5 Essential Espresso Profiles With Flair 58

[@SimonFuto]

This video opened up my espresso world to turbo shots and I am forever thankful. I thought I would never like light roast espresso but now it's the style I like the best. Thank you!

[@tim_tool_man]

This is the best video discussing diffrent pressure profiles on the internet. Please more of these!

[@learyryan]

This content was exactly what I was looking for -- different pressure/flow profiles for shots on Flair 58. It's taken some trial/error to get dialed in. Your tip about gradual vs confident increase in pressure was new to me and made sense. There's nice variation in the profiles you've presented too. That quick shot at the end is insane but looks fearless and fun as well. Thanks for the depth, precision and creativity.

[@intelligentsia]

Glad you found it useful. We'll definitely be doing more on Flair, we're having a lot of fun with it.

[@jacobbice8540]

I’ve watched this several times, and every time I pick up on some new detail. Great video!

[@ismiregalichkochdasjetztso3232]

Very interesting! For comparison, here's what I have come up with for my morning coffee on a Flair Pro 2, medium roast, 1:2.5 brew ratio. I start with almost no pressure until the puck is saturated, then back off completely, for a total of 30 seconds preinfusion/bloom. Then, I increase the pressure to around 6-8 bars within 2-3 seconds, essentially trying to hit a nice steady, but not too fast flow. I try to maintain that steady flow by decreasing pressure throughout extraction, looking for around 40 seconds of extraction after bloom, or around 1:10 total extraction time. The result is a very full bodied cup with a lot of sweetness, a thick and velvety mouthfeel, still nicely balanced by a bit if acidity.

[@intelligentsia]

Thanks for sharing with us. Sounds delicious.

[@saridewi15]

Thanks for sharing! What kind of beans do you use?

[@ismiregalichkochdasjetztso3232]

@@saridewi15 As mentioned, medium roasts. I like naturals and honeys from Guatemala and Colombia.

[@Manuel_PS]

I have a Flair Pro2 and I tried your recipe with a medium roasted Colombian coffee from 2100 meters above sea level and the result was excellent. I cut the flow to 38 grams (1:2.2) and it had perfect acidity and intense body. Thank you very much.

[@ben61820]

Great. Just got my 58+ and videos like this help alot.

[@redchen3682]

This is exactly the kind of slow bar setup that I have been looking for, using the Flair 58.

[@musicshorts_]

Great vid, just ordered a 58+ and excited to try these out!

[@CoolJay77]

This is a great ressource for a hobby to play with different profiles. I am just about to order a Flair 58 and use this video as a guide. I order most of my espresso beans direct from Italy, I'll stop by in Pasadena and I'll dig the offerings.

[@nicholaspissare5874]

A really fantastic vid. I hope to see more content like this going forward.

[@richardneal5054]

As a new Flair owner, this video is gold dust, by far the best overview of the possibilities the machine offers. Thank you so much. I have done the trad 9 bar, the lever shot, and pull hard pull soft. The latter gave me such clarity in the bright flavours, which really shone. Want to try the filter shot next, then maybe I'll pluck up courage for a sub 10sec DC soup! I'm currently veering between your modern PHPS and roughly Slayer style shots, which funnily enough use a similar shape graph - slow (

[@phillewis3108]

Excellent video. Really clear and really interesting. I’ve been trying to decide whether to get a Flair 58, and I think you just convinced me!

[@NickWattsOregon]

Thanks for this video Bailey! I’m about to pick up the Flair 58+ and this is a great walk though. Nice seeing you online after so many years ago at Backporch. ;)

[@TheTimLara]

Thank you! I am definitely going to try these! I think right off what I've been doing wrong is pulling too soft (not "confidently") to start and then it's not possible to build more than 2-3 bars of pressure because the puck got too wet...? I also think I might be getting air in the chamber, so that was a good tip as well. The only suggestion I have for the video is that it would be helpful to be able to see the lever being pulled during the examples since that part was out of the frame. Just seeing the speed of the lever pull would be helpful info for beginners like me.

[@intelligentsia]

Thanks for the feedback, let us know how it goes!

[@TheTimLara]

​@@intelligentsiaI'm already getting much better results with the declining pressure profile! Thanks again! One thing I was surprised about was when you said that adding a bottom filter paper creates a lower resistance effect..I would have expected it to create slightly more resistance, but I have mainly been using them to reduce channeling splatter and to hopefully stop some fines from getting through. I'll have to experiment with and without papers as a variable more.

[@TH-tl8hy]

If you aren't getting past 2-3 bars you need to grind a lot finer. The finer the grind, the more resistance the puck will provide so you can get to the 6-9 bar range! Your confidence is not to blame here :)

[@hisdesciples]

Any unibasket/portafilter uses ? I’d like to see demos of that on the flair 58. I’d love to see more videos of you using the decent profiles on this machine too. Or translating to the 58. Thanks!

[@intelligentsia]

I think about baskets as just another variable in the entire system. They provide different flow characteristics. Any of these profiles could be prepared on a unibasket/filter. The grind size always has to be adjusted for compatibility with any basket. Varying flow characteristics introduced by the basket will affect flavor. This realm of espresso is quite new and wildly nuanced. I would not expect perceived differences in the cup to be universally true for various coffees or the people drinking the coffee. - Bailey

[@ronaldorodan8762]

I have been “thinking about it” on the Flair 58 for almost 2 years since I ordered one initially but suffered with buyers remorse and returned it, thanks Virgil you’re very friendly and cavalier with returns. [He] recommended the 58 from the start, as opposed to the smaller models to accompany my Decent. Nevertheless, I bought the NEO but lacked patience with the temperature management. I’m staring at it sitting on my steel bar table. These two years I have owned 4 levers. A manual, La Pavoni, spring Pontevecchio, and three robust units with and without PID. Recently I bought a 5th to fulfill my expectations, which I am expecting delivery on, shortly. We shall see. The story goes on that I just purchased the 58 as backup whilst it is assembled and delivered. Now then, I don’t wear any jewelry except for my apple wrist watch which ain’t fungible, as this new ordered lever in the thousands, as expensive art. To finally end [the story] I can say that the first successful shot, this morning, with 58, 14 gram basket, 13 grs in, 26 out called for close to the finest grind on the Niche Duo which lead to expeditious extraction with the only caveat of hand pouring fresh, required amount of boiling water into the brewhead. I could be wrong here as a not too hands on outsider but my felt sense is that muscles can govern the extraction better that any motorized and spring machine. Partly, intelligencia creed helped me greatly, honored!

[@mattscarf]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing, and showing the graphs! I’m closest to your pull soft pull hard, but I have much longer shot times (20-25 seconds) and much shorter ratio (1:1.7). That probably has a similar outcome but I feel like I have more control like that.

[@QuickQuips]

Hi are there copies of the graphs for us to download and try to replicate?

[@back_to_the_bike8820]

Thank you for this video. For the paper slices, how do you cut them?

[@intelligentsia]

Some people prefer punches but from what I have heard they can be of varying quality and they also dull. I am unfamiliar with how to sharpen them so then they become waste. I prefer to use the NT Cutter circle cutter. I like that the blade is replaceable and theoretically sharpen-able. You can cut different diameters to perfectly fit various baskets both bottom and top diameters. And you can cut multiple layers at a time. - Bailey

[@ruperthart5190]

Can you add a timed pre-infusion step to these profiles? And would you recommend or not? I thought pre infusion was a standard thing in most shots.

[@shubhamsrivastava332]

I've heard many times that baratza encore esp can't grind fine enough for flair 58 and can't get the good shots of espresso. Is that true ?

[@intelligentsia]

I think Encore ESP is good. What is good for someone might not be for another, it's really about what you prefer. -Bailey

[@The_Coffee_Rabbit_Hole]

can you share the graph :)))))) ?

[@SuperMatchaLatte]

Hi. Thanks for your guide video. Can I ask which basket you used for these profiles?

[@TomJones-tx7pb]

They said in the video they used the 18g basket, high flow, that came with the Flair. When the shot type needed even less resistance, like some newer designs of baskets would have, they put a filter paper disk at the bottom of the Flair basket.

[@ronaldorodan8762]

Bailey, what’s your take on the step down basket? Would the puck restrict the flow a tad?

[@chris9923]

Was wondering the same thing... I've ordered one!

[@intelligentsia]

Yes, thicker pucks restrict flow. We recommend Gagne's Physics of Filter Coffee regarding Darcy's Law.

[@frankypc]

Interesting approach. I might try some of this

[@marcusko1395]

what basket are you using?

[@jimendo45qf]

Great video, I really appreciate the information. I do have a question though regarding what I am seeing on the graph. At 15:43 the timeline climbs to its peak hangs there for a brief period and decreases. What are we seeing there? Why does the bar even climb? Really pulled my best shot on the Flair 58 after watching this video. So, thank you again. Lastly what software are you using to profile the shots? Cheers!!!

[@TomJones-tx7pb]

What battery does the SEP use?

[@wrm000100]

This is really helpful and interesting. I like that you’re doing these in house. Do you use Unifilter or anything like that? I found using it fully distorted all the Flair 58 pulls I did with their portafilter and a VMS basket. Please link any resources you have or have seen with the SEP.

[@TheFlyAmerica]

I use the Unifilter with the Flair 58. It works great. Because of the increased surface area and holes, you do need to grind quite a bit finer compared to a standard IMS or VST basket to hit the same pressure. Hope that helps!

[@intelligentsia]

I used the stock basket for all of the shots and then I used bottom paper for the modern styles. - Bailey

[@nordmende73]

Thank you very much!

[@galhadad341]

Wasn’t the PSPH shot too fast? Thanks for the video 🙏

[@CJski]

Name idea for PHPS. “Bump and run”. PSPH just seems like a TurboBloom

[@lapassion24]

The PSPH has less crema.. so more crema doesn’t necessarily mean the taste would be great? Which one gives more aroma , I think it’s more on the result of building more crema right?

[@intelligentsia]

More crema ≠ great taste. The relationship between more or less crema and aromatic intensity is not something we know. I personally find aromatic intensity to be highest with less crema, lighter roasted and funkier coffees. Of course, cup dialing helps a lot here. A classic demitasse shape is not conducive to enhancing perceived aroma. -Bailey

[@BennoSattler]

Saved for future reference. Also, hello algorithm.

[@jwhite8086]

Where's the profile downloads ?

[@VivaciaNav]

I find it odd that you’re going in with 95 degrees. I’m constantly using dark 98, medium 99/100 and if light I leave it on for 30 mins and use 100. Any lower than that and it’s sour for me

[@intelligentsia]

Happy to hear you've found temperatures that work well for you. We find temperatures in mid 90's to be quite forgiving, allowing us to adjust the grind, ratio or flow profile if the coffee needs push away from acidity and towards sweetness. All part of the fun.

[@aps8811]

Great video. I’ve got a flair 58 and I use it as a travel machine. at the moment, I’m using it every day for a month solid. Your video helped me think a bit more about the dynamics of the shots. I am pulling, and how pressure on the arm affects the variables. I’ll play a bit more with the profiles now.

[@lapassion24]

Look at that crema!!!

[@LightZone9]

Use chapters. First pull at 10:02