Flair NEO Flex Manual Espresso Machine review – perfect for keen coffee enthusiasts

If you love making coffee at home, but you want to follow a more hands-on method of brewing, the Flair NEO Flex is the perfect first step to take. It's a simple, inexpensive frame that's relatively easy to use.

I've tested the best espresso machines and the Flair NEO Flex makes some of the most flavorful coffee out there. As is the nature of manual espresso machines, it's a lot more involved, but that means it's a really rewarding process.

I used the Flair Neo Flex to brew a range of coffee drinks. I've also tested models that are ten times the price, such as from the Italian brand, La Pavoni, so I can give you a big picture of where to spend and where to splurge. Here's everything you need to know.

Specifications

Unboxing

The Flair NEO Flex has stylish packaging. It feels like unboxing a gift, because the box is thick with a luxurious sponge cushioning the various parts that come with the machine. 

Inside the box, Flair provide a pressurized basket (for coffee), a regular basket (which can become bottomless), a brew head, and a pressure release valve (to stop your coffee from becoming too grainy if your grind is too fine).

The body is all plastic, which I was surprised by, because it felt a bit cheap for such premium packaging, but Flair has good reasons. This is the 'flex' model, which is designed to be lighter and easier to move around. They make other products with metal bodies, but this is meant to have that plastic flexion.

Who would it suit?

Lightweight, portable, and easy to store, this espresso machine is an excellent option if you're looking for a basic model. It will make a smooth espresso and looks stylish on the countertop. If you don't want to leave it on show, you can place it in a cupboard and fit things in around the, slightly unusual, shape.

This could be daunting for someone who is used to an espresso machine, but the instructions are simple and you will quickly adjust to it. If you're the kind of person who is looking for the closest espresso machine to an automatic bean-to-cup machine, you might get frustrated with this. If you put the time in, this will quickly become effortless to use.

What is it like to use?

If you've never used one of these before, make sure that you're familiar with the instructions or watch a YouTube video, so you can see how this is done. First, I preheated the cylinder with boiling water. The cylinder is small, so I used the Fellow Stagg Gooseneck Kettle to get the most precise water steam. There's a useful sleeve so that I could empty the cylinder once it had filled and warmed from the boiling water.

I used the Fellow Stagg grinder to grind my coffee beans to a fine grind. Then I added 18 grams to the standard basket. If you are using pre-ground or coarsely ground coffee, use the pressurized basket. Once my grounds were in the basket, I used the tamp to distribute the grinds.

I then placed the basket in the stand, which was really secure. I placed the brew head on the basket and filled it with boiling water from the gooseneck kettle again. I placed the piston on top and slowly pulled the lever until I felt resistance. I was worried that I might break the stand, but I gradually applied more pressure until I had extracted a full shot of espresso. It's useful if you have coffee scales like these from QVC, which you can put underneath the espresso stand, and measure out how much coffee you want.

The espresso was smooth and hazelnutty. I had seen people recommending to use boiling water, but mine was 190 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn't want to burn my grounds and make my espresso taste too acidic. I used a medium roast and I wouldn't recommend using beans with a lighter grind, as they are more challenging to extract.

Cleaning, Storage, and Maintenance

I would wash all of this by hand using warm soapy water. There are lots of small spaces where grounds could collect and you are much more likely to get them out if you take care washing them yourself.

You can disassemble the stand and store it anywhere, since it's light and compact. However, there are lots of parts, so make sure that you don't lose any of them. It is much less hassle to leave the stand in one piece. It looks modern and sleek, so should be fine to store on your countertop, especially if you have a coffee station.

How does it rate online?

Lots of people like the NEO Flex. They found it easy to set up and use and really enjoyed making coffee manually. Most people enjoy the coffee flavors that it can extract, but, as I said, most use more developed beans rather than light roasts. This design is aimed at beginners, so if you want to explore more coffee flavors, you might want to invest in something more complicated.

A few people were worried about the pressure-release piston. This is designed to let water flow out of the top of the brew chamber if your grind is too fine, but that's the only time you can use it. You'll need to buy a new one after that. It's a good idea but could be expensive. This stops you from breaking the frame though. Some people thought the frame was creaky or a little too flexible, but I didn't find anyone who actually broke it, so it's more durable than it looks.

How does it compare?

The Flair NEO Flex is essentially the plastic version of the older Flair Neo Classic, available at Amazon. This is a little more expensive and has a stainless steel frame. Metal feels a lot more durable (as well as more premium), so if you're not on a budget, this is worth considering. However, to get the perfect grind for the Classic, you would need to invest in a more complicated, refined grinder, which is a lot of expense for a beginner. If you aren't a coffee obsessive you won't notice the taste difference anyway.

If you're looking for a more premium espresso machine, I can't recommend the La Pavoni Professional enough. It looks absolutely stunning on the countertop. You'll need to be comfortable handling all the different pressures, temperatures, and extractions, but if you can, you'll be able to make some incredible coffee in this machine. It's like a completely different espresso machine to the Flair NEO Flex, but it comes with a high price tag. Rather than costing less than one hundred dollars, this will cost you over a thousand (and you'll need a special coffee grinder to go with it).

Should you buy it?

There's beauty in simplicity and this proves exactly why. As a former barista, I'm always down to get my hands on my coffee, but manual espresso machines can be off-putting for the average coffee drinker. 

However, on the test, I found that this simple machine is everything you need to get started with coffee. It will extract a top-quality espresso without the noise, flashing, and beeping, of your normal coffee machine. 

If you're looking for a more durable frame, you might consider the classic model instead. It's more expensive and an unnecessary investment for beginners, but worth considering.

How We Test

We take every espresso machine to our dedicated test kitchen. Here, Laura, a former barista and certified Customer Advisor, tests and makes notes on every aspect of a coffee maker. From the unboxing process to washing up, nothing slips past her. One of the most important qualities is making good coffee. We always make sure to do a taste test, so that you are guaranteed delicious coffee. You can visit our dedicated page if you would like to find out more about how we test coffee makers.