Grahamsphillips
Hi Graham, there are some shots where I’m sure I’d fail a blind tasted test in terms of telling the difference, especially around the medium roast range.
My previous theory was that the Decent can’t replicate a lever machine 100%, if for no other reason than the basket shapes are different. However since running a lot of shots from both machines I’m no longer so sure. A James or a Lance would most likely be able to pick them apart but assuming the right preset (profiles/recipes) is used on the Decent then I cant tell the difference.
Clearly the Decent offers more versatility with presets such as the Adaptive profile which can adapt for grind size during the pour and Blooming which, with the right bean and burr set, excels at extracting a brighter and more intense espresso from lighter roasts. The Nurri can offer something similar to the latter for sure, just by increasing the temperature and pre-infusion duration only it’s not quite as automated.
For me, the big difference really comes down to the user experience which is where the Nurri and other levers shine. It’s a far more immersive experience.
If you like the lever experience and you are OK with a more limited range of options than the Decent (but still quite broad) then IMHO the Nurri is a beautiful machine to both look at and to work with. The paddles are a feature that is easy to dismiss as unecessary until you’ve used them at which point they sudddenly seem quite indispendable.
In short, they are both end game machines.
I am however selling the Nurri as sadly it’s not getting used enough to justify keeping it.
