Flair 58+2 – Manual Lever Espresso with 58mm Industry Standard
You pull the lever down. The resistance builds up, evenly, noticeably – no pumping sound, no vibration, just your arm and the water slowly pushing through the puck. In the articulating shot mirror under the bottomless portafilter, you see the first drop emerge, dark and viscous. The resistance continues to rise, you follow it with a consistent pull, and the shot flows. Ninety millimeters of water, eighteen grams of coffee grounds, no electronics between you and the extraction. This is the Flair principle – espresso as a direct mechanical experience.
Coffee Coaching Club is the exclusive Swiss importer of Flair Espresso. The Flair 58+2 is the current flagship of the Flair family and the evolution of the Flair 58+. Three specific changes: The preheat controller is now integrated into the base (instead of external between the socket and the device), the power supply is smaller, and the cabling is tidier. Functionally, everything that defines the 58 family remains – 58mm industry-standard portafilter, three preheat levels, manometer on the brew head, magnetic shot mirror.
What Makes the Flair 58+2 Special
The 58mm portafilter is the same diameter used by commercial machines from La Marzocco to Rocket. This means: every VST, IMS, or Normcore precision basket, every 58mm tamper, every puck screen format from the portafilter world fits. Anyone who later switches to a machine with E61 or a saturated group will take their accessories with them. Important to know: The portafilter itself is not interchangeable with every 58mm model – the Flair 58+2 is compatible with Flair portafilters and Normcore portafilters. Baskets, tampers, and puck screens in 58mm format fit independently of this. The Flair is not just for itself – it can be integrated into the larger portafilter ecosystem.
Extraction occurs via a manual lever press: You fill about 90 ml of hot water into the brew chamber, lift the lever, place it on the valve, and slowly pull it down. The manometer shows the actual brew pressure in real-time – unlike a pump machine, you see how the pressure is created by your arm strength. With the lever movement, you can perform a longer pre-infusion, build up the main pressure, and then release it at the end. This is a learning process, not automatic. The first shots are practice, the grind setting is the crucial lever, and after a week, you will have developed a feel for the resistance. Those looking for reproducibility should work with a scale and timer – at CCC, we assess extraction by weight ratio (1:2 is the standard starting point), not by time alone. No shot is identical to the next. This is not a weakness of the Flair, but a characteristic of espresso.
The preheat controller is why the 58 family operates with greater thermal stability than earlier Flair models. In the base, an electrical component preheats the brew head directly – three levels (Low, Medium, High) cover the temperature range for dark, medium, and light roasts. Heat-up time is about five minutes before you add the water. Without preheat, the hot water would immediately lose temperature to the cold brew chamber, and the shot would come out underextracted from the portafilter. With preheat, the temperature remains within the target corridor during extraction.
At a Glance
| Design |
Manual lever press, piston-valve mechanism |
| Portafilter |
58mm industry standard, walnut handle, includes low-flow and high-flow baskets; compatible with Flair and Normcore portafilters |
| Preheat Controller |
Integrated into base, three levels (Low, Medium, High) |
| Heat-up Time |
Approx. 5 minutes |
| Dose |
16–20 g (expandable with other baskets) |
| Brew Chamber Water Volume |
90 ml |
| Yield |
Up to 55 ml |
| Dimensions |
19 × 34 × 28 cm |
| Pressure Display |
Analog manometer on the brew head |
| Shot Mirror |
Articulating, magnetically attachable to the post |
| Scope of Delivery |
Base with preheat controller, lever unit with brew head, walnut portafilter, low-flow and high-flow baskets, walnut palm tamper, shot mirror, manometer, power supply, drip tray, puck screen, Allen key |
Who the Flair 58+2 is For
The Flair 58+2 is for anyone who understands espresso as a craft process and prefers the mechanical directness of the lever to pump automation. For households where few shots are pulled per day and a power-saving, quiet setup is more important than a full-fledged dual-boiler portafilter machine. For anyone who deliberately doesn't need a steam wand – the Flair makes espresso, not milk drinks. For people who switch between beans and use the temperature levels of the preheat controller as a tool: lower for dark roasts like Cozy Chocolate, higher for light ones like Wild Peach.
The Flair is not a replacement for a portafilter machine. It is a category of its own. If you are looking for a classic espresso machine with a steam wand and automated pre-infusion, you will find suitable options in our coffee machine collection. If you want to combine milk drinks with a manual lever workflow, supplement the Flair with the Flair Wizard Steamer or a Subminimal NanoFoamer. Our opinion is one of many – the Flair polarizes, and that's perfectly fine.
The Right Grinder
The Flair 58+2 is only as good as the grinder in front of it. The 58mm puck reacts sensitively to grind size deviations, and manual lever operation makes inconsistencies in the puck immediately audible and palpable. For a proper start with espresso-capable grind size, we recommend the Varia VS3 or VS4 from our collection – we are the exclusive Swiss importer of Varia, and the VS3 (38mm conical) and VS4 (53mm conical) deliver stable espresso grinding with good particle distribution.
Those who want to push the Flair towards larger burrs and finer control will find the next steps in the Varia VS6 (58mm Flat, variable 500-1600 RPM) or the Weber Workshops EG-1 (80mm Flat, magnetic, interchangeable burrs). For grind-by-weight with integrated scale: Mahlkönig E64 WS. For single-dose: Mahlkönig X64 SD. For purists who work with a hand grinder: Comandante C40 or Timemore Sculptor from our Timemore collection.
Puck Prep and Scale
Lever operation benefits from clean puck preparation. From the Normcore Collection (Spring-Loaded Tamper, WDT-Tool, Tamping Station), you get the material for consistent distribution and even tamping in everyday use. Those looking for finest craftsmanship will find the artisan level at Weber Workshops (Puck Screen, Moonraker WDT-Tool, Tamping Station). For the scale: Acaia with flow rate display, or compact from the Normcore Collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a separate grinder for the Flair 58+2?
Yes. The Flair is a pure espresso machine without a grinder. An espresso-capable grinder with fine grind adjustment is a prerequisite – without the right grind size, the shot will either run too fast or block. For a start from our collection: Varia VS3 or VS4. For larger setups: VS6, Weber EG-1, Option-O Lagom, Mahlkönig E64 WS.
Is the Flair 58+2 compatible with every 58mm portafilter?
No. The Flair 58+2 is compatible with Flair portafilters and Normcore portafilters. The 58mm industry standard applies to everything that goes into the portafilter: precision baskets (VST, IMS, Normcore), tampers, and puck screens fit without restriction – for example, from the Normcore Collection or from Weber Workshops.
How long does it take to heat up?
Approximately five minutes. You plug in the power supply, select the preheat level (Low, Medium, or High), and the brew head electrically heats to the target temperature. During the heat-up time, you can grind and prepare the puck. The hot water (about 90 ml, approx. 95 °C) comes from an external kettle – the Flair does not heat water itself.
Can I also froth milk with the Flair 58+2?
No, the Flair does not have a steam wand. For milk drinks, combine it with the Flair Wizard Steamer (stovetop steamer, designed as a Flair supplement) or a Subminimal NanoFoamer (battery-powered handheld frother, exclusive Swiss importer).
Which preheat level should I use for which roast?
Flair specifies three levels, designed for dark (Low), medium (Medium), and light roasts (High). This is a guide, not a rule. Those who experiment with grind settings and preheat will develop a feel for what works with which bean – the espresso philosophy at CCC is weight ratio before temperature before time, and all three together make the shot.
What is the difference between the Flair 58+2 and the Flair 58+ and Flair 58 (without Plus)?
The 58+2 has the preheat controller integrated into the base (with the 58+ it was external as an intermediate plug), the power supply is smaller, and the cabling is tidier. Functionally identical: walnut accents, shot mirror, 58mm portafilter. The Flair 58 (without Plus) is the basic model without walnut accents. All three models use the same 58mm standard and share the lever principle.
How reproducible is the shot with a manual lever press?
With a scale, timer, and stable grinder, reproducible within the limits of what espresso generally allows – no shot is identical to the next because the bean, humidity, and your arm pull change. This is not a weakness of the Flair, but applies to every espresso machine. Our advice: assess extraction by weight ratio (1:2 as a starting point), not by time.
Can I see the Flair 58+2 before purchasing?
Yes. The Flair is available in the showrooms in Bern (Gerberngasse 44) and Zurich Oerlikon (Hagenholzstrasse 50b). Bringing your own beans is welcome – experiencing the lever pull and resistance live says more than any description.
How is the Flair 58+2 delivered?
Directly orderable online. Delivery throughout Switzerland and Liechtenstein in 2 to 4 business days. Click and Collect in Bern and Zurich always possible. Financing available through Heylight.
Roastery Tip
The Flair 58+2 is regularly used in our showroom – a good partner for the beans from our roastery. Cozy Chocolate and Nutty Delight run on the Flair with a dense structure – the chocolate notes and sweetness build up through the manual pressure development, and the body remains round. Very Nutty for those who want maximum body without acidity, works very directly on the Flair. If you want to try light roasts like Wild Peach, set the preheat to High, grind a bit finer, and pull the lever with a longer pre-infusion – the peach note gets space. This is our recommendation, one of many.
