I bought a Neo and a few accessories to get a bottomless portofilter and others to get the whole pro set up even cheaper. Use it everyday and I’m in LOVE.
Outstanding video ! A plethora of very important and useful information in a short amount of time . No wasted time with face time and "talking heads". Everything focused on the subject . Well Done .
It really depends how MUCH coffee you make if you're thinking about fully switching, and not just getting it as an add-on machine. The process flow is engaging, fun, and it makes GREAT coffee, but like I said, I'm still using my Oracle or Appartamento each morning when I'm tight on time
@@LifestyleLab_ I totally see what you mean. I still use my chemex even though i have a v60. Sometimes it's fun to switch up. The thing though is that i haven't been feeling satisfied with me Breville. That could be due to my inability to make good coffee, or to the machine/grinder not performing up to standard. It's hard to tell. I have a naked filter, get decent timing and everything. Yet things don't taste quite the same like when I first had the machine so I'm wondering if something is up. Maybe it just needs to cleaned. This whole hassle is what's making the Flair interesting lol
Great review. I just picked one up second hand after wanting to dip into the world of espresso and I’m really looking forward to my days off to experiment with it. It’s a stellar piece of design and craftsmanship.
I love my flair. I have a Comendante to grind for espresso and it's working great but I think I need the red clix to have more control on the grind size.
I got the red clix last week and it has helped a lot. Still, not sure if the comandante is the best choice for espresso. BTW, i have the flair pro 2, for several months, it has been my first serious experience with espresso and i love it. But takes quite some time to prepare the coffee... In thw mornings, half sleep, might take me more than 15m (grinding and clean up included)
Manually pull does give you the similar way of pulling shot like those high end flow control machines, however, I have breville infuser and one day out of curiosity and used manual mode on it, when I press and hold, the pressure gauge goes to 6bar instead of went full on like 12bar, the moment that I release it, it went to 10-12bar, the ending result that I got was quite nice, although it wasn't exactly like Flair does or flow control machines, but I think that breville express has the same manual button that you can try it out.
You are correct! Holding the shot button on any of the Breville machines will maintain a low pressure pre-infusion until you let it go, at which point it will ramp up to full pressure. What you CAN'T do on the Breville is drop the pressure back down gradually towards the end of the shot, which is a commonly used pressure profile
Don't own the flair yet but tempting to get one. With most of the videos online doing with both hand pressing, I was actually wondering why no one place the forearm on the whole handle? Isn't the posture and forearm strength is much stronger and natural compare with the more NORMAL methods? And this video came in, can't imagine how shock and happy I was when I saw you mentioning it.
Just ordered the Flair Pro2...and I purchased a Timemore C2 burr grinder. Really looking forward to making espresso at home. And it’ll be great to travel with as well
Do a taste comparison between the Flair and the other espresso machines that you have. When you say need a good grinder, can the Barista Pro be used as a grinder (and frother) for the Flair, on the weekends?
Oh that video will be coming! Yes, I'd say the Breville Smart Grinder Pro (same as their integrated grinders) is about the entry point for a "good enough" elevtric grinder to use with the non-pressurized Flair systems
I have a smart grinder pro and it does well when I leave it at my ideal espresso range and use it for pulling shots on my Breville Infuser...the issue I have is switching for other grinds...seems to clog to easily/quickly. I solved that problem by buying a good quality manual grinder for my Pour Over and AeroPress...in a few days I will receive a Niche grinder to hopefully handle many of my my needs..I was told when I got in to this coffee brewing hobby that a key element is the quality of the grinder..Here and others helped me decide to move forward with the Niche Zero. The control suggested with the Flair Pro 2 and its quality and suggests it is a worthwhile alternative to a much more expensive electric flow control machine...I have much to learn and improve before moving up to a $ 2 k machine.
If I was only drinking espresso I think this is an interesting idea (if you own a good grinder) but the Sage/Breville machines have the versatility to make a whole range of coffees so it is a bit expensive for a one trick pony (Nice kitchen art though)
And what about the final result . Do you think is the same final espresso cup as the barista pro or is better result this machine ? I’m looking for buy a new espresso machine (barista express or barista pro, if you know any better domestic machine please let me know I will thank you so much) but this video it makes me reconsider if a need need a machine or not. I just make 2 cup everyday. Thanks !
Personally, I would struggle to use this as my only machine. It is very labour intensive. But it does make great coffee. The Barista Express is still the best entry-level machine out there. The Barista Pro has some nice upgrades, but none that actually improve coffee quality, and certainly none that justify the price difference over the Express
@@LifestyleLab_ i mean, the size of the machine, the price and those things what make a machine perfect for having in home but without sacrify a great result (almost or the same result that in a café)
The price of the Barista Express is tough to beat, primarily because it has a decent quality grinder built it. If you already own a good quality grinder, or are okay to spend $500+ on a good one, the Gaggia Classic Pro or Lelit Anna 2 are great machines
Do you think you've got the muscle to handle the Flair??
I bought a Neo and a few accessories to get a bottomless portofilter and others to get the whole pro set up even cheaper. Use it everyday and I’m in LOVE.
As always, great and simple review!!
Please make a video on the workflow and maybe tips and tricks of pulling a great shot.
Outstanding video ! A plethora of very important and useful information in a short amount of time .
No wasted time with face time and "talking heads". Everything focused on the subject . Well Done .
Good to see you back! You're making me really consider selling my sage machine for that.
It really depends how MUCH coffee you make if you're thinking about fully switching, and not just getting it as an add-on machine.
The process flow is engaging, fun, and it makes GREAT coffee, but like I said, I'm still using my Oracle or Appartamento each morning when I'm tight on time
@@LifestyleLab_ I totally see what you mean. I still use my chemex even though i have a v60. Sometimes it's fun to switch up. The thing though is that i haven't been feeling satisfied with me Breville. That could be due to my inability to make good coffee, or to the machine/grinder not performing up to standard. It's hard to tell. I have a naked filter, get decent timing and everything. Yet things don't taste quite the same like when I first had the machine so I'm wondering if something is up. Maybe it just needs to cleaned. This whole hassle is what's making the Flair interesting lol
Thanks for this SIMPLE review!
very helpful. i'm definitely getting this
Great review. I just picked one up second hand after wanting to dip into the world of espresso and I’m really looking forward to my days off to experiment with it. It’s a stellar piece of design and craftsmanship.
Be patient, as ANY espresso system has a learning curve, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
I’ve been incredibly impressed by the flair. Going to be used as my travel espresso maker
Great review! Please review the Cafelat Robot!
Superbly done, fun and informative thank you
Could you do a review on other lever machines as La Pavoni?
I love my flair. I have a Comendante to grind for espresso and it's working great but I think I need the red clix to have more control on the grind size.
I got the red clix last week and it has helped a lot. Still, not sure if the comandante is the best choice for espresso.
BTW, i have the flair pro 2, for several months, it has been my first serious experience with espresso and i love it. But takes quite some time to prepare the coffee... In thw mornings, half sleep, might take me more than 15m (grinding and clean up included)
@@silverfish27 care to explain what is red clix?
@@timzlow
It’s an add-on upgrade to the Comandante hand grinder (C40 I believe?) that increases the “clicks”, thereby making the grinder more precise.
Manually pull does give you the similar way of pulling shot like those high end flow control machines, however, I have breville infuser and one day out of curiosity and used manual mode on it, when I press and hold, the pressure gauge goes to 6bar instead of went full on like 12bar, the moment that I release it, it went to 10-12bar, the ending result that I got was quite nice, although it wasn't exactly like Flair does or flow control machines, but I think that breville express has the same manual button that you can try it out.
You are correct! Holding the shot button on any of the Breville machines will maintain a low pressure pre-infusion until you let it go, at which point it will ramp up to full pressure.
What you CAN'T do on the Breville is drop the pressure back down gradually towards the end of the shot, which is a commonly used pressure profile
Don't own the flair yet but tempting to get one. With most of the videos online doing with both hand pressing, I was actually wondering why no one place the forearm on the whole handle? Isn't the posture and forearm strength is much stronger and natural compare with the more NORMAL methods? And this video came in, can't imagine how shock and happy I was when I saw you mentioning it.
Just ordered the Flair Pro2...and I purchased a Timemore C2 burr grinder. Really looking forward to making espresso at home. And it’ll be great to travel with as well
Hope you enjoy it!
Please let me know how the C2 performs with your Flair Pro 2. I asked around and the flair seller in my place don't recommend C2. I don't know why.
@@timzlow chances are that it can't grind fine enough for the pro 2, its a grinder I own so I do know its limits
@@saccharin6525 thanks bud
Do a taste comparison between the Flair and the other espresso machines that you have.
When you say need a good grinder, can the Barista Pro be used as a grinder (and frother) for the Flair, on the weekends?
Oh that video will be coming!
Yes, I'd say the Breville Smart Grinder Pro (same as their integrated grinders) is about the entry point for a "good enough" elevtric grinder to use with the non-pressurized Flair systems
@@LifestyleLab_ Interesting. If it's the same, as the integrated grinders, I'd look for something better to avoid wanting to upgrade later on.
I have a smart grinder pro and it does well when I leave it at my ideal espresso range and use it for pulling shots on my Breville Infuser...the issue I have is switching for other grinds...seems to clog to easily/quickly. I solved that problem by buying a good quality manual grinder for my Pour Over and AeroPress...in a few days I will receive a Niche grinder to hopefully handle many of my my needs..I was told when I got in to this coffee brewing hobby that a key element is the quality of the grinder..Here and others helped me decide to move forward with the Niche Zero. The control suggested with the Flair Pro 2 and its quality and suggests it is a worthwhile alternative to a much more expensive electric flow control machine...I have much to learn and improve before moving up to a $ 2 k machine.
Still waiting on neo classic pro review
If I was only drinking espresso I think this is an interesting idea (if you own a good grinder) but the Sage/Breville machines have the versatility to make a whole range of coffees so it is a bit expensive for a one trick pony (Nice kitchen art though)
Great video ! You are the best ! Do you think this could do the same final cup result as a pump espresso machine?
Absolutely! It just takes more time / effort, but the final quality is there
Hi bro ! What do you think about the capresso infinity grinder for this machine ? The flair pro 2. Is it ok for this non-pressurized basket? Thanks
I would recommend going with something like the Breville Smart Grinder Pro or better.
And what about the final result . Do you think is the same final espresso cup as the barista pro or is better result this machine ?
I’m looking for buy a new espresso machine (barista express or barista pro, if you know any better domestic machine please let me know I will thank you so much) but this video it makes me reconsider if a need need a machine or not. I just make 2 cup everyday. Thanks !
Personally, I would struggle to use this as my only machine. It is very labour intensive. But it does make great coffee.
The Barista Express is still the best entry-level machine out there. The Barista Pro has some nice upgrades, but none that actually improve coffee quality, and certainly none that justify the price difference over the Express
@@LifestyleLab_ and what is the best "domestic" machine right know for you? Better than the barista express?
What exactly do you mean by "domestic"?
@@LifestyleLab_ i mean, the size of the machine, the price and those things what make a machine perfect for having in home but without sacrify a great result (almost or the same result that in a café)
The price of the Barista Express is tough to beat, primarily because it has a decent quality grinder built it.
If you already own a good quality grinder, or are okay to spend $500+ on a good one, the Gaggia Classic Pro or Lelit Anna 2 are great machines
On a serious note...
Any plans to review the Delonghi LA SPECIALISTA?
Yes, definitely high on the list of machines to get in the studio
@@LifestyleLab_ Yes!!
Looks more like a rose gold finish, not brass.
Thanks for feeling the need to only point out mistakes! Super important clarification you made there
hold up, so this is not a microscope
It's like a microscope for espresso flavors???
What's the deal? Why does this dude not show his face???
Aha, check the 10,000 subscriber video for an explanation
Lmao kinda loving the mystery