Londinium vs Decent?

#1: Post by **drtzali** » January 20th, 2023, 6:49 am

Has anyone had to make a decision between these two machines, and what did you ultimately decide to buy? Obviously they're pretty much opposite, and I find myself conflicted whether I prefer the technical ability of the decent vs the beauty, quality, and traditional feel of a gorgeous lever machine. I know there's no right answer to this, just curious what peoples' thought process was like, and what decision people ultimately made in this situation.

#2: Post by **GorchT** » January 20th, 2023, 7:00 am

Actually was thinking about it. The biggest concern for the londinium was for me the heat up time. When you spontaneously want a coffee the decent is super quick. This of course really depends on your daily timetable.
Furthermore I prefer super light roasted coffees and I was not sure if the londinium could do them. If I were you I would also consider the new vostok which is coming out soon.
Otherwise to be 100% honest somebody offered his and I bought the decent way cheaper, then it would be new.
The electricity bill was also a part of my consideration process.
I also like to play with parameters and the biggest concern I had with the decent was the sound. But it is quite quiet. I don't think it is a blessing sound, but it is way better than in the videos.

#3: Post by **Primacog** » January 20th, 2023, 10:35 am

Thankfully you don't have to choose between such extreme choices on both ends of the spectrum. There are now spring levers with rhe technical versatilitt and the old school classic feel of the lrver with the ability to not only control the preinfusion pressure, but also control and manipulate the temperature of the grouohead independently from rhe boiler - the Nurri L-type SA Leva is one such machine. The only other machines in rhe same category are the ACS Vesuvius evo and the ACS Vostok - to find another single group lever with similar capabilities you would have to shell out for a LM LEVA X.

January 20th, 2023, 10:39 am

Tere is a big downside to these hybrid levers They make noise .The silence when making espresso is one if the greatest features if a lever imho.

#5: Post by **jtbenson** » January 20th, 2023, 10:51 am

current answer for me is both.
comparison ongoing for a while now, but clearly it is apples to oranges as you rightly intuit.
they complement one another beautifully.
if forced to choose today i'd likely deflect and eliminate the source forcing the choice rather than one of the machines.

#6: Post by **coffeedog** » January 20th, 2023, 11:43 am

For me it came down to Cremina or Decent? Both make excellent espresso - one satisfying my desire for a analog Zen feel - the other indulging my love of technology. In the end I went for the manual hands-on of the lever. But I tell you what, if I ever get sick of the Cremina I would buy the Decent in a heartbeat. The good news is you can't go wrong with either setup.

#7: Post by **Primacog** » January 20th, 2023, 1:26 pm

espressotime wrote:Tere is a big downside to these hybrid levers They make noise .The silence when making espresso is one if the greatest features if a lever imho.

That is true but on the other hand the noise only lasts for as long as preinfusion lasts after which the pump cuts out and it is not that loud being a rotary pump. The rest if the extraction is done in silence. The advantage it imparts is you can set the preinfusion pressure at whatever you want. On top of that, the machine is ready to make coffee in 15 minutes...

#8: Post by **zacl** » January 20th, 2023, 3:05 pm

Can't go wrong with either one. I have both. Totally different experiences.

Londinium R is my daily driver. It's great for light roasts. Also great for traditional espresso and milk drinks of course.

If I could only keep one, it would be the Londinium. I'm hooked on the lever experience.

#9: Post by **espressotime** » January 20th, 2023, 3:42 pm

Primacog wrote:That is true but on the other hand the noise only lasts for as long as preinfusion lasts after which the pump cuts out and it is not that loud being a rotary pump. The rest if the extraction is done in silence. The advantage it imparts is you can set the preinfusion pressure at whatever you want. On top of that, the machine is ready to make coffee in 15 minutes...

All true.

January 20th, 2023, 4:59 pm

Thanks for the replies. To add to the conversation, what about adding a slayer to the mix? How would that compare and which would you choose?