Flair 58 baskets 18 g – clarity or body, you choose the direction
From above, they look almost identical. And yet in the cup they tell two different stories: the High-Flow basket with its straight walls gives you espressos in which every fruit note stands on its own. The Low-Flow basket with its tapered edge pours you a dense, velvety espresso and is more patient with you while you dial in.
Both are 18 g baskets for the Flair 58. Which one sits in your portafilter tomorrow is your call, depending on the bean, your mood and the moment.
Flair Espresso builds manual lever machines that work without a boiler or pump and put the espresso entirely in your hands. Flair lists Coffee Coaching Club as its dealer for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and you’ll find the full range in our Flair Espresso collection.
At a glance
| Suitable for |
Flair 58 and Flair 58x |
| Diameter |
58 mm |
| Dose |
18 g basket, usually 16–20 g |
| High-Flow |
Straight wall, finer grind, lots of clarity |
| Low-Flow |
Tapered, fewer holes, more body |
| From the factory |
Low-Flow comes with every Flair 58 and 58x |
| Brand |
Flair Espresso |
Two baskets, two characters
High-Flow: straight wall, clear cup
The High-Flow basket has straight walls and wants a finer grind. According to Flair, it extracts more evenly and gives you an espresso with lots of clarity; it is mostly used for light and medium roasts. Flair compares it to VST baskets and puts the grind it needs at the level of a commercial grinder. It does not come with the Flair 58 and 58x from the factory.
Low-Flow: tapered, more texture
The Low-Flow basket has a tapered edge and fewer outlet holes, which guide the water through the coffee grounds. You grind coarser, dialling in is easier, and more viscosity and texture end up in the cup. According to Flair, it is also forgiving of a coarser or less even grind. It is the standard basket of every Flair 58 and 58x.
Espresso by taste, not by the clock
In our experience, the basket is one of the quiet levers for the flavour profile, often more noticeable than you might expect. We grind fine, start at 14.5 g and work our way up with the dose, usually to 17 g, at a ratio below 1:2 and always by weight. Flair specifies 16 to 20 g for these 18 g baskets, so you’ll be at the upper end of our range or above it.
If an espresso tastes too sour or too bitter, in our experience a little more coffee often helps. If hardly anything comes out, the grind is very fine: go a touch coarser. There are no espresso police – the coffee just has to taste good to you.
Technical data and what’s in the box
| Suitable for |
Flair 58 and Flair 58x, according to Flair |
| Diameter |
58 mm |
| Dose |
18 g basket, usually 16–20 g |
| High-Flow 18 g |
straight wall, finer grind, more even extraction, lots of clarity, mostly for light and medium roasts |
| Low-Flow 18 g |
tapered edge, fewer outlet holes, coarser grind, more viscosity and texture |
| From the factory |
Low-Flow is standard on the Flair 58 and 58x, High-Flow is not |
| What’s in the box |
one basket in the version you choose |
| Manufacturer |
Flair Espresso |
Who the baskets are for
The High-Flow basket is a fit if you love light roasts, have a grinder that grinds fine and evenly, and look for fruit and clarity in the cup. The Low-Flow basket is a fit if you like body, chocolate and sweetness, or if you need a replacement for your standard basket. And both together are a fit if you like switching between beans.
Our Filter Basket Finder shows you which basket suits your espresso, and for everything around the lever there’s the guide Lever espresso machine: espresso by hand. And if a question is still open, Jackson, our AI advisor, is there for you around the clock.
What goes with it
The Flair 58 Etched Puck Screen belongs on top of the coffee bed. If you want to go one step further, the Flair 58 High Uniformity Basket is a precision basket with a particularly fine hole pattern. You’ll find seals for your Flair 58 in the Flair O-Ring Sets, and for weighing there’s the Flair coffee scale.
For an even coffee bed, you’ll find distribution tools among the WDT Tools, more baskets among the precision baskets and filter baskets and spare parts under Flair spare parts.
Buy Flair 58 baskets in Switzerland
You order the baskets directly online. We deliver across Switzerland and to Liechtenstein in 2–4 working days, and Click & Collect is available in Bern and Zürich. We’re happy to answer questions at [email protected].
Frequently asked questions about the Flair 58 baskets
High-Flow or Low-Flow – which basket suits me?
If you like light roasts and lots of clarity and grind with a grinder that works very finely and evenly, go for High-Flow. If you’re looking for body and texture or want easier dialling in, go for Low-Flow. The Low-Flow basket is the standard basket of your Flair 58.
Which basket fits the Flair 58+2?
For the Flair 58 Plus 2, Flair offers its own baskets, High Dose and Low Dose. Flair does not say exactly how they differ from High-Flow and Low-Flow. For your 58+2, we therefore recommend the matching 58 Plus 2 baskets.
Do the baskets fit other 58 mm portafilters?
Flair lists them for the Flair 58 and 58x and describes their 58 mm portafilter as industry standard. However, baskets differ in height and rim depending on the portafilter, so compare with your current basket first.
My espresso tastes sour or hardly anything comes out – what should I do?
If hardly anything comes out, the grind is very fine: go a touch coarser. If it tastes sour or bitter, in our experience a little more coffee often helps; bitter also means lowering the temperature a touch, sour means raising it a touch. You’ll find more causes in First Aid for Espresso Machines, and to see how pressure shapes flavour, take a look at the Pressure Profiling Simulator.
Can I see the Flair 58 baskets live before buying?
That depends on whether the baskets are on display at the moment. In our showrooms in Bern (Gerberngasse 44) and Zürich Oerlikon (Hagenholzstrasse 50b), we show a large selection, but not the entire range – it’s too big for that, and the display changes. Drop us a short note before your visit at [email protected], and we’ll check for you whether the baskets are there at the moment.
Roastery tip: In the High-Flow basket, our light Omniroasts Wild Peach with its peach note and Bright Cassis with its cassis note show nicely what they have in them, in our experience. In the Low-Flow basket, we reach for Cozy Chocolate and Nutty Delight, and for maximum body, Very Nutty. You’ll find all beans under Coffee Beans. That’s our recommendation, one of many.
