Choosing the ideal coffee profile and "dialing in" your beans takes some practice. This guide outlines some of the most popular Decent profiles, with some suggestions for bean and grind types.
Some profiles might be hidden by default. To find the profile you want, go to the profile selection menu and tap the eye button to view the full profile collection. Tap the profile you want and add it to your current profile list (it may take a few seconds to process). When the profile gets added, the box in front of the profile will be checked. Tap the eye button again to go back to your current profile list and select the profile from there.
If you need more instructions, visit this page for a detailed step-by-step dial-in guide.
"Ratio" refers to the weight of coffee grounds in the puck relative to the weight of the espresso output in the cup. For 1:2 ratios, we usually use an 18g basket, with the same dose of coffee to extract 36g of espresso. For more precise ratios, we recommend using our coffee scale to weigh the dose and the espresso during extraction.
To "dial in," grind finer or coarser on your grinder. You can also adjust the dose slightly to achieve similar effects, although it will also affect the intensity of the shot.
The profiles will end the shot automatically when it reaches a certain amount, but this amount is different for each profile. To stop the shot automatically at the weight you want, enter your output goal for this specific profile.
If the shot doesn't stop at the right output goal automatically, you may be grinding too coarse and have too much dripping. Either grind finer or use the slider to change the pre-infusion setting by visiting ‘setting' -> ‘limits', and change ‘pre-infusion ends after' to ‘immediately'.
If you taste over-extracted characteristics (like astringency and bitterness) even when dialed in, try a gentler profile (such as a shorter extraction time, lower pressure, lower temperature, or one that requires a coarser grind, such as Extractamundo Dos or 80's Espresso). If you have persistent under-extracted flavors, try the opposite.
The burr type on your grinder will also affect the pressure and flow rate at the end of a shot, because espresso made with flat-burr grinders will have lower puck resistance than a conical one as the shot progresses. As for cup quality, flat burr tend to offer better clarity and brightness, while conical burr offers more body and sweetness.
All of these profiles have been tested with a Niche Zero grinder. But some profiles may perform better with other types of grinders, and this could vary with different roast levels (light, medium, and dark).
Although we suggest a recommended roast level, the definition may vary hugely depending on where you live. Also, the label on the coffee may not accurately reflect its actual roast level. Feel free to choose a profile that is more suited to your beans.
: recommended profiles.
Light to medium
Adaptive v2 is the profile that we use the most often in the Decent showroom. It's a pre-infusion profile that works for light to medium roasts with a very good balance and it's easy to get a good shot.
This profile begins with a pre-infusion phase. To avoid having too much dripping during this phase (which can happen with light roasts), the flow drops to zero to let the puck absorb water. This phase is followed by a 7-second pressure increase, and it will automatically sustain the flow rate at peak pressure. The pressure will then drop slowly (due to natural puck degradation) as the shot is being pulled. This approach aims to have a constant flow rate during extraction that will vary based on the grind size and the bean, therefore the name ‘adaptive'.
To dial it in, refer to this guide.
Nordic light to medium
Extractamundo Dos is a popular profile for light roasts, and it's designed to have a high window of tolerance in terms of grind size. It can yield a vibrant, fragrant and sweet cup, but expect a lower body.
This is a "turbo" profile, meaning it is a fast extraction at a low pressure. With pre-infusion, the shot time is quite short with a high flow rate. Although the pressure maxes at 6 bars, most shots do not reach that ceiling, and the low-pressure extraction is more forgiving towards puck prep. Same for the temperature: it defaults to 83.5°C during blooming and will further decrease to 74.5°C to avoid bitterness and astringency.
To dial it in, aim for an end flow rate of 2.5ml/s to 4 ml/s and experiment within this range. Since this is a turbo profile, it may not respond like traditional shots. For turbo science, refer to this paper. To increase extraction, it is common to have slightly longer ratios for this profile, ranging from 1: 2.2 to 1:4. The shot time can vary, often lower than 20s for 1:2.2 ratios.
D-flow is a profile editor that offers a collection of profile options. The unique nature of D-flow is that it's intended to be used with a scale, so that the shot progresses based on the amount of dripping. That means the puck will always be fully saturated, and the shot will not have too much dripping (unless the grind is way too fine or coarse).
To dial in, refer to this guide.
Nordic light to medium light
Blooming espresso is a tricky shot to dial in, but if it's done right, it can have a very high percentage of extraction, ranging from 24% to even 30%, allowing you to extract a lot of flavors from the beans and have a very intense espresso.
This profile is designed by Scott Rao for light-roast coffee. To resolve the issue of low extraction rates in light roasts, he increased the contact time in this profile by adopting a 30-second pre-infusion phase.
To dial-in, aim for 8g of dripping, 6-9 bars peak pressure with a gentle decrease, with a shot time at 60 to 70 seconds for 1:2 ratios. You also need good beans for this one.
Nordic light to medium light
Allongé is a very popular profile for people who like a longer ratio. Again designed by Scott Rao, it aims to resolve the issue of light-roast coffee being hard to extract by using more water at a higher temperature as a solvent. It can bring out a lot of positive attributes in the beans, but it will be more diluted than your usual espresso, and therefore not suitable for lattes.
To dial it in, the grind should be coarser than regular espresso. The pressure should be between 6 and 9 bars, with a slow and gradual decrease. For 1:5 ratios, the shot time will be about 30s-35s. The ratio can be adjusted to taste.
Medium light to medium dark
This profile makes espresso with a higher body and lower acidity, which has better compatibility with milk. As a flow-based profile, it aims for a flow rate goal of 1.2 ml/s instead of a pressure goal, therefore the pressure will fluctuate based on your grind size.
During extraction, the espresso puck will degrade and have reduced resistance. While traditional 9-bar profiles will need to increase flow rates to sustain the pressure, this profile maintains a constant flow rate during the extraction phase, and the pressure drops instead to compensate. It also begins with a short infusion phase with a high flow rate to ensure the puck is evenly saturated.
To dial in, aim for a peak pressure between 6 and 9 bars. The shot time should be around 25s - 30s.
Medium to dark
Londinium is a medium-dark to dark roast profile that makes it easy to yield a good, balanced cup with nuanced flavor and smooth mouthfeel. It is designed to emulate the Londonium lever machine, with a pressurized pre-infusion at 3-bar to push the water through the thick puck.
To dial it in, refer to this guide.
Medium dark to dark
The Cremina profile emulates the cremina lever machine and can create a classic, intense, full-bodied espresso with bitter chocolate flavors. The profile begins with a slow pressurized pre-infusion, followed by a pressure climb to 8-9 bars and a gradual decrease. It's also suitable to use with our waisted basket because the pre-infusion phase makes it easier to have even extraction.
To dial it in, grind finer and target a longer shot time at around 50s for a 1:2 ratio.
Medium dark to dark
This is a profile for dark roast that adopts a low extraction temperature (82°C to 72°C) to avoid bitterness and astringency. It is extremely tolerant towards different grind-size settings and difficult to overextract. However, having a grind size too coarse will lead to a shot with weak flavors due to under-extraction.
To dial it in, we recommend a shot time of over 40 seconds for a 1:2 ratio espresso. You can also use one of our waisted baskets to pull a ristretto at a 1:1 ratio. With good coffee beans, some people even prefer up to a 60-second shot time for a thick, nutty ristretto with no bitter or burnt flavors.
Medium dark to dark
This profile emulates the E61 machines. Compared to other dark-roast profiles, it can bring out more of the acidity in dark roasts due to a much faster flow rate. But overall it still tastes like a traditional espresso because it's designed to sustain 9 bars of pressure with no pre-infusion. It may also require better puck prep to sustain the high pressure without channeling.
To dial in, aim for a 1:2 ratio at 25s shot time with a slightly coarser grind.
Medium light to dark
This profile is similar to the E61 profile, however the pressure will decrease gently during the extraction, making it slightly easier for the puck to sustain integrity. It can also be suitable for many different beans, but it may not showcase the full potential of the coffee.
To dial in, target around 30s shot time for 1:2 ratios.
Medium light to medium dark
Gentle and sweet is a good introductory profile if you're not an experienced barista. It extracts at a low pressure of 6 bars, making it more forgiving towards imperfect puck prep and low-budget grinders, with less stress on puck integrity. However, it may bring out too much acidity for beans that are brighter.
To dial it in, either grind coarser and aim for a shot time of less than 20s at 1:2 or 1:3 ratios for a brighter shot, or grind finer and target a shot time of around 35s with a 1:2 ratio to get a mellow and sweet espresso.