Introducing the Flair (the rabbit hole deepens)
I remember my friend said (or ‘warned’ for a better word) that once I start buying coffee stuff, it won’t stop. I was absolutely convinced that as long as I have the essentials such as a grinder, Chemex, Aeropress, French Press, scale and coffee beans, that was all I needed. Back in my home in Hanoi, Vietnam, I have quite a decent setup already - Gemilai CRM3605 espresso machine, standard coffee grinder (not sure of the make or model but it works), knock box, tampers, milk jugs and all the jazz. However, I couldn’t take them back to London with me so I wanted to practice and learn more about filter coffee and manually brewing coffee, and I have learned so much since coming back four months ago.
For the last month or so, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I wanted to experiment with espresso. I didn’t want to invest more money into equipment especially one that I couldn’t travel with if and when I go back to Hanoi. Through the wonders of Instagram and the big coffee community on there, I came across the Flair, a manual espresso maker which not only looks amazingly well-built but seemed to make real espresso too. I wasn’t convinced at first but it did not stop me from watching endless videos about it, seeing great coffee enthusiasts review and talk about it and the whole process of using the device. Well, I now have one and I can say that I absolutely love this thing. After completing my SCA Barista Skills Foundation course, I learned how to dial an espresso, the ratio, yield and time to aim for and I was able to apply it to the Flair.
What do I love about it? First of all, it is absolutely stunning in matte black and the copper portafilter base and it is incredibly well engineered. I purchased the Signature model which includes a custom pressure gauge for real-time feedback (ideal espresso around 9 bars), a carry case (very useful) and bottomless portafilter. The main factor as to why I love this thing so much is that it makes great espresso! I mean that’s the whole point of it right? It took a few tries to dial-in and get use to, especially with the Hario Mini Mill + hand grinder but with a few tries, I managed to brew some delicious tasty espresso. Making a caffe latte is simply therapeutic, albeit for some it may be deemed as long-winded since everything is human-powered and manual. To give you an idea of what the work flow is like, I have listed the steps I take:
Assemble the Flair
Dose the coffee beans and grind
Boil water in the kettle
Pour the grounds in the portafilter basket and distribute with a wdt tool, then tamper
Pour milk into a microwaveable jug and place in the microwave
Pre-heat the drinking vessel and the brewing chamber for about 30 seconds
Assemble the portafilter, brewing chamber and pour boiling water into the chamber
Put the pressure gauge into the chamber
Start microwaving the milk for 90 seconds
Brew the espresso which ranges between 28-40 seconds (depending on the beans I use)
Take the milk out of the microwave and froth with a french press
Pour into milk jug then do latte art
Cleaning and washing up all the equipment
Now that I write it all out, it seems like a veryyy long process! All of this easily takes 15 to 20 minutes (sometimes longer) and that is for a single caffe latte! Espresso shots take less time . This certainly isn’t for everything and for some people, they just want their cup of coffee in the morning.
In conclusion, manual brewing is certainly not for everyone and I have had some people ask what the ‘best’ method to brew coffee in the morning is. That, unfortunately, is not a question I can answer as everyone will have different answers. For me, the best method depends on how I feel that day. I enjoy the whole process of making coffee, whether it be the Flair, Aeropress or Chemex, because I’m in the moment, in the zone. It’s a craft which I put my heart in to make that delicious cup of coffee. And I have all these amazing tools at my disposal so I can make any kind of coffee I wish. There are no right answers in the world of coffee. Go with what you enjoy and don’t be afraid to explore different types of coffee!
