Iowa_Boy wrote:Hi - Any updates on when the resin portafilter handles might be available?
Haven't seen an update recently but may have missed it!

They're now available:
https://decentespresso.com/portafilter

I finished rewriting that page just a few days ago, so that we now have a "design your own portafilter" approach (mix and match handles with heads), and we can also now dynamically list short runs of custom handles, via a web CMS system I wrote, allowing my staff to add/remove items from this page, and they are removed as they go out of stock, and they have real time stock quantities on the website. This also allows us to list relevant limited-stock sale items, on the appropriate page, with the non-sale stuff.

For example:




You didn't miss the announcement. I haven't yet made the announcement as we're doing the video edits on a video which explains all this. I'll announce it soon.

-john

Also forgot to mention latest update has a steam specific preheat now, so if you're trying to make a cortado as fast as possible in the morning... it just always works, instead of making the user wait some unknown warmup time. Appreciation.

Here are the five Decent Espresso video tapings we're doing this week.

As always, these are live events where you can follow and ask questions.

Each video will then be edited and released at a later date.

- Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/@Decentespresso
- Google Calendar: http://decent.la/@gcal
- Apple iCal: click "File/New Calendar Subscription" with: http://decent.la/@ical

-john


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Internal DE1 architecture: how it works
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The DE1 espresso machine doesn't have a boiler, yet is has 0.3C accurate water temperature, that can be accurately changed in a tenth of a second.

It can also change pressure and flow instantly.

How is all this possible?

Here's a deep dive into the architecture and technology inside the DE1.



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DE1XL Overview
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The DE1XL (and DE1XXL) espresso machine is our flagship and most popular model. Learn how it differs from the less-expensive DE1PRO.

We'll cover:
- the steam wand
- back panel
- white color option
- optional countersink
- height




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Decent is perfect for beginners
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The most common question those new to espresso ask is "what am I doing wrong?"

Yet most espresso machines barely have any sensors on them, and worse yet, those sensors lie to you.

And worse yet, many espresso machines deliver temperature and pressures that will always give you bad espresso, yet hide that fact from you. You literally cannot avoid but fail.

The Decent was created because founder John Buckman was a beginner home barista, making bad espresso with his very-expensive-gear, and only realized it when he got expert 1:1 training.

We'll discuss:
- how the charts and visual feedback help beginners know what to do
- how to use the community, support, and tablet to learn how to fix what's going wrong with your bad coffee
- how the DE1 architecture doesn't lie to you, and shows you what it really did, and does what you tell it to do. Your machine won't be causing your problems any more.
- how the Profiles on the DE1 make up for your lack of experience and "fix problems for you" in ways that no other machine does.
- How preinfusion, even water distribution, accurate temperature, all help you make the best of your still-new espresso skills.





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Cooking an ice cream custard base with your espresso machine
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Make a custard ice cream base is not easy. You need to slowly heat your milk/cream/egg mix until it thickens, stirring constantly and avoiding burning the sides.

An espresso steam wand makes this so much easier.

Watch and learn how to cook your ice cream custard base with your espresso machine steam wand, and why it's by far the easiest and fastest way to do this.




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Amazing Hot Chocolate from an espresso machine
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The best hot chocolate I've had was made by slowly adding milk to melted chocolate, whisking constantly, as you formed a stable emulsion, a kind of "chocolate mayonaise". Oh my god it was time consuming, but the result was delicious.

You can achieve an even better result than that recipe, with this two step approach that uses an espresso machine steam wand. You'll get even better body from the foaming, the cleanup is significantly easier, and it's super fast too.

We today started selling and shipping v1.44 of the DE1XL model, in the USA-voltage 110V model only:
https://decentespresso.com/model?de1xl

What's new:
https://decentespresso.com/new-in-v144.html

To the US, shipping times has been averaging 2.2 days:
https://decentespresso.com/deliverabili ... country=US

Other models will be available over the next two months, as our stock of v1.43 of each model, is sold out:
https://decentespresso.com/queue

A video of what's new in the DE1 v1.44 model, will be available shortly.

-john

Will any models get NSF certification within the next year or so?

Reading about the changes I'm a little confused as to this statement:

"We've been discussing this innovation for some time. Unfortunately, the R&D on this part was not completed in time to be included as part of v1.45.
These will be released in the 3rd quarter of 2023, and available to all DE1 owners (v1.1 machines and newer) as a $99 upgrade."


So does this means it won't be on the new 1.44 XL machines that are now shipping. How easy is the upgrade to do and will it cost $99 for the new parts ?

Hi,
as your company grows, do you have any plans to expand your distribution centers? Right know, the shipping and taxes are the main reason for me not to get one of your machines. I mean the prices are outrageous. The lowest price for shipping to Slovakia (part of EU event Euro zone) is 586.36 € shipping + 237.02 € tax = 823.38 € total. And that's the TNT express which is the slowest and in my option not the most reliable one. The cheapest UPS shipping is 1184.54 € shipping + 363.14 € tax = 1547.68 € total, I mean that's 45% of the price of DE1Pro (and that's the cheapest UPS option). Also do you have any plans to release your app on iOS platform?

jeshikat wrote:Will any models get NSF certification within the next year or so?

TLDR: no.

Long answer:

- NSF certification is not the main hindrance to Decent being used in commercial settings. Some jurisdictions do require it, but most don't or if they do require it, the examiner waives it.

- What *is* a hindrance to Decent being used in commercial setting is the lack of local service. Most cafes have a visit from a repairman once or twice a month, to keep things running, fix them before they die. MTBF w/o service, of a commercial machine (ie our competitors) is 2 months, so regular service of those machines is essential.

- As we're not going after a reseller/local-rep model, our plan is to have a "swap fleet" in our main markets of a commercial-grade machine.

- However:
a) we have too many models, so a swap fleet of like-for-like isn't currently possible
b) commercial use requires 220V, both on Decent and our competitors.

- So:
a) we plan to introduce a new model, that only comes in one color/model/power.
b) that will have our highest power steam (another 50% above our current DE1XXL model) and requires a 220V/13A circuit.
c) we'll have a swap fleet in select markets (likely: USA, Germany, HK and Korea at first)
d) we'll offer an annual commercial service contract with access to the swap fleet at that point
e) this future machine is called "Bengle" and we expect the first models to come out in November 2023.
f) we'll have either NSF or UL-Commercial certification for it.

-john

espressosnob_LT wrote:Reading about the changes I'm a little confused as to this statement:

"We've been discussing this innovation for some time. Unfortunately, the R&D on this part was not completed in time to be included as part of v1.45.
These will be released in the 3rd quarter of 2023, and available to all DE1 owners (v1.1 machines and newer) as a $99 upgrade."

So does this means it won't be on the new 1.44 XL machines that are now shipping. How easy is the upgrade to do and will it cost $99 for the new parts ?

Yes, the upgrade will be $99, planned to be available in Summer 2023, and it's incredibly easy to change. We even give you the screwdriver, and there's a howto video. It's a 2 minute job. You don't even need to take the case off.

mipe wrote:Hi,
as your company grows, do you have any plans to expand your distribution centers? Right know, the shipping and taxes are the main reason for me not to get one of your machines. I mean the prices are outrageous. The lowest price for shipping to Slovakia (part of EU event Euro zone) is 586.36 € shipping + 237.02 € tax = 823.38 € total. And that's the TNT express which is the slowest and in my option not the most reliable one. The cheapest UPS shipping is 1184.54 € shipping + 363.14 € tax = 1547.68 € total, I mean that's 45% of the price of DE1Pro (and that's the cheapest UPS option). Also do you have any plans to release your app on iOS platform?

If I may, I'd like to answer your question in two parts:

• logistics costs worldwide
• advice for your specific case.

Having a local distribution center wouldn't solve the problem, as the real problem is "moving things around the world is, at the moment, very expensive, especially in places with little competition."

Let me use the USA as an example.

• pre-COVID, it cost $170 to ship a DE1 via UPS, they were the least expensive, by a wide margin
• after covid, UPS continually increased their prices to level which I would consider "price gouging", into the $450 range.
• unfortunately for UPS, this attracted more competition to the HK->USA route, and now UPS's rate ($613) is laughably abusive, with DHL offering rates that are approaching pre-COVID levels.

In Slovakia, a lack of competition in the logistics business has created similar price gouging:


TNT - Express to Slovakia :
586.36 € shipping + 237.02 € tax = 823.38 € total

If you have your DE1 delivered "down the Danube" to neighboring Vienna, you'll save quite a bit of money.



TNT - Express to Austria:
335.75 € shipping + 190.07 € tax = 525.82 € total

Shipping to Slovakia is 75% more expensive than shipping to Austria.

And incredibly, UPS is even charging you 25% more tax to send directly to Slovakia as compared to Austria.

Yes, it's absurd that an hour drive away produces such a different set of shipping rates:



and that is in fact what many "Eastern" European customers of ours are doing.

Order a DE1 shipping to your neighboring country, where logistics and taxes are lower, and go pick your machine up.

Since we ship the DE1 to you in a suitcase with 4 rolling wheels, this is easy to arrange. A weekend in Vienna is not so awful a trip. The cost savings that you didn't give to UPS will more than pay for it.