Decent Experience and Poll

Redla Just to clarify …

As I understand it, Decent are playing around with the idea of alternative pumps but as per John Buckman’s policy of making no machine obsolete, if they do come up with a better option, it will likely be able to be retrofitted. So not a “new machine” as such. Apologies if I seem a little pedantic but thought it was worth clarifying for the sake of anyone who may be considering a Decent.

And I’ve yet to see anything from Decent Land that would have me believe that it’s any more than an idea at this point. From memory, their new group head diffuser and spacer kit took over two years to test and another six months to get to market so I won’t be holding my breath waiting for an announcement about a new pump.

While I’m here I may as well add my two bobs worth on the subject of inconsistency of pour times featured in Lance’s video. Strangely, I have had exactly the opposite experience. I know of other Decent owners who share Lance’s experience so I don’t think its a one off. I’m at a loss to explain why my machine performs with such extraordinary consistency and Lance’s later version does not. Go figure. I don’t have a clue as to why the difference but I’m following a thread on the subject in the Decent Diaspora platform so if any conclusions are reached I’ll try and remember to post an update here. Doubtless it’s also a hot topic in the independantly run Decent Discord platform so any non-Decent owners who are interested can doubtless follow the conversation there.

JammyDodger If you really want to dry them out you could add a puck screen or updose further.

or use a hair dryer?

taking my tongue out of my cheek, @DavecUK very useful tip is to simply let the basket drain and to knock the puck out once it’s dried a bit. Very helpful for one-person-espresso households like mine. I just rest the basket end of the portafilter on a sponge while I enjoy my coffee and when I knock out the puck it’s normally dried enough to drop out in virtually one peice,

tompoland While I’m here I may as well add my two bobs worth on the subject of inconsistency of pour times featured in Lance’s video. Strangely, I have had exactly the opposite experience.

I’m with you here Tom. My DE1 has been rock solid, and am not sure why anyone else’s machine should be different. The only obvious variable I can see is the person operating it, which really boils down to consistency of puck prep.

JammyDodger The only obvious variable I can see is the person operating it, which really boils down to consistency of puck prep.

But I suspect Lance, who highlighted the issue, is quite adpet at puck prep. He says he doesn’t have the same issue with the Linea (I think it was). So it’s left me wondering if the variable is in the actual Decent machines, be that a different voltage or other variable.

On the subject of voltage, John Buckman posted in Diaspora that when Lance moved from USA to Europe, John advised him to simply use a voltage adaptor but later realised that this could cause problems with lower and variable water pressure.

John then offered to ship Lance a new model because he felt bad about giving Lance incorrect advise. So Lance sent his machine back to Decent and that’s why the machine in Lance’s video is the brand new model.

I’m unclear on the timing of all this so I’m open to being corrected but I think that Lance’s reference to his frustrations of pouring shots of different duration pertain to his use of a 110v machine being used with a convertor in a 220v Europe.

I’ll see if I can confirm that by posting in Diaspora.

Cuprajake I think the day of the influencer is starting to wane. Strip it away, and you have a QVC salesman appearing on camera, trying ever so hard to make you buy the latest thing. I remember when Hedrick first started out and did not have much of a following. He promoted Sage products as that seemed to be the only sponsor available to him. He even had one named after him. Where are Sage now in the Hedrick portfolio?

I would question the technical ability of most influencers. They seem hell bent on persuading folks to part with their hard earned on what are often products still under development and no where near the finished article. If I know one thing only in life, I would not buy a half finished product from a QVC salesman. I just wish more people would see the bigger picture

Amazing what can be done with a Decent. First it was espresso (of course), then it was the tea portailter and now a pour over basket compliments of the extraordinay duo of Scott Rao and Jonathan Gagnes. Assuming that it works well (I harbour a wee bit of doubt depite those illustrious names), the benefits of this machine just continue to get better and better. I have ordered the basket, I’ll have a play and report back.

Short version

Long version

DavecUK that’s right. A lot of people get really hung up on this issue, which I find weird! If I’m manually profiling or reviewing the graphs I don’t don’t have enough hands or brain space to steam at the same time. I’ve heard similar from Bianca users who profile regularly, there’s too much going on! In a commercial setting, this would be a big downside. The thing is you’d have two DE1s for commercial use anyway as you’d want two groups, which allows concomitant steaming and brewing.

Redla John has already posted pictures of the new machine.

It’s like the Nurri machine and the DE1 had a child. 😉

Redla

the Bengle is not a new machine, it was a new design concept that’s since been dropped (around two years ago from memory, which is rarely a good idea in my case) . A possible aesthetic upgrade if you will.

That’s the last I heard of it but someone may have news of its pending resurrection?

tompoland I said I’d provide an update on Lance’s variable pour times with his Decent.

Reading more craefully through the relevant thread in Diaspora, I think my theory about Lance’s discrepancies with pour times being attributed to running a 110v machine in Europe with a voltage converter is at best without foundation.

I’ve run out of ideas for explaining his experience but I note there was not even one “me too” post in the thread which surprised me a bit given that as @JammyDodger mentioned, thoroughness of puck prep is a significant variable on its own.

Must be annoying for Lance.

Redla thanks for that update. Do you know what’s new about it other than the exterior design?

Found this which is probably what I vaguely recalled:

tompoland answering my own question and thanks @Redla for bringing me up to date.

As best I can tell it looks like mostly the same internals but a very different exterior (white metal and timber) and featuring an integrated scale, a cup warmer, 2 minute warm up time (not for the 110v version), lighting for the espresso cup area and a Samsung A7 tablet. All welcome improvements but nothing earth shattering enough to motivate me to upgrade.

Maybe if it looked like this?