REASONS TO BUY
Portable
Renders great shots
Stores and travels well
No electricity required
No ongoing maintenance routines
REASONS TO AVOID
Very basic
Requires effort
Does not grind or steam
Must heat water separately
Flair Classic Review
This manual machine is for espresso lovers that like to dial in every aspect of their brew — and then sip it straight, without any extras
Credit: Matt Lighthart
RELATED: Best Espresso Machine of 2024
Our Verdict
The manual operation of the Flair Classic allows the user to refine the espresso shots they press, but this machine doesn't grind beans, heat water, or steam milk. If you just want espresso, then this is a great analog espresso maker to add to your coffee-making quiver. What we love about the Flair Classic is its price, size, and portability. More importantly, it produces excellent-quality espresso. It's perfect for camping and travel or infrequent use, and it stores nicely in a very convenient travel case. But if you need a machine that comes with a steam wand, check out our review of espresso machines.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Flair Classic | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Portable Option |  Best Espresso Machine on a Budget | Best for Tight Budgets | ||
| Price | $165 List | $300 List $299.95 at Amazon | $140 List $139.99 at Amazon | $100 List $86.99 at Amazon | $75 List $53.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This human-powered machine is highly customizable, but on its own, it lacks the accessories to create lattes or cappuccinos | A small machine that makes great espresso and perfectly steams milk | An affordable and capable machine for making decent espresso drinks on a tight budget | An inexpensive option that gets the job done, but doesn't do it exceptionally well | An appealing price point is about all this very basic brewer has to offer |
| Rating Categories | Flair Classic | Breville Bambino | Casabrews CM5418 | De'Longhi Stilosa | Mr. Coffee 4-Shot S... |
| Espresso Quality (40%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (20%) | |||||
| Ease of Cleaning (15%) | |||||
| Milk Steaming (15%) | |||||
| Machine Customization (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Flair Classic | Breville Bambino | Casabrews CM5418 | De'Longhi Stilosa | Mr. Coffee 4-Shot S... |
| Lifetime Cost Per Shot | $0.61 | $0.67 | $0.60 | $0.59 | $0.57 |
| Number of Cafe Replacement Lattes to Make Up List Price | 39 | 72 | 33 | 29 | 18 |
| Measured Dimensions | 6.1" x 12.5" x 10.3" | 6.3" x 13.7" x 12" | 5.4" x 11.8" x 12" | 8.1" x 10.2" x 11.4" | 7.4" x 8.6" x 11.7" |
| Measured Cup Clearance | 4.25" | 5" | 3.75" | 4.2" | 3.5" |
| Pre-Infusion | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Cappuccino Time | N/A | 3 min 36 sec | 2 min 58 sec | 2 min 48 sec | 4 min 47 sec |
| Number of Cafe Replacement Shots to Make Up List Price | 67 | 122 | 57 | 49 | 30 |
| Portafilter Size | 40 mm | 54 mm | 51 mm | 51 mm | 51 mm |
| Steam Wand | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Measured Water Tank Capacity to Max Fill | 2 oz | 47 oz | 34 oz | 34 oz | 16 oz |
| Integrated Pressure Gauge | Optional Add On Available | No | Yes | No | No |
| Hot Water Delivery | N/A | Steam Wand | Steam Wand | Steam Wand | Steam Wand |
| Extraction Yield | 14% | 18% | 21% | 12% | 14% |
| PID Temperature Control | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Included Accessories | Travel Case, Dosing Cup/Tamper Dosing Funnel Puck Screen |
Plastic Tamper 16-ounce Stainless Steel Milk Pitcher Four Filter Baskets Steam wand nozzle Cleaning Tool |
2 Filter Baskets Plastic Tamper/Scoop Cleaning tool |
Combo Tamper and Coffee scoop 2 Filter Baskets |
Stainless Steel Frothing Pitcher Plastic Water Measuring Pitcher Coffee Scoop |
| Setup Time | 1 min | 9 min | 6 min | 25 min | 6 min |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Flair Classic is a unique device that only presses shots of espresso. This unit doesn't heat water, grind beans, or steam milk. Though, it is highly adjustable and the near-perfect shots it renders stand up to the best in the class.
Performance Comparison
Measuring out 15 grams of ground coffee for our next shot.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Espresso Quality
The espresso metric measures the quality of the shots produced by the Flair Classic and the adjustability of the brewing process which affects the shot quality. We were impressed with the grade of the shots that we pulled from this machine. However, the Flair is completely manual, so it does require more user involvement and a bit of elbow grease.
With a little time and effort, one can dial in a near-perfect shot. However, the portafilter basket has a somewhat limited capacity (~15 grams, depending on the coarseness of the grind), so there are no double shots with this machine.
Brushing up on our tamping skills as we fill the portafilter to the brim. The filter baskets are a little too small, which limits the amount of espresso this machine can produce.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
During our testing, the Flair Classic turned 15 grams of coffee into 25 grams of liquid espresso in 16 seconds. Our brew ratio was limited due to smaller filter baskets, but the shots we pulled had beautiful crema and were sweet with almost no bitterness. However, they were on the mild side due to a lower extraction yield.
Here you can see the extraction yield percentage of each product in our review. Only a small few were able to hit between 18 and 22%.
Credit: Lesley Robinson
Extraction yield is a percentage that shows the density of coffee material in the brew you're drinking. We determined our yields with the help of a refractometer, which uses light to calculate the total dissolved solids (TDS) in liquid. With the help of some basic math, we converted the TDS into the final extraction yield produced by the Flair Classic shot (14.2%). This yield is noticeably lower than industry standards for espresso (18% to 22%), which may contribute to the milder shots this machine produces.
Examining our shot of espresso. It's thinner and has less volume than many of the machines on our list.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Ease of Use
The Flair Classic gave a mixed performance in this metric. It's meant to be portable, which makes setup a breeze. However, producing a demitasse of espresso requires a lot more effort than simply pushing a button.
There are no electronic parts or internal components that need to be primed or flushed, so our first assembly out of the box only took 1 minute. Although extremely portable, the Flair Classic is fairly one dimensional. Basic, straight shots are its forté. It doesn't grind beans, heat water, or steam milk, so in our opinion, specialty brews like lattes or cappuccinos are not on the menu.
Using hot water to preheat the brewing cylinder in order to maintain temperature stability throughout the extraction. This step is similar to prepping the portafilter on a typical machine. However, the process is slower and more hands-on.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
We certainly aren't dogging on the Flair Classic. We love its simple, traditional design and portability, but there's no getting around the fact that it's purely manual, so it's a bit of a niche product that requires a lot of user involvement. It isn't dependent on electricity, so it's great for campers, travelers, or wanderers living the van life. If drinking straight espresso anywhere is your thing, you'll have fun dialing in this machine.
The grounds must be fine, and you must put in the time. The process is relatively simple, but it requires a lot of hands-on steps. So, you really need to enjoy making espresso for this machine to be practical.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
It's difficult to make back to back shots with the Flair Classic, since the brew head must be manually taken apart between each shot — and the pieces are hot. We also didn't like the user manual. It's a bit light on info, requiring additional online how-to research. However, once we crested the learning curve, we found the Flair Classic simple to use. And, based on our calculations, it has the ability to save a lot of money over its lifetime if regularly used.
Our favorite feature was this machine's convenient travel case. It stores well, keeps everything in one place, and allows the Flair Classic to be extremely portable.
If you want your espresso on-the-go, the Flair has a compact travel case that make it easy to pack along.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Ease of Cleaning
The Flair Classic ranked at the top of the class in this metric. It's simple to clean and doesn't require much routine maintenance, like back flushing or descaling.
When it comes to cleaning, everything about this machine is simple and quick. One of our favorite features of the Flair is that it doesn't need to be cleaned with soaps, detergents, or chemicals. Simply wait for the brew unit to cool, and then remove used espresso grounds by knocking the brew head against the side of the trash can. The only other steps to take are to invert the portafilter, blow into the spout (or dig out grounds with a utensil), and rinse all brewing parts in cool water. Lastly, since the Flair Classic doesn't store or heat water, it doesn't need to be weekly back-flushed or routinely descaled.
The manufacturer recommends never washing your Flair Classic in the dishwasher. Simply rinse in cool water and wipe dry.
Brew. Rinse. Repeat. It's that simple.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Milk Steaming
Our milk steaming tests assess the unit's steam wand and microfoam production. As discussed above, this unit presses shots –- that's it. Understandably, we were unable to give it much of a score for this metric.
Lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas are not completely out of the question when using the Flair Classic; however, they will require more accessories than this machine offers. We feel it's best suited for single espresso shots, but if you want to get more creative, you'll need to purchase a separate milk steamer.
The Flair Classic creates a beautiful layer of velvety crema.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Machine Customization
Setting its limited capabilities aside, we were able to give the Flair Classic above-average scores for this metric. True, it's certainly one-dimensional, but when individually assessed, it still gives the user a fair amount of control in the whole process.
Although very basic, we still felt the Flair Classic offered us a fair amount of leeway to personalize our brews. The entire process is completed manually, so the user has complete control of the water temperature, pre-infusion, and pressure profile applied during extraction. For those who want more precision, this machine also accommodates a pressure gauge that can be purchased separately. Our only complaint deals is the shot size. The portafilter basket can only accommodate about 15 grams of ground coffee. This is too much for a single shot, and it didn't quite produce a double shot.
It costs a little more, but we feel the pressure gauge is a needed accessory for top-notch espresso shots.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Should You Buy the Flair Classic?
This is a tricky question. The Flair Classic is a very simple machine that will appeal to a specific niche in the coffee-drinking community. If you enjoy espresso, this machine will hit the spot. It's perfect for a quick hit of caffeine, but also excels at being portable, so it's a great option for outdoors enthusiasts or travelers of all kinds, who simply enjoy the process of making their own brew — just about anywhere.
We didn't experience any channeling (the result of poor water distribution) with the Flair. It pours the espresso right down the middle.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
What Other Espresso Machines Should You Consider?
If you like the compact design of the Flair Classic but want a machine that heats water and steams milk, check out the Breville Bambino Plus. This little unit pulls café-quality shots and automatically steams milk. If you want a machine that functions like the Flair Classic, but comes with a higher price tag, we like the La Pavoni.
When you water it all down, the Flair Classic produces great quality espresso at a fraction of the price - but that's all it does.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
—Lesley Robinson and Jason Wanlass
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