Posting initial impressions of the Flair PRO 2 to aid others considering this machine. (Tried to add this to the PRO thread, but it's closed so starting a new one for the PRO 2)

Other machines considered: I have a lower-end pump machine that makes good lattes/cappas for guests, but wanted something easier and higher quality for daily espresso shots and settled on manual lever machines. The Cafelet Robot would probably be my top choice, but given the shipping costs during this pandemic I couldn't justify a total cost of almost $200 more for a comparable kit to the Flair PRO 2.

Workflow: I used the Flair PRO review and user experience thread as guides so not repeating here. I've only run a couple bags of beans through the system and have much still to learn. Flair Signature PRO Review and User Experience: Flair Signature PRO

Grinder: Bought a new Lido ET grinder currently dialed in at 4 marks more coarse than zero. Ran a bag of inexpensive beans through it to break in the burrs and get an initial dial in for the Pro2. Used RDT to reduce static which works great.

Tamping process: WDT followed by side taps to level the pile, one tap straight down on the counter, followed by a light nutating tamp.

Pre-heating of group head: My kettle is a 1.2L Hario on a gas stove. I did 2 pre-heats of the group head with water just off the boil prior to putting the head on the portafilter to fill again and pull the shot. I added the optional adhesive temp strip to the group head at the base, and while I didn't validate its accuracy it appears consistent so should be useful for day-to-day shot pulls as a relative indicator the group head is hot enough. At one point I wanted to see how high a temp I could record on the temp strip by doing 6 successive pre-heats, but found it leveled off after 3 pre-heats at 194F on the strip.

Initial goal: My current working 'recipe' is a pull of 20g coffee in, 40g shot out using a 15 sec pre-infusion followed by ~40sec pull at 6-7 bar. This has yielded good shots thus far.

Defects/issues noticed:
I haven't had any problems with the portafilter separating even a little from the group head, or "sneezes", as was reported in the Pro reviews, but I've been sticking to 6-7 bar pulls using smooth consistent pressure. Nor have I experienced any stuttering of the piston as some reported. I have noticed an initial donut extraction pattern at the start of pre-infusion, but when I start to pull, the center fills in nicely. I tried a few different grinds, doses, and pre-infusion pressures but so far the donut persists. I also get 1-2 brief sprites per pull but they disappear quickly. I have much learning still to do.

Initial Conclusion: I think the PRO 2 is a cost effective way to explore quality espresso shots. My results so far are positive and I'm drinking my mistakes, which are as good as any of the espresso this uneducated palate has previously consumed. Definitely recommended.

Workflow improvement: using a moka pot base with a little water to preheat the PRO 2 portafilter and group head at the same time I am preparing the shot. Easily achieved ~200F group head preheat temp in a few min.

I started with an older version of the Signature (before the pressure gauge and bottomless PF became standard) purchased from an HB member. It served me well during the numerous preventive power outages last year, despite being limited to 16g doses of medium roast. It was easy to preheat the brew chamber in the boiling water, removing it with tongs. I purchased a 2nd brew chamber with bottomless portafilter, and everything fit nicely into the case, along with a mini scale. Recently I came across a good deal in Buy/Sell for a PRO 2, and impulsively jumped on it. The pressure gauge and larger portafilter is a big plus, and the 2-piece SS drip tray is a nice improvement. I've been experimenting with using my Stagg EKG kettle to preheat the chamber, by placing it so the 3 steam holes are covered:



Whille this works well, a bit of water collects in the area around the knob and must be poured off the side. Also, it takes several additional minutes to get really hot once the water reaches boiling temp. If I was in a hurry I would set it on the silicone cover and pour boiling water into it once or twice. When there's a power outage I'll just drop into the gas-heated kettle as I did for the older Flair.

I'm thinking about getting a 2nd portafilter (without an additional brew chamber) for back-to-back shots. Not only would this be considerably less expensive, it would all fit in the case, along with small scale and WDT tool:



Has anyone else gotten a 2nd portafilter? If so, did you also get a 2nd screen or just reuse it after wiping? FWIW, the scale is one I purchased last year after seeing it recommended in the forum; it's tiny, works great, and the price is right!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004O ... UTF8&psc=1

FWIW, there's a FB page Brew with Flair where the latest Flair news is posted. For example, there is a double-spouted portafilter attachment in the works. And there's a new version of the portafilter with the taper lower, which will allow smaller doses (the tamper bottoms out at the taper, but users have reported that the plastic measuring cup/tamper will go deeper as it is slightly narrower). If I get a 2nd portafilter I might as well get one of the new ones.

Dave; Thanks for the link to the FB group. I did get a second portafilter but not a second screen. I just rinse it off as part of resetting the brew head for the next pull. FYI; my new PRO 2 didn't include the lower taper in either portafilter, but in my case it's a non-issue since I'm not interested in single shots and don't expect to dose below 16g.

P.S. Really liking the moka pot base to pre-heat the group head and portafilter at the same time I am heating water in the kettle for the shot(s). They both fit perfectly almost as if designed for it. Definitely speeds up workflow and turnaround for the next shot. Might be worth trying to find a used moka pot if you don't have one.

EDIT: Turns out I did get the new portafilter basket with the change in the taper. See image below. (Apparently the silicone cover color isn't an indicator of new/old design either):

Interesting thoughts on preinfusion with a manual lever like the Flair and Robot focusing on how quickly the portafilter screen gets filled in when ramping up pressure after preinfusion. Finding an 18g dose works good for this on the PRO 2, which may offset any taste concerns due to 'dreaded' donut extractions during preinfusion.

https://towardsdatascience.com/pre-infu ... 3b2542152e

Picked up this scale with timer which works nicely with the PRO 2. The door is removable. I also removed the drip tray from the Flair so the scale sits flat on the counter within the oval base. Using the silicone bowl that came with the scale to hold the group head and other parts.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XQS8JL6/re ... jFbYBHYY7W

Flair just released a double-spout attachment for the Pro 2 the other day:

https://www.flairespresso.com/product-p ... pout-pro-2

A quick video review of the Flair PRO 2 vs. Cafelat Robot. Not nearly as detailed as the excellent reviews of both machines on HB, but appears to be a fair assessment for those considering purchasing one of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g_Kj-VUqSM

Posting user impressions after one month of daily use. This is a lonely thread here on HB, but I don't care because I'm very happy with the results!

Workflow
Put moka pot base and kettle on the gas stove. Once the moka base is boiling, put group head on. Meanwhile, prep coffee and place portafilter into lever holder. When temp strip on group head is at desired temp (usually 203F), place on portafilter, pour in water from kettle, attach gauge and start pull. Very little wait time between any of these steps and the long pole is the water starting to boil. The moka pot base pre-heat is the best workflow improvement here.

Coffee prep
WDT using a dissecting needle followed by side taps to level bed. Then lightly place the tamper on top of the coffee as vertical as I can eyeball. Using thumb and index finger of each hand press lightly and equally on the base of the tamper keeping it vertical, turn portafilter 1/4, press again keeping tamper vertical. Keep turning/repeating until coffee just stops compressing. Quick spin of the tamper and remove. Place screen into portafilter using thumbs on either side of basket to slide it straight into place on top of the coffee.

Pulling the shot
I home roast and prefer light SO roasts. For these coffees, I generally like a 2.5-3:1 shot with 18g coffee using a ~15 sec pre-infusion at ~2 bar, followed by a ~45 sec pull at a max of ~7 bar, then declining to ~2 bar at the end of the pull. But, I've mostly stopped paying attention to the pressure/time, and instead I use a mirror to eyeball the 'mouse tail' emerging from the portafilter and let the filter coverage and color of the liquid guide me.

Drinking the shot
I let the shot rest for several minutes, then give a quick stir before drinking. Really liking the results, and the last sip is usually completely cooled many minutes later and is wonderful.

Downsides
All in all I am very happy. There have been a few times when I've pulled +9 bar shots where I've noticed the group head and portafilter separate a bit during the pull, but no leakage occurs. But since I've settled ~7 bar max pull's in daily use, this isn't an issue for me.

Steve, your thread may seem lonely, but I'm appreciating the feedback!
My old Gaggia does an ok job at espresso but I've been really interested in either a Flair or Robot (leaning towards the former and I'm digging your results. With the moka pot preheat, are you just setting the group upside down over the base with a little water and steam heating it?