Flair 58 Plus 2
Flair's flagship manual lever espresso maker, and now the only Flair 58 sold. You pull each shot by hand with a 58 mm portafilter, a pressure gauge and a heated brew chamber. It rewards practice; it is not a push-button machine.
Who it's for
Good fit if
you want to make espresso by hand, enjoy dialing in beans, and have (or will buy) a good espresso grinder.
Skip it if
you want milk drinks without extra gear, want espresso at the push of a button, or have less than about 25 in under your cabinets.
Specs
| Price | $699; $780 with a hard travel case |
|---|---|
| Type | Manual lever (you supply the pressure) |
| Portafilter | 58 mm walnut portafilter; high-dose, low-dose and pressurized baskets |
| Dose / water | 16–20 g; 90 ml brew chamber, up to 55 ml of espresso |
| Heating | Preheat controller built into the base, three settings |
| In the box | Pressure gauge, walnut palm tamper, puck screen, shot mirror, drip tray, power adapter |
| Not included | Grinder, scale, kettle, milk steamer |
| Footprint | Base 7.5 × 13 in; 11 in tall with the lever down |
| Weight | 12 lb |
| Warranty | 5 years on the stand and metal brew head; 2 years on the preheat electronics; 1 year on gauge, portafilter, basket and tamper |
From Flair Espresso's product page and official documents, checked Nov 9, 2026. List prices change often.
What reviewers agree on
Each point is made by at least two of the independent reviews linked after it. We don't own or test the products we cover; see how we choose.
- Once you have the routine down, shots are consistently good. (Coffee Chronicler, Livingetc)
- The built-in preheat, set from the base, keeps the brew chamber hot, which unheated lever machines can't do. (Coffee Chronicler, Livingetc)
- Expect a learning curve: there are more steps than with a pump machine, and timing matters. (Coffee Chronicler, Livingetc)
- It looks and feels premium, with walnut handles that hold up well. (Coffee Chronicler, Livingetc)
Worth knowing
- The grinder matters most. A manual lever needs a grinder that can grind fine for espresso; see our espresso grinder picks. A scale and kettle help too. (Livingetc)
- The Plus 2 brews the same way as the earlier Flair 58. What changed: the temperature control moved into the base, the power adapter is smaller, and the valve plunger has a locking hook. (Coffee Chronicler)
- For milk drinks you need a separate steamer. Flair sells kits that bundle one: the Stovetop Steam Kit is $885 and the Electric Steam Kit is $1,000 (Nov 9, 2026).
Raised by one reviewer: you press leftover water out after each shot, and the frame flexes above roughly 4–6 bar (Coffee Chronicler); the portafilter was hard to lock in until the handle was raised slightly (Livingetc).
How it compares
- vs. Gaggia Classic Pro ($549): also 58 mm, but a pump does the pressing and it has a steam wand for milk.
- vs. Breville Bambino ($299.95): push-button shots and a steam wand for far less, with much less control.