc
• Silicone mat

When ordering your Robot, you get the choice of either a "Professional" or "Pressurised" basket. The Professional basket is designed for fresh ground coffee, while the double-walled Pressurised one (which restricts the flow of water better) can be used with pre-ground espresso roast from companies like Illy, Lavazza, etc, as seen in this video:

You also have a choice of ordering the regular version of the Robot ($310) or what they call the "Barista" version ($370), which comes with a pressure gauge for checking the pressure inside the basket in real time as you extract shots. Both versions come in your choice of Polished Aluminum or Retro Green colors.