I made 10/10 espresso with zero electricity — here's what I really think of the Flair 49 Pro

Bored of modern espresso machines? Want to try your luck at wrangling something that wouldn’t look out of place in a period drama set in 1920s Italy or the most pretentious coffee shop in your city? I know I do. As soon as I saw the new Flair 49 Pro, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, though. Of course, it’s incredibly fun to use and relatively compact, making it a great choice for hands-on baristas with cosy kitchens. While it takes a decent amount of trial and error, this isn’t markedly unusual for a lever or enthusiast espresso maker. The main drawback is the price. As I’ll get into more, it’s a pretty hefty $349 — for a completely manual machine. No power, ergo: no self-heating, no milk steaming.

Is that a price you’d be willing to pay? Is the Flair 49 Pro one of the best espresso machines for enthusiasts? If you’re willing to part with well over $300 (and buy a milk steamer and gooseneck kettle separately…), definitely. To find out if it’s right for you, keep reading this Flair 49 Pro review.

Flair 49 Pro review: Specs

Flair 49 Pro review: Price & availability

The Flair 49 Pro is $349 from Amazon U.S. and £295 from Sigma Coffee in the U.K. Despite being a manual lever espresso machine, this is, unfortunately, par for the course. Flair also makes the $159 Flair Classic, which lacks the traditional group handle/portafilter and requires disassembly after every shot.

For those needing fresh espresso anywhere, the $169 Flair 2Go is a collapsible, portable lever machine with its own carry case. This model also comes with two screw-in portafilters rather than handled portafilters.

At the other end of the spectrum, there’s the $699 Flair 58 Plus 2, which heats the water and comes with a shot mirror. Because the Flair 49 Pro has no self-heating but doesn’t require disassembly, it’s obviously between the premium 58 Plus 2 and the entry-level Classic. Even so, the $349 price tag is weird — surely it should be a maximum of around $250. You still need to buy a kettle (ideally gooseneck) to use it properly, so I think Flair should reflect that in its pricing.

If you’d like a manual espresso machine by an alternate brand, check out the $699 9Barista Espresso Machine Mk. 2, which is more like a Moka pot-style stovetop espresso maker.

Flair 49 Pro review: Design

As it’s a manual lever machine, the Flair 49 Pro is super simple. It comes disassembled, but setup is straightforward. I screwed the lever attachment into the base and the pressure gauge into the valve housing, and I was good to go. The Flair 49 Pro replaces the now-discontinued Flair Pro 2 and Flair 3 Pro, neither of which I had the opportunity to test. Other users report the 49 Pro is much easier to use than the Pro 2 and 3 because it doesn’t require disassembly between shots. You can pull back-to-back espressos like a pump espresso machine.

Unlike a pump espresso machine, there’s zero plastic in the brew path. If you’re on the anti-plastic train (I am a recent convert), it’s worth checking out.

I’m a little displeased with the plastic drip tray. The rest of the machine is metal, so I’m not sure why Flair provided such a cheap-looking, flimsy plastic drip tray. Plastic is, of course, cheaper and lighter, but this isn’t a portable espresso machine. I’d like to see a matching black metal drip tray to help justify the $359 price tag, like the Flair 58 Plus 2. I suppose it’s better than the Flair 2Go, which doesn’t come with a drip tray at all.

Flair 49 Pro review: Espresso

Now, let’s get into the good stuff: performance. How does the espresso taste?

It’s utterly delicious.

Flair recommends you use 10-15g of coffee. I used 18g and no espresso came out, so I’d listen to Flair here. For the rest of my testing, I used exactly 15g. Flair also provides a pressurized portafilter if you buy pre-ground coffee, but it’s worth noting you won’t get anywhere near as much flavor with this basket.

This shot weighed 25.5g, which isn’t quite the optimal ratio of 1:2, but it was delicious. As you can see, the crema is velvety and thick, and the body is a deep brown. This shot tasted bright and fruity, with an almost peppery bitterness rounding it out, like a high-quality red wine.

I gave an espresso to my colleague Harry, who reported it was “extremely flavorful, like it extracted all of the flavor from the beans, providing a full-bodied, rich drinking experience”. My colleague Nikita said it was “smooth and full-bodied”, but a touch too bitter for her palate.

Now, onto my complaints. As a lever machine, it’s a given that the 49 Pro would require a decent amount of trial and error. This is a completely different style of espresso maker than most people are used to. Even so, I’m an ex-professional barista and Tom’s Guide’s resident coffee expert, and it took me about fifteen minutes to tease one drop of coffee out. Usually, I’m pulling shots within five minutes of unboxing a new machine.

Flair advertizes that the 49mm portafilter basket makes dialing in more forgiving, particularly at coarser grind sizes. Let me say, I did not experience any of this “forgiving”. As always, I used the best coffee grinder, the Mazzer Philos, to grind all my beans. I tested the 49 Pro on every grind size from 7 to 25: the optimal grind size was 19. Anything over or under — even by a couple of steps — resulted in a sour, watery brew pulled at well below 5 bars, or no brew at all.

I used half of a bag of coffee to find the ideal grind size, so I wouldn’t describe it as “forgiving” at all.

If you’re a coffee nerd, you probably wouldn’t balk at this anyway. However, it’s worth mentioning that any total newbies will need a decent amount of practice before offering beverages to friends and family.

Flair 49 Pro review: Storage & maintenance

Ideal for smaller kitchens, the Flair 49 Pro is just 7.5 inches wide, 11 inches tall, and 13 inches deep. Because it’s a metal stand rather than a bulky machine, it doesn’t look big in real life at all. I’d have no issues using this in my small apartment kitchen.

Cleaning is easy: I washed the drip tray by hand and poured boiling water through the empty water valve to clean before and after each use.

As with other Flair machines, the 49 Pro comes with a 3-year warranty as standard. 9Barista offers a 5-year warranty on its Mk.2 model, but only a 2-year warranty on the original. 3 years isn’t too bad, but because there’s no vibratory pump — the mechanism in electric espresso machines with a maximum life expectancy of around eight years — I’d hope the 49 Pro lasts longer than three years.

Flair 49 Pro review: Verdict

After testing the 49 Pro, I’m not sure why Flair made it so expensive. The only difference between the 49 Pro and the Classic is that the 49 Pro can make back-to-back shots. If you’re the only barista in your house, I’d recommend the Classic to save $190. If you want the best of the best, I’d invest in the powered $699 58 Plus 2.

As you can see, I’ve awarded the machine 4 stars because it’s nowhere near as finicky as the Classic, it’s fun, and most importantly, makes a delicious espresso. However, two things can be true at once: it’s a great product, yet overpriced. $349 for no shot mirror or self-heating water valve is a lot.

Nitpicking aside, though, the Flair 49 Pro is seriously fun. Naturally, it takes a few tries to get right, and this isn’t for casual coffee drinkers. I enjoyed fiddling with grind size and pressure level to get the best espresso — and when I got perfect espresso, I got perfect espresso. The taste is unique; brighter and more energetic than a pump espresso machine. While you’re getting less bang for your buck with the 49 Pro, it’s a must-try for serious coffee nerds.