I understand the need for sponsors, bit I inquire that you not support better help, they have been caught in the past selling user data even though they claimed not to. Thank you for consideration.
The problem is that most YT creators signed an advertising contract before knowing about these problems. I imagine the contract is very hard to break, and they'd likely go broke if they did. Yeah, BH sucks. Hopefully, his contract with them will end soon, and he'll no longer need to advertise for them.
just wanted to say, when i saw the review i saw the price tag of around $600 and think man thats not cheap. So i kept using my breville barista express. Until last month i went on a trip to China and realized its manufactured there in my hometown, and it's on massive sale. Thanks for the review and all the previous videos showing how fun direct levers are, i got the machine at $310 and hauled it home to California. Been so happy with this now my breville is delegated as a milk steamer
I love my Flair 58, but it's great to see more lever machines in the market to drive competition and innovation. The PID box is a deal breaker for me though...
Gotta say, you stunned me with dropping the Argos on the counter - didn’t see that coming - and I really appreciated you then dropping the Flair 58 and emphasizing don’t go out and upgrade: waiting for the first, daily on the second…and if I was collecting the Alm Kopi would be next on my list after your review. Budget options for great espresso R U…and the fancy stuff is always fun to fancy about. Appreciate that too. Keep ‘em coming. Looking forward to the next data driven post.
Good to see the market and competition is growing. But its way too big and boxy for me... Flair58 is on the border of "fit" on my counter/under kitchen shelfs. If I had a big big kitchen, why not.
Check out jian-yi, the original Chinese PID lever machine, featured in one of Brian Quan's video, which doesn't have a separate box for PID and also cheaper compared to alm kopi. They came out with an automatic lever pressure profiling model recently. Also with these kind of machines the first shot is usually colder, since the grouphead does not get heated to high temperature compared to water chamber. Would be interesting to test with a scace device.
Btw by ajusting the run of the piston at the ball joint it will fix the touching on the group and allow you to pull full piston shot ... long live the ALM KOPI 😉
Dude I understood some of those words, all I know was that I was at a loss as for why they would engineer a product that always contacts itself at high pressure points
@@gerber8915 yeah but its just a matter of ajustement, it take 2 minutes to ajuste it , Lance usualy look in depth into stuff , he just miss that point and the fact that the pid can but offset on the pid itself so it show the same temperatur as the kettle water ... so it show real temperature. It a very very good machine , no need to update anything, like Lance said ( and its a golden advice) care about your water and beans !
Glad you like it. You know, you can actually adjust the offset so it reads the exact temperature. I was originally concerned about the box, but it looks OK behind the machine when on the counter. I love mine, it's built like a tank and is a joy to use.
how long have you had it ? the link he provides takes to one seller - ITOP but then there is a LXCHan seller who seems to be selling the same machine but 30 less
Totally agreed. Also for me, the design of the lever itself is ugly. I don't get steampunk vibes, I get undergraduate engineering project. Big lumps of steel, oversized nuts and bolts, no thought given to making it look sleek and stylish. Very much like a prototype or home kit build. Perhaps some like that, but for me it's very off-putting and hasn't been thought through to fit into most home kitchens
I had lamented the Argos being aesthetically unpleasing but this makes it look good in comparison. I guess you get what you pay for but the Flair is a lot less ugly than this thing. It's a shame as it sounds like it gets some of the other aspects right and is affordable. Oh well.
I use an ROK Espresso for more than two years now and i am still in love with it. I feel it struggles on the pressure but size wise and mobility wise it is unbeaten in this field kmo
Wooter Strietman of Strietman espresso has been building open boiler type direct levers well before the Flair came to existence. If you ever get your hands on a CT2, you can introduce something wonderful to your audience. I owned one of his early ES models, and it was real joy to use. Of course they're a high-end product but will pair well with your equally gorgeous EG-1. For direct lever lovers, it's the ultimate end-game machine.
... I might not be the target demo so I might be missing the value of certain things, but I don't think this is a budget champion. You can pick up a whole brand new La Pavoni Europicola for like $100 less and that's a fully featured manual lever machine with a milk steaming wand and everything. And I'm talking about a higher end one with the gauge and larger chamber. It also has longevity and tons of parts and enhancements. Also, frankly, I don't even consider that a budget friendly machine; its luxurious and well made. There might be a couple extra coffee nerd features here, but I don't think anyone can say this is budget friendly all things considered. I feel like people are looking forward far too much when there are great machines that are much more attainable if you look back.
After this review and two other ones on RUclips, I decided to go ahead and place my order on this machine. I received my Alm Kopi yesterday and I am having a problem with it. The PID cannot reach the target temperature no matter how long I wait. I contacted the manufacturer and the agent stated I should always add water to the chamber before starting the PID or, there is a risk of burning out the heating element. I followed his advice and the PID is still unable to heat up the chamber to the target temperature. It only reached about 78-82C and kept fluctuating in that range. The agent stated they have added a protection system to the PID to prevent it from burning out. This could probably be the reason the PID is now too weak to properly heat up the chamber. I am communicating with them to resolve the problem. Aside from the PID problem, the machine has functioned flawlessly and has a solid hefty built into it. The piston movement is super smooth. They have included three extra o-rings which is nice. However, the mirror and light are missing.
I'm interested in this machine too. Did you manage to solve the issues @raminolta? If PID / heating elements doesn't work as expected it kind of loses its best feature :(
Lance has been remotely reading my mind for a few months now… Been thinking, looking and researching which lever machine to buy to add to my arsenal. And lo and behold a plethora of reviews. And of course, let’s not forget the surprise alto breakouts. Educational and enjoyable. And now I guess we’re talking about calling the Flair 58 the flex 58?
I'd love to know why you don't think the Robot really belongs in the same category. I can certainly experiment with pressure curves with it, the brew chamber slash filter is very clever in that it doesn't sink much heat from off-kettle water, and it does use a 58mm filter albeit not one I can really customise.
@@LanceHedrick thanks, that makes sense! So, maybe more efficient at a narrowed range of roasts, but with the added annoyance of manual preheating faff for light roasts.
@@parasbhargava6047 It's still a kinda bush-leauge workshop. Besides, the menu is in Simplified Chinese only, and I don't see the owner remedying that issue anytime soon.
Just got one from China today unbranded. Now surprised to see the video about it. Sadly mine leaking all over the place and possibly defected :( waiting for factory to fix the issue...
The issue with the Argos is that it isn't really available, in the sense that the waiting list is long and production slow. I ordered months ago and have no real expectation of it being delivered this year, and that was before Lance's positive coverage. The problem with this machine is that it's huge and looks like a cross between a shovel, a basketball hoop base and a PlayStation. Choice is great though!
Great review. It is time to open our minds to other alternatives. I have a similar machine that I have been using for nearly 2 years now. Temperature control is awesome and it makes amazing espresso.
just bought one on sale was going to get a flair 58 but this seems better as I don't need something portable. Ordering something this expensive from China is a bit of a worry but it seems well built.
Yea I really look forward to that. But it's also kinda shocking that nobody has made a Strietman at 1/2 the price. It's ultimately an extremely simple machine that could be much cheaper if produced in steel and at larger (industrial) scale.
I think I still prefer my Flair 58, just looking at the size vs the Alm Kopi is wild, and then you add that big ugly box ... also I prefer that can use any and all 58 portafilters. Still, good there's more options on the market now.
Oh, very surprising for sure! I did not expect you to give this such a great recommendation, especially considering James Hoffmann kinda roasting the thing in his AliExpress video. Good to know! I did upgrade to a Sage Dual Boiler, though, so definitely not in the market for one. Very interesting video, though!
Personally i don't believe it kicked the 58 of the throne (yes i own one so i'm biased) the footprint and looks are still looking better on the Flair. i just wish they update the heating controls. I've build my own heating controlled system for the flair (everything you need is actually present) and i have a feeling flair did this to later sell a upgrade possibility for the 58.
@@LanceHedrick yeah i made my own tempcontrol for the flair so i didnt look at that part. The water volume i can imagine its nice to have, and something they sacraficed to keep the flair in a smaller profile i would expect
Curious about your thoughts on controlling the heating. In my opinion, the temperature control as implemented by the Alm Kopi is not as useful as people think. With a 30sec shot time, I would think a PID couldn't contribute much outside of setting the initial temp of the chamber. As I understand it, the purpose of a heating element is primarily to prevent the chamber from acting as a heat sink.
I have, and I've gotten great results with both my Delonghis (Dedica 680 and ECP3420). I got it because I got fed up with accidentally dislodging the friction fit catch cup of my Flair Royal Grinder. Interestingly, it grinds faster than the Flair, even though it has a smaller burr set (40mm vs 47mm). The only downside I've found is that uniformity at coarser settings (pourover) is visually worse than the Flair, but I don't know if this is a design issue or a QC issue. For the price, I can't complain.
I would definitely get this if it wasn’t only available on Aliexpress. If it hits Amazon I’d strongly consider it I still think it’s so weird that all the flair products EXCEPT the 58 are available on Amazon
Another funny. In the country where I live we can get Neo Flex for about 105$ but it comes with free shipping, which in the end results in much better deal than ordering from official website. It is crazy that for example, ordering from Finland you end up paying $253, with all the heavy taxes. Good that I`m not from Finland, lol.
For that price point I would expect something a lot easier to use than the typical PID controller. Talk about a hostile user experience. (I know, I use this style on my heat treating furnace). And serieously, the poor fit of the arm pivot in the main upright? I can imagine there is no bushing in there, just steel on aluminum.
Don’t do espresso just came to say I am eagerly awaiting your fellow Aiden deep dive long term review. If it does what they claim I want one. We need you lance!
I will either stay with my robot or get a strietman- but none of this nonsense. The 10 bucks- PID in the box is a joke. I mean, if I had built the machine on my own, I would be proud, just for havintlt my hands work. But as a product to buy it looks underwhelming. I still wonder why there is no cheap strietman open boiler ripoff, but plenty of those "I still need a kettle even if I have a heating element" in-betweens. Not fish, nor meat
@@RasenRambo23 The argos has indeed a quite interesting concept; I also like the looks. Loving the Robot for its simplicity, low maintenance but most of all indestructibility the Argos seems too "gimmicky", very reliant on electronics. This, plus no local dealer (yet), no infos about durability/reliability, a long waiting list has lead me to step back here. But I totally get the excitement about it, an innovation indeed
@@SMS38i this is kind of my point- when the machine is capable of heating, why not take the final step and make an open boiler. Sure, the 58 can still be used to travel/without the electronics, fair point.
@@dabougi8063 The Argos costs a bit more than a third of the Strietmann. Worth taking a bit of a risk with those stakes. What won me over was being able to select the finish, side of the wand, and spring tension. But I'll also wait until they're not running preorder batches anymore and this is a regular product. Hopefully next year or so.
It most likely is. Most of Alm Kopi stuff is sorta DYI level. Also reason why its cheap-ish. Real cost of this is probably rather low, but considering its some decent materials, its not that low. I would bet that most cheap espresso machines have way less quality components in them and lot better margins for sales.
I think Alm Kopi is a design statement. It asserts its design in a powerful way. REGARDING flair 58 currently own, I find it aesthetically lackluster. Besides, black is not really my favorite color. I used the Flair for a while. It functions without any problem but I don't particularly like the loud beep it makes. It wakes up everybody at home in the early morning. So I have just placed my order on the Alm Kopi. Can't wait to receive it.
I guess I don't like the aesthetics of the machine, too DYI looking. Also, the amount of bolts and other pieces make it look like debris could build up in all the nooks and crannies. That's something Flair got right from the first time, a simple looking machine, with few parts and easy to maintain.
the flairs are beautiful. I didn't think the pro2 was a looker from the pics/vids but once mine arrived I can't stop staring at it. Very unique presence and interesting lines. I can't imagine how cool the 58 looks in person.
I have a jian yi v2 espresso machine which is identical in features but the pid controller is mounted behind the chamber. Still comes with old laptop charger brick but overall still has a smaller footprint x, y including height. Interestingly jian yi's maker recommends that you shouldn't switch on the heater for too long without water as it will heat up the chamber wall above 100c and cause excessive scale/burn when water is then pour in. It also reduces the heating elements lifetime.
Hi Lance. Please take a look at the Strietman CT2. It is manual lever machine with a heated piston. And way longer on the market than these two. Keep up the good work!
Agree would love to see more on the CT2. I have one on the way and can't wait. The forums are great and it gets some of the best reviews when compared to virtually any other option. Very expensive though I will admit.
Robot still better. Pristine and immaculate in its simplicity. Having said that Flair 58 looks better. I want a Flair 58x with a Robot basket. That thing is ugly.
Absolutely! Built like a tank to last 3 lifetimes, minimalistic, next to nothing in terms of maintenance, excellent workflow (for its category) and a very small footprint. Wish Paul Pratt came up with a Version 2 that improves on what’s already an iconic machine.
@@johnl7374 couldn't be much happier without preheating and having a low boiling point from living at a high altitude. And it's nice to be able to pull a triple shot with the same basket
I guess someone will copy that at some point in a more appealing design that doesn’t involve a big black box… And make it easier to purchase for global consumers… This is still somewhat more of a domestic product and those less easy to get.
Looks like it's taken over by ITOP. And they released a new one HPEM3 which adjusted the piston and chamber. And made it more ugly. But maybe better balance
It does NOT kill the Flair 58 because it is NOT as portable. It´s kind of unnecessarily bulky. Unnecessarily voluminous. With the new plunge valve of the F58, you can make alongés. The PID box of the Kopi is large.
@@charlied.g.5029 not nearly enough to gather for brewing, it's generally not good for them and only started when humans brought coffee trees out of Ethiopia and South Sudan
@@error.418 You can't stop omnivore lil' fellas from consuming fruits just because the plant isn't native. I would be interrested to know more about the general Civets consommation of the coffee berries in the wild. It doesn't take much to make a single cup so I felt like it should be feasible to find some legit sources in very small quantities.
I'm biased, I never buy anything on AliExpress and I'm a Flair distributor. But buying from a brand that has points of sale and service near you has value too. It's easy to make a cheaper product if you're only selling direct, but what happens when something breaks down? Here in the EU legislation is coming that will firce brands to build their products so they're easy to repair, and spare parts are readily available. If my customer's dog eats their 58 controller, I can send them a new one in a day. 🤷🏻♂️ Does this even have CE certification ?
All good points. I have bought my fair share of products that look home made, only to have them go away on me. The Smart Espresso Profiler is kinda like that when its proprietary battery runs down.
It has no certification at all, it’s a domestic machine for the asian market not actually meant to be exported here. I would never buy something without certification but that’s just me (insurance if something goes wrong and it won’t cover shit) That said I think it dos offer lot of value for those in that region and those who want to take the risk.
I understand the need for sponsors, bit I inquire that you not support better help, they have been caught in the past selling user data even though they claimed not to. Thank you for consideration.
I'm glad you said something about this because I had never heard of it. I looked it up and they seem really unethical.
@@nicholasscott4138 it gets said everytime he uses them as a sponsor but they still are around so
The problem is that most YT creators signed an advertising contract before knowing about these problems. I imagine the contract is very hard to break, and they'd likely go broke if they did.
Yeah, BH sucks. Hopefully, his contract with them will end soon, and he'll no longer need to advertise for them.
Agreed. BetterHelp are scum and they DO NOT help people. Lots of shady shit about that company.
Thank you. One more under contract.
just wanted to say, when i saw the review i saw the price tag of around $600 and think man thats not cheap. So i kept using my breville barista express.
Until last month i went on a trip to China and realized its manufactured there in my hometown, and it's on massive sale. Thanks for the review and all the previous videos showing how fun direct levers are, i got the machine at $310 and hauled it home to California. Been so happy with this now my breville is delegated as a milk steamer
I mostly only watch coffee making and home gym videos on youtube. When I saw this machine, I wasn’t sure in which genre it belonged.
Former.
Those are exactly my two interests as well 😜
Duuuude, SAME! When watching espresso videos, I’m like “yeaaaahhhh buudy!!”, “LIGHT WEIGHT!!”
Ain't nuthin to it but to do it!
OMG... same, should we make our own forum ?!
I love my Flair 58, but it's great to see more lever machines in the market to drive competition and innovation. The PID box is a deal breaker for me though...
The vibe of this machine kinda makes me want to build my own lever lol
IKEA
From what i understand the people from Alm Kopi are a bunch of engineers who love coffee and made a bunch of things
@@ongzijun3910 oh interesting! Thus the backyard engineer look, love it.
Definetely has some DIY vibes for sure )
@@ongzijun3910 I was going to comment that this thing looks engineered and not designed at all lol
Gotta say, you stunned me with dropping the Argos on the counter - didn’t see that coming - and I really appreciated you then dropping the Flair 58 and emphasizing don’t go out and upgrade: waiting for the first, daily on the second…and if I was collecting the Alm Kopi would be next on my list after your review. Budget options for great espresso R U…and the fancy stuff is always fun to fancy about. Appreciate that too. Keep ‘em coming. Looking forward to the next data driven post.
Good to see the market and competition is growing. But its way too big and boxy for me... Flair58 is on the border of "fit" on my counter/under kitchen shelfs. If I had a big big kitchen, why not.
i see my Cafelat Robot in the background.
that color is simply BEAUTIFUL.
and as always GREAT VIDEO and WOW WHAT A CUP.
Check out jian-yi, the original Chinese PID lever machine, featured in one of Brian Quan's video, which doesn't have a separate box for PID and also cheaper compared to alm kopi. They came out with an automatic lever pressure profiling model recently. Also with these kind of machines the first shot is usually colder, since the grouphead does not get heated to high temperature compared to water chamber. Would be interesting to test with a scace device.
I scaced this one many times
.first shot is perfect because of the pid heating the group
i cant figure out how to buy the jian yi!
How do we find it?
Hi, I have been a Jianyi user since 2020. Strongly recommended, nice coffee machine.
Btw by ajusting the run of the piston at the ball joint it will fix the touching on the group and allow you to pull full piston shot ... long live the ALM KOPI 😉
Dude I understood some of those words, all I know was that I was at a loss as for why they would engineer a product that always contacts itself at high pressure points
@@gerber8915 yeah but its just a matter of ajustement, it take 2 minutes to ajuste it , Lance usualy look in depth into stuff , he just miss that point and the fact that the pid can but offset on the pid itself so it show the same temperatur as the kettle water ... so it show real temperature. It a very very good machine , no need to update anything, like Lance said ( and its a golden advice) care about your water and beans !
Glad you like it. You know, you can actually adjust the offset so it reads the exact temperature. I was originally concerned about the box, but it looks OK behind the machine when on the counter. I love mine, it's built like a tank and is a joy to use.
how long have you had it ? the link he provides takes to one seller - ITOP but then there is a LXCHan seller who seems to be selling the same machine but 30 less
@@mooriginal i've had mine for around 3 weeks. I also bought mine from itop and they have been very responsive.
@@mooriginal i've had mine a couple months, bought from itop
@ortonphotoart5770 do you still enjoy it? Thinking about picking one up!
@hockey_hungry Absolutely. If it got destroyed, I would buy another in a heartbeat.
This video only made me want a Robot even more.
I sure love mine. It's the last espresso machine I think I'll ever purchase.
😂
Nice value, but boy is it ugly. The pid project box looks like someone went to home depot and bought the cheapest NEMA enclosure.
Do you have functional eyes? Seems not.
Totally agreed. Also for me, the design of the lever itself is ugly. I don't get steampunk vibes, I get undergraduate engineering project. Big lumps of steel, oversized nuts and bolts, no thought given to making it look sleek and stylish. Very much like a prototype or home kit build. Perhaps some like that, but for me it's very off-putting and hasn't been thought through to fit into most home kitchens
I had lamented the Argos being aesthetically unpleasing but this makes it look good in comparison. I guess you get what you pay for but the Flair is a lot less ugly than this thing. It's a shame as it sounds like it gets some of the other aspects right and is affordable. Oh well.
IMO it looks nicer than the Flair 58 if only for the fact that it has 1 product logo on it, instead of 50.
@@cenciende9401nah he def does this thing is ugly as sin
I use an ROK Espresso for more than two years now and i am still in love with it. I feel it struggles on the pressure but size wise and mobility wise it is unbeaten in this field kmo
Wooter Strietman of Strietman espresso has been building open boiler type direct levers well before the Flair came to existence. If you ever get your hands on a CT2, you can introduce something wonderful to your audience. I owned one of his early ES models, and it was real joy to use. Of course they're a high-end product but will pair well with your equally gorgeous EG-1. For direct lever lovers, it's the ultimate end-game machine.
Glad to read from someone with a CT2. I understand it's a 51mm portafilter, do you think the EG-1 blind shaker would fit the portafilter correctly?
... I might not be the target demo so I might be missing the value of certain things, but I don't think this is a budget champion. You can pick up a whole brand new La Pavoni Europicola for like $100 less and that's a fully featured manual lever machine with a milk steaming wand and everything. And I'm talking about a higher end one with the gauge and larger chamber. It also has longevity and tons of parts and enhancements. Also, frankly, I don't even consider that a budget friendly machine; its luxurious and well made. There might be a couple extra coffee nerd features here, but I don't think anyone can say this is budget friendly all things considered.
I feel like people are looking forward far too much when there are great machines that are much more attainable if you look back.
Hows the cleaning for this? Flair 58 is easy to clean.
After this review and two other ones on RUclips, I decided to go ahead and place my order on this machine. I received my Alm Kopi yesterday and I am having a problem with it. The PID cannot reach the target temperature no matter how long I wait. I contacted the manufacturer and the agent stated I should always add water to the chamber before starting the PID or, there is a risk of burning out the heating element. I followed his advice and the PID is still unable to heat up the chamber to the target temperature. It only reached about 78-82C and kept fluctuating in that range. The agent stated they have added a protection system to the PID to prevent it from burning out. This could probably be the reason the PID is now too weak to properly heat up the chamber. I am communicating with them to resolve the problem. Aside from the PID problem, the machine has functioned flawlessly and has a solid hefty built into it. The piston movement is super smooth. They have included three extra o-rings which is nice. However, the mirror and light are missing.
I'm interested in this machine too. Did you manage to solve the issues @raminolta?
If PID / heating elements doesn't work as expected it kind of loses its best feature :(
Lance has been remotely reading my mind for a few months now… Been thinking, looking and researching which lever machine to buy to add to my arsenal. And lo and behold a plethora of reviews. And of course, let’s not forget the surprise alto breakouts. Educational and enjoyable. And now I guess we’re talking about calling the Flair 58 the flex 58?
I'd love to know why you don't think the Robot really belongs in the same category. I can certainly experiment with pressure curves with it, the brew chamber slash filter is very clever in that it doesn't sink much heat from off-kettle water, and it does use a 58mm filter albeit not one I can really customise.
It isn't actively heating and makes doing super light roast difficult and annoying wrt workflow
@@LanceHedrick thanks, that makes sense! So, maybe more efficient at a narrowed range of roasts, but with the added annoyance of manual preheating faff for light roasts.
I think the liquid in the pressure gauge is more likely to be glycerine, rather than oil. The handle reminds me of a garden spade handle.
I think Lance would like the Jian Yi 3.0 in lever mode, which is also more versatile than the flair~
why is the jian yi so hard to buy?
@@parasbhargava6047 It's still a kinda bush-leauge workshop. Besides, the menu is in Simplified Chinese only, and I don't see the owner remedying that issue anytime soon.
@lilteyang i remember when people said foxcon was bush league. we should team up with maker of jian yi and create a champ!
If Colin Furze made a lever coffee maker............🙂
Wonder how many coffee drinkers know who he is. Wonder how his garage is going
Is he still building underground?@@montanausa329
@colinfurze he really should and do I colab with Lance
Happy that you tried it and it delivered well within that low-budget 😊
just got mine, works great. this video convinced me to buy it.
Where do you buy it? Wich version do you choose?
Hold the front door... Lance, did you put the puck screen on before tamping at 12:33?
Managed to get this shipped to Singapore from the Taobao official store for only 300 usd! Thank you for the recommendation
Makes me want to look into some flair mods to record pressure and read the temp more accurately. Love your work lance
Just got one from China today unbranded. Now surprised to see the video about it. Sadly mine leaking all over the place and possibly defected :( waiting for factory to fix the issue...
This company sells standalone steamers as well as models with a boiler and steamwand.
And yes they have levers on all of them.
Thanks for the review! I am curious what you think of the Pesado basket?
The issue with the Argos is that it isn't really available, in the sense that the waiting list is long and production slow. I ordered months ago and have no real expectation of it being delivered this year, and that was before Lance's positive coverage. The problem with this machine is that it's huge and looks like a cross between a shovel, a basketball hoop base and a PlayStation. Choice is great though!
Great review. It is time to open our minds to other alternatives. I have a similar machine that I have been using for nearly 2 years now. Temperature control is awesome and it makes amazing espresso.
just bought one on sale was going to get a flair 58 but this seems better as I don't need something portable.
Ordering something this expensive from China is a bit of a worry but it seems well built.
Been waiting for any coffee related RUclips content All week Lance coming in with the clutch
Can u do a review on the mibru new coffee grinder K7 i just bought it and i think its really good grinder for $50
Could the handle be reversed to avoid the handle/brewer collisions?
Eating good today with another Lance singing video 🤜🤛
Thanks. I'm in the market for one but the Flair 58 looked cheap to me.
I hope this is leading up to the eventual review of the real manual king, at least IMO, the Strietman CT2
Yea I really look forward to that. But it's also kinda shocking that nobody has made a Strietman at 1/2 the price. It's ultimately an extremely simple machine that could be much cheaper if produced in steel and at larger (industrial) scale.
I think I still prefer my Flair 58, just looking at the size vs the Alm Kopi is wild, and then you add that big ugly box ... also I prefer that can use any and all 58 portafilters.
Still, good there's more options on the market now.
if add water THEN turn it on... No need the kettle. And it will measure right temp! COOL
❤
i have flair 58 and pro 2 , I am thinking that buying Arqos will be something different and a new experience for me , Thanks lance 🥰
Hey I saw the Pesado HE basket. I’m very impressed with it myself
would be interesting to see what the scace readings were. if i remember correctly from your tests, the flair 58 maxed at 93 celcius
Nice! Can this also be used outdoors without the pid?
what type of machine is that big chrome pull lever machine behind you? Where can I find a video on that?
Oh, very surprising for sure! I did not expect you to give this such a great recommendation, especially considering James Hoffmann kinda roasting the thing in his AliExpress video. Good to know! I did upgrade to a Sage Dual Boiler, though, so definitely not in the market for one. Very interesting video, though!
james used the one without heating
Personally i don't believe it kicked the 58 of the throne (yes i own one so i'm biased) the footprint and looks are still looking better on the Flair. i just wish they update the heating controls. I've build my own heating controlled system for the flair (everything you need is actually present) and i have a feeling flair did this to later sell a upgrade possibility for the 58.
I'm not arguing looks. Functionality this far surpasses flair with water volume and temp control.
How do you read the temperature to control the heat? More than one sensor in the water column?
@@TomJones-tx7pb so my first version was based on the heater resistance. but with the updated version i added a seperate sensor on top of the valve
@@LanceHedrick yeah i made my own tempcontrol for the flair so i didnt look at that part. The water volume i can imagine its nice to have, and something they sacraficed to keep the flair in a smaller profile i would expect
Curious about your thoughts on controlling the heating. In my opinion, the temperature control as implemented by the Alm Kopi is not as useful as people think. With a 30sec shot time, I would think a PID couldn't contribute much outside of setting the initial temp of the chamber. As I understand it, the purpose of a heating element is primarily to prevent the chamber from acting as a heat sink.
How does it compare with Cafelat Robot? I don't know what is better to buy between this and the Robot.
See my response to another comment.
@@ortonphotoart5770 Thank you, i just saw it.
Has anybody tried out the Turin H40/iCafilas hand grinder? Would be nice to know if it may be a viable budget option for espresso
I have, and I've gotten great results with both my Delonghis (Dedica 680 and ECP3420). I got it because I got fed up with accidentally dislodging the friction fit catch cup of my Flair Royal Grinder. Interestingly, it grinds faster than the Flair, even though it has a smaller burr set (40mm vs 47mm). The only downside I've found is that uniformity at coarser settings (pourover) is visually worse than the Flair, but I don't know if this is a design issue or a QC issue. For the price, I can't complain.
I would definitely get this if it wasn’t only available on Aliexpress. If it hits Amazon I’d strongly consider it
I still think it’s so weird that all the flair products EXCEPT the 58 are available on Amazon
Another funny. In the country where I live we can get Neo Flex for about 105$ but it comes with free shipping, which in the end results in much better deal than ordering from official website. It is crazy that for example, ordering from Finland you end up paying $253, with all the heavy taxes. Good that I`m not from Finland, lol.
great review!! many thanks!
what is that little mirror you're using?
For that price point I would expect something a lot easier to use than the typical PID controller. Talk about a hostile user experience. (I know, I use this style on my heat treating furnace). And serieously, the poor fit of the arm pivot in the main upright? I can imagine there is no bushing in there, just steel on aluminum.
Don’t do espresso just came to say I am eagerly awaiting your fellow Aiden deep dive long term review. If it does what they claim I want one. We need you lance!
I will either stay with my robot or get a strietman- but none of this nonsense.
The 10 bucks- PID in the box is a joke. I mean, if I had built the machine on my own, I would be proud, just for havintlt my hands work.
But as a product to buy it looks underwhelming.
I still wonder why there is no cheap strietman open boiler ripoff, but plenty of those "I still need a kettle even if I have a heating element" in-betweens. Not fish, nor meat
I’m waiting for the Flair 58 +++ with more integrated heating element.
Argos is not an option?
@@RasenRambo23 The argos has indeed a quite interesting concept; I also like the looks. Loving the Robot for its simplicity, low maintenance but most of all indestructibility the Argos seems too "gimmicky", very reliant on electronics. This, plus no local dealer (yet), no infos about durability/reliability, a long waiting list has lead me to step back here. But I totally get the excitement about it, an innovation indeed
@@SMS38i this is kind of my point- when the machine is capable of heating, why not take the final step and make an open boiler. Sure, the 58 can still be used to travel/without the electronics, fair point.
@@dabougi8063 The Argos costs a bit more than a third of the Strietmann. Worth taking a bit of a risk with those stakes. What won me over was being able to select the finish, side of the wand, and spring tension. But I'll also wait until they're not running preorder batches anymore and this is a regular product. Hopefully next year or so.
Although it looks promising,seems there is a lot of jiggle in between the bolts and the metal parts.
Wonder what is the product's longevity.
Looks like a prototype.
Guys please help, can still use even you don't connect the pid? Thank you
My concern with all this machine reviewed is the customer service support.
Will like to know about your thoughts.
Probably next to none. But it's a manual machine with an off the shelf pid
It looks like it was built entirely from off-the-shelf parts
It most likely is. Most of Alm Kopi stuff is sorta DYI level. Also reason why its cheap-ish. Real cost of this is probably rather low, but considering its some decent materials, its not that low. I would bet that most cheap espresso machines have way less quality components in them and lot better margins for sales.
I think Alm Kopi is a design statement. It asserts its design in a powerful way. REGARDING flair 58 currently own, I find it aesthetically lackluster. Besides, black is not really my favorite color.
I used the Flair for a while. It functions without any problem but I don't particularly like the loud beep it makes. It wakes up everybody at home in the early morning. So I have just placed my order on the Alm Kopi. Can't wait to receive it.
how did you find it? looking to buy a lever machine, considering flair 58 only for portafilter size and cleaner workflow
is the argos worth the extra bucks?
I'm also curious about this part. And is Londinium R24 the best for light roasting coffee?
@@DS__112 well i guess Lancito answers at the end. He feels the Argos is worth the extra dollars.
If you don't steam and are OK with the PID-box, don't get the Argos.
@@ende421 Wrong. Lance lists the extra features of the Argos at the end. It's not just steaming.
Yes.
I know I need to read up on stuff because I had never heard of a 1:5 ratio before! When did that happen? I feel old!
Super cool review! And super cool shirt! Mind sharing where you got it from?
I guess I don't like the aesthetics of the machine, too DYI looking. Also, the amount of bolts and other pieces make it look like debris could build up in all the nooks and crannies. That's something Flair got right from the first time, a simple looking machine, with few parts and easy to maintain.
the flairs are beautiful. I didn't think the pro2 was a looker from the pics/vids but once mine arrived I can't stop staring at it. Very unique presence and interesting lines. I can't imagine how cool the 58 looks in person.
Is it cheaper than 58+ if it's more expensive then forget about it and that black box will dead in few year
Cheaper. But even if it was 50 more it would be better.
@Lance Hedrick where do you get this cool cord shirts? :-)
That handle looks like a shovel 😂 Does the chamber turn hot on the outside?
Can we get an update on the gaggiuino
Reminds me of the french fry cutter they use at in n out
It is Glycerine inside the pressure gauge.
just ordered one🎉🎉🎉
I have a jian yi v2 espresso machine which is identical in features but the pid controller is mounted behind the chamber. Still comes with old laptop charger brick but overall still has a smaller footprint x, y including height.
Interestingly jian yi's maker recommends that you shouldn't switch on the heater for too long without water as it will heat up the chamber wall above 100c and cause excessive scale/burn when water is then pour in. It also reduces the heating elements lifetime.
Hi Lance. Please take a look at the Strietman CT2. It is manual lever machine with a heated piston. And way longer on the market than these two. Keep up the good work!
Agree would love to see more on the CT2. I have one on the way and can't wait. The forums are great and it gets some of the best reviews when compared to virtually any other option. Very expensive though I will admit.
$2.6K for that feature set puts it out of contention against the Argos.
@@markhicks5569 ah, I've been wanting one for ages. Lucky you!
I almost feel like you made a video in response to my comment instead of answering in text 🤘😎🔥
Kopi literally means coffee in south East Asian context, specifically Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
What mirror is that?
Looks like they have higher end models with milk steaming and stuff as well!
Robot still better. Pristine and immaculate in its simplicity. Having said that Flair 58 looks better. I want a Flair 58x with a Robot basket. That thing is ugly.
Makes much better espresso than robot, I have both.
I don't get why the 58 is so flimsy. Its a deterrent for purchase
flair58 + alm Kopi steamer is the perfect combo😂
Robot sits on the throne
Indeed. It uses less space, looks much better, and thanks to intelligent design it doesn't need to be temperature controlled.
Absolutely! Built like a tank to last 3 lifetimes, minimalistic, next to nothing in terms of maintenance, excellent workflow (for its category) and a very small footprint. Wish Paul Pratt came up with a Version 2 that improves on what’s already an iconic machine.
nah
Crappy temp mgt
@@johnl7374 couldn't be much happier without preheating and having a low boiling point from living at a high altitude. And it's nice to be able to pull a triple shot with the same basket
I guess someone will copy that at some point in a more appealing design that doesn’t involve a big black box… And make it easier to purchase for global consumers… This is still somewhat more of a domestic product and those less easy to get.
What's price
Great analysis!
But the big side box is a huge turn off. It takes so much counter space and quite frankly diminish the overall look of the machine.
This or Stradivari Europiccola for 599 ?
Looks like it's taken over by ITOP. And they released a new one HPEM3 which adjusted the piston and chamber. And made it more ugly. But maybe better balance
Seems like the alm kopi link died
It does NOT kill the Flair 58 because it is NOT as portable. It´s kind of unnecessarily bulky. Unnecessarily voluminous. With the new plunge valve of the F58, you can make alongés. The PID box of the Kopi is large.
I need this one in full black
As long as you don't use it to brew kopi luwak (never brew kopi luwak)
I feel like never is a strong word.
I like to beleive it's still possible to find wild Civets Kopi Luwak.
@@charlied.g.5029 wild civets should not be fed coffee cherries
In Indonesia they eat it themselves in the wild. It's only part of the alimentation but it's still a thing.
@@charlied.g.5029 not nearly enough to gather for brewing, it's generally not good for them and only started when humans brought coffee trees out of Ethiopia and South Sudan
@@error.418 You can't stop omnivore lil' fellas from consuming fruits just because the plant isn't native. I would be interrested to know more about the general Civets consommation of the coffee berries in the wild. It doesn't take much to make a single cup so I felt like it should be feasible to find some legit sources in very small quantities.
Awesome machine
Talk about cutting facets on a turd. There is more crap on this janky thing than astronauts strap on for a space walk.
Lol I'm a function over form guy
I'm biased, I never buy anything on AliExpress and I'm a Flair distributor. But buying from a brand that has points of sale and service near you has value too. It's easy to make a cheaper product if you're only selling direct, but what happens when something breaks down?
Here in the EU legislation is coming that will firce brands to build their products so they're easy to repair, and spare parts are readily available.
If my customer's dog eats their 58 controller, I can send them a new one in a day. 🤷🏻♂️
Does this even have CE certification ?
Don’t need to be that harsh haha! I also own a flair 58 and I love it. Won’t be upgrading but lance is just showing a new product
All good points. I have bought my fair share of products that look home made, only to have them go away on me. The Smart Espresso Profiler is kinda like that when its proprietary battery runs down.
It has no certification at all, it’s a domestic machine for the asian market not actually meant to be exported here. I would never buy something without certification but that’s just me (insurance if something goes wrong and it won’t cover shit) That said I think it dos offer lot of value for those in that region and those who want to take the risk.
It would be too large for my workspace. Still pretty cool.
Nicely done.
Yeah so that price you quoted is way way lower than what is listed on their website
Yeah. Go to aliexpress. It's still the price I said. You have to find the right place.
That PID box is very DIY