Decent Experience and Poll

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.

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.