How to choose a grinder and portafilter for the Flair 58 coffee machine?

Do you like Flair 58? It's a divine home espresso machine, but it gets its awesomeness with the right equipment. Check out the coffee grinder sets, portafilters and complete accessories for this hand-pressed machine.

Flair 58, 58x, 58le or 58+ hand press

To the keen eye, the subtle differences between the Flair 58 versions of the coffee machine are not visible. When compared to the original models like the Flair Espresso Neo or the Flair PRO2 , these differences between the "50s" are really small. However, they show up in both the beauty and functionality of the coffee machines.

How many versions of the 58 have seen the light of day? We are currently counting the 4th variation of this type of coffee machine. Let's list them:

Flair 58 (a handheld coffee machine that breaks standards, goes beyond the limits of previous possibilities in the preparation of "hand made" espresso and offers luxurious convenience with electric heating)
Flair 58 X (in the X version, the electric connection is cut out and the machine works virtually the same as its brothers - the original Flair Espresso, but in the splendid style of the 58)
Flair 58 LE (fans were asking for an even more expensive piece, so the Flair 58 limited edition came along)

Flair 58 + (since the "limited edition" captivated the whole world with its stylish charisma, there was no other option but to prepare a version that was inspired by it in many ways and added some new features)

Choosing a grinder for the Flair coffee machine

What is the most common question when choosing a coffee machine? Well, what grinder will fit it! It's no different with manual espresso machines. Flair is often chosen not only for the joy of manual coffee preparation. But also for its pleasant price, which is otherwise unheard of in espresso machines.

It is therefore to be expected that the grinder for the Flair 58 will alsobe affordable. I have therefore selected ten grinders for you.

The first five are handheld espresso grinders, which by their design lend themselves to a compact and portable coffee machine. Maximum price up to 10 thousand crowns.
The second group is 5 electric espresso grinders for those who want speed and convenience in home coffee preparation. Maximum price up to 15 thousand crowns.

Hand grinders for Flair coffee machine

Flair Royal Grinder

Writing about grinders for Flair and not mentioning its family member, the Flair Royal grinder? I couldn't. So surely this grinder is one of the options.
Pro: They go well together, it has a fine enough grind (micrometer) adjustment scale, a sturdy handle, enough room for coffee, and is easy to work with.
Con: Unfortunate design of the bottom ground coffee container attachment. This is contrived to just snap onto the grinder body. While this is quick and less labor intensive than a traditional thread, the container is then not secured against unintentional detachment during grinding.

Comandante C40 MK4

This grinder cannot be overlooked in any case when it comes to recommending a quality hand grinder. Comandante is a legend, the king of manual grinding and lifestyle.
Pro: It's Comandante, the brand behind the first premium manual coffee grinders. Always top quality workmanship, beautiful designs and grinds like clockwork.
Con: It's basically a grinder with a stepped grind setting. However, Comandante have addressed the lack of intermediate steps for espresso preparation by releasing an accessory called the Red Clix. With this upgrade, you can turn it into a true espresso grinder.

Kinu M47 Simplicity

The most expressive hand grinder I've ever held? That would be the Kinu. This metal cuddler is not one of the lightweights, which predisposes it to be a proper grinder.
Pro: A beatable grinder ready to grind just about anything. But please only pour coffee into it, lest you mix up the flavours. Anyway, the Kinu grinds with utter precision and finesse you can only dream of with cheap grinders.
Cons: Some like the weight, but who wants to lug around a dumbbell like that all the time, right? However, unless you're going to walk around the mountains with a Kinu and Flair, as you probably wouldn't with the 58 version, there's really no con. The Flair and the Kinu will carry you to the hut.

Goat Story Arco

When it comes to innovation, Goat Story is among the movers and shakers of the coffee world. They're inventing one coffee gadget after another, and one nicer than the other. Their Arco grinder is just that. 100% innovative and award-winning for "product design".
Pro: It's got a lovely cute shape - a sort of pom-pom grinder. The innovations it brings to the grinding world are mainly in the grind settings, of which it offers 180 thanks to such a, well, let's say gearbox. The grinding scale is adjustable in 4 modes.
Cons: It has a slightly uncharacteristically curved handle shape. If you're switching from another grinder, it might take some getting used to, but you will.

Timemore Chestnut X

Timemore's modern and minimalist coffee tools are very popular. It has a plethora of grinders in its portfolio, from basic to premium pieces. Recently, their "chestnut" X series, the Timemore Chestnut X and X lite, have been launched.
Pro: "X "meni between grinders? Actually, yes, they're little mutants. Their grinding stones have the original S2C shape, which they patented. Technologically, it works as a two-stage grind, which thus contributes to a better consistency of ground coffee.
Cons: The grind setting is upgraded to double on the Chestnut X. So you have more options than with the classic Timemore grinder models. But do its patented stones with smart settings offset its higher price?

Electric grinders for the Flair coffee machine

ECM Manuale 54

When you want it simple, what better way than to get into German grinders? The Tuten ECM is a manual, that is, without setting the grinding time. It just grinds until you say enough. It is adjusted by a rotating collar, again quite easily, i.e. by turning it right or left depending on whether you want a finer or coarser coffee.
Pro: It doesn't play any smart-boy with lots of electronics and buttons. That makes it sympathetic to the Flair as well. Manual controls and honest 54mm flat grinding stones made of German steel.
Cons: It's also simple aesthetically, which may not be to everyone's liking.

Eureka Mignon Zero

With Eureka's Zero, we're already talking about a modern-looking grinder. Maybe in black, which matches the Flair. Another modern "feature" is the accordion on the hopper. Why is that, you say? The name of the mill implies that it has zero retention. And it does this by using this accordion to blow the rest of the coffee out of the grinder by squeezing the hopper.
Pro: You'll love the small, single dose grinder from the popular Eureka, and you'll love the post-grind purge. It's reliable, and Zero Retention in practice means that what you put in comes back out of the grinder. So you don't have to reweigh again.
Cons: It's a small, single dose grinder... no, I'm not just repeating myself, single dose suits some people and sometimes you need to make more coffee and repeated refills would hold you back. Fortunately, you can buy a classic large hopper.

Eureka Mignon Specialty

The smart brother of the previous mill of the Eureka Mignon family. However, the Specialty specializes in being pleasant to use. You can set the dosage directly on the touch panel and the grinder will count down how much to grind each time.
Pro: Both partial automation and motor dampers play a role in the Specialty. The user experience doesn't have to mean that the grinder wakes up your sleeping child, dog, mother-in-law, ...
Cons: There will always be some variation in the individual batches of ground coffee the grinder will dispense. This can only be solved by gravitech, but this feature tends to only be found on pro grinders, and we're in a different price range too. So you have to weigh it manually.

Lelit William PL72

Although primarily designed as a grinder to Lelit lever coffee makers, the William is a good candidate for the Flair as well. You can have it in the classic version or, if you have everything shiny at home, as the William PL72-P in polished stainless steel.
Pro: A modestly sized grinder with a minimalist dosing setup. The small round display is not distracting at all, but will help work-flow. Above all, William has 64 mm flat grinding stones made of steel. Thus, the largest of my entire selection of grinders.
Cons: Italian company Lelit has their products in their distinctive retro design. This is where users' opinions may differ. Some people love retro and others don't. What about you?

Goat Story Arco

This is not a mistake and a duplicate text. Of course, Arco is a hand grinder. It's also an electric grinder. ...what? Yes, it's a convenient 2-in-1 package. That hand grinder described a few paragraphs above is also made with an electric base. You then choose whether to grind it yourself, or throw it in your backpack and grind your coffee by hand wherever you are.
Pro: It's a manual and electric grinder at the same time!
Con: It is a full manual grinder when grinding manually. When electric it falls short of the performance of its sophisticated friends. However, for a Flair that you're also not going to be making coffee for all the neighbors in the neighborhood every day, it's absolutely perfect.

Compatible portafilters for Flair 58

No matter how much you love the Flair 58, there comes a time in every Flairista's life when needs two separate espresso machines. As you know, the Flair 58 and its naked portafilter prepare doppio. Usually that means the perfect cup of coffee, but it may be that you just want a "single shot".

Either you use a measuring cup with a beak and then just split the coffee into two cups. Or you look for a portafilter with a double spout. The Flair 58 has the amazing advantage of compatibility with other 58mm portafilters. There is generally a precedent that portafilters that fit E61 head coffee makers also fit the Flair 58.

These are for example:

ECM portafilter
Rocket Espresso portafilter
VBM portafilter

Themanufacturers of Flair coffee machines themselves have also responded to the interest in the double portafilter . They have therefore contributed with their own product, the 3-in-1 portafilter. You can build thisfor single espresso, doppio or stay with the naked portafilter.

Flair Espresso branded equipment

The branded accessories for Flair espresso machines are growing steadily. In the current portfolio of coffee accessories directly from the manufacturers of your Flair you will find:

Flair 58 Portafilter Funnel
Flair Brew Scale
Flair 58 Battery Pack
3-in-1 58mm Portafilter
Flair 58 Walnut Tamper
Flair Articulating Shot Mirror
Flair 58 Puck Screen
Shot Mirror
Flair 58 Plunger Key

With Flair and the grinder, you have everything. You think. Then you start missing various gadgets or accessories and you wantto complete your basic set-up in your own image. So that the espresso preparation goes really well and you enjoy your coffee as much as possible.

Barista equipment for espresso preparation

In addition to authentic accessories, you can equip your coffee corner with accessories from other quality barista brands. Above all, it's all about making sure your coffee tastes and brews well.

For example, precision baskets portafilter can help you to do this, or:

And also other products from these categories:

FAQ's on the topic:

Which grinder to use with the Flair coffee maker?

In this article above you have a selection of the top 10 grinders suitable for the Flair coffee machine. 5 manual and 5 electric. If you want a multi-function grinder like your Flair then go for???? Goat Story Arco 2in1.

How do you make two espressos from a Flair 58?

Get a dual spout portafilter. The Flair 58 fits the portafilters of the E61 head coffee machines, e.g. ECM, VBM, Rocket Espresso. Flair also offers its own ???? 3in1 portafilter.