Hi all, I'm a brand new member, an espresso newbie, (brewing but not drinking) and have a decent amount to spend, but not - - - quite - - - a Slayer amount, whatever "Slayer" means. Instead I am looking to balance form and function equally. I've committed to a new Decent DE1XL; whatever the mixed reviews it may have, it looks sublime when countersunk, and with my pre-order Eureka Oro Single Dose, I think I'll be OK looks wise - as long as I get a sweet custom built counter/island! As Louie CK said - "I'm not the king of Siam" . . . meaning "better than most" is way, way more than I need, but it's what I want.

So, after all that . . . I'm looking to design a "Coffee Bar" table top, maybe 48" X 24" with the countersunk Decent DE1XL and a pitcher rinser, both plumbed water and drain. Also a couple of cord holes for a grinder and a drip coffee maker. So I need to pre-plan the space for my grinder, Decent, and rinser. Seems easy enough to me - a right to left workflow.

I'm thinking of telling the table builder (I'm right handed, and while I'll only be making 3-5 drinks a day most days, I'll appreciate the beauty of a well designed counter top. ) to build me the following:

From right to left: Hole in the table for the grinder cord with the grinder in the back right corner, and a battery powered scale in front of it. Next, a knock box in back, and a tamping pad in front. Next - the cut-out for the Decent DE1XL and, following to the left, the cutout for the pitcher rinser in front (with miscellaneous space behind for whatever). Then we'll place the Breville drip or similar (baby steps with the wife) on the far left, with a cord cut-out.

Simple, right?

I agree that countersunk looks cooler for the DE1 but haven't brought myself to do it yet. In part because I haven't been exactly sure where on the counter to set it permanently. It's kind of nice and easy to just slide it around as the occasion requires. I think I've decided on right in the middle of my length of counter.

And yes, you'll be very set for good drinks. I do with the decent utilized it's capacity to really teach you and tell you what you're likely doing wrong, but just a little bit of learning what the graphs show and what to target in a given profile and you'll understand quickly.

Glad to have you here! You'll have to keep us updated as you get things set.

I like left to right. Unfortunately my sink is stuck on the left so I have to work the other direction.

-no sink, just pitcher rinser? If I only had one or the other I think I'd choose a sink. More versatile. You definitely need to rinse the portafilter. I don't know, can that be done well enough with a rinser?
-I'd plan the knock box next to the sink/rinser. Keep the wet mess on one side and the dry mess on the other.
-I feel like I'd have the drip machine on the far left... though I don't do much drip... but for it I'd put it to the left of your grinder.

-hmm... definitely browse the very long Post a pic of your home espresso setup thread since there are a lot of nice setups there. There are a few other threads on people's coffee bar area designs too. But you definitely have the right idea!

Thanks! I'll check out that thread! 749 pages? I'll be a little busy for a while! The drip is just to ease the transition for my wife. The pitcher rinser on the Descent website (if you can find it!) looks perfect if you're used to European rinsing standards. I've never used a rinser, but the videos seem to show it makes quick work of a dirty portafilter.