I have an ECM Mechanika (HX rotary) and justified the upgrade to the Linea Micra for temperature stability, reliability and ease of service. My machine should deliver in the next couple of days but I'll be away for work, so can only use it in around 2 weeks.

Micra does have pre-infusion that requires plumb-in - not an issue for me as I have a Flojet already. It can be enabled in the app.

Someone commented that getting a La Marzocco is like driving a Porsche - you own it for the craftsmanship, power and looks. Any sub-$40k car can do the same job as a $150k Porsche but that's not the reason you justify buying a Porsche. And I would rather buy a Porsche than a Tesla (Decent). Took me a couple of days to decide between them but I want La Marzocco's 95 years of experience building reliable espresso machines versus less than 10 years of Decent

I own Bezzera Mitica (e61 HX with rotary). I'm trying to decide between Micra (3300 EUR), Decent (4300 EUR) and Lelit Bianca (1900 EUR). I use only light roast. I'm not much of an fan of e61 look (eventhought Bianca with wooden parts looks quite nice). I like the history, look, fast start, ease of use of Micra. Just not sure if I want to buy a new machine without pressure profiling (which I think can be beneficial for light roast).

Between the two i lean toward the micra. Decent seems over complicated, tablet look, don't like the pump sound. Can't steam and brew @ same time, even if it's a fast to steam transition time-reminds me of single boiler days. Between the two I like the LM group, mach size, a slightly lower price, and support.

PanzerIV88 wrote: It feels like the only realistic and "affordable" choice to upgrade my machine would be the Decent XL even though it's not as good looking and will lose the manual feedback which I understand why some people say it's more fun to use, but it will be so much more versatile. I still feel it looks like a cheap plastic machine that should have a much better looking design at such price, then I'm a bit afraid of a machine that is totally dependent on the life of 1 guy only. If he stops the project or dies, good luck after to get any kind of support, and good luck also trying to get it repaired by any local shop versus a E61 machine. It seems really risky but it does seem better at the same time so I'm hesitating. Is it me though that didn't understand or they charge like 1000$ of SHIPPING only just to send the small and super light machine to Canada?!? Now that would be a major deal breaker...

I agree with your entire post! Sanremo You comes close as a combination of flexibility, usability and design (relatively speaking) but pricing in NA is much higher than price in Europe. For the time being, I am still using my trusted La Spaz which I enhanced to be a smart device - remote or smart phone driven on/off plus auto tank refill. With 6 to 8 coffees per day, it is now going for 10 years with no failure! It is designated as commercial machine though, so not a big surprise.

I preface my comment here by saying I have no experience with either machine.
My comment is about my experience with pressure/flow profiling(Decent) vs flat temp/pressure(LM). I had a Profitec Pro 500 for 4 years, used it without flow profiling, then added the flow profile kit.
There's no doubt in my experience pressure/flow profiling makes a significant improvement in taste such that I would not want a machine, even as nice as a LMLM or LMLu, that does not have this function.
I then wanted a machine that could automate the process so I wouldn't have to manually do it for every shot, so now I have a Londinium.

So... IMHO if taste is king, you have to get the Decent. If aesthetics and build quality and user experience matter more, you have an argument for the LM.

I've waited a while to post on this thread to see what others had to say. My experience as of late is with a pro 700 dual boiler and now a decent. I can't speak to the lm but always wanted one. First off I have an excellent grinder which we all know makes a world of difference. The dual boiler was amazing and I'd recommend it to anyone in the market. But it was limited in that the profiling abilities could only be accomplished manually. I made excellent espresso with that machine and I would have put the coffee I made up against any machine. Steam was amazing! Then I gave it to my sister, lol. She was in the market and I wanted to save her some money.

I searched for a new machine and the LMLM was in my sites as well as Londinium. After researching I chose a Decent pro. I have to say I have not been disappointed. The steam is weak compared to the dual boiler but it gets the job done well. The most dramatic difference is the ability to profile in so many different ways. Without a doubt I make the best coffee I ever have. And it's fun. the pumps make noise but it is nowhere near an issue as some make it. In person it is not distracting or causes irritation at all.

So, the only reason I'd go back to a dual boiler now is because of steam, I do not think I can make better coffee then this machine.

I had a La Spaziale S1 Dream t, super capable machine and nice build quality and similar to the Marzocco LM. I have now moved to the Decent. Whole new experience. What we pay for in all of this highend equipment is repeatability. Once you get your beans and profile dialed in with the Decent, its the same every shot. Want to bring out a different flavor from the bean, just pic a different profile and bam you a another great cup but taste different. I don't dive deep into the Tech stuff with the Decent as some do, just dial in my beans and enjoy great coffee every shot with one button push. Its like a Tesla car, the future is here.

PanzerIV88 wrote:
It feels like the only realistic and "affordable" choice to upgrade my machine would be the Decent XL even though it's not as good looking and will lose the manual feedback which I understand why some people say it's more fun to use, but it will be so much more versatile. I still feel it looks like a cheap plastic machine that should have a much better looking design at such price, then I'm a bit afraid of a machine that is totally dependent on the life of 1 guy only. If he stops the project or dies, good luck after to get any kind of support, and good luck also trying to get it repaired by any local shop versus a E61 machine. It seems really risky but it does seem better at the same time so I'm hesitating. Is it me though that didn't understand or they charge like 1000$ of SHIPPING only just to send the small and super light machine to Canada?!? Now that would be a major deal breaker...

Just gone through this entire exercise thinking of upgrading a 5 year old V2 R58.
This after making a huge mistake by upgrading my grinder to a Kafatek MC5. That was a real eye opener and upgraditis trigger.
Wanted to go Epica but news from the dealer was off putting.
Explored others up to Slayer level...
Been following Decent since the start and aside from the one guy issue, the tablet, for me, is a downer. Really respect his drive and business model. My solution for now is keep my rock solid old machine and add a Strietman CT2. Simple, easy to maintain/repair, flexible, cheap shipping! Still one guy but with a few cheap spares in hand it will outlast me. If (when?) the Rocket goes a Slayer may move in as it is well featured and an owner can readily do most repairs. Hitting the forums hard is making me place an emphasis on self reliance as a key selection criteria. This is such an informative thought provoking thread. There are no wrong solutions as they all provide an enjoyable journey.

I have a DE1 Pro...I had wanted one for a while, coming from a BDB, I finally grabbed one. I can't say the experience has been completely sunshine and rainbows, but I've had a raging case of upgradeitis. I fell into the trap most people seem to when I got the DE1 where I was attempting to replicate the results I had achieved with the slayered bdb, which I had to work through and was a pointless venture. To decent's credit, they and their community is always willing to help through issues, and I eventually settled into a place where I was making coffee that I was happy with (after modding the group to reduce headspace). It heats up amazingly quickly, can be set to keep warm in the mornings, and I really love the look and minimal footprint. You can also increase the steam pressure substantially where it actually makes a pretty good steamer.

Having said all that, I've never been completely satisfied. It's the lack of tactility, as well as the downside of having a compact machine, it doesn't have much space on the drip tray and I've had more channeling with this machine than any other, so it's a bit messy. I also really don't find much value outside of beginner troubleshooting or machine breakdowns in the diaspora community. I also have narrowed my tastes where I'm mostly/always drinking medium to medium-dark roasts, "chocolate plus" types, and have very little interest experimenting with light roasts anymore. I found this thread because I'm considering going from DE1 to a LMLM for the simplicity and tactility, and I have a feeling I can get just as good of results in cup. Not sure what I'll do yet, just my experience.

I'm in the same boat with this decision. I currently have a Rocket Appartamento which is built like a tank, it's feature set is quite simple in that it really doesn't have any other than pre-soak, but it is easy to work on and fun to use. The manual feel of the machine is quite nice. The power switch is fun to flip on and off, the steam and hot water knobs are enjoyable to use, and the handle to "pull" the shot is delightful. It really does have a lot of charm to it aesthetically and in the user experience. It is however limited in the features and it takes ~20min to fully warm up.

As others have mentioned, the DE1pro and Micra are polar opposites which makes it feel really weird to even be torn between the two but here I am. I go back and forth between the two constantly.

I was able to use the Micra at an event here in Seattle and it was quite nice. The thing that really stood out to me was the power of the steam wand and the quality of microfoam I could produce with it. The dual boiler certainly stood out in that regard. I really only make 1 or 2 milk drinks per week so that's not a huge factor but it is worth noting. I had seen some reviews that were a little unsure about the shortness of the steam wand which I could see if you were steaming 20oz pitchers or something that could be an issue but for the normal 8-16oz amount it was totally fine. The Micra felt really solidly built and also very charming and a joy to use. The plastic materials on the knobs and paddle did stand out to me as a little meh but I suppose there will probably be some custom wood kits available down the road. It was very compact but felt roomy enough to maneuver around. I think if the Micra offered flow control it would be a slam dunk for me but that glaring absence does give me pause. It does offer plenty of features to create solid and consistent espresso though like temperature, pressure (requires getting under the hood), PID, dual boiler, fast heat up.

I haven't been able to see a Decent in person so it's hard for me to talk much about the quality of hardware or the feel of using it. Based on photos and videos, the industrial design of it feels pretty generic to me, the group head controls remind me of an Alexa device. The clicking sounds remind me of a Keurig. The lack of any physical knobs, dials, buttons, switches (apart from the group head buttons) would take some getting used to. Of course this is just personal preference. That said, it can't be denied the power of controls and options available which is really quite amazing and what makes it so appealing. I've seen and read some reviews where at times things haven't always worked right out of the box, some people receive a dead tablet for instance that requires support right off the bat. Decent's support is notoriously great from what I've read so that is reassuring. Or cases where you might be faced with a software update at an inconvenient time... Things that no doubt just happen with computer controlled products.

I am pretty comfortable doing my own repairs which makes me feel ok about taking on a Decent, and the 2 year warranty is great because I definitely question the longevity of the Decent compared with the Micra. Especially because I know there are several places locally I could take the Micra for service if something major did happen whereas packing up and shipping out a machine is definitely a bigger chore.

I am a UX Designer which, in a way makes this decision very difficult because on one hand the product design of the Micra is incredible whereas the potential of the Decent is extremely exciting. I wouldn't mind designing my own skin, for instance. I'm sort of thinking about trying the Decent for a year and seeing how it goes, if I enjoy it I can keep it or sell it and go more manual route. Wow, I wrote a lot! Sorry guys haha, that was therapeutic though!