Manually brewing espresso feels akin to performing a magic trick. With just some hot water, finely ground coffee, and a bit of elbow grease you can have a shot of espresso! We’re excited to give you the chance to try out this fun (and affordable) way to brew with Flair Espresso! Let’s take a look at the lineup.
Flair Neo Flex
The Flair Neo Flex is an entry level manual espresso machine that also serves as a great travel machine for the user who wants to take a brewing option on the go. Like other machines in the Flair line, this unit uses a lever that pushes a plunger through the brew chamber, pressing water through the espresso grounds and into your glass.
A nice feature of the Neo is its pressurized and non pressurized filters. The pressurized filter allows for a bit less precision in your grind, providing extra resistance if your grinder doesn’t grind quite fine enough to use the unpressurized filter. That unpressurized filter is still an option if you do have a grinder designed for ultra fine espresso grinding. A small but useful pressure gauge rounds out the package, helping you ensure that you’re hitting optimal pressures.
As noted, this machine is a lightweight polymer design, making it a great option for traveling. The Neo even comes with a convenient carrying case to make it easier to take with you.
Flair Classic
At a glance, the Flair Classic looks very similar to the Neo Flex. It’s true that the workflow on this machine is virtually the same, but the metal construction of the classic does give it a more premium feel. In addition to this metal construction, the Classic also comes with an upgraded tamper and pressure gauge. The gauge is a bit bigger and more precise, making it easier to read and brew by. Meanwhile, the tamper is a weightier metal that feels a bit nicer in the hand, which lines up well with the rest of the machine.
Otherwise, the Classic has a lot in common with the Neo Flex, including a carrying case to make traveling with it a bit easier. Do keep in mind that the Classic requires a bit more assembly, so if you really are looking for a travel machine the Neo might be a better fit.
Flair 58
On the high end of Flair’s lineup is the Flair 58. This machine is the ultimate manual brewer offered by Flair. This brewer feels as premium as you’d expect, with delightful wood accents and a big, easy to read pressure gauge. The 58 also includes an optional preheating unit that keeps the brew chamber at temperature, leading to better temp stability and helps you keep the unit at temp between shots if brewing more than one. This piece is optional, and you can even get the brewer without the pre-heater here.
The biggest difference, though, is the 58’s use of a commercial standard 58mm portafilter. This opens up the 58 to a wider range of more premium accessories that can enhance your brewing process. It can also make it a bit easier to fill the portafilter, as the wider style more easily catches grounds from most grinders.
Each of these brewers is a fantastic option for deepening your understanding of espresso and can offer an affordable way to get started. Let us know in the comments which of these machines looks like its your speed, and see them in action in the video below!