In my experience, letting the portafilter (incl the dispenser screen) locked in the whole day while enabling the heating element, does a good job for preheating the portafilter. No need to preheat it separately. Nice video tho, keep up the good work
That certainly does the trick, but I often forgot to turn off the machine after and would wake up the next day with it still turned on. I have a smart plug controlling it now! Thanks for the comment!
I hav recently bought pro2 and its just amazing, no hit and trial or any error since the 1st pull. Every Shot is velvety smooth and very creamy, all you need by the side is a cheap cofee machine that has steam jet for frothing
Came for the refresher, picked up some tips (also very annoyed after Lance's video on the shaker; it really is that good/simple :D). I started with a Flair 58, then upgraded to a Lelit Bianca V3 for a year. Lelit is a beast of a machine, but so much overkill for what I need, and I love the manual process. Just sold it and made my first Flair espresso in more than a year. Back in love.
Thanks for the video. I've had the Flair 58 for almost two years. It's been great except the plunger cylinder spins so I need to turn it so the notches don't align with the protrusions on the gage plunger after about 30 cycles. Also, with the handle in full up adding water can be tricky. It would have been better if the gage plunger would fall farther backwards giving a larger space to pour the water in with the handle up.
I think they improved the plunger in the 58+ with the valve, that definitely helps, but it’s still not straightforward to make sure there’s no air in there. As for the plunger itself, I’ve got the same problem with the spinning, so I also have to adjust. Little bit annoying but I’m used to it now! Overall great machine
@@nickscoffeestudio thanks for the reply and info. In that case I will stay with what I have, no need to upgrade/crossgrade. It does make great espresso. I actually make Americano's.
In manual they have written to keep water for 2 minutes before pulling the shot, I measured water temp drops down to 85 Celsius straight from the kettle. So holding it for 5 minutes giving me back 95 on bottom of the chamber (upper part is 95 always on 3rd heat level). Once water temperature is equal on bottom and upper part of the chamber I start pulling my shot. What do you think about it?
You make a good point. I’ll have to give it a go and see the results. I think for lighter roasts, then this would absolutely help! I had done some measurements before and after leaving the machine heating up for 15+ mins, then adding 95° water, it would give me 90° at the bottom which I’ve always been fine with. Coffee really become a science experiment doesn’t it?!
@@nickscoffeestudio As a special tip for you, For darker roasts it is also worth starting at 3rd level so it quickly warm up water then switch back to 2nd or 1st level as water temperature dropping faster than increasing. Having water in chamber helps with heat distribution and stability.
thanks for your time in sharing your views on this latest Flair model; has this new model a faster preheat time compared to the older 58? I note the mains power pack has been improved!
My preheat time to 3 lights is about 4 and a half minutes in the morning. Depends on whether it’s summer or winter though! Room temp varies here from 10° to 20°
Nice, hope you enjoy it! The timer should start from first moment you apply pressure, so 30ish seconds including the pre infusion. This is really just a guideline though, sometimes a longer or shorter shot can be more to your taste so just play around!
Your video has been my go to starting off on my Flair journey and have to say I feel way more confident using it! Many thanks! Out of curiosity, what beans were you using in this video?
@@LarryShwang Hey Larry, that’s great to hear, delighted that you like the video and it helped :) How are you finding the Flair journey so far? The Beans in this video I believe were from Two Fifty Square, a roaster in Dublin, Ireland. Most of the beans I get are from there!
@@nickscoffeestudio I'm loving the journey so far! It's definitely a learning curve however, I'm really enjoying the work flow. Ah nice, thanks for the heads up. I might give them a try.
Totally depends on the beans and the machine + basket you're using. My advise is whatever machine / basket / coffee you're using is to aim for a 1:2 ratio in 30ish seconds. If it's too fast, grind finer, too slow and grind coarser
I've heard good things about chill extractions, but I also enjoy my espresso hot. Perhaps I'll get one in future to test! For WDT, Lance Hendrick posted a video detailing the results of extractions using different forms of WDT as the only variable, and the blind shaker consistently shone through :)
Dear Nick, I have recently bought the 58+ and I am using cmd c40 with red clix. 20gr in 60 gr out within 50 seconds 6-9 bars with light roasted coffee. Since Im grinding pretty fine I think Im getting unwanted flavors but if I go courser flair cant give me any pressure that is needed. So could you help me dial in even though you cannot know what kind of coffee I have or whatever I think you can still help me out about what can I do or dont with flair 58. Thanks in advance for your help ❤
Hi there! Assuming you're using some fresh beans and good quality beans, I've a few follow up questions to try and understand your process better... 1. What basket are you using? Stock flair? High flow / low flow? 2. Are you doing pre infusion? 3. What's the water temp? Questions aside, a 1:3 ration is fine for light roasted coffee, but I'd suggest going back to basics to start if you're new to the flair. For a light roast, here's my process... 95 degree c water, flair on highest heat setting. Pre infusion to 3 bars for 1-2 second and back off down to 1-2 bars until you hit 7-8 seconds. Then ramp straight up to 9 bars and hold that steady until you reach 25g yield... Slowly back off the pressure then until you end the shot around 3 bars, 40g out at 30-35 seconds. If you follow the above and the only variable is your grind size, you should be getting some tasty shots. Once you've gotten used to that, you can begin playing around with different ratios! Hope this helps :)
I should also mention that roasters differ in their definition of light roast, so this might now be exactly how you'll get the best out of your coffee, but works for me! In the video above, the beans are light/medium, so my pre infusion and profile stated in the video is a little different - I find slightly less pre-infusion as the roast gets darker works well for me. But don't get disheartened, you'll get there!
@@nickscoffeestudio first of all thank you so much for replying back so early, for your questions. I am using fresh beans (like 2 weeks) I am using high flow stock basket and fresh off the boiled water with highest settings, I was doing pre infusion but I was waiting for almost 10seconds. After reading what you ve been doing with your light roasted coffees I think I did get what I was doing wrong so I ll take a shot at the morning and reply it back to you. I would like to thank you again for your help. Hope you ll make more videos about it 🥰🥰🤗
@@nickscoffeestudio Hey Nick, I just had the most drinkable/enjoyable shot of espresso since I bought the flair 58+, your recommendations really worked out I appreciate it. I do have one last question tho I have not been able to detach the new stem for cleaning would you make a cleaning video maybe ?
It is a great video, you should make a video talking about how do you deal with the espresso what I mean? basically how do you calibrate your machine, I also have a flair 58 but I always struggle with my espressos more when I get a new beans because I am not sure If I am doing it good or actually if it taste good so would be helpful watch more videos about how the people deal with their machines when they get a new beans!
I guess the struggle I had at the beginning was the same. Tho you have to grind finer with the flair, I now try to dail in by taste. I noticed that if the resistance of the puck is able to handle my 9 bars, I sometimes with 1 or 2 gram more water out completely take out the sourness or acidity it might have. This is with new beans the first thing I tweak which got me great results in the lasts months. Again Lance has a great video on this but as well the guys from Coffee up 🛎️
If you imagine a typical boiler espresso machine, you dial everything in and the machine will dictate pressure for your desired time. With this, since it’s totally manual, you have to really be careful of water temperatures, and your pressure profile. It’s truly a manual experience 😊
![[UNCUT] The Loyal Pin ปิ่นภักดิ์ EP.15 (3/4)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IVwR87OH0_A/mqdefault.jpg)
In my experience, letting the portafilter (incl the dispenser screen) locked in the whole day while enabling the heating element, does a good job for preheating the portafilter. No need to preheat it separately.
Nice video tho, keep up the good work
That certainly does the trick, but I often forgot to turn off the machine after and would wake up the next day with it still turned on. I have a smart plug controlling it now! Thanks for the comment!
I hav recently bought pro2 and its just amazing, no hit and trial or any error since the 1st pull. Every Shot is velvety smooth and very creamy, all you need by the side is a cheap cofee machine that has steam jet for frothing
Came for the refresher, picked up some tips (also very annoyed after Lance's video on the shaker; it really is that good/simple :D). I started with a Flair 58, then upgraded to a Lelit Bianca V3 for a year. Lelit is a beast of a machine, but so much overkill for what I need, and I love the manual process. Just sold it and made my first Flair espresso in more than a year. Back in love.
Glad to hear you’re back in love with the Flair. The Bianca is some machine, but nothing compares to the perfect shot from a manual machine ❤️
Thanks for the video. I've had the Flair 58 for almost two years. It's been great except the plunger cylinder spins so I need to turn it so the notches don't align with the protrusions on the gage plunger after about 30 cycles. Also, with the handle in full up adding water can be tricky. It would have been better if the gage plunger would fall farther backwards giving a larger space to pour the water in with the handle up.
I think they improved the plunger in the 58+ with the valve, that definitely helps, but it’s still not straightforward to make sure there’s no air in there. As for the plunger itself, I’ve got the same problem with the spinning, so I also have to adjust. Little bit annoying but I’m used to it now! Overall great machine
@@nickscoffeestudio thanks for the reply and info. In that case I will stay with what I have, no need to upgrade/crossgrade. It does make great espresso. I actually make Americano's.
In manual they have written to keep water for 2 minutes before pulling the shot, I measured water temp drops down to 85 Celsius straight from the kettle. So holding it for 5 minutes giving me back 95 on bottom of the chamber (upper part is 95 always on 3rd heat level). Once water temperature is equal on bottom and upper part of the chamber I start pulling my shot.
What do you think about it?
You make a good point. I’ll have to give it a go and see the results. I think for lighter roasts, then this would absolutely help! I had done some measurements before and after leaving the machine heating up for 15+ mins, then adding 95° water, it would give me 90° at the bottom which I’ve always been fine with. Coffee really become a science experiment doesn’t it?!
@@nickscoffeestudio As a special tip for you, For darker roasts it is also worth starting at 3rd level so it quickly warm up water then switch back to 2nd or 1st level as water temperature dropping faster than increasing. Having water in chamber helps with heat distribution and stability.
Timemore Black Mirror Scales is that the scale which fits the flair 58+?
I believe the Timemore Black Mirror Nano scales fits in, yes! The one I’m using here is the Tiny 2S
While the nano can fit under 58 but dun get it cus it button is at side
Hey, that looks sick, what advise or tips you would share for a first time user?
Advice is to not give up. Espresso is humbling. One shot is great and the next isn’t. It takes time to get good repeatable shots!
thanks for your time in sharing your views on this latest Flair model; has this new model a faster preheat time compared to the older 58? I note the mains power pack has been improved!
My preheat time to 3 lights is about 4 and a half minutes in the morning. Depends on whether it’s summer or winter though! Room temp varies here from 10° to 20°
Where did you buy the blind shaker ?
Got it from AliExpress actually. Compared with the Weber Workshops one it’s virtually identical
Thank you very much! This video helped me out a lot! 😎👌🏻
Glad you got some value from it :)
Great video, thank you. Im just about to start my Flair 58 journey tomorrow morning!
Do you start timer from the first drop?
Nice, hope you enjoy it! The timer should start from first moment you apply pressure, so 30ish seconds including the pre infusion. This is really just a guideline though, sometimes a longer or shorter shot can be more to your taste so just play around!
Your video has been my go to starting off on my Flair journey and have to say I feel way more confident using it! Many thanks!
Out of curiosity, what beans were you using in this video?
@@LarryShwang Hey Larry, that’s great to hear, delighted that you like the video and it helped :) How are you finding the Flair journey so far? The Beans in this video I believe were from Two Fifty Square, a roaster in Dublin, Ireland. Most of the beans I get are from there!
@@nickscoffeestudio I'm loving the journey so far! It's definitely a learning curve however, I'm really enjoying the work flow. Ah nice, thanks for the heads up. I might give them a try.
Really like all your set up. Can I ask what they are ??
Which bits exactly?! There’s a lot!
how do you find the normcore puck screen compared with the stock one?
To be very honest, there's no difference at all. It just looks better!
Great video!! 💙
Great video. What is the tamping station, looks perfect
Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the video! The tamping station is by Mojae. I got it from Lazada while on a trip to the Philippines 🙌
Thanks for the video! Considering getting one in the future. Can you recommend a bellow for the Opus? Thank you!
Thanks for the comment! I got the bellows from a site called Introvert. But there are more and more popping up online now!
👍👍 BTW ... which filter basket are you using i.e., low flow, high flow, or something different?
I’m using the high flow stock basket mainly, though I also have a Normcore high extraction basket as well.
Any suggestion dial for medium roast on opus?
Totally depends on the beans and the machine + basket you're using. My advise is whatever machine / basket / coffee you're using is to aim for a 1:2 ratio in 30ish seconds. If it's too fast, grind finer, too slow and grind coarser
What is the name of this Brazilian coffee? Thanks
Most of the beans I get come from a roaster in Ireland called Two Fifty Square. In my eyes, one of irelands best roasters!
Great video, what are your thoughts about poring over an frozen stainless steel ball? And secondly, why do you think WDT tools are pointless?
I've heard good things about chill extractions, but I also enjoy my espresso hot. Perhaps I'll get one in future to test! For WDT, Lance Hendrick posted a video detailing the results of extractions using different forms of WDT as the only variable, and the blind shaker consistently shone through :)
Dear Nick, I have recently bought the 58+ and I am using cmd c40 with red clix. 20gr in 60 gr out within 50 seconds 6-9 bars with light roasted coffee. Since Im grinding pretty fine I think Im getting unwanted flavors but if I go courser flair cant give me any pressure that is needed. So could you help me dial in even though you cannot know what kind of coffee I have or whatever I think you can still help me out about what can I do or dont with flair 58. Thanks in advance for your help ❤
Hi there! Assuming you're using some fresh beans and good quality beans, I've a few follow up questions to try and understand your process better...
1. What basket are you using? Stock flair? High flow / low flow?
2. Are you doing pre infusion?
3. What's the water temp?
Questions aside, a 1:3 ration is fine for light roasted coffee, but I'd suggest going back to basics to start if you're new to the flair. For a light roast, here's my process...
95 degree c water, flair on highest heat setting. Pre infusion to 3 bars for 1-2 second and back off down to 1-2 bars until you hit 7-8 seconds. Then ramp straight up to 9 bars and hold that steady until you reach 25g yield... Slowly back off the pressure then until you end the shot around 3 bars, 40g out at 30-35 seconds.
If you follow the above and the only variable is your grind size, you should be getting some tasty shots. Once you've gotten used to that, you can begin playing around with different ratios! Hope this helps :)
I should also mention that roasters differ in their definition of light roast, so this might now be exactly how you'll get the best out of your coffee, but works for me! In the video above, the beans are light/medium, so my pre infusion and profile stated in the video is a little different - I find slightly less pre-infusion as the roast gets darker works well for me. But don't get disheartened, you'll get there!
@@nickscoffeestudio first of all thank you so much for replying back so early, for your questions. I am using fresh beans (like 2 weeks) I am using high flow stock basket and fresh off the boiled water with highest settings, I was doing pre infusion but I was waiting for almost 10seconds. After reading what you ve been doing with your light roasted coffees I think I did get what I was doing wrong so I ll take a shot at the morning and reply it back to you. I would like to thank you again for your help. Hope you ll make more videos about it 🥰🥰🤗
No problem! Good luck 😊 just make sure water temp isn’t above 95 c otherwise you might get some of those unwanted flavours
@@nickscoffeestudio Hey Nick, I just had the most drinkable/enjoyable shot of espresso since I bought the flair 58+, your recommendations really worked out I appreciate it. I do have one last question tho I have not been able to detach the new stem for cleaning would you make a cleaning video maybe ?
Can i get a link for fellow opus pump?
Opus Pump Accessories can i get?
A site called Introvert does them :)
@@nickscoffeestudio thanks 👍
It is a great video, you should make a video talking about how do you deal with the espresso what I mean? basically how do you calibrate your machine, I also have a flair 58 but I always struggle with my espressos more when I get a new beans because I am not sure If I am doing it good or actually if it taste good so would be helpful watch more videos about how the people deal with their machines when they get a new beans!
Great idea, thanks! I’ll be making more videos very soon so stay tuned and subscribe 😉
I guess the struggle I had at the beginning was the same. Tho you have to grind finer with the flair, I now try to dail in by taste. I noticed that if the resistance of the puck is able to handle my 9 bars, I sometimes with 1 or 2 gram more water out completely take out the sourness or acidity it might have. This is with new beans the first thing I tweak which got me great results in the lasts months. Again Lance has a great video on this but as well the guys from Coffee up 🛎️
Coming for the video, staying for being called beautiful.
Lol jk
😂
why is that a difficult machine?
If you imagine a typical boiler espresso machine, you dial everything in and the machine will dictate pressure for your desired time. With this, since it’s totally manual, you have to really be careful of water temperatures, and your pressure profile. It’s truly a manual experience 😊