Why we use and like the Flair 3 Manual Press

Here at Good Brew we use, like, and recommend the Flair 3 manual espresso press because it is excellent quality, has ergonomic design, is quiet, requires no power, and makes an excellent espresso.

We had a Breville 800 with integrated bean holder, electric burr grinder, water container, steamer, and dual-cup espresso pump. This was a marvelous machine combining features at a relatively low price yielding overall value. However, its grinder and its pump are fairly loud. Over time, using the Breville led to discord in the family as late sleepers did not appreciate the mechanical sounds of the Breville as the coffee aficionados would rise early to make cup after cup of espresso.

The Flair is entirely silent. The only sounds that may be heard while it is in use are the grunts of the coffee drinkers as they flex upper body muscles to push the brew head to 10-15 psi.

The Flair also requires no electricity or gas to operate - while a power outage knocks offline a powered machine like the Breville, the Flair keeps on pressing out shots as long as the drinkers supply ground coffee, hot water, and muscle power.

Flair users will need a good burr grinder. Read our recommendation for the 1Zpresso for that.