We flipped the scenario and I pulled three sets of shots for Seb. In his blind taste tests, he gave the nod twice ot the Flair 58, and declared the third a tie. Environmentally Friendly – Every time you lower the lever you're contributing to a healthier world. This Product Includes: All of these machines were based on the same premise – that they included a unique, self contained grouphead / reservoir / brewing chamber – and utilized a lever to push water through. CoffeeGeek has an espresso machine testing regimen and guide we developed over 15 years, and it includes parameters for traditional lever machines, with full boilers and enclosed groupheads. The regimen is applicable to manual, unpowered lever machines with some modifications. The Flair 58 falls a bit between the two groups, so we modified our testing parameters where required. We tested the machine over a six month period, using it for approximately 90 days. That was definitely the best espresso I think I have ever had in my life. I cannot believe I made that shot. It puts my Lelit machine to shame.”– Robert

Next, loosen on your pressure slightly to lower it over the next 10 seconds of the shot, down to around 5BAR. Aim for 40-45G of output total, and aim to be at around 2BAR by the time you hit 45g. Then stop pulling the shot, lift the lever to cut off the flow.Finally, the PRO’s filter basket can hold 16 to 24 grams of coffee, while the NEO’s is limited to 12 to 18 grams. The PRO 2 is an upgrade to the PRO with an enhanced bottomless portafilter, a removable spout, a silicone grip for improved ergonomics, and a gauge guard, making it more durable. The Cost There are add-ons, too, with a dosing cup that doubles as a tamper, a dosing ring that helps prevent mess, and a removable drip tray. We also suggest buying the pressure gauge kit. This is a great accessory for monitoring the pressure as you brew. Put the basket into the stand, place the brew head on the basket, and fill it with piping hot water.

Confidently grip the lever handle, and start pulling down. If your grind and dose are spot on, you should start seeing some expresso dribbling out at around 3 or 4 BAR on the gauge. Ramp up slowly to a full 9BAR pressure by 10 seconds in. Hold at 9BAR for the next 10 seconds or so, or the first 20g of espresso pouring out. The Flair 58 is a very easy machine to use, maintain and get repeatable results from. Count on about 10 minutes heat up time for the reservoir before you add off-the-boil water. There is a simple way to speed this up if you want a shot as soon as you wake up. Turn the machine’s heating element on, and boil water. Fill the reservoir with water and run it through an empty portafliter. Repeat. The machine should be fully up to temperature for your real first double of the day. Both the NEO and PRO can only pull a single shot in one go. However, each has a different capacity in both the water reservoir and filter basket. One of the best things about the Flair NEO is its convenience as it won’t need electricity. Another advantage is its relative affordability. However, on the downside, it does take longer to pull a shot of espresso.The universal consensus was that the workflow and output from the Flair 58 was superior. One tester said it was the best shot of espresso he had ever tasted. With the Flow Control portafilter, the Flair Neo takes some of that control out of your hands. The pressurized design keeps you from obtaining espresso perfection. But it also saves you from espresso disaster. I’m a firm believer that both pressure profiling and temperature profiling lead to better espresso. Staring shots at low pressure gives a full saturation effect before bringing things up to the traditional 135psi / 9BAR of pressure. Slowly lowering the pressure as extraction continues means you’re torturing the spent coffee less, and extracting less bitters towards the end of the shot, compared to full 9BAR pump machines. Water temperature plays a crucial role here too: the higher the temperature, the more unsavory flavour components get extracted towards the end of the shot. For pure taste comparisons, we put the Flair 58’s output up against the Breville Dual Boiler, our standard espresso machine for all testing.

It exists, and it’s called the Flair 58, from Flair Espresso. A modern day, direct lever espresso machine that delivers good temperature stability and the ability to completely control the pressure you use to brew your shots. There’s even an undocumented way to play with water temperatures that we discovered while testing this machine.Customisable Extraction: The Bottomless 2-in-1 Portafilter allows precise control over extraction variables for experienced brewers. You can improve the espresso quality of both models with additional accessories. For the Flair Classic, add the pressure gauge kit. Add the pressure gauge kit and the bottomless 2-in-1 portafilter for the Flair Neo. This modular system allows your espresso machine to grow with you as you gain experience rather than forcing you to buy a new model. We used the Flair’s “High Flow” filter basket in all our tests. Dose is the CoffeeGeek standard of 18.5g for a double shot, delivering 45g output, or a 1:2.5 ratio. We used our standard testing coffee, Social Coffee’s People’s Daily (which I have to say as an aside, was tasting especially good from the Flair 58). The primary grinder we used with the machine is the Baratza Sette 270Wi.

It’s so very cool to see the manual lever espresso market heat up like a blazing bonfire over the past few years. A decade ago, if you wanted a manual, direct lever machine, your choices were slim: the La Pavoni models (like the Europicola or the Professional); a used model from the 1970s or 80s that was hopefully refurbished and had the insulating asbestos removed (like a Cremina 69)… or not much else. However, the standard brew basket on the Flair Neo Flex and Classic slightly differs from most other baskets on the market.

FAQs

During our long six months of testing, I had several people claim it produced the best shot of espresso they had ever had. Frankly, that’s both amazing and telling. Add the ground coffee to the basket using the standard basket if you own an espresso grinder. (Use the pressurized basket for pre-ground or coarsely ground coffee if you don’t.) The Flair 58 has been mainly maintenance free in the six months of testing it got, Everything remains tight and solid on the machine. A few bits show wear and tear, but the machine has really stood up to pulling about 450 espresso shots so far and counting. I cannot stress enough how wonderful the playground is with the ability to control pressure to minute levels during the entire shot pull process. This takes espresso making to its own level, and makes you a vital part of the resulting shot quality. The Flair 58’s pressure gauge is well positioned, easy to read and very accurate. Compare that to the tiny gauge the Cafelat Robot comes with, and it’s hard to read angle when you’re operating the machine. It seems that’s precisely the thing that Flair wants to avoid. So instead of breaking the plastic frame, you’ll break the seal long before. I can’t think of other products that follow this design philosophy, although I’m sure there are probably some.