Hi All!

Looking for advice on a machine that can be used simply (grind, tamp, push button, walk away), while also having the ability to be titrated/experimented with. My spouse prefers americanos and cappuccinos, and I drink macchiatos and espressos. We'd make 2 to 3 drinks each per day. I want the ability to adjust everything and she would want a relatively simple set up. She's worked in a coffee shop and is happy to grind tamp and activate the machine, but she doesn't want to sit there and watch the extraction or have to pay attention to the temperature or pressure. She'd rather push a button and walk away.

Machines we've looked at are things like an ECM Elektronika and a Decent DE1+, since they have volumetric capabilities with straightforward buttons and seem to be almost made for houses with mixed interest levels. We'd like to keep the overall cost w/ grinder <5k. Let me know if there are other things we should look at, or if there are any insights or experiences with these machines.

Thanks!

Decent is a great option that allows easy one touch operation, or fiddling to your hearts content.

The BDB could also be an option with the "slayer mod" that is discussed in great detail here, but also has a volumetric option for simplicity.

That would leave a substantial budget for your grinder - what are you considering for that?

For grinders we were looking at the Ceado E37S. The original set up I had looked at was a Synchronika with a Ceado E37s, but when my spouse looked over the machine she was hesitant about how hands on pulling the shots was. We usually drink coffee in the morning together, but 1 or 2 days per week I'm gone before she's up. She would almost always make her own during the day time, so I don't want to get something she wouldn't use. I'll look more into the DBD.

That the DE1 can run even the most complex profile at the tap of the group-head controller (GHC) is a great boon, even for those engaged deeply with the espresso hobby. This morning was one of those mornings for me. "Ugh, too dark. Where are the lights? What was I pulling yesterday? Oh, Kenyan." 17.0 g into the Niche. Too lazy to check weight out. Dose, tamp, lock it in. No, not awake enough to try to video the shot. Tap the GHC. Stir, dump the puck, tap the GHC to flush and wipe the screen. Sit down, enjoy...

(Note that I didn't touch the tablet -- the DE1 will happily make coffee with a tap of the GHC)

The insights that the DE1 can provide have taken my coffee up several notches from my HX of over a decade. What I have come expect in the morning is now above and beyond what it was prior, as is my ability to work with coffees that were often a big gamble to try as espresso.

I think a DE1+ is sufficient for home use (rather than a DE1PRO).

I'd suggest a Skale 2 and one of the printed stands, such as those by Damien (usually under $35 to have printed by a local or regional vendor). If you want something more substantial and finished, Sheldon has a beautiful metal stand, but it has a higher price, appropriate for the materials and workmanship. Not only does this provide stop-on-weight in addition to stop-on-volume, but things like auto-stop of steaming based on the weight of the milk.

For tamping, I bought a Bravo tamper as it is both square-to-basket and force-indicating. It has become my daily tamper and is also easy to use and robust in its performance with inexpert use. Some like The Force Tamper, which works on a different principle.

I find the Niche Zero a solid grinder that is easy to use and scaled for a home counter. It is a very popular choice with the DE1.

The DE1 has a very customizable app that runs on the tablet. All kinds of "skins" have been developed, with all kinds of features above and beyond the "stock" skin. Damien's DSx is very popular and does things like saving and restoring favorites, workflow management, steam-by-weight, and probably many other things I haven't found yet. Damien went through it in detail in a two-hour Zoom call recently, but I haven't watched it yet myself and I don't know that it's been split into more-easily consumable segments yet.

The DE1 seems like a great option for us. I know I'll have a number of mornings where I just want to hit play. The skale 2 also seems like a fun accessory to play with.

In regard to the niche grinder, how often does it go on sale? I recently looked and it was all sold out. I noticed that many people match the DE1 With a niche but I haven't figured that out. Is there a particular reason these get paired, or is it the personality types that are interested in new companies that are trying new things. The niche looks like it has a slender profile which could match with the DE1, I saw a pic of a ceado e37s and the grinder was just as bug as the DE1.

The Niche typically "restocks" every month, or at least did when I was watching it. The US white seems to sell out faster than the black. When I bought mine earlier this year, it was available for at least a couple of days (compared to hours or minutes for some high-demand items). There's contact information and mention of a mailing list at https://www.nichecoffee.co.uk/ I don't know if they announce availability.

The Niche is a very attractive grinder for many given its grind quality, relative cost, size, ease of use, quiet and the like. It's perhaps the most common grinder in the DE1 group, with many of the remainder working with big flats in the "luxury" range (EK, Monolith, Ultra, ...). If you decide that you don't like the Niche, or want to upgrade to something else, they seem to sell very quickly here on Buy/Sell for very close to what they cost new.

There are a several photos on the "Post a pic" thread of the Niche as well as the Niche with the DE1. Just working backward, I found
Post a pic of your home espresso setup... With a La Spaz
Post a pic of your home espresso setup... This one with DE1. The post directly above is a Niche with a Robot and BDB