Lelit Bianca vs Decent Espresso

#1: Post by **Petrus** » May 20th, 2020, 7:14 pm

I am torn between these 2.

I know there are discussions on this.

But has anyone with experience with both machines?

If so, any input would be appreciated.

I worry about the build quality of decent espresso. It's small and light..and the sound....but otherwise it's the machine of the future

thanks

#2: Post by **John49** » May 20th, 2020, 7:44 pm

Correction small and solid.

#3: Post by **DaveC** » May 20th, 2020, 8:02 pm

The Bianca is aesthetically much nicer IMO.

#4: Post by **njw** » May 20th, 2020, 11:18 pm

bianca can flow profile with the paddle but with decent, you can set flow, pressure or hybrid profiles. additionally, decent gives you repeatability whereas moving the paddle in just the same way to repeat shots introduces human error while using the bianca. and now, with the group head controller in v1.3, you can even make changes on the fly with decent.

i believe users guydebord and jaybeck have experience with both machines.

May 20th, 2020, 11:50 pm

are there published profiles that people can download and use for popular coffee blends (ex blackcats, redbirds etc)?

#6: Post by **thesharpener** » May 21st, 2020, 12:46 am

I worry about the build quality of decent espresso

Why? I've heard no complaints about Decent's build quality. It's light because there are no boilers, and it seems like all the components are top notch. Those more familiar with the machines can probably provide better detail.

Seems like Bianca and Decent offer completely different user experiences. Both are clearly capable of excellent espresso, you just need to decide which experience suits your preference best.

I like a more manual/tactile process, so my preference were I considering these machines would be the Bianca. But then again, the Decent is capable of things no other machine can do, so that's quite appealing.

#7: Post by **guydebord** » May 21st, 2020, 1:15 am

I owned a Bianca before upgrading to the DE1. IMO opinion its all the Bianca is and much, much more. It would be impossible to move back into an e61 or any classic espresso machine. With the Bianca I became very good at dialing flow profiles but it was super frustrating to not have repeatable results even if I tried hard to replicate the paddle. As soon as I saw the v1.3 I went for it, I saw it as a Bianca with better temperature stability and precise repeatability, but once I got it I realized how much more it was, besides flow, I could also control pressure, temperature and time! all during the shot! The DE1 opens a whole new universe of experimentation that leaves all other machines in the 20th century. Simply put, its the most advanced espresso machine in the planet, nothing comes close. Adding to this, the customer service is out of this world, you can talk to the designers and engineers of the machine almost realtime and perhaps the best thing about it is the community of owners you interact with, the knowledge in the diaspora is IMO worth the price of the machine without the machine, seriously.

I was too worried about built and aesthetics but the machine feels super solid and now I think it looks better than the Bianca... compare them yourself:

May 21st, 2020, 1:45 am

thanks for the feedback....you are one of the fews that have owned both machines

for your DE1+ , how long does it take to heat up for a shot, from the standby mode? Important for me as i don't have much time in the morning.

Also, John recommends leaving the portafilter in place to keep it warm. Do you still do a warming flush before a shot?

How big is the water tank/drip tray. ie, how often you need to refill tank/empty tray?

V1.3 doesn't need a scale. Looks like it's just volumetric. Do you find this a step back from the previous weight controlled off function?

The current wait time is 8 weeks per the website. Was that your experience? did it come sooner/later?

thanks again

May 21st, 2020, 2:00 am

It takes 5min to warm up, I waited 40min to get the Bianca stable.

I always leave the PF on. No warm flush needed.

Tank is around 1.8l, I drink 3/4 long espressos per day with an occasional v60 and refill every 3 days.

I still prefer the precision of the Skale, so that is what I use.

I was one of the first ten 1.3's in the USA, before covid... I waited a bit less than month since ordering, shipping took one day from HK, it was crazy fast, but then again it was before covid.

I added some comparative pics above.

#10: Post by **cheez** » May 21st, 2020, 9:24 am

guydebord wrote:It takes 5min to warm up, I waited 40min to get the Bianca stable.

The Bianca doesn't need 40 minutes to warm up. It has been scace tested with the result that it is up to temp in 18 minutes, even less if the service boiler is off. It's probably the fastest e61 in that regard. 40min is a gross exaggeration.