Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
decentespresso.com/blog/inside_bengle_meet_the_engineers_behind_decents_new_espresso_machine and decentespresso.com/bengle Meet the engineers behind the hardware innovations on Decent's new Bengle espresso machine. In this video, John introduces Ben, Ray, and Miles. This dedicated team took everything they learned from the DE1 machines, combined it with customer feedback, and applied it to the features, interior circuitry, and performance of the Bengle. They explain their thought processes behind these innovations, from modular six-pin circuit boards, new sensors, and wiring improvements to improved water trays, quieter performance, and larger tablets that don't rely on Bluetooth. And what's more, some of these innovations can be swapped into existing DE1 machines or included with new DE1s.
This video was filmed during the development of Bengle. Details and specifications are subject to change as development progresses.
0:00 Intro — meet the behind-the-scenes team: Ray (inventor/firmware), Ben (Bengle designer), Miles
0:38 Where the team works — remote across Canada, Australia, Seattle
1:22 First day the Bengle is fully assembled and actually running (pumps, temperature, pressure, lights)
1:44 Design philosophy — the machine as a "lab" / paintbrush, not a prescribed recipe
2:32 First-principles approach — measure what you care about; closed-loop vs open-loop machines
3:21 Consistency so users can pick up the slack
3:42 What people disliked about the DE1 — pump noise and looks
4:01 The "Bengle" name (Ben's angles) and the sculptural, kitchen-friendly design
4:29 New built-in scale — measuring the actual output in the cup
4:46 Completely redesigned manifold (sensors, valves, pressure relief, PCB)
5:38 New stainless-steel group head with large disc heater (no hot/cold spots, 3 temp probes)
6:14 Move to USB-C — wired tablet-to-machine data, Bluetooth now optional
6:26 Front-access water tank refill (no reaching around the back)
6:51 New stainless-steel, enamel-coated water tank
7:14 Built-in sealing PTFE/Teflon tank lid (keeps bugs out)
7:56 Cup warmer with thermostat + the fabric trick for warming a full stack of cups
8:26 Adjustable screw-in leveling feet
8:32 Lights to see your shot, with selectable color
8:43 Redesigned steam wand — PTFE through the ball joint, runs cooler, PPS food-safe finish
9:43 Doubled steam-wand ball-joint movement (≈25° vs 15°) for "ghost steaming"
10:35 Sloped group head — no resting cups on it, no more shattered group glass
11:05 More on the built-in scale — hardwired, very high frequency (up to ~1,800 Hz)
11:43 Scale amplifier boards hidden in the legs; two load cells
12:12 New pump sound demo — how quiet a 9-bar shot now is
12:56 Profiled-shot sound demo (9 bar down to 0 and back up)
13:40 Built-in speaker + planned "DE1 donk-donk" emulation mode
13:58 New pump control — pulse-width modulation, per-pulse measurement and control
14:39 Future possibilities — emulating a spring, fine flow & pressure control
15:23 Smoothness benefit — hot water no longer spitters and splatters
15:45 Peak flow-rate demo — 12.5 ml/sec
16:17 Capacitor bank / pump-as-flywheel — consistent power worldwide (Japan 100V, EU wind, etc.)
17:33 Modular self-contained boards — easy back-panel swap if a board fails
17:43 Six-pin digital bus connecting all the boards
18:11 USB charge/data port plus dedicated LED and scale controller boards
18:31 Open platform — users can talk to the bus and make their own mods
18:37 Self-upgrade philosophy — keeping the machine upgradeable for another 10 years
18:49 DE1 backward-compatible upgrades coming — steam-wand tip and manifold
19:12 New custom water-level sensor — time-of-flight using a phone mic/speaker, DE1-compatible
19:56 Six-pin connector also carries power — external peripherals out the bottom
20:31 Same software runs on both DE1 and Bengle
20:37 Redesigned shot mirror — standalone metal piece, removable via two fine screws
21:00 Front port with milk temperature probe (digital, up to 255 devices)
21:24 Infrared-probe idea / future-proof ghost steaming
21:48 Larger tablet — moving from 8in to 11in (Samsung A9+), Streamline skin redesign
22:11 Q&A: two power versions — 240V XXL, 10A UK/HK, 120V 7A US
22:59 Price (USD 6,000) and the wood vs metal versions
23:09 Individual responsibility model — and why DE1 firmware stalls while Bengle is built
23:39 DE1 firmware is near bug-free; future innovation will be tablet-based, not firmware
24:23 Why Bengle took so long — breaking complexity into small independent boards
24:53 Encapsulated pieces talking over a well-defined protocol
25:12 The DE1 isn't going away — improvements flow back to it
25:51 Aggressive upgrade offer — selling cheaper factory-refurbished used DE1s
26:15 Trolley / hard-mounting via the leg screws, with leveling; RV and motorhome use
26:42 IKEA-cart wood top with countersunk holes for the feet
27:17 Bengle suitcase tour and weight (~26 kg vs DE1 ~21 kg); airline 23 kg limit
decentespresso.com/blog/inside_bengle_meet_the_engineers_behind_decents_new_espresso_machine and decentespresso.com/bengle Meet the engineers behind the hardware innovations on Decent's new Bengle espresso machine. In this video, John introduces Ben, Ray, and Miles. This dedicated team took everything they learned from the DE1 machines, combined it with customer feedback, and applied it to the features, interior circuitry, and performance of the Bengle. They explain their thought processes behind these innovations, from modular six-pin circuit boards, new sensors, and wiring improvements to improved water trays, quieter performance, and larger tablets that don't rely on Bluetooth. And what's more, some of these innovations can be swapped into existing DE1 machines or included with new DE1s.
This video was filmed during the development of Bengle. Details and specifications are subject to change as development progresses.
0:00 Intro — meet the behind-the-scenes team: Ray (inventor/firmware), Ben (Bengle designer), Miles
0:38 Where the team works — remote across Canada, Australia, Seattle
1:22 First day the Bengle is fully assembled and actually running (pumps, temperature, pressure, lights)
1:44 Design philosophy — the machine as a "lab" / paintbrush, not a prescribed recipe
2:32 First-principles approach — measure what you care about; closed-loop vs open-loop machines
3:21 Consistency so users can pick up the slack
3:42 What people disliked about the DE1 — pump noise and looks
4:01 The "Bengle" name (Ben's angles) and the sculptural, kitchen-friendly design
4:29 New built-in scale — measuring the actual output in the cup
4:46 Completely redesigned manifold (sensors, valves, pressure relief, PCB)
5:38 New stainless-steel group head with large disc heater (no hot/cold spots, 3 temp probes)
6:14 Move to USB-C — wired tablet-to-machine data, Bluetooth now optional
6:26 Front-access water tank refill (no reaching around the back)
6:51 New stainless-steel, enamel-coated water tank
7:14 Built-in sealing PTFE/Teflon tank lid (keeps bugs out)
7:56 Cup warmer with thermostat + the fabric trick for warming a full stack of cups
8:26 Adjustable screw-in leveling feet
8:32 Lights to see your shot, with selectable color
8:43 Redesigned steam wand — PTFE through the ball joint, runs cooler, PPS food-safe finish
9:43 Doubled steam-wand ball-joint movement (≈25° vs 15°) for "ghost steaming"
10:35 Sloped group head — no resting cups on it, no more shattered group glass
11:05 More on the built-in scale — hardwired, very high frequency (up to ~1,800 Hz)
11:43 Scale amplifier boards hidden in the legs; two load cells
12:12 New pump sound demo — how quiet a 9-bar shot now is
12:56 Profiled-shot sound demo (9 bar down to 0 and back up)
13:40 Built-in speaker + planned "DE1 donk-donk" emulation mode
13:58 New pump control — pulse-width modulation, per-pulse measurement and control
14:39 Future possibilities — emulating a spring, fine flow & pressure control
15:23 Smoothness benefit — hot water no longer spitters and splatters
15:45 Peak flow-rate demo — 12.5 ml/sec
16:17 Capacitor bank / pump-as-flywheel — consistent power worldwide (Japan 100V, EU wind, etc.)
17:33 Modular self-contained boards — easy back-panel swap if a board fails
17:43 Six-pin digital bus connecting all the boards
18:11 USB charge/data port plus dedicated LED and scale controller boards
18:31 Open platform — users can talk to the bus and make their own mods
18:37 Self-upgrade philosophy — keeping the machine upgradeable for another 10 years
18:49 DE1 backward-compatible upgrades coming — steam-wand tip and manifold
19:12 New custom water-level sensor — time-of-flight using a phone mic/speaker, DE1-compatible
19:56 Six-pin connector also carries power — external peripherals out the bottom
20:31 Same software runs on both DE1 and Bengle
20:37 Redesigned shot mirror — standalone metal piece, removable via two fine screws
21:00 Front port with milk temperature probe (digital, up to 255 devices)
21:24 Infrared-probe idea / future-proof ghost steaming
21:48 Larger tablet — moving from 8in to 11in (Samsung A9+), Streamline skin redesign
22:11 Q&A: two power versions — 240V XXL, 10A UK/HK, 120V 7A US
22:59 Price (USD 6,000) and the wood vs metal versions
23:09 Individual responsibility model — and why DE1 firmware stalls while Bengle is built
23:39 DE1 firmware is near bug-free; future innovation will be tablet-based, not firmware
24:23 Why Bengle took so long — breaking complexity into small independent boards
24:53 Encapsulated pieces talking over a well-defined protocol
25:12 The DE1 isn't going away — improvements flow back to it
25:51 Aggressive upgrade offer — selling cheaper factory-refurbished used DE1s
26:15 Trolley / hard-mounting via the leg screws, with leveling; RV and motorhome use
26:42 IKEA-cart wood top with countersunk holes for the feet
27:17 Bengle suitcase tour and weight (~26 kg vs DE1 ~21 kg); airline 23 kg limit
