Seeing we're sharing espresso brews...
Ethiopian light roast (by me) in a Flair signature.
2nd pic is the whole setup. Dead simple and reliable and could probably post it on BIFL.
this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2026
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I almost got a flair before I got my gaggia. Seems like a pretty bulletproof machine and levers are interesting
That shot looks great!
I just have experience with semi-automatic, but levers look like they could be fun.
How long does it take once you walk in the kitchen to finishing the shot? Have you tried any other espresso machines or levers to compare?
You figure out a system pretty quick. I put the head on the kettle so it preheats with the steam. Then I grind place and tamp. Put the head and a shot pulls with a simple arm bar in 30 to 45s. 10 mins prep. 2 mins clean up and put it all away.
Very travel friendly setup.
What I love about it is that you can manually control everything to a very high degree. It rewards tinkering. The quality is exceptional once you dial everything in.
What I don't love about this particular flair is the undersized basket makes undersized shots. The flair 58 solves this, but I like the gift I got enough to not bother upgrading. I bought a spare head to facilitate pulling back to back shots.
Thanks for explaining, it doesn't sound like too much faff. My regular workflow is maybe a few minutes quicker, but I don't get as many adjustment points.
Also my shots don't look as pretty, nicely done
You might at least want to upgrade to a Pro 2 or above brew head. The basket is large enough to fit 18g and the cylinder is large enough to pull a double.
I thought about that a few times. One day I will.
How do you roast yourself?
I use a Fresh Roast. Works super well.
And you roast it yourself? If so how do you roast it (how or with what?)
I use an Fresh Roast SR 540.
I buy greean beans in 15lb bags roast every two weeks just enough to keep me in coffee. Short learning curve and excellent results. Just control fan speed to keep beans agitated and balance with air temp until desired results.
Cool that's definitely something for the back of my mind, interesting thanks!
Looking good!
Off topic but I love your countertop.
Crema looking good, cool setup!
I have yet to find a better shot than I can make on this.
Do you leave your Flair on the countertop? I've considered getting one, but I always come back to thinking it's got a pretty substantial footprint, both while resting and when I would move it around to get leverage.
I have a small kitchen, and a flair, so mine lives in a small cupboard with all its attendant accoutrements. It’s very quick to get out and put away though, there’s almost no extra steps to keeping it like that
Depends on your countertop real estate but a Flair has a much smaller footprint than any regular espresso machine.
I tuck it into a cupboard after use.
Is a Flair as combersom as I think it is for a manual?
I have no Idea how cumbersome you think it is. It's as manual as it gets short of growing the beans myself.