Flair Signature Review and Tutorial: The most in-depth review to watch before you buy!

[@rhondahankins4026]

I have had the original flair now for something like nine years and it’s my everyday morning espresso maker. I also use a bellman stovetop steamer/frother to froth my lovely mix of heavy cream and half and half to go with my delicious flair espresso. I’ve been eyeing the flair pro 2 but so far I have absolutely zero complaints about my signature flair. It was nice seeing you go through the basic same experience I did when first learning mine. Thank you for the video.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Yeh it's a great machine! 🙌🙌 I have recently got the Flair 58 electric and I have to say they've improved so much about the mechanics to make it an absolute dream. I was dubious of the price and whether it was really that much better but I have to say I'm a believer now! 😅

[@mandrew31]

Finally, a video showing the trial and error process of starting out with a flair! I'm waiting for the post to deliver my first flair and every tutorial I've watched avoids discussing common rookie errors that I KNOW I'm going to end up making at some point. Thanks for the vid

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Thanks! 🙌 I also figured out you can fit more grams in if you use a WDT tool. Definitely purchase one.

[@mandrew31]

@@Rydecoffeecoach awesome, will do! I appreciate the pointer.

[@mikepezl]

@@Rydecoffeecoach I have to agree, this is a very helpful tutorial. Thank you. I have my Flair signature for about 5 months now and went pretty muchthrough most, if not all of the rookie mistakes you are showing here :) Btw. I can fit 18g in quite ok. You have to use a WDT for sure. I also gently knock the portafilter first and then start tamping with the funnel still sitting on top of the portafilter. Not sure if this is the best workflow but it works for me.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Thanks! Yeh I started using a WDT too and that makes a big difference. 👌

[@MrSteamDragon]

Nice video. Hi Ryde, You are probably aware by now the newer Signature 2 seems to address the issue of the undersized tamp. The basket design has also been revised - it now takes in excess of 18g (at #9 on your Breville grinder - although I had to adjust the burr a couple of clicks to get a good espresso grind). The workflow does indeed take a bit getting used to, but once you get the hang of it you'll be very pleased with the purchase. For Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, for example, 16.7 grams in, 40ml out at grinder setting #9 on your grinder with a decent tamp will give you a wonderful espresso pulled at 8-9 bar over 30-35 seconds. For lighter roasts I have had better results going a click or 2 finer for the same amount of coffee. I also find 2 x 40 second pre-heats improves thermal management no end. As for pre-infusion, I just very lightly press on the lever till the first drop appears, then I start my timer. This machine won't be for everyone, but if you don't need a steam wand and are into the full hands-on approach you can really pull some great shots with this device. And with the money you saved on the machine you can trawl the shops buying more great coffee ☕☕☕☕☕ 🙂

[@dp92492]

Thank you this is just the video I needed. Got my flair (used) in the mail today. I have the pressure gauge and a hand grinder coming in the mail later next week. This is a great study guide for a newb like me. Thanks!

[@gohkairen]

just purchased a used flair neo without a pressure gauge, any tips on estimating the feel and looks of a great shot? New to espresso here

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

great work! Yep a smooth even extraction that doesn't spurt or sputter. You can also weigh your coffee in and out and time the extraction to help. eg: 14g in 24g out in ~27s

[@gohkairen]

@@Rydecoffeecoach noted! thanks for the suggestion!!!

[@Ψυχήμίασμα]

I use a Flair and I've found that it works best with darker roasts. I can pull great shots with lighter roasts too, but medium-dark to dark roasts are much easier to dial in given the Flair's inherent lack of temperature stability. The goal in general is to increase contact time to compensate for the loss of temperature. With medium or lighter roasts I do that by using a higher brew ratio. Up to 1:3. And sometimes with extended preinfusion/blooming phase to soak the puck.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Yes the new extended bloom works great

[@adamhussein6741]

Great down to earth review. Thanks.

[@ethangarcia6361]

A machine is “an apparatus using or applying mechanical power and having several parts, each with a definite function and together performing a particular task.” So yes it is a machine and I wish people knew this.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Great explanation, thanks!

[@jakobw135]

Are all the parts especially the plunger made of stainless steel? How does this compare with the cafelat robot?

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

I think most of the parts are stainless steel, theres a few silicon bits but the majority is steel. I'm not sure what you mean by plunger, do you mean the lever? I would choose this over the Robot, the control is much better and although I've only had a short go on the Robot, the extractions were significantly better on the Flair.

[@jakobw135]

@@Rydecoffeecoach by the plunger I mean that piece that touches the the brew water compressing it through the coffee puck.

[@johnpiatt4583]

@@jakobw135 Plunger or piston

[@chrisl2285]

I've been playing around with my classic for a few weeks and have probably put something like 3 bags of beans thru it and the work flow has become very smooth. I'm new to espresso (without milk) , so I'm having to figure out what exactly a good shot tastes like! I'm a long way from mastering, but my shots got better pretty quickly and it's been a lot of fun.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Oh that's great! Yes it's worth the effort!

[@micahparker6470]

If you want 18grams, why don’t you leave the funnel in place while tamping? Also helps to avoid any grounds spilling out of the basket. Is there anything wrong with lightly tamping the sides of the brew basket after initial tamp to get rid of the untamped coffee around the edges? Appreciate you showing the struggle that comes with a manual espresso maker

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

It might have been cut out of the final edit, but I did leave the funnel in place it just literally couldn't fit it. It made a tower of coffee. I don't know if everyone else had this issue but if I ground it fine enough to get 18g to sit in nicely, it just wouldn't extract because it was too fine and needed like 100+ bar of pressure to push the water through 😅. Tapping on the side can cause cracks in the puck and this leads to channels, so basically it's a no go. Even after the initial struggle of getting it to work for my set up, it works like a breeze now and I would definitely recommend the Flair if you were considering it. 👌 Thanks for watching!

[@abdullahh.alshehri8871]

Hey Ryd! Im a first time buying espresso machine, what is your recommendation regarding machine? Do you recommend this machine? Thanks

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Hey Abdullah, check out my other videos with what machine to buy in the price range you can afford. 👌 The flair is great and I do highly recommend it if you like manual extraction and don't ever drink milk based drinks. 🙌

[@mattc825]

Hey, great video, thanks. Rookie question related to the gram weight...can we add more then tamp it down again? Or does that screw up the puck, etc?

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Yeh I found that because the basket diameter is so tiny (41mm I think) it doesn't do well with higher doses. So, keep you doses to 15 if freshly ground.

[@mattc825]

@@Rydecoffeecoach 10-4, roger that!

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

👌 oh I just re-read your question and I think I misunderstood. Did you ask if you could add grinds, tamp, and then add more grinds and tamp again? Cos if that's what you meant, I'm sorry, I thought you meant adding more than 15g. But if you meant double tamping I would strongly advise against that. It creates layers which will wreck your extraction. 👌

[@mattc825]

@@Rydecoffeecoach Yes, and okay well noted. Thanks

[@MrNiceHk]

​@@Rydecoffeecoach thank you good to know ...just on my way to pick one of these bad boys up ...was going to shelve my deLonghi but I can see that manual machines are meant to replace anythin but just a good addition to your set up and perfect for traveling

[@anonylesss]

i was about to order the Flair Signature, and then saw your video which is great. thanks! did you ever get a response from Flair about that screw not going in? i'm a bit concerned about this

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

I think it was just a defect in the end. I've looked at others and they all seem to be fine. Best of luck, you'll love it! 🙌👌

[@donriley8246]

The screw is only for permanent install. If you put it away, no screw needed

[@Potapes]

I use 18g for dark roasts

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Ah thank you for sharing!

[@Patspwnage]

Great vid, good to know to not open the grouphead otherwise it'll make a mess (attempt #2)

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Thank you! 🤩 Yeh it was a very messy learning curve 😂

[@Completely_Incomplete]

Hello again from the east coast of Tanzania. Glad you're ok. Would you recommend the flair instead of a cheap espresso machine with a pressurized basket? I dont mind the work for a sweet cup - ie manual grinder and the cleanup. Certainly cant afford an espresso machine thats halfway decent, so its either a manual machine like the flair or a cheap Delonghi Dedica.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Hey Tr99ac! I can't wait to make it over to Tanzania next year (hopefully!). Thanks. I loved the Flair and if you're drinking coffee without milk (like a long black, iced long black or espresso) then this is the ultimate device. It's finicky to set up but once I got it working I think it will be much better than a Delonghi Dedica. Certainly, if you don't mind the ritual of making it. I think you could get a shot that was as good at the $3000 machines but just not milk.

[@murraythebaker]

I had the dedica and then went to the flair and it’s SO much better!

[@sO_RoNerY]

Also doesn't light medium and dark roast adjust the grams? Light means you can grind more and get more grams than medium and dark

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Yeh light roasted coffee can be ground finer but I wouldn't want light roast coffee in the flair. I'd stick to medium.

[@frankchang3612]

Hey, I have the same breville grinder, what size # did you find worked best for that final trial (or what size would you use)? I haven't played with the micro adjustments of the burr yet, but let me know if that's something you changed too! Thanks for such a thorough video this was great I'm excited to use mine.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Thanks! On the final run I believe I dropped the Breville to 5 however, I've played on a few different Breville Smart pro grinders and they don't calibrate them the same when they ship so it might not work for your setup. But give it a try at 4-5 and only dose at 15g. The dose is definitely not 18g as the manual says though, someone mentioned that it was for older preground coffee which makes more sense. I could not fit 18g in that basket! 😂 Great lever brewer though, such great coffees. You're going to love playing on it. 👌 Reach out if you need more help.

[@frankchang3612]

Thanks brother!

[@sleemsalom4331]

Very helpful video Regards

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

You're welcome! ☺️👌

[@AshpaziBaZiba]

Thank u ❤️

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

You're very welcome! 🙌🤗

[@sO_RoNerY]

Too much pressure could mean use less in the coffee head or go coarser. All the newbies. understand this 👍🏻. If less coffee in the coffee head still causes a lot of pressure and drips of coffee, then go coarser.

[@Bear049]

Leave the funnel on and tamp down the full amount.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Is this to get the full 18g in? Yeh I figured out if I use a WDT tool and then tamp I can get in 18g now. 👌

[@7uiggi]

And can you yield 40-45grams of liquid espresso with 18grams of beans? ​@@Rydecoffeecoach

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

You can definitely get 40g out it might be pushing it to get 45g out and have it taste super nice. It will be more like a lungo with good amount of bitterness

[@7uiggi]

Probably you need to make another video getting 18g of fresh ground coffee on it. I suppose needs to be on the coarser side because barely fits inside the portafilter 🤨

[@OSUBoxkator]

you don't need to screw the base to the lever...like..at all.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Yeh so I just left it in the end. You're right, you don't need to but if you want to fix it you should at least be able to.

[@miin108]

For the signature, it’s 10-18. To get 18, depends on the type of beans and roast level of the beans. The beauty of the manual espresso is you have another variable that you can control when pulling espresso shots which is the time and amount of pressure exerted. Pressure and time during pre infusion, after and end. Many can be controlled to get the best shot out of it. Thank you for your honest view on it especially showing experience of getting such a machine and using it for the first time out of the box.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Thank you! Yes it's actually an amazingly well designed brewer. After a bit of trial and error we can pull some awesome shots. 🙌👌

[@meatgeorge]

Trying to get 18g is not recommended on the standard brew group. Get the Pro 2 if that's your ideal dose.

[@markmartens2029]

the DARKER the roast, the lighter it weighs! Which means a DARKER roast FILLS the basket fuller!, & therefore!, more very fine volume develops more PRESSURE! i.e., a darker roast, will overfill a smaller basket!, & develop more resistance pressure, than a medium or lighter roast. A lighter roast has more moisture, (?), & therefore, weighs more!, giving more weight, for the same amount of volume. This is especially true during wheat harvest, when combining in the early morning yields a wheat harvest that is too SATURATED WITH MOISTURE!, & very very *HEAVY!*. Yet the truck appears to be just as full.

[@onnobeckerhof5790]

8 grams of coffee should be more than enough. The speed the water gets through it is way to high. Compress the coffee much more than just tapping it with the stamper.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

How would you compress it further than the tamper though? You can't get more force than when you apply the pressure. 8g sounds a bit low considering it's recommended amount is 18g. I did get it working at 18g with WDT distribution technique

[@onnobeckerhof5790]

@@Rydecoffeecoach Well I took the approach of pre-compressing the coffee with a special stamper. The stamper fits under the leaver and I can compress the coffee with 15-20kg force a couple of times. After that the water find enough resistance to make a nice espresso using 8 grams. Automatic espresso machines take the same approach, precompress the coffee and after that push the water through it. I found that advantage less caffeine and excellent taste. With 18 grams the coffee is way to strong and becomes bitter in my humble opinion. kzbin.infoPW7IeS8L-7c?feature=share

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

@@onnobeckerhof5790 amazing. Thanks for sharing! 👌

[@DiegoGaete94]

stir the espresso for god's sake!!

[@briannunes8783]

Why? Not being a wise ass here.

[@Rydecoffeecoach]

Yeh, I think he might not understand exactly why you stir. It's true, it does enhance the experience of the taste, cools it down a bit and releases the aroma, but it's probably the difference between being 90% great and 93% great. Plus, I was just dialling in the Flair so I'm not worried about the greatest experience and it's not going to fix a bitter or sour coffee by stirring. 😊

[@briannunes8783]

@@Rydecoffeecoach ahhhh ok ok got ya. Thanks. About to order the flair signature. Great video by the way