Chemex 8-Cup vs Flair 58 Manual Espresso Maker

I decided to give pour-over-coffee a try, and so I bought this Chemex with a gooseneck electric kettle. Currently I am using a cheap $20 blade grinder, but even then the resulting coffee from this is amazing. My first attempt I failed miserably because my coffee grinds were too course. Second attempt I got much better results, and I was amazed at the flavor

On first impression as I assembled the machine it felt to the touch that it is a well-made product with quality solid construction. After I assembled the maker and pulled the first shot the taste was definitely good. I did not get as much crema as at Starbucks, but the blame most likely rests with my home quality burr grinder. Although the maker is of cleaver design, I find that to brew one or two espresso cups that there is too much “fiddling”

If you want fresh clean oats you have to pay a premium price for them. If you're willing to put up with oats that have already been through the horse, well, they come cheaper."

And, yes, you can spend more and get even better options. I was trying to keep my total buy-in at less than a $700 Breville automatic machine was going to cost for an entry-level go. So we're at about $450 with a grinder and the machine. Add $20 for a knockbox so you don't damage your portafilter and you're at $470

I think rinsing the filter removes or at least minimizes the taste of the paper filter and it also warms the pot a little before you pour the larger portion of the just off the boil water into the pot. I've been using Mocha Java coffee which is medium blend and I drink it black so i might be making my coffee lighter than people who use cream and sugar. Presently I'm reheating my cups of coffee in the microwave, but I'm considering getting an insulated stainless steel carafe to store the coffee and keep it hot. A friend says microwaving the coffee makes it bitter, but I have to believe he's overheating the coffee because I don't get that from just warming it up, so I'm undecided about the carafe at present

What i dont like: the plastic piston- i think flair should give their costumers a plastic free espresso and by that i mean that hot water flow through stainless all the way.I know its a food grade material but its still a big minus for me. You can buy the stainless piston and the plastic gauge but the plastic gauge adapter will still get in touch with hot water during the brewing so its not an upgrade for me. Its important to say that flair's customer service answered me very quickly and honestly about why they discontinued the stainless piston that was once included

I had one of these years ago and forgot why I didn't like it. While it is very stylish and makes an initial nice cup of coffee it loses heat very quickly. And reheating on the stove is not the best.

Hope that made sense. If you are trying to get the plunger(don't know what they call it) out right after your first shot, you will find that you will need to run the unit (portifilter) under cold water. The heat really locks the plunger in the portifilter or whatever you call that thing. The cold water trick works but you will need to reheat it again before you make your next shot to get the best results

6. Discard preheat water and begin by pouring a small amount over your grounds. If your beans are good and fresh they will bubble ("bloom") when you pour that first water. The general idea is to get all the grounds wet before you begin the Pour

Boil water. Grind your beans. Put the brewing canister in a cup or bowl and pour your boiling water over it until it's submerged. Heat your brew water to your desired temperature

The coffee I used was medium fine ground Caribou Obsidian Dark Roast which is a current favorite. (I like strong coffee) I used 1/3 cup of coffee grounds and made about the capacity of the coffee maker I think. (I personally don't consider this to be 8 cups but then I drink my coffee out of a Wile E. Coyote coffee mug of which I got 3 mugs full out of this brewing) It takes a little bit of time to make the coffee

Removing the piston can be difficult as it binds due to expansion). The ability to make more than one shot or a long pull requires removal of group, cooling enough to handle, pulling the piston out then resetting on machine (no long pulls). Also found that packing and reassembly causes the parts to start being loose. Brewing: getting the bring just right for this machine takes time and still difficult to get a consistent drama (using sane grind as other machines that give consistent drama)