If you've ever wondered "What's the point of profiling espresso machines?" and you're a fan of dark roasted coffee beans, this video will answer that.

We'll dial in 5 profiles, which go from fruitier flavors toward more traditional flavors.  At the end, we show to edit a 3 stage profile to change the acidity and flavor balance with sliders.

Profiles:

Note: this is filmed at the Decent Espresso Factory Cafe, and as this is a real factory, you can (especially at the start) hear pallets thundering around on the floor above us.

We made similar videos for 5 profiles for light roasted beans and 5 profiles for Medium Roasted Beans.

Here is a blog post based on the transcript:

Dark roast coffee often gets a bad rap. It's associated with burnt, ashy, “forest fire” flavors. But as we discovered in a recent deep-dive tasting session using the Decent Espresso machine, the right profile can transform a dark roast into a smooth, chocolatey, and surprisingly complex shot.

We tested five different profiles: 80s Espresso, Londinium, Cremina, Best Overall, and E61. We used the same dark roasted beans (Tuberga from Eurocaf in Turin, Italy), the same 18g dose (with one notable exception), and varied only the grind and extraction method.

Here's everything we learned about taming dark roasts, avoiding rancid notes, and finding the perfect shot for your taste.

Before we get to the profiles, let's establish some ground rules that came up again and again.

We pulled each shot with 18g in, 36g out, unless otherwise noted.

The Idea: Paul (the profile's creator) doesn't love dark roasts. He created this to extract less of the burnt, tarry flavors and try to coax out any remaining fruitiness.

The Result: Thick, traditional-looking espresso with less crema. The lower temperature successfully minimizes burnt notes. However, at 25 seconds, we found it a bit thin and “dusty.” The expert tip? Pull this shorter. An 18g in, 18g out (1:1 ratio) ristretto is much smoother, mimicking the small, frequent shots drunk in Italy.

Before moving on, we tried the 80s profile again, but this time with a 12g dose in a “waisted” (narrower, tapered) basket. This mimics the smaller-diameter baskets of traditional lever machines (44-49mm vs. 58mm).

The Difference: Night and day. The thicker puck produced less channeling, way more mouthfeel, and eliminated the dustiness. The shot ran for 37 seconds with a beautiful “mouse tail” and tiger striping. The flavor was smooth, with baker's chocolate and zero staleness. Get a waisted (or "step down") basket for dark roasts.

Key Feature: Fast fill, then a pause under pressure* (~3 bar) until dripping starts, then a rise to 9 bar, then a decline.

The Result: Thick, tiger-striped crema. This extracts far more from the bean than the 80s profile. The flavor was big, bold, and full of dark chocolate. This is the profile for quality dark roasts that have subtlety to them. It maximizes body and traditional Italian flavor.

The Result: Insanely thick. So thick the crema wouldn't separate with a spoon. The aftertaste lingers much longer. This is the harshest, most intense shot—a real “wake you up at the end of a meal” espresso. It tastes like a classic, high-temperature Italian petrol station shot. If you want syrupy mouthfeel above all else, this is your profile.

The Result: Less crema, easier drinking. This shot was smooth, with bitter dark chocolate notes but no acidity. The consensus? This is the best profile for milk drinks (lattes, flat whites). The lack of acidity and smooth body blends perfectly with milk without getting lost or becoming harsh.

The Controversy: Our host admitted he's not a fan of E61 machines, calling the classic E61 design “temperature unstable.” But for this tasting, the E61 profile on the Decent (same as the E61 machine, but with temperature stability) it won.

The Result: A faster flow rate (4 ml/s) created a shot with noticeable acidity—a welcome change after so many chocolate bombs. The shorter extraction time (24 seconds) prevented the tarry flavors from emerging, leaving a clean baker's chocolate note with a bright balance. For a dark roast lover who actually wants some acidity, this was the favorite straight espresso of the day.

The beauty of the Decent is that you can create your own profile by starting with E61 and tinkering.

Minimal burnt flavors, fruit potential

Maximum body & traditional dark chocolate

The best milk drink base

Surprising acidity & balance (straight shot)

The beans used were from Eurocaf in Turin, Italy. The founder's son is actually a light-roast pour-over guy who respects tradition but doesn't want to “burn the hell out of his beans.” That's why they work so well.

Your takeaway: Find a roaster who cares about freshness. Open the bag. Does it smell good, or are there rancid, off-putting notes? If the beans are greasy and shiny, those oils have already started to go bad. And please, never buy dark roast beans from a grocery store. They are almost certainly old.

#dark #italian #traditional #cremina #e61 #bestoverall #londonium #londinium #80sespresso #crema #thick