Brengen82 wrote:Hi,
It' s really a interesting machine you're working on here Decent Espresso. I like the fact you're so open to end users opinions in your development process, can't recall I've ever seen that before.

One thought I have about the water tank located beneath the machine
Have you considered the option to add a filter in the water tank? Like the ones you attach to inlet water tubing that are very common for tank machines to prevent scale build-up. Diameter of these are often around 5cm and this would really increase "dead-volume" in the tank to make sure the filter is always under water.

In Sweden (assuming you live in Gothenburg in Sweden and not Gother"n"burg somewhere else) we have so good water that you shouldn't have to worry about scale buildup. In fact, descaling your machine most often do more harm than good and decrease its lifespan. I talked with several service points and they recommended doing a descale once every 6-8 years with normal home-use.

Cleaning the machine however is a different thing!

I use low- mineral - content spring water to avoid buildup in my Strega. Will do the same thing in the Decent I intend to purchase (hubby does not know that yet ). Will a Brita filter remove the calcifying minerals?

It looks like it does, but the answer is complicated: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=317317

Other options: a much smaller inline charcoal filter like the BDB uses, you could potentially even use Breville's filters!

Or something like how the Tassimo pod machines use a smaller filter in the reservoir. Theirs are made by Mavea. I use a Mavea pitcher at home and have been very impressed, tastes great, and no loose carbon flecks!

First idea might be very easy to implement, worth looking into.

Do the Breville type "filters remove the minerals which otherwise build up scale? Or do such filters merely remove elements affecting flavor?

One of the criticisms often hurled at Microsoft products is that they are designed by committees. In contrast, Apple products are designed by edict. If you give everyone a say you end up with products that are slow to market and have so many compromises that no one wants them. The best designs are by visionaries who give us things we would never have realized we wanted or needed.

Wasn't Nespresso designed as an homage to Apple products ("my way or the high way")?

Just like not ALL files are quicktime (geesh!) - Not all coffees are created equal - I like my machines to give me the option of pre-infusion, pressure ramps, flow profiles, volumetrics, clean-ability, etc.

If Apple were to design a Gicar controller, it would hang mid-pour, pretend everything is great, reboot softly with a little swizzle stick indicator revolving gracefully, and then insist it is the fault of the bad coffee that I roast - that it tasted burnt.

Not that the iPhone is a bad product - In a sorta-kinda like way I sort of like mine.

I just started fearing microsoft or apple will ever enter the espresso scene...

An espresso machine with a stylus.

Barb wrote:Do the Breville type "filters remove the minerals which otherwise build up scale? Or do such filters merely remove elements affecting flavor?

The filters on the Brevillle 920xl have ion exchange resin that will remove minerals-- I took one apart and studied the little yellow particles contained within. No activated charcoal was seen.....