What is the Flair 58 Plus 2?
Espresso made by hand, with the parts that make hand espresso hard taken care of.
Flair publishes a manual lever design with a 58 mm walnut-handled portafilter and three baskets (high dose, low dose and pressurised), a 16 to 20 gram dose, a 90 ml brew chamber, a pressure gauge, a shot mirror, a puck screen and an integrated preheat controller for the brew head with three settings for dark, medium and light roasts. It measures 17.5 by 13 by 6.5 inches, weighs 12 lbs and carries a five year limited warranty. It costs $699 on flairespresso.com, more with a travel case.
There is no pump and no boiler. You heat water in a kettle, pour it into the chamber and press a lever to push it through the coffee.
Why a lever
Pressure you control, shot by shot.
A pump machine pushes water at one pressure, usually 9 bar at the coffee, for the whole shot. A lever lets you decide. You can start gently to let the puck soak, build to full pressure and ease off at the end, which is how the best lever espresso has always been made. Lighter roasts in particular often taste better with a pressure profile than at a fixed 9 bar.
The pressure gauge on the brew head shows you what you are doing, so the shot becomes something you can repeat and adjust rather than feel your way through. Flair does not publish a peak pressure figure, because there is no pump setting one; the pressure is whatever your arm applies against the puck.
The preheat controller, and what it solves
Cold metal was the old problem with lever espresso.
Espresso needs water at about 90 to 96 degrees Celsius, and a cold brew head pulls heat out of it the moment it arrives. On older manual presses, including Flair's own Flair Classic, you preheat by running boiling water through the parts, and the temperature still falls through the shot.
The Plus 2 puts an electric heater in the brew head with three settings, for dark, medium and light roasts. Lighter roasts need hotter water to extract fully, and darker roasts turn bitter if it is too hot, so a setting per roast is the right way to describe it. This is the single biggest reason to buy a Flair 58 over a cheaper Flair.
The 58 mm basket
The café size, on a hand machine.
The 58 mm portafilter takes 16 to 20 grams and uses the same size of basket, tamper and distribution tool as café machines, so the accessory market is enormous. Flair includes three baskets: high dose, low dose, and a pressurised one that forgives an imperfect grind while you get started.
What it cannot forgive is a poor grinder. Lever espresso is as demanding of grind quality as any pump machine, and because the Flair has no grinder of its own, a good espresso-capable grinder is part of the real price. Our grind size guide shows where espresso sits.
A shot, step by step
About the same time as a pump machine, with more of it in your hands.
Switch the preheat controller on at the setting for your roast. Grind 16 to 20 grams into the portafilter, distribute and tamp with the walnut palm tamper, and lay the puck screen on top. Heat water in a kettle, pour up to 90 ml into the brew chamber and fit it. Then pull the lever down, watching the gauge: a gentle first few seconds to soak the puck, a steady press to full pressure, and an easing off as the shot finishes. The shot mirror lets you see the flow under the portafilter without bending down.
The routine rewards consistency. Weighing the dose and the shot, and keeping the same pressure curve, is what turns a lever from a novelty into a machine you can dial in.
What it does not do
No milk, no tank, no queue.
There is no steam wand, so milk drinks need a separate frother or steamer. There is no water tank; each shot is 90 ml of water you poured in. And each shot is a reload: knock out the puck, dose, tamp, pour, press. For one or two straight espressos a morning that is a pleasant routine. For four lattes in a row it is slow.
Flair 58 Plus 2 vs the Flair Classic
$699 against $159.
The Flair Classic is the same idea at its simplest, with no heating at all, a dose of up to 18 grams and no steam either. It makes real espresso for very little money and asks for a lot of preheating and practice.
The 58 Plus 2 adds the heated brew head, the 58 mm basket, a larger dose range, a gauge fixed to the head and a sturdier frame. If lever espresso already has you hooked on a Classic, it is the upgrade. If you are curious but unsure, the Classic is the cheaper way to find out.
Flair 58 Plus 2 vs a pump machine at a similar price
About $100 more buys a pump machine with a grinder built in.
At this price the Barista Express Impress costs about $100 more and includes a grinder, a steam wand and assisted tamping. For most people wanting lattes at home, that is the more practical machine.
The Flair is for someone who wants straight espresso and wants to control it: pressure, temperature and flow, by hand. It is also far smaller and simpler to keep, with no pump, boiler or scale to worry about, and it carries a five year warranty where Breville publishes none. Our comparison of pour over and espresso is useful if you are still deciding what kind of coffee you drink.
Is the Flair 58 Plus 2 worth it?
Worth it for someone who drinks straight espresso and enjoys making it.
The Plus 2 is the most refined hand espresso maker Flair sells, and the heated brew head fixes the weakness of manual presses. With a good grinder it can make espresso that pump machines several times its price struggle to match, because you can profile the pressure.
It is the wrong buy for a milk drinker, a household making several drinks at once, or anyone who wants coffee at the press of a button. For them, a pump machine is simply easier to live with.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Buy it if
- You drink espresso straight and want to control pressure through the shot.
- You already own, or will buy, a good espresso grinder.
- You want a small, quiet machine with a long warranty.
Skip it if
- You drink lattes and cappuccinos; there is no steam wand.
- You make several drinks in a row.
- You want coffee without effort; a pump machine is the better fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Flair 58 Plus 2 need electricity?
Only for the brew head preheat controller. The extraction is manual, and water is heated in a separate kettle.
How much coffee does the Flair 58 Plus 2 take?
16 to 20 grams, in a 58 mm portafilter.
Can the Flair 58 Plus 2 steam milk?
No. It has no steam wand, so milk needs a separate frother.
What warranty does the Flair 58 Plus 2 have?
A five year limited warranty, from Flair.
How much water does it hold?
90 ml in the brew chamber, per shot. There is no reservoir.
