Dialing in the Rao Allongé and Adaptive v2 profiles
This video has us dialing in the Rao Allongé and Adaptive v2 profiles on the Decent Espresso machine
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
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
Updated 2025/04/15