DE1PRO

I usually just read here; not contribute. But I also went the 'buy once, cry once' route, so here's my thoughts. I stretched my budget a lot and bought a Option-O P64 and a Decent DE1 Pro. A Lelit was my second choice. I am extremely happy with both my P64 and my Decent. Counter space was a consideration for me. Whatever you choose, be aware that every setup has a learning curve. Be patient. Your first dozen or so espressos might be mediocre. But after that your worse espresso will be very very good. Good luck. And enjoy

Well said. I moved away from mine as well. The sound and look definitely played a big role, as did the lack of any tactile feel

The Decent is an endgame espresso machine. You won't need to upgrade that but perhaps the grinder down the line.

I live in a small flat in the city so I can’t use up too much kitchen counter space. Left - decent DE1 pro Right - df64v gen2 This seemed like the best grinder for the size. I upgraded from the sage barista express that I had for 2.5years. The espresso tastes amazing, and I love the different espresso profiles on the decent. Can you help rate my setup. What would you change or have done differently? I bought the df64 over niche because of the dice and flat burrs for possible pour overs.

It definitely matters less, but I think pressure/flow profiling is a game changer even for a dark roast. I would say OP made a good buy since this is a very capable machine and I never seem to hear of any build quality complaints about decent.  I’m personally in a similar position but with a Gaggimate. I now have it running as a headless setup on a profile that mimics a spring level machine and I’m really happy with the results. I still wouldn’t necessarily make a direct comparisons to something like a decent. I think that would be like comparing a Subaru project car to a new Porsche with a warranty just because they can set similar lap times. 

De1 pro the experimenting with profiles was cool and all and i sometimes still do some nonsense, but once you figure out what you like, it’s super easy to just press a button and have what you like happen instantly. Other machines cant do that. Only thing better for spro would be a lever.

The Decent is a great machine but only worthwhile if you will actually take advantage of the profiling options it offers. A lot of people buy high end espresso machines thinking they're going to get better espresso than cheaper options but that's not true. The grinder is a huge aspect of the types of shots you will be able to pull. The DF64 is a good grinder but definitely not the best. The Gevi Grindmaster is probably the best 64mm flat burr grinder under $500. Have you already dialed in the espresso shots you prefer or still dialing it in? You have a great overall setup. I strongly recommend becoming a member over at Decent's forums. I believe you can even get profiles shared to you by other Decent owners. That really opens up possibilities for different types of shots. The only thing I would recommend you adding is a slow feeder to the grinder. Combining slow RPM to slow feeding affects the grounds big time.