Man, this thread went down the rabbit hole since page 1....
Looking forward to that comparison review! The combo of flair + fellow ekg has treated me well thus far. I do have the stainless steel piston, which i drop in my espresso cup and pour boiling water over to preheat. It works for me! I was curios about the Rok, but ultimately preferred the potential portability of the Flair over the Rok. I'm sure both machines make good enough espresso for my taste buds, and neither appear to require much upkeep. Will be interesting to get a relative expert's opinion!