Flair UPDATED PRO 3 (Black) - All manual lever espresso maker with a stainless steel brew head, pressure gauge, and a shot mirror

Excellent espresso maker - equal to top class machines, if not better.Important to follow the learning process and have a good grinder.

Of the thousands of shots pulled the only bad shots I've made were dialling coffee in or user error. In fact I'm looking at buying a second one for my workshop, which is why I'm here.Pros:Best espresso I've made at homeConsistency of resultSimplicity and longevity of mechanicsBuilt well with little to go wrong (2 years and zero maintenance required other than a rinse under the tap.)You get to feel the grind/flow through the leverPressure profilingNo descaling or backwashing or maintenanceEasily portable (good for home, goes camping, and visits to parents)No annoying vibration pumpLess wait time for it to heat up = coffee soonerCons:The chamber is a big lump of stainless steel so takes a bit of thermal managementYou have to figure your own process to get the best espresso out of it (but then you'd have to do that with a 3.5k marzocco)My current one is version 1 which had a few minor flaws (the handle dug into your hand a bit at 9 bar on properly ground coffee) but they seem to have been sorted.The base is narrow, which is great for countertop space but when applying lever pressure you have to make sure you don't stray too far off perpendicularLots of bits to keep track of when assembling, disassembling and storingNo milk frothing, obvsOriginally I watched James Hoffman's independent YouTube review, that's what convinced me to buy it. Haven't been disappointed.Ultimately, of you're here for something like a nespresso or one of its relatives, this is unlikely to be the machine for you. If you're prepared to put in a little effort and learn a new skill, you'll be rewarded with great coffee.For ref:Grinder: mazzer miniBeans: monmouth, pharmacie, square mile and a few other 3rd wave roasters

First off, this makes great coffee, the best I’ve ever made at home. I got the Rok grinder to go with it and they make a good pair. However, I can’t recommend it, as it’s been probably out my most disappointing Amazon purchase ever. Please note I am not a loony(!), I am capable of using and looking after a product like this properly, and I don’t only write negative reviews. First, I had to pay import duty which was not stated on the listing at the time, though I can see that has now been corrected. Second, it failed after about two months - water started leaking through to the top of the brew head. I had never pushed it past the white area on the pressure gauge and there was no sign of any damage to any of the o-rings or components so I contacted the manufacturer and they said the plastic plunger must have ‘developed cracks’. This was through no fault of mine, I’ve babied this thing. They said that as I bought it from a “third party supplier” (i.e. Amazon) they cannot provide warranty support. I.e. if you buy this from anyone other than directly from Flair themselves, they do not feel they have a responsibility to support you as a customer. Finally, spares are not available in the uk so I am now having to import a new plunger at my own expense (plus import duty again), and I have no reason to expect it won’t also break in another two months. Give it a wide berth.