With the Faemina, the company Faema is entering the home espresso machine market. Faema had recently become popular in the kitchens and homes of home baristas, mainly due to its iconic brew group, the Faema E61. The company's focus, however, had been on commercial espresso machines with the E71.
With the Faemina, Faema aims to build on the success story of the brew group and positions a single-group portafilter machine in the premium segment. The bulky espresso machine costs more than 6000 Euros or 7000 Swiss Francs. The name, with its diminutive form "-ina", fits neither the price nor the machine's dimensions. The Faemina weighs a hefty 37 kg, is 41.5 cm high, 51.7 cm deep, and 37.5 cm wide. With the portafilter inserted, it reaches a depth of 62.5 cm. So the diminutive is hardly fitting here, but it does suit the machine's functionality. Because the Faemina has one main strength: it brews coffee well and consistently. Flow rate control or pressure profiling are absent in this elegant block. Nevertheless, the machine features a smart pre-infusion function, which distinguishes it positively from, for example, the similarly priced GS3 from La Marzocco. And the Faemina can brew filter coffeehttps://kaffeemacher.de/blogs/kaffeewissen/dualboiler-espressomaschinen-tests/ — in principle, at least. Let's dive in and take a detailed look at the machine.
Buying the Faema Faemina Dual Boiler
The following specialist shops sell the Faema Faemina Dual Boiler, and we recommend purchasing a machine from these businesses. They all offer to adjust the machine's offset.
Germany:
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Strengths and Weaknesses of the Faemina
Pros of the espresso machine
- Fast heat-up time of the espresso boiler, only 7 minutes
- Very good temperature stability
- Quiet machine at only 51 decibels
- Easily controllable via the brew group controls
- Powerful steaming
- Relatively low power consumption, especially with the steam boiler turned off
- Interesting machine for small catering businesses
Cons of the espresso machine
- Workmanship of the drip tray
- Limited flow and pressure adjustment options
- App glitches
Positioning and Classification
Yes, the Faemina is a single-group espresso machine. Yes, Faema also wants to be more present in the home segment. Nevertheless, it will be debatable whether the Faemina is not, after all, a single-group commercial espresso machine. The components used certainly are. Apart from the pump, the Faemina uses the internal components that we also know from President and Co. This ensures very good performance and makes the Faemina a very consistent and high-quality espresso machine.
From brewing to steam performance, what the Faema delivers is very good and can hold its own in any commercial establishment. I would now write: perfect for small cafés or bakeries. If only the Faemina itself weren't so bulky. Because first, a place for it has to be found.
Of course, the Faemina also does a great job on the home barista bar. And one of the strongest arguments for the espresso machine is its fantastically fast heat-up time for a boiler. The 0.6-liter brew boiler is located directly above the portafilter and ensures that the portafilter also heats up quickly. In addition, the Faemina prioritizes energy to the brew boiler first, making it ready for use after just 7 minutes. The machine itself signals that the heat-up time is complete after 5 minutes. If you want to brew a cappuccino, you'll have to wait a few more minutes.
This fast heat-up time can compete with many thermoblocks. Admittedly, after testing many espresso machines with Faema E61 brew groups, which need a good 25 minutes to heat up, I still have to get used to a 7-minute warm-up time for a Faema.
Good Espresso Thanks to Temperature and Pre-infusion
A consistent brewing temperature and a cleverly implemented pre-infusion contribute to the Faemina's ability to prepare excellent espresso. The Faemina is a reliable machine, which has been repeatedly demonstrated in all our measurements. Both the Kaffeemacher protocol and the much more extensive WBC protocol with high cycling between extractions showed the high temperature consistency of the espresso machine.
The WBC protocol compares the consistency of the espresso machine's extraction from second 4 to 25. The Faemina showed strong consistency and only a standard deviation of 0.49 across all extractions. The PID temperature control can be operated via the app and directly via the control on the brew group.
It's impressive that the Faemina machine was able to brew at temperature after just 7 minutes. This is clearly visible in the KM temperature protocol below. All measurements were taken with the Scace 2.
Pre-infusion thanks to water diversion
The Faemina has a pre-infusion with a lower flow rate. This is achieved by a bypass that, when the function is activated, directs the water to the brew group via a hose reduced to 0.6 cm. This allows the coffee puck to be saturated with water before the brew water is delivered to the coffee with full pump power via the larger inlet pipe. It's a bit of a shame that while the reduction in flow rate is successful, almost 3 ml per second are still delivered to the coffee under back pressure. This could be less to utilize this function even better.
The control of the water diversion, as well as the ability to completely pause the water supply, are also important functions for using the Faemina's filter coffee option.
A prerequisite for this is also a precise flowmeter, which on the Faemina allows for the programming of 5 buttons. What sounds self-evident is not possible on many espresso machines in the dual boiler and heat exchange segment with Faema E61 brew groups. However, a smoothly functioning volume control is a prerequisite for use in gastronomy. And here, the Faemina's flowmeter marks another plus point.
Steam Performance with Power
The 2.6-liter steam boiler provides powerful milk frothing. 300 ml are frothed to temperature within 20 seconds. For comparison: the Quick Mill Essence takes over 40 seconds for this.
Accordingly, the milk can be frothed smoothly. Here too, we note: with this performance, the Faemina once again proves that it can cut a fine figure in gastronomy.
Accessories and Workmanship
Included in the delivery are a single and a double portafilter, equipped with classic Faema baskets. The baskets are of sufficient quality, but could be improved with precision baskets.
The 58mm tamper is high-quality, but does not fit flush with the included baskets. We measure an edge clearance of 0.85 mm. Also included are fixed water connections and a drain hose, as the rotary pump can be connected to the mains water supply.
Speaking of the rotary pump: it hums quietly to itself and reaches only 51 decibels. That is exceptionally quiet. The button tones of the machine were louder, but fortunately could be switched off.
Overall, the machine's workmanship is also good, with a few minor exceptions. Even with Faema's large espresso machines, I'm surprised by the poor feel of some plastic parts. The steam activation lever, for example, has obvious seams. That's simply not nice. However, the plastic drip tray really contrasts with the machine. It just doesn't fit! The plastic is thin and looks like a foreign object on the heavy machine.
For the plastic grid on the machine, one could at least argue that it protects the machine from scratches. But that's not exactly beautiful either. In addition, the screw covers directly under the grid are not firmly attached and quickly slide down when the grid is moved.
However, these minor flaws cannot overshadow the machine's overall good workmanship and appeal.
Filter Coffee Performance of the Faemina
The Faemina has a brewing program for filter coffee. The integrated flowmeter, in conjunction with a control unit, allows for pre-infusion and a number of pulses to be programmed.
While the duration and water volume of the pre-infusion can be set, only the number of pulses and the last pulse can be programmed for the main brew. For calculating the total brewing time, it must therefore be noted that the draining time also needs to be included. For a total volume of 300 ml, for example, a last pulse could be delivered after 1:40 minutes.
The brewing performance is significantly determined by the shower's distribution capability and the control of the pulse programming. In our case, the shower delivers water slightly unevenly, which caused the coffee on the corresponding side of the filter to be more agitated.
It is also practical that the drip tray can be easily raised and lowered, so that at least the filter suitable for the machine with a pot fits under the brew group.
Faema itself sells a filter set matching the machine, which, however, proves to be too wide in our test. A more cylindrical format, such as the clamp-on filter screen developed by Scott Rao (to be discussed in one of our next videos), seems to have significantly better properties for brewing espresso with an espresso machine. The recommended filter is not wetted with water in the outer areas, and the coffee lying there is thus not sufficiently extracted, leading to an uneven coffee extraction.
The pulse setting option certainly allows for a good filter coffee to be brewed with some optimization. At home, however, I would always prefer to use a hand filter and a pot and brew the coffee well by clean agitation and targeted pouring. However, if there are several groups (several Faeminas?) in a gastronomy establishment or an infrequently used espresso machine, the filter function is certainly an interesting option.
Energy Consumption
One might think that such a large espresso machine must consume a lot of electricity. And indeed it does at full power and with the steam boiler switched on. If you leave it off, however, the Faemina achieves a low consumption of only 0.144 kWh for 5 shots according to the KM protocol, thanks to the short heat-up time. In this scenario, one espresso, including heating, consumes 0.1 kWh.
When we switch on the steam boiler, we reach a value of 0.35 kWh, which is remarkably low considering the large steam boiler. If we switch on the steam boiler, we consume 0.29 kWh for brewing an espresso. A cappuccino, on the other hand, amounts to 0.31 kWh.
Conclusion on the Faemina by Faema
The Faemina is an interesting espresso machine. Many things indicate that it is suitable for use in small catering establishments, for catering events, or even in larger offices with coffee-loving employees. The latter will appreciate the fast heat-up time, and the machine's start can also be programmed via the app. For gastronomy, the fast heat-up time is less essential but still a nice bonus. The good overall performance in terms of temperature and steam quality are important prerequisites for brewing many coffees in a short time.
For private use, the size and especially the price could serve as counter-arguments, although the fast heat-up time and the quality of the espresso are, of course, pro-arguments. However, it is certain that there are other machines on the market with greater flexibility and adjustment options for flow rate control for significantly less money. But for those who do not value these aspects and are looking for a very solid machine with its own aesthetic and good performance, the Faemina will prove to be a very good espresso machine.
