@Del_UK yeah, but it’s guaranteed for 2 years only… I’d hope to have a machine this expensive for 10 years… maybe I could only expect that from an ECM or suchlike.

@Cuprajake I know it will have been tweaked, but given the app is on an android tablet, at least the software should be very easy to keep up. I do feel the Crem would last longer… again, a guess, not based on knowledge. WRT the noise, I seem to recall there was a way around it, which (i think) was to make sure your profile lasted longer than necessary, and you ended the process by using the lever. I seem to recall that did something to the pressures internally which prevented the abrasive sound. Something like that…

tx for the input peeps.

While I understand the feeling that a decent is an evolving product, I think in reality that is a good thing. A lot of the improvements are software based, so you benefit from these if you have a machine, rather than it just being stuck at whatever version you bought. When it first came out it only did pressure profiling, and now it can do flow rate profiling and this upgrade is free.

In terms of longevity I don’t see any reason to be concerned. They seem to be one of the most transparent companies out there. All of the spare parts are easily available from their website from the most advanced down to a simple screw (see https://decentespresso.com/parts). They also provide their software open source, so it would still be around even if the company went bust.

I would agree on longevity if you were considering a “dumb” machine, but the machines being discussed here are all very advanced ones, so they will all contain a computer and many sensors.

I would go for the one that best fits your needs and situation. They all look like great machines.

I’m just starting my third year with my Decent. Its been trouble free since day 1.

Because of the updating software & firmware I can do everything on it exactly the same as if I had just purchased.

Without any doubt its the best machine I’ve ever owned. The service from John & his Team is truly remarkable
I’ve owned many machines over the past 60+ years but nothing comes anywhere near the Decent for top quality espresso. Great steam & with right jug is almost automatic.

Regular descales & cleaning are part of the ‘Decent Life’.

If you buy a Decent you become a Decent owner forever.

You don’t have to be a ‘nerd’ but you do need to be computer aware to get the best out of the Machine.😍

Not sure regards the crem, mine did it from brand new.

Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -

Most of the machines will come with 2 years warranty. A few might be a bit more for an extra cost. All our members look after the machine, don’t mind a bit of DIY if the seller doesn’t mind and end up having the machine for a long time.

10 years are a long time. We hope you do not get sucked into upgradeitis rabbit hole before you knew it. 😊

The technology on this side has evolved. It will as we see in consumer electronic products - TV, smart phones, computers. So. please don’t worry about it.

It is your machine and you must buy what you like. Choose well. Good luck.

BTW, not sure if you mentioned about your grinder and water.

Hi @hornbyben, @Cuprajake, @LMSC, @ronsil
Thanks for your responses.
@hornbyben brings up a good point about the fact that (almost) all Decent parts are available to buy and for users to replace themselves, which is superb WRT longevity.
I’m very keen on the geeky aspects, I have an Aillio Bullet roaster and love analysing my graphs, comparing tweaked recipes of the same beans, and I’m also a huge Android fan, been rooting my phones since Galaxy S2… so I absolutely love the idea of having so much to look at and experiment with.
I will have to wait at least 5 or 6 months before I can buy a Decent, but given the “aliveness” of the community, I’d rather hold on, spend a bit more and get the DE1 PRO… will look gorgeous next to my Bullet (even my wife will like the compact machine!)

Tx all. Mark

go for the decent then, while you can use a pc for the crem its very basic as in just changing a few numbers, nothing like the detail of the decent

i nearly got a decent but the noise would of crippled me

Giphy -

Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -

Decent seems the obvious choice.

One machine I never see mentioned (probably because I don’t think there is a UK retailer) is the QuickMill Andreja Profiles. I had a play with one at a trade show once and it seemed very nice and QuickMill can certainly put a machine together but I can’t tell you much more.

David

Hi @BlackCatCoffee thanks, I had a look, similar control scope as Crem One and VBM Domobar (pressure profiles)… but yep, once I opened the door to Decent as a possibility, it is WAY, WAY, WAY more sophisticated and capable than all the others. I also like the unusual looks and small size - makes a big difference when having to factor in WIFE-RESPONSE… 😁

    markpalmos

    David from BlackCatCoffee is one of the friendliest retailers, who is respected and well known for providing unbiased recommendations keeping his commercial interests aside.

    David, we are looking forward to opening Costa Rica Las Palomas in a couple of weeks. Thx for sending it through. It’s in the post. It better be very good! 😊Cheers

        @markpalmos, if you don’t need to do loads of back to back milk drinks, and you don’t mind a bit of DIY then you could do the ito mod that I recently did on my Rancilio Silvia (see here if you’re interested: https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/d/256-poor-mans-decent-espresso-itoleva).

        This lets you take a single boiler and turn it into a fully functioning pressure profiling machine (although you can’t flow profile or adjust temperatures mid shot). You can pair with a skale 2 or Felicia arc to program a specific dose though.

        Total cost was £331.55 for the mod, plus £529 tor a brand new Silvia, so that’s £860.55 for a lot of the same features, and parts for the Silvia are easy to get, so it should have good longevity.

        @hornbyben thanks, that sounds very interesting but I’m going to wait 6 months or so until I can afford the Decent.

          I’ve got a 1.3 Pro Decent and a Vesuvius, Also an L1 and Evo Leva but they weren’t in the title so I’ll ignore those.

          From what you say the Decent will fit the bill exactly. They do release versions each year but there has been minimal changes re hardware. Fore example the latest version upgrade just changed the stand the tablet sits on. They also provide for earlier versions to upgrade at minimal cost.

          It can be simple to use if you set it up that way or you can change a shot live on the fly ala Bianca, but with a graph to show what you are doing. I find the most difficult thing, if you decide to go with every software change is keeping up with it all. I got a version that was stable and run with that and only look at updating software every 6 months or so. But, with stop at weight, limitless flow / pressure / temp flexibility you’ll go through a lot of coffee just playing. Will definitely be keeping mine.

          markpalmos the Decent is quite robust. Not as heavy as many machines but doesn’t mean it won’t last as long. Happy to ànswer any questions of course. Last year I tried a BDB, Synchronika, Decent, La Pavoni Pro, Izzo Valexia and a Streitman and happy to report on comparisons if you have specific questions.