Decent Espresso Decent DE1XXL

MakerDecent Espresso
BoilerNot listed
Brew boilerNot listed
Steam boilerNot listed
Water tank2 L
Plumb-inKit (plumbing kit sold separately)
Voltage (US)220-240V only
Maker's water filterNot listed

What water does this machine require?

Decent Espresso hasn't published a limit our check can use for this machine yet, so the check can't give it a result. Whatever the maker does say is quoted below.

Shown, but not used to decide (7)

Will my water work with this machine?

Add your water from a test strip, a report or your city's numbers, and we'll check it against the maker's limits above. It stays in this browser.

Check my water for this machine

The maker's water guidance

What the maker says this machine needs from its water. This is machine care, not drinking-water advice.

From Decent Espresso's general guidance.

  • Very pure water

    “The good news: our machines are designed to safely use (unremineralized) reverse osmosis ("RO") or distilled water, which are actually the ideal water choices. With sufficiently soft water (under approximately 30ppm TDS) there is no need to ever descale, since no scale will build up in the machine.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), intro. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.

  • Total dissolved solids (TDS): up to 30 ppm

    “Less than 30ppm is safe and you will not need to descale ever”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), rule of thumb. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.

  • Total dissolved solids (TDS): up to 120 ppm

    “Less than 120ppm is safe but you will need to descale annually”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), rule of thumb. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.

  • Total dissolved solids (TDS): at least 120 ppm

    “More than 120ppm can be safe, but you will need to descale often: at least twice a year, or significantly more often, depending on the water”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), rule of thumb. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.

  • Chloride: up to 10 ppm

    “If using treated tap water, be mindful of the chloride content, since chloride greatly increases the corrosion risk to the machine. Ideally, keep chloride under 10ppm.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Fine Print. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.

  • Remineralization

    “If using a reverse osmosis system, there is no need to use a remineralization cartridge, and we recommend not using one, or using water drawn from the RO system upstream of the remineralization cartridge if one is installed.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Basics. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.

  • Remineralization

    “If you choose to remineralize water going into the machine, please do not use chlorides (such as calcium or magnesium chloride) to do so, as the chloride ions greatly increase the corrosion risk.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Fine Print. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.

  • Descaler

    “Please do not descale with anything other than citric acid, since we cannot guarantee that other descaling agents will not damage the machine's components.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Basics. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.

  • Water filter

    “Any tap water should be filtered before use in the machine. However, note that carbon block/media filters do not appreciably change how much your water will deposit scale, since they do not significantly affect the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Fine Print. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 22, 2026.

  • Lsi: up to 1.5

    “LSI ≥ 1.5: not recommended; descale at least every 4–8 weeks (every 100-300 shots)”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), LSI descaling list. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Descaling

    “Here are some general starting recommendations for how often to descale, based on the LSI of the water: LSI 0-0.5: descale annually, or every 1,500 to 2,250 shots, whichever comes first LSI ≈ 0.5: descale every 6 months (every 800 to 1,200 shots) LSI ≈ 1.0: descale every 3 months (every 300 to 700 shots)”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), LSI descaling list. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Softened water

    “Anion‑exchange softeners (used to reduce nitrate or tannins, or for dealkalization) can substantially increase chloride levels. Typical salt-based (or potassium chloride-based) water softeners do not significantly increase chloride levels in the water.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Fine Print. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Water type

    “Another viable option is very soft bottled water (Volvic, Crystal Geyser bottled in California or South Carolina, or Poland Springs), in which case we would recommend annual descaling.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Basics. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Remineralization

    ““Pavlis water” where deionized water is remineralized with potassium or sodium bicarbonate only, is safe to use in the machine at typical addition rates of approximately 80ppm KH.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Fine Print. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Remineralization

    “Third Wave Water uses minerals that will not deposit limescale, and adds no chloride that would increase corrosion risk, however it is possible for TWW to cause buildup in the steam heater over time which requires descaling to remove. To avoid this, we will frequently recommend using TWW at 3/4 strength or less. If using TWW, we recommend descaling annually if using it at half strength, or twice a year if at full strength.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Fine Print. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Very pure water

    “Deionization media, (such as that in ZeroWater pitchers) produces water that is interchangeable with RO or distilled water for our purposes, since the water is stripped of essentially all dissolved solids.”

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Fine Print. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Warranty

    “Repairs on machines that have experienced failures caused by using water hard enough to deposit scale, and not adequately descaling, are unfortunately not something we can cover under the warranty, since that falls under “damage caused by you.””

    Water recommendations for the DE1 and Bengle (Decent docs; created 2025/11/24, updated 2026/10/20), The Fine Print. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Total dissolved solids (TDS): up to 120 ppm

    “Buy an inexpensive TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter. It measures the hardness of your water, which should be 120 ppm or lower to minimize scaling in your espresso machine.”

    DE1 Quickstart Guide, section 'What kind of water should I use?' (Decent docs; created 2026/10/26, updated 2026/10/27), What kind of water should I use?. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • pH: 7

    “The ideal pH is about 7.0.”

    DE1 Quickstart Guide, section 'What kind of water should I use?' (Decent docs; created 2026/10/26, updated 2026/10/27), What kind of water should I use?. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Water type

    “To keep your espresso machine healthy for a long time, use soft water with a low mineral content (particularly low calcium). This helps to reduce scaling inside the machine.”

    DE1 Quickstart Guide, section 'What kind of water should I use?' (Decent docs; created 2026/10/26, updated 2026/10/27), What kind of water should I use?. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Water filter

    “A typical carbon filter does not reduce the hardness of tap water. If your water measures over 120 ppm, you can: Install a water softener (a softener might not be enough if your tap water is very hard) Install an RO filter (a safer solution, but it needs several tools to install) Use bottled water Use distilled water mixed with minerals”

    DE1 Quickstart Guide, section 'What kind of water should I use?' (Decent docs; created 2026/10/26, updated 2026/10/27), What kind of water should I use?. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

  • Plumbed-in water

    “With our plumbing kit, you can connect your espresso machine to pressurized water, such as you'd get from an RO-system. It is compatible with all the models in the DE1 series (including the DE1PRO, the DE1XL, and the discontinued DE1PLUS) and with Bengle.”

    How to connect your plumbing kit to the machine (Decent docs), intro. Source (opens in a new tab), saved October 28, 2026.

Where to buy

We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Prices and stock change, so the store's page has the final word. Affiliate disclosure

Specs read from the maker's or seller's page.