Flair 58 Review: The Best Manual Espresso Maker I’ve Used

The Flair 58 has quickly become my favorite espresso maker—and note that I said “favorite espresso maker” and not “favorite manual espresso maker.” It easily beats out my much more expensive electric machines, and in this Flair 58 review, I’ll explain why.

With its sleek design and superb espresso quality, this lever-style brewer delivers delicious shots that can rival expensive any electric machine, in my opinion. I love the hands-on brewing ritual and the ultimate control it provides over pressure, time, and temperature. While not as fast or convenient as a semi-automatic, the Flair 58 rewards the patience and practice required to master its technique.

Despite minor annoyances like the small water capacity and lack of steam wand, I highly recommend the Flair 58 for anyone seeking top-notch espresso without the huge price tag and think it’s one of the best espresso makers for home use. Let’s take a closer look.

Quick Flair 58 Review

The Flair 58 has quickly become my go-to for espresso. This elegantly designed lever machine consistently delivers cafe-quality shots, provided you put in the time to master its technique (which is right up my alley, anyway!). I love the artisanal experience of its hands-on pressure profiling method. And the ability to control pressure and time fully during extraction lets you pull nuanced shots with amazing body and crema. It lets you take full advantage of all aspects of the process, provided you’re familiar with the science of espresso brewing

For the money, the value is outstanding; it produces espresso comparable to professional machines costing thousands, including my Rancilio Silvia Pro, which cost me about four times as much. The compact footprint is perfect for small home coffee bars. And its gorgeous design looks stunning on display.

Downsides are relatively minor but worth considering. The small 90mL water reservoir means making multiple shots is going to take more than twice as long as an electric machine that pulls doubles. The power cord is a little clunky, although the previous issues with it—more on that later—have been solved, thankfully.

It’s easy to use once you get the hang of it, but pulling good shots also does require practice and patience. And with no steam wand, you’ll need a separate milk frother if you want milk-based drinks.

But for straight espresso enthusiasts not wanting to break the bank, I can’t recommend the Flair 58 enough. With some dialing in, it consistently delivers delicious, well-balanced shots. For manual lever quality at this price point, nothing else comes close, in my opinion.

Flair 58 Pros and Cons

Flair 58 Review

As a long-time manual brewing enthusiast, I was eager to get my hands on the Flair 58 lever espresso machine, and I wasn’t disappointed. Below, I’ll break down the different aspects of the Flair 58 to help you decide if this is the right manual espresso maker for your home setup.

Appearance

Simply put, the Flair 58 is gorgeous. It’s like a piece of art that I’m happy to own and keep on display, and I can’t say enough about how gorgeous it is.

The matte black metal body combined with polished stainless steel accents give it an elegant, minimalist look. It also features maple wood accents to keep it feeling warm and inviting, and I love it. The updated version has walnut accents that I like even more. Regardless of which one you buy though, it will instantly elevate any coffee bar or kitchen countertop.

The only clunky part of the Flair 58’s appearance is the detachable power cord used for heating the group head. It’s a bit bulky with its three-part connection (more on this in the next section). However, you can easily unplug it and stash it out of sight when not in use. So while not the most beautiful design element, it doesn’t detract too much from the overall aesthetic unless you’re actually making espresso.

Ease of Use

As a manual lever machine, the Flair 58 does require more hands-on effort than a typical electric espresso machine. However, Flair has done an excellent job engineering it for approachable at-home use. Once you get the basics down, it’s surprisingly uncomplicated to pull consistently great shots.

The three-part power cord was tricky in older models—you had to disconnect it in precisely the right order or risk damaging the machine. If you watched James Hoffman’s video on the Flair 58, this might have been a sticking point for you. Thankfully, all Flair 58 models now ship with the updated power cord. Still bulky and unsightly, but at least it’s fully detachable now and easier to use. Most importantly, the cord can now be detached in any sequence safely.

And while that cable is bulky, the heating element is one feature that makes the Flair 58 far more convenient than most other manual lever machines. Many manual espresso makers require you to preheat the brew chamber and portafilter in hot water prior to pulling your shot. This extra step can add several minutes to your workflow, and anyone who has done this knows how annoying it is.

The Flair 58 eliminates this headache with an electric heating coil in the group head that heats the brewing components. You simply turn it on, lock in the portafilter, and in 2-3 minutes your Flair 58 is ready to brew without any external preheating. The heating element is a game-changer that makes this one of the most user-friendly manual lever machines out there. No fussy immersion heating required before pulling your morning shot.

Once you’re plugged in and turned on, filling the brew chamber with water is simple. Just remove it from the group head and pour water directly in up to the 90mL mark. One downside is that small water capacity. Making back-to-back drinks for multiple people can be time consuming when you’re only able to pull a single shot at a time.

Overall though, the process is straight-forward and the Flair 58 isn’t difficult to operate with a little practice. It’s ideal for someone seeking a more hands-on ritual than an automated machine provides.

Coffee Quality

In terms of shot quality, the Flair 58 reaches well above its price point. With care and some dialing in, it can produce espresso on par with professional machines costing thousands. The key is mastering the manual pre-infusion and lever pressure profiling.

With an electric machine, pressure is applied automatically. But the Flair 58 puts you in control of ramping pressure up and down over the course of a shot. This level of control lets you extract the perfect balance of flavors from the coffee. And the Flair 58 has an accurate pressure gauge to help you hit those pressures.

It does take time and repeated practice to learn the feel and develop the process for pulling great shots. But once you lock in the technique, you can replicate it consistently. I found the espresso flavor clarity and balance outperformed my expectations tenfold.

For anyone devoted enough to learn its manual method, the Flair 58 rewards you with incredible espresso without the huge price tag of more complex electric machines.

Counter Space and Footprint

The base of the Flair 58 measures about 6 inches wide by 14 inches deep, and the maker stands about 20 inches tall with the lever in the upright position. Compared to a large electric machine, it has a relatively compact profile.

I leave my Flair 58 out all the time, and I’m happy to do that because it’s so beautiful. But its smaller size also makes it easy to stow away in a cabinet between uses if needed.

For tiny home or RV living, the Flair 58 is an ideal espresso maker. There’s no need for a permanent bulky machine taking up valuable real estate.

Drink Options

A downside of the Flair 58 is its limitation to just brewing espresso. There is no steam wand for steaming milk to make lattes and cappuccinos. You’ll need a separate milk frother or standalone milk steamer if you want to make milk-based drinks.

For straight espresso drinkers, this isn’t an issue. But for those who enjoy lattes and the like, you’ll need to factor in the added cost of a milk steamer. High-end steam wands can run $200+ on their own. So while the Flair 58 itself is reasonably affordable, your total setup cost goes up if you want more versatility.

You should also consider that the added piece of equipment would take up extra space on your counter.

Price

With a retail price of around $590—check Amazon for the most recent price and deals, as I’ve seen it as low as $400—the Flair 58 is very competitively priced compared to other manual lever espresso machines, especially those with built-in heating elements. Spring lever models from brand like La Pavoni can run $1,000 and up, and more affordable options often lack the heating capability and convenience of the Flair 58.

Overall, this level espresso maker delivers exceptional shot quality at a fraction of the price of its competitors.

Compared to high-end electric machines, it’s no contest. Entry-level electric models might start around the same price, but for the quality of espresso you get from the Flair 58, you’d likely need to spend $2,000+ on an electric machine. That’s a lot to pay for convenience.

So if high-end espresso is your goal, the Flair 58 represents excellent value for money. You get quality on par with machines well outside its price range.

Build Quality

Flair constructed the Flair 58 from durable stainless steel backed by an aluminum chassis. It feels sturdy and well-made with tight tolerances between parts. The action of the brew lever is smooth, and all components fit neatly together.

Based on early reviews, the Flair 58 seems capable of lasting many years with proper care and maintenance. Flair as a company has also been around since 2012, so they have a track record of producing quality equipment.

While lever machines do require upkeep like backflushing and gasket replacement, owners report the Flair 58 holding up well over time. Plus, you’ll spend a small fraction on repairs over time on the Flair 58 compared to what you’d spend on electric machines.

Water Capacity

The heating chamber built into the Flair 58 holds a maximum of 90mL of water. This allows you to pull shots up to about 55mL in volume. Since ideal dosing amounts range from 16-20g, the 90mL capacity easily accommodates single shots of espresso.

The small reservoir does mean you’ll need to refill and reheat the chamber between each shot. For making multiple drinks back-to-back, this can slow down your workflow. It’s a tradeoff of the Flair 58’s compact size and affordability.

Larger manual brewers like the La Pavoni have bigger reservoirs and boiler systems to allow pulling multiple shots before refilling. But they come at a steep price premium and take up much more space.

The 90mL tank is perfectly adequate for one or two people. Just factor in the reheat time if brewing several drinks in succession for larger groups.

Warranty

The Flair 58 comes with a few different warranty coverages:

• Five years for the non-electrical stand and metal brew head components
• Two years for the electrical components
• One year for the pressure gauge, portafilter, basket, and tamper

These covers defects in materials and workmanship. Compared to some electric machines that include 3-5 year warranties, the one to two years on some compoents is on the shorter side.

However, given the Flair 58’s durable stainless steel construction, many owners report it lasting significantly beyond the warranty period with proper care. As a mostly mechanical manual lever machine, there’s less that can break or malfunction compared to electronics-heavy electric models.

While a longer warranty is always preferable, the coverage provided is likely adequate based on reviews of the Flair 58’s longevity and how the machine has worked for me so far. And Flair as a company has demonstrated reliable customer service should any issues emerge down the road.

So, I don’t see the relatively short warranty as a dealbreaker, especially given the Flair 58’s reasonable price point. Just be diligent about maintenance, and it should provide many years of quality performance.

Wrapping Up: Do I Recommend the Flair 58?

For anyone seeking top-quality espresso without an exorbitant price tag, I highly recommend the Flair 58. Once the technique is mastered, it can produce coffee shop quality shots rivaling professional equipment that costs many times more. The gorgeous design and compact size are also perfect for limited home or mobile setups.

Be ready to invest some time learning manual pre-infusion and lever profiling. That can takes some time, but the results are worth it. The hands-on process provides an immersive, rewarding brewing experience. If you mostly drink straight espresso, the lack of a steam wand shouldn’t be a deal breaker, either.

At this price point, you won’t find another manual lever machine capable of crafting better espresso, in my opinion. For an affordable, low-profile machine that looks beautiful and brews incredible coffee, the Flair 58 is hard to beat.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to make a shot with the Flair 58?

From start to finish, plan on around 5 to 6 minutes to pull a shot with the Flair 58. You’ll need 2 to 3 minutes of preheating time. Then about 1 minute to fill the brew chamber, dose your portafilter, and lock it in. Executing the shot itself takes around 30 to 45 seconds. Factor in cleanup, and you’re looking at 5 minutes minimum per drink. It’s slower than an electric machine but typical for a manual lever espresso maker.

What grinder works best with the Flair 58?

You’ll want a quality burr grinder capable of fine espresso grinds. Flair makes an espresso grinder called the Royal Grinder, which you can bundle with the Flair 58. For a budget option, the 1Zpresso JX Pro is an outstanding manual grinder at a reasonable price point that grinds exceptionally fine for espresso. The Flair 58 requires a very fine, consistent grind between powder and fine sand, so invest in the best coffee grinder you can afford to buy, and aim for one that is designed specifically for espresso.

Where is the Flair 58 manufactured?

Flair espresso makers are designed in the USA but manufactured abroad. According to Flair, their equipment is made to order in workshops in China. Each machine undergoes quality assurance testing prior to shipment, which appears to be done in the United States, although that isn’t clear based on Flair’s website.

Can the Flair 58 make Americanos?

Yes, with the Flair 58 you can make Americanos by first pulling your shot, then adding boiling water afterward. You’ll have to boil water separately since the Flair 58 does not have a hot water spout, nor does the heating chamber hold enough to disperse hot water after brewing. The small workflow hurdle is worth the delicious Americanos this machine can produce.