I am very happy with my little Nespresso - but I am a vanilla latte girl.

I use a Breville frothing jug for the milk though as that is way better than the Nespresso one as it holds more and can be fully washed up as it is stainless steel so I imagine could go into a dishwasher too.

 

Get my pods from https://podco.com.au/collections/nespresso-compatible-coffee-pods

 

They are much nicer than the horrible Nespresso ones.

They do an awesome Decaf too ..........

 

I bought the Crem One 2B-GSP a couple of months ago. It's a fantastic machine. No regrets.

Edited June 11, 20214 yr by Mr_Gadget

My new machine has arrived, a Decent Espresso DE-1 XXL. This is a new direction in coffee making, it controls all three machine variables across the extraction cycle: pressure, flow, and temperature. I have infinitely variable pre-infusion, pressure ramping and pressure across the extraction cycle, as well as being able to control water flow and also vary temperature across the extraction cycle. I can even emulate other machines: Slayer, Londinuim, traditional lever extraction cycles and use the bluetooth connected scale to automate the extraction ratio (by telling the machine the weight of the dry coffee puck. The machine has no boilers, instead it has two pumps, each delivering precisely metered hot or cold water to the group head so that temperature can be instantly modified.

 

I can also steam at 170 degrees and vary the steam flow and temperature across the cycle.

 

Why, you might ask? Every coffee extraction ends badly, as solids are extracted from the puck, it erodes and the water creates channels through the puck. This results in uneven extraction and poor flavour. Changing the 3 variables across the extraction cycle means that the 'good' flavour extraction can me maximised, the 'bad' flavour extraction, minimised.

 

It's a steep learning curve but already my coffees are better and I'm about to start the Versalab upgrade cycle with new burrs and then an im[roved  motor controller.

 

This is worse than the stereo slippery slope😂

 

How far is Eurobin from Sunbury? I need to see, touch, and play with this machine!

30 minutes ago, Marc said:

How far is Eurobin from Sunbury? I need to see, touch, and play with this machine!

It's the Tesla of espresso machines. Eurobin is about 300km from you, near Bright.

1 hour ago, proftournesol said:

My new machine has arrived, a Decent Espresso DE-1 XXL. This is a new direction in coffee making, it controls all three machine variables across the extraction cycle: pressure, flow, and temperature. I have infinitely variable pre-infusion, pressure ramping and pressure across the extraction cycle, as well as being able to control water flow and also vary temperature across the extraction cycle. I can even emulate other machines: Slayer, Londinuim, traditional lever extraction cycles and use the bluetooth connected scale to automate the extraction ratio (by telling the machine the weight of the dry coffee puck. The machine has no boilers, instead it has two pumps, each delivering precisely metered hot or cold water to the group head so that temperature can be instantly modified.

 

I can also steam at 170 degrees and vary the steam flow and temperature across the cycle.

 

Why, you might ask? Every coffee extraction ends badly, as solids are extracted from the puck, it erodes and the water creates channels through the puck. This results in uneven extraction and poor flavour. Changing the 3 variables across the extraction cycle means that the 'good' flavour extraction can me maximised, the 'bad' flavour extraction, minimised.

 

It's a steep learning curve but already my coffees are better and I'm about to start the Versalab upgrade cycle with new burrs and then an im[roved  motor controller.

 

This is worse than the stereo slippery slope😂

 

 

..Can ya pull a shot if ya Internet goes down......? Brew off line so to speak...

11 minutes ago, The Fez said:

..Can ya pull a shot if ya Internet goes down......? Brew off line so to speak...

Yes, there's an Android tablet that has the software that talks to the machine and sends the profile instructions to the machine, but they are stored in the DE-1. You don't have to mount the tablet on the machine if you don't want to.

 

There are touch buttons on the group head to flush, brew, steam or deliver hot water, this can operate independantly from the tablet, you just can't load a different profile. The flow and pressure can be manually controlled from the group head controller without the tablet, you can't change the preset profile without the Tablet though.

 

Users can share different profiles online though, and you need to get online for software updates that change functionality or fix bugs. The only thing that I don't like is that it uses an Android tablet, I have to learn a whole new OS now.

I was thinking about this more last night. It appeals to my techy side - it's essentially DSP for the espressophile. But, I think it would drive me mad having so much control over every single variable. I hate changing beans as it takes me too long to dial everything back in, so I stick with one for a long time and make minor adjustments between batches. I've been working to remove as many variables from the espresso making process as possible, including the latest addition of the Puqpress M1 for tamping.

 

So I'm torn on this one, but totally appreciate the tech. Still, I'd love to demo it and see how complex it is at some point.

9 minutes ago, Marc said:

I was thinking about this more last night. It appeals to my techy side - it's essentially DSP for the espressophile. But, I think it would drive me mad having so much control over every single variable. <snip>

This is what dissuaded me too. It took me months to stop tweaking my DSP.

I don’t want that 1st thing in the morning 

It actually needs less tweaking as I can see what needs adjusting and then adjust it. If I'm happy I just leave it. Think of it as the same as having DSP ability on your stereo. If you are happy with the sound you don't touch it, if you want to adjust it then it helps to have a screen that gives you data rather than trying to 'tune by ear'..

Another Decent owner here.  I totally get your slippery slope comment, but weirdly I've been more satisfied with my Decent than most audio expenditures   I cant think of a more capable machine when it comes to handling light roasts, especially with some of the great profiles people have come up with.  Then with a few taps, you can put it back to a more traditional profile and go make the family latte's.  Brilliant machine.

 

@proftournesol   If you dont like Android in general, look at the LineageOS guide/thread on basecamp.  Its a good way to (mostly) de-google the tablet, keep it responsive, and keep it stable in the long run without unnecessary updates being forced upon you.  (although I admit some bias being the person behind the guide and script).

Edited June 22, 20214 yr by avian

I think my best purchcase has been a < $50 dosing funnel

I've spent most of yesterday replacing the Versalab burr set with a new TiN set courtesy of Frank Durra from Titus Grinding. I'm embarrassed to publicly confess how long it's been between burr changes, the length of time it took to clean the grinder and to remove the fixed top burr that was glued in place with an all-to-effective coffee glue. Now that it's done, hopefully it'll be a 30 minute task in future,

Wow, what a difference it's made to the depth and breadth of flavours (no surprise there). I'm so inspired that I've ordered the M4 upgrade kit for the grinder from Versalab.

@avian, thanks for the tip, I'm also keeping an eye on the iOS app. What grinder are you using?

😉😉...Not my machine, just like the photo...

On 11/06/2021 at 4:54 PM, Mr_Gadget said:

I bought the Crem One 2B-GSP a couple of months ago. It's a fantastic machine. No regrets.

 

Really nice.

 

This is on my list when my current Delonghi La Specialista EC9355M breaks down.

Edited September 3, 20214 yr by rand129678

Coming up to three months now with the Decent, and wow! I've found a profile to work with, beans to work with and I'm making great coffee, I've only scratched the surface of what is possible with this machine. I think that in three months I've learned as much about coffee as I leaned in the previous 20 years

On 10/09/2021 at 5:40 PM, proftournesol said:

Coming up to three months now with the Decent, and wow! I've found a profile to work with, beans to work with and I'm making great coffee, I've only scratched the surface of what is possible with this machine. I think that in three months I've learned as much about coffee as I leaned in the previous 20 years

 

Which profiles have you been using mostly?  and which beans?

On 17/09/2021 at 9:13 PM, avian said:

 

Which profiles have you been using mostly?  and which beans?

I've settled on a Gagné adaptive profile, its so easy to get a great shot. I've decided to settle on one roaster and mainly one bean until I get more comfortable with the machine, using a Padre Coffee medium roast Brazilian SO. My Versalab upgrade is currently in transit, it'll be interesting to see what that does to the taste too

Edited September 19, 20214 yr by proftournesol

On 22/06/2021 at 7:54 AM, Marc said:

I was thinking about this more last night. It appeals to my techy side - it's essentially DSP for the espressophile. But, I think it would drive me mad having so much control over every single variable. I hate changing beans as it takes me too long to dial everything back in, so I stick with one for a long time and make minor adjustments between batches. I've been working to remove as many variables from the espresso making process as possible, including the latest addition of the Puqpress M1 for tamping.

 

So I'm torn on this one, but totally appreciate the tech. Still, I'd love to demo it and see how complex it is at some point.

I was also seriously looking at the Decent at the time I bought my R58.  One factor that turned me off was yet another thing that required time and energy to calibrate.  I know it would be hugely rewarding when you get it right, but given the variables I get with just roasting coffee and therefore the time commitment (let alone assessing logs for coffee extraction), i decided to stick with the old school approach.  Plus the Decent was very new back then too, so I thought it would take a few iterations to fine tune.

 

Awesome to hear your positive feedback though - you never know when I feel that I have the right headspace to go on a steep learning curve, a Decent it will be .

1 hour ago, qik_shift said:

I was also seriously looking at the Decent at the time I bought my R58.  One factor that turned me off was yet another thing that required time and energy to calibrate.  I know it would be hugely rewarding when you get it right, but given the variables I get with just roasting coffee and therefore the time commitment (let alone assessing logs for coffee extraction), i decided to stick with the old school approach.  Plus the Decent was very new back then too, so I thought it would take a few iterations to fine tune.

 

Awesome to hear your positive feedback though - you never know when I feel that I have the right headspace to go on a steep learning curve, a Decent it will be .

The variables and the dialing in of the shot are the same for every espresso machine. The only difference with the Decent is that you can independantly control each variable if you want to, and you get real-time accurate information of each variable. The Decent community is  working towards adaptive profiles that automatically adjust to optimise extraction from the puck that the machine senses.

Edited September 19, 20214 yr by proftournesol

3 minutes ago, proftournesol said:

The variables and the dialing in of the shot are the same for every espresso machine. The only difference with the Decent is that you can independantly control each variable if you want to, and you get real-time accurate information of each variable. The Decent community is  working towards adaptive profiles that automatically adjust to optimise extraction from the puck that the machine senses.

I gathered with the array of sensors of the Decent that adaptive profiles which take the guess work out of the extraction for people like me would eventually come.

 

I think it would be a pity to simply set and forget a device like this though.  It deserves a certain level of TLC and learning to get the most out of it.

14 minutes ago, qik_shift said:

I gathered with the array of sensors of the Decent that adaptive profiles which take the guess work out of the extraction for people like me would eventually come.

 

I think it would e using the same beans, you don't even have to turn on the tablet to operate itbe a pity to simply set and forget a device like this though.  It deserves a certain level of TLC and learning to get the most out of it.

The good thing is that you can do either, or both. If you are happy with your settings and and are using the same beans, you don't even need to turn on the tablet to operate it, all the operating controls are push buttons on the group head controller. Ironically, the data really highlights the importance of variables external to the machine - much like DSP graphing highlights the importance of the room and the listening position, the Decent graphing highlights the importance of beans, grinder and puck prep.

1 hour ago, proftournesol said:

The good thing is that you can do either, or both.

 

Yeh I have to say I use mine like a traditional machine these days.  I have three go-to profiles depending the the roast level of the bean, and use the graphs (and taste) purely to help change grind.    So its really no different to having three traditional machines and a scale timing/weighing helping me decide on grind.  Only difference is it takes less room and is far easier to do.

 

17 hours ago, avian said:

 

Yeh I have to say I use mine like a traditional machine these days.  I have three go-to profiles depending the the roast level of the bean, and use the graphs (and taste) purely to help change grind.    So its really no different to having three traditional machines and a scale timing/weighing helping me decide on grind.  Only difference is it takes less room and is far easier to do.

 

...and it's fully warmed and ready to go in 5 minutes!

A great video from John Backman of Decent Espresso, using the Decent to illustrate the history of espresso machine extraction. It really stops at the present, there should be a part 2 on flow profiling.