Open the carton from the top, turn it upside down, and slide the box upwards so the suitcase is standing on its wheels.
2
Lie the suitcase down on its side and unzip it. Open it and remove the packing foam.
3
Lift the espresso machine from the suitcase and put it on a flat surface. The best way to do this is to hold the group head with one hand and a leg with the other hand.
4
Remove the tablet and accessories from the suitcase.
5
Save the shipping carton in case you need it later.
Open the box upside down, so that the suitcase wheels come out first.Lift the espresso machine with both hands.
Slide the water tank under the machine with the handle facing forward. Lift the lever on the back of the machine while you slide the water tank in place.
2
Put the drip tray on the front of the machine with the metal cover over it.
3
Attach the tablet to the espresso machine by inserting the tablet stand (on the back of the tablet) into the slot on the front of the espresso machine. You'll feel it lock into place. Then remove the plastic sheet from the tablet screen.
Insert the drip tray on the front of the machine with its metal cover.Inserting the tablet on its stand into the Decent machine.
Remove the magnetic back panel (if you have a DE1XL) and remove the rubber band that holds the water tubing in place. This was only needed for shipping your machine. Then put the back panel back on.
2
Lift the lever on the back of the machine to slide the water tank forward. Fill the tank with two liters of filtered water. We recommend water with a low calcium content.
3
Slide the water tank back into place under the machine. Remember to lift the lever again as you slide it back.
Use the lever on the back to insert or remove the water tank.Slide the water tank forward to fill it with water (2 liters).
If you're going to refill the water automatically, follow the water refill kit instructions below instead.
These instructions apply only if you put water into your machine with a water refill kit. If you refill the water tank by hand, see "Filling the water tank" above.
The Decent water refill kit comes with a different drip tray and an electrical box that we call the "Decent Catering Kit". The drip tray has a hole in the bottom with a small tube. This connects to a longer tube, which carries away the waste water.
The white tubes that come in the water refill kit pump clean water into the water tank of the Decent Espresso machine.
The Decent Catering Kit
The drip tray that comes with a manual-refill Decent machine does NOT have a hole in the bottom.
Place the Decent Catering Kit on the counter. This electrical box pumps filtered water from a container into your espresso machine.
2
Connect the larger white tube from the back of the Decent Catering Kit into your filtered water container.
3
Connect the other, smaller white tube from the back of the Decent Catering Kit into the back of the Decent Espresso machine.
4
Plug the Ethernet cable into the back of the Decent Catering Kit and into the back of the Decent Espresso machine. This lets the machine tell the pump to refill the water tank as needed.
5
Fill the water tank by hand to get started, then flip the power switch on the Decent Catering Kit. You should see a light on the left side of the power switch. When the pump refills the tank, you'll see another light on the right side of the switch.
A smaller white tube connects from the Decent Catering Kit into the back of the espresso machine.
To see the water refill setup in action, watch our "Refill Kit" video:
To keep your espresso machine healthy for a long time, use soft water with a low mineral content (particularly low calcium). This helps to reduce scaling inside the machine.
Search online for your local water quality report to find your water's pH and hardness. If you can't find that information, consider buying some water test strips. The ideal pH is about 7.0.
We've seen many opinions about the right water to use in the Decent Espresso machine. Depending on your region, these might work for you:
Reverse osmosis (RO) water
Bottled water, or filtered tap water
Buy an inexpensive TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter. It measures the hardness of your water, which should be 120 ppm or lower to minimize scaling in your espresso machine.
A typical carbon filter does not reduce the hardness of tap water. If your water measures over 120 ppm, you can:
Install a water softener (a softener might not be enough if your tap water is very hard)
Install an RO filter (a safer solution, but it needs several tools to install)
Plug the power cable into the back of the espresso machine. Route the cable down through the slot behind the machine. Then press the power switch to turn the espresso machine on.
2
Connect the USB cable to the port on the front of the machine. This powers the tablet. Plug the other end of the USB cable into the tablet.
3
Stand by while the machine runs several self tests, including pump and pressure tests. You'll see lights going around the group head controller. During the tests, you should also see a light come on at the front of the machine. If it doesn't, press the emergency on/off button in the center to turn it on. This light is always on when the machine is hot or heating up.
Plugging the power cable into the Decent machineTurn on the machine.
4
Wait until the machine has finished heating. The lights on the group head complete a full circle and then go out. The machine is then ready to use.
5
Press the power button on the tablet to turn it on for the first time. The tablet is charged before we ship it to you, but if it lost some charge in transit, just charge it again before using it.
The Decent machine cycling through tests and warm-upPlugging the USB cable into the tablet
Keep the Decent machine turned on and in sleep mode when you're not using it, because the machine keeps the tablet's battery charged. To learn more about battery preservation, or to make your Android tablet battery-free, see our Battery-Free Android Tablet Modification video.
Tap the Decent tablet screen to wake it up. It will say "Wait" while the espresso machine warms up. When it's finished, the screen will say "Ready".
2
Tap the Settings button in the lower-right corner of the tablet screen.
3
Tap the Presets tab on the Settings screen. The presets are a collection of brewing profiles. Choose "Default" or "Gentle and sweet".
4
Tap OK to return to the Home screen.
The "Ready" button appears after the machine has warmed up.Choosing the "Default" preset
Use the same coffee profile with the same beans for about a week. This gives you a chance to "dial in" your espresso to your taste, with fewer things changing at once.
How fine you grind your coffee is also important. The finer the grind, the more flavor is extracted, and the more slowly the water flows through the grounds. Coarser grinds extract less flavor.
If the grind is too fine, the water might go through the grounds too slowly: you won't get enough coffee, or it might taste bitter. If the grind is too coarse, water pours through the grounds quickly, and your espresso might be too weak or taste sour. For more on adjusting the grind, see our video How to dial in your grind.
1
Measure 18 grams of coffee for an 18g basket. If the preset has a ratio of 2:1, 18 grams of coffee in the basket should give you double that in the cup (36 grams).
2
Grind the coffee beans on a fine espresso setting. You might need to experiment a little to get exactly the right grind.
Ground coffee pouring from a grinder into a portafilter basket
Use a puck rake to level the coffee grounds so they fill the basket evenly. Level out any mounds or gaps, so the water flows equally through all the grounds.
2
Use a tamper to tamp the grounds firmly into the basket.
3
Wipe the edges of the portafilter so there are no loose grounds on it. You want the portafilter to make a smooth seal on the espresso machine.
Stir the grounds with a puck rake to break up clumps and level the coffee in the basket.Puck preparation: tamping the grounds
Angle the milk jug and keep the wand close to the edge to create a "whirlpool".Press the steam button (A) to start, and the stop button (B) when the temperature reaches about 65 °C.
When you've finished steaming milk and pressed the "Stop" button on the group head, remove the milk jug. The tablet will say "Wait", and after a couple of seconds a burst of pressure will clear the wand. Just point the wand towards the drip tray.
Keep the milk between 60 °C (140 °F) and 70 °C (158 °F). Going hotter than that can burn the milk.
The position and angle of the steam wand are key to getting the right density and texture in the milk.
The cup you pour the milk into changes its temperature. A ceramic cup may drop the milk temperature by 10 °C, a paper cup by 2 °C, and a double-walled cup by about 3 °C.
Keep an eye on the milk temperature, and try to stop at 65 °C.The type of cup you choose affects coffee temperature and how long it holds that temperature.
Flow rate: depending on the type of espresso you make, the flow rate and pressure will vary. For a drink with no milk or very little milk, use a higher flow rate. For a drink with more milk, like a cappuccino or latte, you want a "heavier" espresso, so the flow rate should be slower.
Pressure: the default 9 bars of pressure often produces a more acidic espresso, such as the classic Italian. Less pressure increases the body and produces a richer, more "chocolatey" flavor.
Temperature: light roasts need higher temperatures. Medium or dark roasts use lower temperatures.
Each coffee preset already has defined settings. If you want to experiment, you can edit them in Settings.
The Espresso tab on the tablet screen gives you a lot of feedback about your coffee.
On the charts, the dotted line is the goal, and the solid line shows what your brew is doing in real time. On the far right you'll see data about your coffee, such as the preinfusion time, pouring time and the weight of the coffee in the cup.
Time: an ideal pour time is around 25–30 seconds. The cup in this example poured in 20 seconds, so some adjustments could be made to lengthen that time.
Weight: this preset is set for a 2:1 ratio, so 18 grams of coffee beans should give 36 grams of coffee. In this case the output was 35.4 grams.
We include these presets on your Decent DE1 so you can make professional barista recipes at the press of a button. You can also share your own espresso profiles on the Decent Diaspora, or download new profiles.
The recommended default values are for beginners: they're simply a "reasonable starting point". An espresso made with those defaults should be good, but changing the times, dose or grind could give you an even better coffee. Going from "good" to "great" takes a bit of experience, so we recommend that beginners start with these presets.
Each preset below lists: basket size · beans · coffee in the cup · time · suitable roast.
'80s espresso: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 28s · medium to dark roast
Adaptive (for medium roasts): 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 28s · medium roast
Best overall pressure profile: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 28s · medium-light to medium roast
Blooming espresso: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 66s · Nordic (super light) to medium-light roast
Classic Italian espresso: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 28s · medium to dark roast
Cremina lever machine: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 28s · medium to dark roast
Default: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 28s · medium to dark roast. Try this if you've made espresso before. It has a higher pressure and a longer preinfusion than "Gentle and sweet".
Extractamundo Dos!: 18g basket · 18g beans · 40–45g in cup · 18s · coarser grind · Nordic light to medium roast. The beans-to-cup ratio for this preset is 1:3 or 1:4. If the cup is too rich or heavy, shorten the ratio. If it's too sharp or tart, extend the ratio.
Gentle and sweet: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 28s · medium to dark roast. This preset has a lower pressure and needs very little fine-tuning. Use it if you've never made espresso before.
Londonium: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 28s · medium to dark roast
Rao Allongé: 18g basket · 18g beans · 90g in cup · 28s · Nordic (super light) to medium-light roast
Traditional lever machine: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 28s · medium to dark roast
TurboBloom: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 16s · light to medium-light roast
TurboTurbo: 18g basket · 18g beans · 36g in cup · 16s · light roast
Clean your Decent Espresso machine every day after you use it by flushing it with clean water. You don't need detergent for this daily cleaning. There are two ways to do it:
Use the Decent "Forward Flush x5" preset (it's in the list of coffee presets)
Use the Flush button on the left side of the group head controller
The Forward Flush x5 presetThe Flush button on the group head
Press the Flush button on the left side of the group head. A shot of clean, hot water will pour through the group head. Best practice: do it at least twice.
Tap the coffee (preset) button on the group head. The machine will run five shots of hot water into the blind basket.
3
Change the preset back to your favorite coffee setting and press "OK".
4
One last rinse: remove the blind basket from the portafilter and put an empty coffee basket in. Press the Flush button again to rinse any remaining coffee residue from the bottom of the group head.
Rinse the group head again after you remove the blind basket, to remove any residue.
Wipe the steam wand every day and flush it with clean water: when you've finished making coffee for the day, fill a jug with clean water and steam it with the wand.
If you use a lot of milk, you can also soak the wand in an alkaline cleaning solution. We recommend Urnex Rinza.
1
Pour one ounce (30 ml) of Rinza into your milk jug and let the steam wand soak in the solution for about 10 minutes. Do not steam!
2
Pour out the Rinza, fill the jug with water, and steam the water as if it were milk.
3
Pour out the water, fill the jug again with clean water, and steam it one more time.
Steam a jug of clean water to keep the steam wand from getting clogged.For stubborn clogs, unscrew the wand tip, soak it, and run a needle through the hole.
Water tank: clean the ceramic water tank on your Decent machine every week. Remove the tank and wash it with soap and water. This removes some of the calcification and bacteria that can build up in the tank.
If you have a countersunk model, turn off the refill kit before you remove the water tank. Otherwise the tank will start refilling when you pull it out, and it will spill. You'll also need to tilt the Decent machine up and carefully angle the tank out, or lift the whole machine onto a counter to remove the tank.
Drip tray: clean the drip tray every week. Remove the ceramic drip tray and cover, pour out the waste water, and wash both with soap and water.
On a countersunk model, you need to lift the machine to remove the water tank after you remove the drip tray.
This is an alternative to soaking the wand in Rinza (described in "Daily: clean the steam wand" above). To completely clean the steam wand:
1
Use Rinza (Urnex Rinza Alkaline Formula Milk Frother Cleaner). Pour about 30 ml into your milk jug and add 500 ml of clean water, or dissolve one tablet in water. Rinza comes in liquid or tablet form.
2
Steam the jug of Rinza and water to clean any milk residue out of the steam wand.
3
Pour out the solution and fill the milk jug with clean water. Steam the water to rinse out any remaining cleaning solution. Empty the jug, fill it with clean water again, and steam it again.
Frothing with the steam wand in a solution of Rinza and water
Flush the underside of the group head with detergent, using a blind basket to push the detergent against the machine parts. We recommend Cafiza cleaning powder.
1
Insert a blind basket in the portafilter and put a tablespoon of Cafiza powder in it.
2
Put the portafilter on the drip tray and flush a little water onto it to help dissolve the powder. Swirl it around.
3
Put the portafilter (with the detergent) into the group head.
Put a tablespoon of detergent into the blind basket of your portafilter.Add a little water to the detergent to make suds before you insert the portafilter into the group head.
4
Choose the "Forward Flush x5" preset (in Settings → Presets) and flush five times. This pushes the detergent from the blind basket up towards the group head.
5
Pour the detergent out of the portafilter, then keep backflushing the group head with water to remove the detergent residue.
6
When you no longer see suds in the blind basket, replace it with a coffee basket and flush with water again.
You'll see some sudsy water in the drip tray, which leaves the machine through a relief valve.
Do NOT put detergent in your water tank! You could damage the internal heater. To clean and descale through the water tank, you use food-grade citric acid (see "Descaling" below).
You'll remove some parts under the group head for this cleaning, so you'll need a small screwdriver. For reference, watch the group head cleaning segment of our video.
Remove the center screw from the screen at the bottom of the group head. You might need a mirror to see what you're doing. Once the center screw is out, you can remove two parts: the shower screen and the first diffuser. That leaves one more diffuser.
4
Remove the second diffuser by taking out the three screws that attach it to the group head.
5
Wipe the underside of the group head once you've removed the three parts (the shower screen and the two diffusers).
This center screw holds the shower screen in place, and the first diffuser behind it.The first diffuser is held in place by the same screw. The second diffuser is held by three screws.Where the three screws sit in the last diffuser. Be careful not to damage the temperature probe while cleaning or removing parts.
Replace the inner diffuser first, with its three screws. Make sure the "probe" hole in this diffuser lines up over the probe in the group head, and be careful not to break the probe.
2
Replace the second diffuser, making sure the indentations line up. There are two small plastic knobs on this diffuser that fit into two holes in the other diffuser, and another small hole that fits over the probe. If it doesn't fit easily, it probably isn't lined up correctly.
3
Hold the diffuser in place and put the metal shower screen on top of it. Put the center screw back through the screen and the inner diffuser to attach them to the group head.
The center diffuser being replaced on top of the second diffuser. The center screw holds it in place, together with the shower screen.
Descaling removes mineral deposits that can build up inside your espresso machine and affect how it works. If your water is hard, you might need to descale more often.
In Settings, tap the "Machine" tab (at the top) and select "Descale". The screen will tell you to use 1.5 liters of water and 300 grams of citric acid powder. That's probably more citric acid than you need: many customers use much less, from 38 to 80 grams.
2
Remove the drip tray and cover, and then remove the water tank. If you use a refill kit, turn it off before removing the water tank.
3
Pour all the water out of the water tank and wash it. Then fill it with 1500 ml of clean, filtered water.
4
Add 3–6 tablespoons (about 38–80 grams) of citric acid powder to the water and stir.
5
Lift the lever on the back of the machine and slide the water tank back into place. Keep the refill kit turned off (if you use one). Replace the drip tray.
Put a blind basket in the portafilter and insert it into the group head.
2
On the tablet, tap "Descale now" on the Descaling screen.
3
You'll hear pressure build up in the machine. After a few minutes, water will start draining out of the machine and out of the steam wand. The process takes about 10–12 minutes. When it stops, you'll be back at the main Descaling screen.
4
Tap "Cancel" on the Descaling screen to leave that mode.
5
Remove the drip tray and the water tank. Empty the citric acid solution out of the water tank, wash it, and fill it with clean, filtered water. Slide it back into place and replace the drip tray. If you use a refill kit, turn it back on.
6
Remove the blind basket from the portafilter and put a coffee basket in. Insert the portafilter back into the group head.
Now flush the system with clean water many, many times, until all the citric acid is gone.
1
Press the "Flush" button over and over, and flush at least one full tank of water through the machine. If the water still tastes of citrus, flush another tank.
2
Fill the milk jug with clean water several times and steam the water until it looks clear. Leave the tip off the wand until you're finished, then screw it back on.
3
When the water coming through the group head tastes clean, with no citrus taste, you're done! Enjoy more delicious coffee from your descaled machine.
Keep pressing the Flush button and tasting the water until it no longer tastes of citrus.
This "sleeping" picture on your screen means there's a Bluetooth connection problem with your tablet. Press the "off" button to restart the tablet and see if that fixes it. If not, restart the Decent Espresso machine as well.
If you see this picture on your tablet and can't wake it up, restart your tablet and your Decent Espresso machine.
If restarting your tablet or DE1 doesn't fix a Bluetooth problem, you might need to reset Bluetooth on your Android tablet. Our video "How to completely reset Bluetooth on your Android tablet" shows you how:
If you see a message saying your tablet's battery is very low (and your Decent espresso machine is already turned on), try unplugging and re-plugging the charging cable that connects your tablet to the espresso machine.
Do you have a Bluetooth scale connected to your espresso machine? Check whether it's touching the front of the machine. The machine's vibration can make the scale weigh incorrectly, which affects the amount of water the machine delivers. You can also get inaccurate weights if your cup isn't centered on the scale.
If you accidentally delete the de1app, or your tablet was reset and you need to reinstall it, see our video "How to install de1app directly from your tablet":
Basket: the metal basket that fits into the portafilter and holds the coffee grounds.
Channeling: when water pours through an open path in the coffee grounds instead of flowing evenly through them. This can happen when the coffee is tamped unevenly, leaving gaps or weak spots in the puck, and it can affect the flavor of the espresso.
Flow rate: how much water passes through the group head while the pump is working, measured in ml/s.
Group head: the round part at the front of the Decent Espresso machine that holds the portafilter, and through which the espresso is extracted.
Portafilter: looks like an ice-cream scoop with a long handle. It holds the basket of coffee grounds in the group head so that hot water can pour through the grounds.
Preinfusion: letting some water into the puck at a lower pressure before extracting your espresso. Measured in seconds.
Puck: the round disk of damp coffee grounds left in the portafilter basket after you've made an espresso.
Tamper: a tool that presses the grounds into the basket.
