Uploaded March 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
When you test your espresso machine to see if it's working correctly, you shouldn't use real coffee. That's because each real coffee puck is slightly different: you have to make a "simulated espresso" using a "puck simulator basket". How do you know if the problem is you, your grinder, or your machine? This basket will act as if it actually has coffee in it and simulate the flow of a light, medium or dark roast. But if your machine doesn't give you the temperature, flow or pressure you were expecting, you know the machine is at fault. If you have two or more machines (or several group heads) you can exactly compare them to each other. You can use the puck simulator basket to calibrate one machine (or group head) to behave the same as the other.
Decent offers two models of espresso simulator baskets. The 0.2mm basket is more appropriate for simulating (or calibrating to) medium to dark roasted coffee. The 0.3mm is more appropriate for simulating (or calibrating to) lightly roasted coffee. We'll show you how to use an espresso simulator in this video.
0:00 - Intro
1:15 - The 0.3mm puck simulator basket (for light roasts)
2:06 - The 0.2mm puck simulator basket (for medium to dark roasts)
2:39 - Basket closeup
2:48 - Why would I need these two baskets?
3:18 - Adding aromatic ingredients to the basket
4:00 - Use it to make two machines perform identically
4:38 - Pick the basket that fits the roast level you like
5:02 - Beta test your fancy profiles
5:16 - Thanks for watching!
When you test your espresso machine to see if it's working correctly, you shouldn't use real coffee. That's because each real coffee puck is slightly different: you have to make a "simulated espresso" using a "puck simulator basket". How do you know if the problem is you, your grinder, or your machine? This basket will act as if it actually has coffee in it and simulate the flow of a light, medium or dark roast. But if your machine doesn't give you the temperature, flow or pressure you were expecting, you know the machine is at fault. If you have two or more machines (or several group heads) you can exactly compare them to each other. You can use the puck simulator basket to calibrate one machine (or group head) to behave the same as the other.
Decent offers two models of espresso simulator baskets. The 0.2mm basket is more appropriate for simulating (or calibrating to) medium to dark roasted coffee. The 0.3mm is more appropriate for simulating (or calibrating to) lightly roasted coffee. We'll show you how to use an espresso simulator in this video.
0:00 - Intro
1:15 - The 0.3mm puck simulator basket (for light roasts)
2:06 - The 0.2mm puck simulator basket (for medium to dark roasts)
2:39 - Basket closeup
2:48 - Why would I need these two baskets?
3:18 - Adding aromatic ingredients to the basket
4:00 - Use it to make two machines perform identically
4:38 - Pick the basket that fits the roast level you like
5:02 - Beta test your fancy profiles
5:16 - Thanks for watching!
