Review on ☕ Flair Espresso NEO: The Ultimate Manual Lever Espresso Maker for Home Use (Gray) by Patrick Mccall

Oh my god I was so excited to try the new version of Flair in their manual espresso line! If you are an aspiring coffee maker who is getting bored of your French presses, V60s, Chemex, Aeropress, Mokapot etc and you really want to get a taste of Starbucks/Coffeeshop in the comfort of your own home, this is your entry point to espresso at home . For reference, this is my current NEO coffee setup: * 16g 1:2 ratio coffee (32g espresso out) * Timemore Slim grinder (10-11 clicks out, ymmv) * Hamilton Beach Gooseneck kettle at 212F * Some cheap scales that can only do +/- 1g. Pros: This machine is cheap. 120 for an espresso press is a cheap entry into the world of espresso. There are other cheaper options (even electric espresso machines in this price range) but they don't produce a good shot. They are volatile and inconsistent (you pay for what you get!). The Flair Neo can pack a great shot when you're ready to move on. The Neo comes with a pressurized portafilter (also called a variable flow basket), as opposed to the bottomless filter you find in expensive espressos. Cars. The advantage of this is that the print carrier is very gentle. To prepare a good, authentic espresso, you need a good grinder that you can customize. For example, I don't. My grinder can grind espresso, but dialing is hell. This portafilter is forgiving in that it still tastes good even if the grind isn't the same! Jumping straight into Flair Signature or Classic with my current settings wouldn't be that great. This is a great stepping stone as Neo can be upgraded! For an additional $24 you can upgrade the sealed portafilter to a bottomless portafilter and get a setup similar to the classic Flair. wanna burn more money Another 56 buckaroos give you a gauge so you can really time your shots. Options like these make it easy for any espresso newbie to dive into the hobby rather than digging into expensive equipment that requires a steep learning curve. planning to take up a hobby. The Flair Neo is not a premium device. This is an entry-level machine that can be upgraded with a few extra parts. If you want something great right out of the box, Flair has a signature line, or Pro2. A pressurized portafilter won't help you get your favorite barista coffee at a Monday morning coffee shop. but it gets damn close if you try. One of the tricky tasks is the print temperature control. You need to preheat everything from the portafilter to the chamber to the plunger. It's annoying, but it's a compromise with manual presses and in my opinion a decent compromise compared to x3-x6 cost for an electric/automatic machine. Another disappointing thing is the 60ml serving size. If you want to take multiple pictures, it takes some time. If you like lattes, this machine obviously doesn't make milk like a dual-boil espresso machine. The lack of a tote bag is disappointing compared to other models, but I don't use tote bags very often either, so it depends on what you intend to use them for. Conclusion: I think the Flair Neo is a great model. in espresso. It's definitely not the best hand press, but it's the best cheap hand press. If you're a beginner and interested in making espresso, there's no reason not to try Neo. If you like it, please update it! If you don't, not much loss! I might need a second Neo ;-)