Why Manual Espresso Machines Are Underrated

Want to see more videos like this? SUBSCRIBE for specialty coffee related reviews, tutorials, small business education and more! Try out our Summer seasonal blend, Tanlines: https://valor.coffee/shop/tanlines-su... Early in my coffee career, I thought manual espresso machines were a bit of a gimmick. I was wrong. In this video, I break down why I often recommend a manual machines over automatic machines at almost any budget: how it stacks up against the Breville Barista Express Impress at the same price point, and how it holds its own against a Decent DE1 that costs 4-5x more. I brew real shots start to finish; including one where I intentionally mess up the dose, to show you how manual pressure control can save a shot that would've been wasted on a fixed-pressure machine. I'm also honest about the one real thing you give up going manual: workflow. Try my company Valor’s staple blend, Freethrow: https://valor.coffee/shop/freethrow 0:00 Why Manual Espresso Isn't Just a Gimmick 1:04 How Manual Espresso Machines Work 4:36 Price Comparison: Flair 58 vs Breville 5:46 Stepping Up: Decent & San Remo Tier 9:11 Brewing a Standard Shot on the Flair 58 12:20 Saving a Bad Dose With Pressure Profiling 14:28 The Biggest Downside of Manual Espresso 15:47 The Flair E-Wizard Steam Wand 18:05 Who Should Skip This Setup 20:21 Final Thoughts Follow me on Instagram:   / rileywestbrook   Follow me on TikTok:   / riley_westbrook   Follow me on Twitter:   / westbrookriley   Listen to my podcast: https://valor.coffee/podcast #specialtycoffee #coffee #thirdwavecoffee