The models vary in terms of accessories and upgrades they have, but they all have good build quality. These manual espresso machines are made of cast aluminum (the base) and stainless steel (group head, lever, and portafilter holder). Both are durable metals that can withstand use over a long time. The group head has quality rubber inner rings that didn’t leak at all, at least on my Pro 2 model. editor note: soon after we wrapped up this review (in February, 2018), Flair came out with a new brewing group design, specifically the “portafilter” portion, which we have not been able to test; I’ll mention details about this new design later on and how it alleviates some of the concerns we had with our test model). Let’s get one thing straight right now. The Flair Espresso Maker produces espresso — authentic espresso — and that’s the most important thing about it. It is portable, relatively light weight (certainly a lot more light than lugging around an electric espresso machine in your travels), looks great, and once you figure out how to use it and grind for it, very easy to use. This model has a professional grade 58 mm portafilter (hence the name) with a wooden handle. It’s the same portafilter of typical semi-automatics. The espresso maker has a robust build and a new lever design that further adds to ease of use.

Portable is stretch here—the 9Barista is very well made, but it does weigh more than three pounds. For a small apartment with limited kitchen counter space, or for those RV trips you've been plotting, it's perfect. Regardless of which Flair Signature you choose, you can be confident in the quality of shot as all use the same mechanics. Each Flair Signature is: With the brewing chamber assembly in place (but without the piston inserted), lift the machine’s lever, and then pour water into the chamber, up to a marked line (which can be a bit hard to see in some light). Next, take the piston, and insert into the top of the brewing chamber, loosely – just slot it in, but don’t push it down. The machine is now ready to brew a shot of espresso. You need to preheat Flair’s brew head, or it’ll sap the heat from your espresso. Different Flair manual espresso makers have different brew heads. For example, Flair Classic’s brew head is 265 g, while the Pro’s is 520 g. The higher thermal mass increases temperature stability. But, a bigger brew head also needs more energy to be heated, as this is a large chunk of stainless steel. Bottom line is this: if your goal is an authentic shot of espresso brewed at proper temperatures, the Handpresso can’t hold a candle to the Flair.

Did you say "rough start"?

HANDCRAFT SHOTS OF ESPRESSO – The Flair PRO 2 is a 100% human-powered, manual espresso press. With the Flair PRO 2, you have a complete manual espresso machine that can produce professional quality shots of espresso from your home, or wherever you are. Add 70ml of boiled water and a dose of up to 24 grams to yield up to a 56 ml shot with beautiful crema. A burr grinder is essential for use with this product. Yes, the basket and (especially) the dispersion screen on the Signature feel a bit cheaper compared to the stainless steel bonanza on the Pro. I thought the biggest issue people would have with the machine was finding the right grind, and using the right piston lever pressure, but the cleaning regimen between shots was seen as a barrier, as well as brewing multiple shots. Also, trying to get the spent coffee out of the filter assembly was a concern for several. While the Flair Classic and the Signature are more or less the same product (the difference is mainly down to looks), the gap between the latest generation, the Pro, and the original is more significant. In the following section, I’ll break down the pros and cons of each of these offerings There’s a caveat here: if you want to brew a true “single”, as in 8-9g of coffee used for 15-25ml output, this machine can do that with nearly the same grind fineness a traditional espresso machine with a pump and electricity would require. Again, has to do with the vertical travel distance water has to go through to brew your espresso.

Taste wise, the shots I pull with the PRO 2 are just so much better across the board: the extraction is higher, the output is hotter and there is a load much more range in ratio. The workflow and ritual experience are also great: the materials feel just that little bit heftier and durable, the bottom of the portafilter has better visibility, shots look great and the increase in pressure makes me connect with the brewing process even more. Flair 58 is a good choice if you want something that gets close to a semi-automatic espresso machine but where you can control the pressure. Opt for this if you have the budget. 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 The good thing about this machine is this: it doesn’t take long to figure out how to use it, and what kind of grind to use. Then, you can only get better with it. It takes time to get up to speed and dial in the perfect shot, but once you do that, you’ll have consistent espresso results. Value

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Both Flairs make great espresso. If you’re up for geeking around, working on dialing in coffee, and so forth, you’ll soon get your head around the concept. However, it’s not a completely frictionless experience.

With Flair Classic you can prepare an excellent espresso manually. Advantages of Flair Signature coffee machineFlair espresso makers are more affordable than semi-automatic and super-automatic devices. They are also light and portable, starting at about five pounds. They come with a carrying case so you can take them on road trips, camping, and more, as long you can boil water too. Don’t heat up — Flair models don’t heat the water, and Flair 58 is the only model that preheats the brew head. Both versions of the Flair have pros and cons regarding the workflow. The preheating is different, but I can’t say that one is better or worse. You have to be more thorough with the Pro brew-head, but since it has the silicone cap, it’s relatively easy. The Pro portafilter has a bigger diameter, which makes it more like a traditional one. The Flair Signature basket is much deeper and more narrow than you’d typically see on traditional espresso makers. This means it’s easier to create pressure because there are fewer square inches. It also means that you can use slightly coarser grounds. That being said, if you have a quality espresso grinder and the patience and desire to pull barista-level god shots, look no further than the Pro. Conclusion

The Flair PRO is equipped with a regular 45mm diameter portafilter capable of holding 16 to 24 grams of coffee. Meanwhile, the NEO has a pressurized portafilter 40mm in diameter that can hold 12 to 18 grams.

Specifications

I used a brew temperature calculation model to investigate things further. It turns out that the difference in thermal mass between the two brew heads calls for rather different approaches. This shouldn’t be a big surprise since the Pro is almost double the weight. (This model doesn’t factor in the two respective baskets. Including this weight, the results would be even further apart.) We love manual, portable, non electric espresso, at CoffeeGeek. The ability to make a true espresso shot at your weekend cabin, or while travelling and staying at hotels, is a bit of a quest for us. For the longest, time you had to rely on “faux” espresso devices — like moka pots, both electric and stovetop — to get anything close to that experience while out and about; then in the mid ‘aughts (around 2005), a device called the Handpresso was introduced, which essentially was a bicycle pump espresso maker. It had problems. The first variant only used ESE pods (an older espresso pod system developed by Illy). The next let you use your own ground coffee, but you could barely get 7 grams into the basket, resulting in a very weak, tepid shot. No lattes: I know you already know this, but just for the 1 % out there still wondering: There’s no steamer here. That means no lattes or cappuccinos. You’ll have to buy a standalone steamer if you’re into that stuff. Flair 58 is the latest Flair espresso maker. It’s significantly more expensive than its predecessors, but for a good reason: this model is comparable in ease of use to a more expensive semi-automatic.