Principally two gear pumps would work, but you have to change how you control the pumps (PWM instead of skipping pulses). Water mixing could be the same.

As far as I remember, John said there will be a new version of the decent with different hardware, with another water mixing solution. There will only be one gear pump with two outlets, and an additional motor in the pump will control the water ratio of those outlets. So that you only need one of those pumps.

luca wrote:Software - There is still ample room to improve the software.

Having recently gotten the chance to use an up-to-date machine, could not agree more. I sold my Decent 2 years ago before moving abroad with the intention to purchase again when I'm back in the States. I'm disappointed there hasn't been significant improvement in the UI/UX since then. I wish they investing more in that area vs relying on community contributions and their own programmers and developers. Before I get all the hate, I still think it's an unbelievable machine at that price point. I'm just expecting more from the tablet experience given how far along it is in its lifecycle and the popularity of the machine.

There is so much to dislike about the Decent it's hard to imagine. And yet, it does things no other current machine does so we put up with it. If you think of it like it's the only tool that solves a problem and you've got no other choice if you want that solution you'll be happy. If you spend your life thinking about user interfaces and and processes and how to make them better you might struggle. I fall in that camp and I've gotten in numerous heated discussions with Decent about a number of things that I think are lacking or just wrong, enough I've been offered my money back twice. And it's not because I'm angry, jut because I want to help make it better, but it's frustrating to see the promise that exists in that piece of software unfulfilled. And yet, it's still the machine I turn on every morning because it does things nothing else but a Duval promises and even that can't currently do all the temperature manipulation a Decent can do in real time.

FWIW, I use it mostly for pour over and I consider the first batch Mono flat and the Decent worth every penny given the results I get. It's admittedly stupid money to replace a $150 Kettle and a Clever dripper or any other of the 5 or 6 drippers I have, but the coffee is significantly better. Part of that is likely me not really being the seriously obsessive pour over fanatic, hence the Clever.

ira wrote:...it does things no other current machine does so we put up with it.

That's probably a more accurate summation of my feelings, but was trying to keep it positive

I was not trying to be particularly negative, it is still far better at what it does than anything else out there, and yet in some ways the software is historic and outdated while the hardware is evolving at a rate far surpassing any other company I'm aware of. And yet, even this many years later, no one has stepped up to try and do it better. It could clearly be done with one rotary pump and a pair of PWMed valves of some sort to control flow or Duval could do it with 2 cylinders per group, but no one has yet so we use the Decent. In truth you'll likely get to a place of complacency after a short time and just make the best coffee of your life unless you're just into traditional Italian Espresso or something along those lines at which point a lever or Lina Micra is probably a better choice. Or if you just can't stand the look or sound of the machine, both of which are perfectly understandable.

The MARO is trying to surpass the Decent by its UX:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ma ... so?lang=de

But to the best of my knowledge, it doesn't have the functionality, so not relevant to the discussion until they prove it does.

Remember that perfect espresso machine, or that perfect grinder you had, all except for that one thing that was like a pebble in your shoe while you ran that marathon. The poor temperature control of a Silvia so we added PIDs. The lack of grind control of a Rocky so a fake-stepless adjustment was created. The rust of a Vibiemme because there was bare steel under the drip tray risers welded to the base. The retention in a commercial Mazzer grinder. There are a number of things to kvetch about in the Decent. I have done it, here, on the Decent forum, and in detail on my website, " 'Decent DE1' Fanboy (Mostly) But..". But it doesn't look like a perverted toaster oven, doesn't take up much space at all, and it makes great coffee.

I will say that if I was not going to plumb the machine I probably would have looked into a different machine with bigger (or easier to fill) reservoir and a larger drip tray.

ira wrote:It could clearly be done with one rotary pump and a pair of PWMed valves of some sort to control flow

I would not use valves for the mixer, it would result in other clicking noises. A motorized needle valve to control the cold water which bypasses the heater would probably be a good way.

ira wrote:Duval could do it with 2 cylinders per group.

This actually works quite good.

I've been doing mods here and there to address some of these points.

GDK wrote: 2. Have a plastic water reservoir. Ceramic may be less susceptible to grime etc. but again the benefits of plastic outweigh that, adding a cover may become possible too.

Like Luca above, I quite like the ceramic water tank. Both the water tank and the drip tray aren't as fragile as I initially thought. They feel just like any ceramic baking dish and are likely as durable. They certainly won't bounce if they hit a hardwood floor, but I also don't need to treat them delicately.

On the topic of a cover, I created a DIY cover from a silicone stretch food cover. The 185 mm x 185 mm cover fits nearly exactly, and is food safe, heat safe, and reusable. Just cut some holes for the water inlet and return and stretch over the water tank. Be sure that the water tank and stretch cover are bone dry (wet silicone slips, dry silicone clings) and it stays put.

I would use this cover if I were plumbed in to keep particulates out. Since I'm not currently plumbed in, it's more of a hassle to refill the tank so I've set it aside for if I get the catering kit. And my environment isn't particularly dusty nor spore-y, so a weekly wash of the tank hasn't been a huge deal.

GDK wrote: 1. Lose the ceramic drip tray and make it from nice sturdy plastic.

I also like the look and feel of the drip tray. It's well-sized for my shot volume and is rarely half full on a daily basis. However during cleaning cycles the drip tray needs to be emptied several times, and it's a chore to walk a nearly full tray to the sink. So I'm in the middle of designing a 3d printed plumbed tray. This is different than the tray offered by Decent in that it's meant to work well with under-slung scales.

Still some testing to do, but it's meant to route waste water out the back of the machine and not interfere with the scale. It's also plastic (heat resistant PETG) so I'll have a spare in the unlikely event that I crack the OEM