This video has us dialing in the Rao Allongé and Adaptive v2 profiles on the Decent Espresso machine

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Rao Allongé Profile

Best for: Light roast beans (especially fruity, defect-free beans)

Drink type: Long espresso (5:1 ratio), closer to filter in strength but with espresso-like clarity and body

Purpose: Easy, go-to profile for demos and travel; ideal when you don't want to do much dialing in

Behavior:

Very fast flow, high pressure (6–9 bars)

Generally 30–35 seconds total shot time

If the chart looks right, the taste is usually right

Mouthfeel: Clean, smooth, open with good fruit expression

Grind Tips:

Slightly finer than medium roasts

Adjust grind to see a pressure curve that starts high, gently drops, and may rise again due to fines

Taste Note Tricks:

Aeration using a milk frother significantly opens up flavor

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Adaptive Profile (V2)

Best for: Medium to light roast; adaptable to grinder type

Drink type: Traditional espresso with more control and consistency

Purpose: Automatically adapts flow rate to hit a peak pressure within 7 seconds, then maintains flow rate

Behavior:

Uses a “pre-fill then pause” strategy to ensure even puck saturation

Lower flow than Allongé (around 2.0-3.5 mL/s)

Can be used with both conical (e.g., Niche) and flat burr grinders

Updated to better handle lower-fines grinders (e.g., flat burrs)

Grind Tips:

Fine tuning impacts flavor significantly

Ideal pressure peak around 6–9 bar

Too coarse = acidic, unbalanced; too fine = muted

Taste Note Tricks:

Very balanced, intense mouthfeel, long-lasting finish

Less acidity than expected for light roasts