Flair The NEO Flex with Carrying Case: UPDATED Direct Lever Manual Espresso Maker for Beginners and Travel - Pressure Gauge for 9 BAR Brewing Included

I've been interested in the Flair models for some time as a vacation/camping option, but the added cost of adding a pressure gauge had me look towards other options. I used the Staresso Plus last year with good results, but it started to fall apart pretty quickly with moderate use. This Flair 2024 refresh, with it's inclusion of a pressure gauge and affordable pricing, was a great purchase for my last vacation. With the correct grind, this makes fantastic espresso shots using the included black "naked" portafilter - if fact the included red one can be converted to "naked" by removing the pressurized bottom section, which is great for puck prep and pulling multiple shots in a row! The base is just two parts and is easily disassembled for portability. This refresh intentionally thinned the metal of the unit to avoid some of the pre-heating time that previous models required - again, is great for camping/vacation use cases! I've used Rancilio Silvia's for daily espresso for several decades and can attest to the quality of the shots this can produce (under the typical right conditions of grind/tamp/pressure/heat). I do wonder about the longevity of some of the components. The base is plastic, but seems sturdy, although it does make some creaking noises when pulling shots. The pressure gauge is rudimentary at best and does not specify bars - so this is something that could fail prematurely. Also of concern are the gaskets - I'm not sure if Flair sells replacements, but it would be great if they do to extend the life of the product.

Let me start off by saying I think it's better to buy this from the Flair website than on Amazon. Amazon will likely get you the product faster, but they don't sell the Nespresso pod adapter on Amazon. You can also easily find coupons for your first purchase on Flair's site. In case you're wondering why I say this and still bought from Amazon, I didn't know about the pod adapter until after I got my order from Amazon. Now, if you know that you won't ever use pods with this, then just buy it from Amazon. It's the same product, (at the time I'm writing this) the same price, and it'll likely get to you faster. But I really think the pod adapter is worth it. I've only made one proper espresso with this machine so far, and it was a bit fiddly to do. You need to separate everything, put the cylinder in its cap thing, pour hot water in to heat the cylinder, prep the portafilter (grind then add in your coffee and evenly tamp it down), empty the water chamber, assemble everything, then pull the lever making sure that you maintain the right pressure for the right amount of time of extraction, then clean everything up. It's not difficult, but it's not something that's fun when you are looking for your caffeine fix at the start of the day. I'm sure after enough practice I won't think it's a big deal, but removing the bit with the espresso grounds is amazing when I just want something quick. Though the taste of my properly made shot was better than the pods I bought. Anyway, five stars still because this thing works perfectly and makes a great shot of espresso.

I think this is an excellent product. The first time I used it, after reading the instructions and watching a few videos, it felt a bit tricky. But by the second try, it became super easy to use. I didn’t give it 5 stars because, for me, a 5 is at the level of a professional espresso machine. However, after using it more than five times, I started experimenting with coffee grind size, water temperature, and other details until I achieved results that honestly surprised me. Since this is only for making espresso, I bought a milk frother, but I didn’t like it—my coffee came out too foamy. Now, I simply heat the milk and pour it into the espresso, and it makes a perfect classic café con leche. Truly excellent. The only downside, and I saw this mentioned in a couple of other reviews, is that making a shot takes a bit of time. Still, if you have the patience to enjoy a good coffee every now and then, and with some practice, you can make a double shot in about five minutes. Definitely recommended, especially for the great price.

Lattes on this will blow your mind. I primarily make lattes. Smoother workflow than expected; preheating is a non-issue with the kettle steaming trick. The super narrow filter gives a ton of body to all my shots compared to my wider portafilter machines, which complements milk EXTREMELY well. But also the flavors are so blended now that all my lattes taste the same. this is both good and bad: I lose the nuances of flavor on one hand, but on another hand it makes both expensive and cheap beans taste good. I can just go for the cheapest beans now in bulk! I suggest: -lengthen the lever and slap a grip on it. i've tried the flair 58 with both of these which, along with metal, make it 10 times easier to pull and keep pressure steady. i highly recommend wearing grippy gloves as keeping a constant 9 bars will be challenging for most people. it's sort of like holding a plank for a minute -workflow is still a lot slower than an electric machine but mainly due to lack of volume per shot (update: actually turns out not that bad with the extra portafilter) -i surmise the perfect middle ground for lattes is 46mm, so widen it just a little. I've tried lattes from 51 54 58 and now 40mm basket widths. i think sitting between 51 and 40 would give you the best balance of body + clarity. I admit between the plasticy feel, the terrible grip, tiny shot volume, this still feels like a toy. But wait! all of my suggestions are already in the pro 2. i guess they already had it all figured out. (well, minus the price tag since I don't think a basic lever machine should cost more than a Breville Bambino.) i will be getting that to test out once on sale.

機械と違った手押しの良さ！自分の感覚で出来るようになってくるとより一層楽しさが増します！

The Flair Neo serves as a great introduction to espresso. While some may talk about pressurised portafilters as the work of the devil, and not "true espresso", they serve as a useful start, particularly if buying pre-ground coffee. You may consider upgrading to the bottomless portafilter at a later stage, as I did, via the Flair website (or your preferred supplier, if you wish to avoid any import costs), and this will give you something closer to approval from the purists. Couple of points to bear in mind here, your basket size is 46mm, so isn't compatible with some of the standard espresso tools you may find. While I'd strongly recommend a burr grinder if you wish to go for buying whole beans, even with the bottomless portafilter, you do not need to go as fine as for a fully automatic espresso machine. Bear this in mind when considering which grinder you wish to purchase, as it may mean you don't have to pay quite so much. So, what kind of coffee do you get out of it? Is it any good? In short, yes, it is good. I tend to pull shots at a roughly 1:2.5 ratio rather than the standard 1:2 for a regular double espresso (~14g in, ~30-40g out usually around 30 seconds or so). I've tried a range of coffees, and had some silky smooth espressos with chocolate notes I've found wonderful. I've had others that have bombarded my tastebuds with berry fruit notes and a bright acidity like that of a fresh green apple. So there's plenty of variety there depending on what coffee you like. Workflow is a little complex, you need to preheat and so on, which takes a while to get going, but you can be efficient and grind your coffee while the kettle is boiling. If you enjoy the ritual of making coffee, this is definitely a great product for you. I'd say it's worth the time and effort, but it's up to you to decide for yourself.

Excelente

Der Flair Neo ist super für Leute die volle Kontrolle über ihren Espresso haben wollen und über kein großes Budget verfügen. Der Kauf einer guten Mühle ist jedoch unverzichtbar, weil man sonst den Kaffe massiv unterextrahiert und nur saure Shots erhält. Der Siebträger hilft hierbei zwar etwas, dieser kann aber keine Wunder vollbringen. Das System bietet reichlich Spielraum für Upgrades (Druckanzeige, offener Sieb usw.). Wer die Zeit hat und investieren will um sein Equipment auf diese Presse abzustimmen kann super Ergebnisse erzielen. Anfänger brauchen jedoch eventuell Hilfe um gute Ergebnisse zu erzielen. Mir hat das Gerät super Dienste erwiesen, aber die Nutzung ist mit viel Aufwand verbunden (Vorheizen des Wasserreservoirs, Wasser kochen, Reinigung der vielen Teile), weshalb ich persönlich umgestiegen bin. Der Kaffe, den ich mit dem Neo produziert habe, hat mir jedoch besser geschmeckt als der aus meinem Mittelklasse Siebträger.

Gostei é muito boa