Introducing an exceptionally well-made and highly versatile manual lever espresso machine that can produce good Espresso at home, even if you are unfamiliar with espresso.
Why did I buy the Flair 58 Espresso Machine manual lever coffee machine?
For me, when making a cup of coffee, I would choose a fully mechanical machine rather than an electric Espresso or Nespresso machine that can produce a consistently flavoured cup very quickly, froth milk, dispense water automatically, control the temperature, raise or lower the pressure and make cleaning convenient—leaving every decision to the “machine”. Operating a manual lever can be physically demanding. If the process is a little slower, the water temperature falls; water must be added by hand; and many unstable variables mean that the result is no longer consistent every time.
All I may want is a simple sense of ritual, or the feeling of making a cup of ESP with my own hands—nothing more.
In return, every time I make an espresso, I gain more joy, anticipation and engagement in the process, together with a pursuit of finding a way to make the next cup as perfect as possible.
The Flair 58 offers extensive scope for experimentation
Anyone reading this far may think that I am exaggerating, but this genuinely reflects my experience over the past six months. A few months ago, I also bought a Lelit Mara X V2 for home. It leans somewhat towards a mechanical feel, but unfortunately I still find that it offers relatively little variation for experimentation. Some people may ask: it lets you change the pressure, so is that not enough?
It is enough, but I think the Flair 58 can do better.
I can fill the reservoir of the Flair 58 with milk, iced lemon tea, soup or any other liquid. I can put Milo in the coffee bed and even add two pieces of orange peel. Yes, other electric ESP machines can also accept these ingredients, but what about cleaning afterwards? If I do that in the morning and want an espresso in the evening, I believe most traditional espresso machines would need to be sent away for repair. The Flair 58, however, can return to service after cleaning, which takes around 1 hour. Its fully mechanical design is easy to clean—normally taking less than 5 minutes—and lets me satisfy my unexpected curiosities. I do not even need to worry about damaging the heater, the ESP water outlet or the built-in boiler and losing a good machine.
If you ask whether a traditional machine produces better quality, froths milk and is more convenient to use, the undeniable answer is yes. But the entry price is at least $7000 and above, before accounting for the replacement of ageing parts. Because of the Flair's mechanical design, I personally believe it can be enjoyed for at least several years, and every individual part can be replaced easily by the user. For anyone starting out, I think this will be one of the major considerations in recent years. At half the price, it can provide 80%–90% of the ESP functionality, so I am more inclined to choose the former.
My experience after six months with the Flair 58
The Flair 58 can easily reach 9Bar and, in my personal opinion, achieve the quality of a traditional espresso machine costing tens of thousands. This coffee machine also includes a preheater and can be ready in around 3–5 minutes, although the preheater version costs extra—around several hundred Hong Kong dollars. You do not need to worry about the metal reservoir absorbing or dissipating heat after it is filled, or about losing temperature. It is far more convenient than the Flair Pro2 or Neo, whose reservoir must be filled with hot water for preheating.
Avoiding complicated cleaning procedures
Most other manual lever espresso machines are troublesome when preparing a cup. You may need to assemble the water-reservoir section and fit a pull-out or pressure handle. After using pressure to make ESP, you also face the problem of dismantling the machine for cleaning. When I previously used the Flair Neo/Pro 2, I found this extremely troublesome. During assembly, pressing the coffee equipment against my hand was also very painful. The Neo therefore became a decoration most of the time, and compared with a traditional ESP machine, the experience felt like using a toy. The Flair 58 greatly improves this experience. Cleaning only requires filling the reservoir with water and wiping it with a paper towel. The 58mm coffee handle can be cleaned in the same way as one from a traditional coffee machine and can be used interchangeably. My cleaning afterwards always takes less than 5 minutes, making it easy to enjoy in the morning before work.
A less painful way to enter the world of manual lever machines
One further point is that most ESP machines offer variable pressure, but to my knowledge the entry cost will inevitably be at least $10000–12000. With the Flair 58, you can change the pressure during preparation by varying the force you apply. You get what you pay for, of course, and operating the lever is physically demanding because you pull the bar down from top to bottom. In return, however, it produces another, more valuable flavour, which I find acceptable.
Apart from being unable to froth milk and not having a large built-in water reservoir or drainage tank, it differs little from an ESP machine in other respects.
Disadvantages of using the Flair 58
After so much praise, it is time to list the disadvantages. The first thing I want to say is that it collects a great deal of dust—it really attracts dust. Anyone looking at the photographs will notice the large amount of dust. Before taking the photographs, I had already cleaned it several times, but it still attracted dust. The outside of the reservoir includes a rubber-like section. Personally, I think it could compete on the former Japanese programme Hoko x Tate: a machine from which all dust can never be removed versus a machine capable of removing all dust. For anyone with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, it is an absolute nightmare. After each use, I have to cover it with a plastic bag to keep out the dust.
Ignoring the manual during assembly left it with an unfortunate imperfection
Another issue involves the same rubber-like section. Because the heating component and water reservoir are located there, dismantling the entire machine requires turning the whole assembly. The problem is that after assembling it, I found it very difficult to dismantle again. The heating cable and power connection sit inside the rubber-like metal section of the reservoir, yet the rubber-like section can rotate. Turning the outer rubber-like section can therefore tear the wiring for the reservoir's metal preheating section. That is what happened to me, and the preheating section could no longer be used, as far as I can tell. After buying and assembling it without reading the manual completely, I unknowingly damaged part of it. The preheater was lost, and I had to return to preheating with hot water. Be very careful and do not rotate it. Once installed, do not turn the rubber-like ring around the outside of the reservoir again.
Summary of my experience with the Flair 58
Apart from the disadvantages above, my experience over six months has been excellent so far. Overall, it is a manual espresso machine with which I am extremely satisfied. Imagine the ritual and scope for experimentation offered by a traditional film camera. A digital camera—an electric espresso machine—has its own advantages. Both can genuinely produce good photographs, or espresso, but their processes and directions differ, and what they pursue is very different. The choice depends on personal preference.
