How to dial in Londonium

What makes the Londonium style profile unique compared to traditional espresso?

The Londonium profile mimics the physics of a classic spring-lever commercial espresso machine. Instead of a traditional slow pre-infusion, this profile utilizes a very fast fill rate to quickly flood the headspace of the basket, followed by a pressurized pause or "soak" phase held at around 2 to 4 bar (typically 3 bar). This unique architecture is designed to force water into every dry pocket of the coffee puck rapidly. Once fully saturated, the machine ramps up to peak extraction pressure before naturally declining as the coffee puck degrades.

How does the smart trigger work when moving from infusion to extraction?

Rather than relying on a fixed timer, the Decent Espresso machine uses an automated "smart trigger" to transition between the pre-infusion and extraction phases. The software actively monitors the real-time weight of the coffee dripping into a Bluetooth-connected scale. By default, the profile is set to a trigger of 4 grams of liquid in the cup. This tells the machine that the puck has achieved full water saturation, automatically prompting the high-pressure pump to engage for the main extraction.

How do you diagnose your grind size using the machine's "auto-adapt" feedback?

The profile effectively behaves like "three profiles in one" by capping the maximum pressure (usually 8.5 to 9 bar) and the maximum flow rate (typically 1.7 to 2.2 ml/s) to adapt to your grind size:

  • If the grind is too fine: The machine will hit your maximum pressure limit but fail to reach the flow rate limit, resulting in a traditional, slower 9-bar espresso shot.
  • If the grind is perfect: The machine will hit peak pressure, and as the puck begins to erode, it will smoothly transition to cap at your precise target flow rate.
  • If the grind is too coarse: Water will rush through the coffee bed too easily, preventing the machine from ever building up to peak pressure. The software will instantly cap the flow at your maximum limit, yielding a gentle, low-pressure extraction to save the shot from completely gushing.

  • What target variables should you watch out for during the pre-infusion stage?

    A critical metric to monitor is the "dripping volume" or the exact amount of liquid that drops into the cup before the pressure ramps up. Baristas should generally aim for 4 to 8 grams of drips during this stage. If you experience too many drips too quickly, your grind size is too coarse. If the machine is struggling to produce drips at all during the soak, the grind is too fine.

    How can you fine-tune the profile settings to fix balance and flavor flaws?

    Adjustments can be made within the D-Flow profile editor depending on the flavor characteristics of your cup. If the espresso tastes overly acidic or under-extracted, you can either grind finer or increase the infusion weight trigger (e.g., up to 6 grams) to extend the pressurized soak time. Conversely, if the shot tastes excessively bitter or over-extracted, you should grind coarser or lower the initial infusion pressure. For very light roasts that struggle to build pressure after a soak, dropping the initial infusion pressure to zero can transform it into a highly effective adaptive profile.

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    mirjam created 2026/07/01.