We used a Decent Espresso machine to make the coffees in this video.

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In this 3rd video in the series, I suggest and explain 5 profiles, using medium-light beans from L'Alchimiste and a medium dark bean from Dark Arts.

In a digression, I explain why espresso machines generally use 9 bar of pressure, and not more or less: the secondary compression that happens above 9.5 bar, completing at 10.5 bar, causes increasing pressure to decrease flow, contrary to what you might think physics would predict.

The last part of this video gives an extensive tutorial on D-Flow, one of the most innovative features on the Decent.

If you don't know about D-Flow, you really should! It's not so much a profile as a family of profiles that you can easily change to mimic many other profiles, using coffee-concept adjustments. You don't need to become a skilled profile programmer.

I explain how Flow Profiling works and its benefits. Most people only use Pressure Profiling, and so this is not a widely understood ability. I argue that stopping a shot at the "Pressure elbow" during flow profiling is likely a winning strategy, as the extraction rate has greatly slowed after the elbow point.

The difference between fines-producing and no-fines grinders (ie, large flat burrs) is discussed, in terms of what kind of extraction curves you'll see on-screen, and how you should dial in differently for each.

The 5 profiles we show are:

Default

Flow profile for milky drinks (and Flow profile for espresso)

Londonium

Adaptive v2

D-Flow

Related videos:

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Here is a blog post based on the transcript, focused on medium-roasted beans and five distinct espresso profiles. It's written for home baristas who want to move beyond dark roasts and explore the complexity of medium beans.

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Beyond Dark Roasts: 5 Espresso Profiles for Medium Beans (Tasted & Compared)

Medium roast is the trickiest category. It spans from medium‑light (caramel, red fruits, no char) to medium‑dark (bitter chocolate, no fruit, no burn). And the way you extract it completely changes what ends up in your cup.

We put five profiles to the test on a Decent Espresso machine: Default, Flow Profile (milky drinks), Londinium, Adaptive, and D‑Flow. We used two very different medium beans – a chocolate‑forward medium‑dark from Dark Arts (London) and a fruity medium‑light from L'Alchimiste (Bordeaux) – to see what each profile could do.

Here's what we learned.

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First, a Quick Primer on Medium Roasts

Here is how we describe 3 roasts levels inside what is called "medium roast" :

Medium‑light: No bitter chocolate. Caramel, maybe red fruits or even pear. The roast flavor is present but not dominant.

True medium: Comfort food. Chocolate, possibly toffee – nothing fruity, nothing burnt.

Medium‑dark: Bitter chocolate, no fruit, and no charcoal. This is the perfect stepping stone for dark‑roast fans who want to ditch rancid, burnt notes.

Pro tip: Open the bag and smell it. If you get wet cardboard or rancid oil, send it back. Fresh medium roasts smell like chocolate, nuts, or gentle fruit – not smoke.

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The 5 Profiles – What They Do & How They Taste

We pulled all shots with 18g in, 36g out, using 58mm baskets. Grind size varied by profile.

1. Default Profile – The Reliable Workhorse

Temp: 88°C

Pressure: Fast pre‑infusion, rise to 8.6 bar, decline to 6 bar

Style: Pressure‑controlled, classic lever imitation

Why it's default: It works with almost any grinder. It doesn't hold peak pressure for long, so even grinders with fewer fines (large flat burrs) won't channel easily.

Tasting (Dark Arts medium‑dark):

Intense, powerful, full‑bodied.

Belgian dark chocolate, not charcoal.

A tiny hint of char (1/10 of what you'd get in an Italian dark roast).

“This tastes way more expensive than last week's dark roast.”

Verdict: Perfect for traditional espresso drinkers. If you want a no‑nonsense, chocolatey shot, start here.

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2. Flow Profile (Milky Drinks) – Constant Flow, Surprising Fruit

Flow rate: 1.7 ml/s (constant)

Grind: Finer than Default

Shot time: ~23 seconds

This profile ignores pressure – it just pushes water at a fixed rate. Pressure rises and falls as the puck decides.

Tasting (same Dark Arts bean – but now it's different!):

Suddenly fruity! Cherry and red fruit appear.

More delicate, longer aftertaste.

“I can't believe it's the same bean.”

\\Why the change?\\The Default profile was pressure‑focused (crema and traditional body). The flow profile lets the puck dictate extraction, which can unlock fruit even in a medium‑dark roast.

Verdict: Experiment with flow if you want to find hidden fruit in your “chocolate” beans.

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3. Londinium – The Spring Lever Classic

Key feature: Fast fill, then a pressurized pause* (soak at ~3 bar) until you see dripping.

Best for: Medium‑light to medium‑dark (not light, not dark)

Grind: Finer (to control the dripping volume)

How it works:The 3‑bar soak hydrates the entire puck evenly. Then pressure rises (to ~7 bar in our test). This heals poor puck prep and reduces channeling.

Tasting (Dark Arts medium‑dark):

More acidity than Default, but milder than the flow profile.

More “layers” – not just chocolate.

Thinner body than Default – trade‑off accepted.

Tasting (L'Alchimiste medium‑light):

Fruit‑forward, floral, long finish.

No baker's chocolate at all.

“30 seconds after swallowing, flavors are still there.”

Pro tip: If your medium roast isn't fruity enough, try a finer grind with Londinium and aim for 45–50 seconds. This produced a super smooth, long shot that Mark (our barista) loved.

Verdict: Londinium shines with beans that have some fruit to give. It's forgiving and produces incredibly long, complex aftertastes.

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4. Adaptive – Auto‑Adjusting Flow for Lighter Mediums

Key feature: No pressurized soak. Water cuts off after fast fill, pressure decays naturally, then the machine “adapts” the flow rate to your grind.

Best for: Medium‑light to light roasts (where Londinium's pressurized soak would cause gushers)

How it works:After the soak, pressure rises for exactly 6 seconds. The flow rate reached at that point becomes the target for the rest of the shot. It's like an automatic flow profile.

Tasting (L'Alchimiste medium‑light):

Citric, bright acidity – much more “light roast” character.

Layers of flavor, but aftertaste shorter than Londinium.

Roast flavors are very minor – more carob than chocolate.

Verdict: Use Adaptive when your beans are nudging toward light roast. It prevents the harshness of a long pressurized soak while still giving you a balanced, fruit‑forward cup.

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5. D‑Flow – The Smart Profile That Adapts to Your Grind

D‑Flow isn't one profile – it's a family that puts the control where it belongs: coffee variables, not programming steps.

What you can adjust:

Soak pressure (set to 0 for Adaptive‑style, 3 bar for Londinium‑style)

Dripping weight (e.g., wait for 4g of coffee to drip, then move on – this uses the scale!)

Max flow rate & max pressure (the profile obeys whichever limit you hit first)

Why it's clever:

Grind too fine → you hit the pressure limit (8.5 bar) → traditional Italian shot.

Grind just right → you hit pressure, then flow takes over → Londinium behaviour.

Grind too coarse → you hit flow limit (1.7 ml/s) → gentle, sweet shot.

Tasting (L'Alchimiste, two different grinds):

First pull (coarser): floral, almost rose‑like. Low crema but unique flavours.

Second pull (finer, better puck prep): concentrated mango, dried fruit, still some chocolate. Tremendous length and mouthfeel.

“This is the shot that impressed me most.”

Verdict: If you only learn one advanced profile, make it D‑Flow. It heals puck imperfections, works across a wide range of grind sizes, and lets you apply your tasting knowledge without becoming a programmer.

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Which Profile Should You Choose for Medium Roasts?

If your bean is… Medium‑dark (chocolate, no fruit)

If your bean is…True medium (comfort chocolate)

If your bean is…Medium‑light (caramel, red fruits)

Key Takeaways for Home Baristas

Final Word

Medium roasts are a playground. With the right profile, the same bean can taste like a thick, chocolatey traditional espresso or a bright, mango‑forward surprise. Don't settle for “it's just medium.” Dial in, taste, and adjust.

#medium #mediumlight #mediumdark #darkarts #lalchimiste #dflow #d-flow #default #flow #adaptive #londinium #9bar #flowprofiling