The Faema MC is a lesser known 'titan' conical, and since i've bought one I thought it a good opportunity to pull it from obscurity and make a topic for it

CA
I've bought mine secondhand for 250 Euros, which is feel is a good deal. It seems that it is internally the same as the Cimbali Conik and the newer Faema MC99. Also, it looks to be the same as the BNZ Conical.
http://www.espressoworks.com.au/bnz/BNZ.pdf <== exploded view, all the parts match with the Faema.


The motor sound is big and burly and it slightly rocks the ~20 kilo grinder. I have a hard time believing it has a 320w motor as Faema states it has. No data to back it up, but Elektra also says their Nino has a 400w motor instead of the 900w it has.
The housing is completely metal. The red may look like plastic, but it is aluminium.
It took me less than 2 hours to take out the PF fork, the Faema tamphook, the autofill and the doser star and give it a cursory clean. It was in pretty decent condition.
All in all, i like it a _lot_. The pours look better, and although i don't have a definite verdict on taste yet, the fact that it grinds 10 times as fast as me is a plus too.

It has some downsides too.
I dose per shot partly because the ridiculous bowl shaped hopper doesn't fit under the cabinets and partly because I don't like to use half of my coffee just to purge my grinder. Also, the chute is gargantuan. It takes a lot of brushing and a couple of pulses to clear it.
It popcorns like crazy. I have to put a lit on the throat to keep beans from flying everywhere.

(only the lower gap is the chute, i don't know what the upper gap is for.
Not only the chute is huge, the entire grinder is very very large. And not just large, but an ugly brute too.

It's got 60 steps which isn't a huge issue for me since i've always used dose to finetune my shots because the PeDe grind adjuster was small and therefore didn't offer very high resolution.
The threads are both brass and turn with a feel like you only really get from precision machined brass. The inside thread is a separate piece of brass which bolts on the upper aluminium half of the housing instead of being tapped in the aluminium housing like the Mazzers.


The doser sweeps pretty clean after you remove the spring between the stars. It is my first doser, so i can't really comment on feel, but it feels pretty solid.

The non- pictured switch is a large toggle one which only switches a relay. It's a nice switch with a positive click feel like you're switching something important.

As far as i can tell, this will be my last grinder.

PS. This is my first electrical grinder and i've had it for only a couple of days. If my opinion of it changes, I will amend this post.

Since you've been a long-term hand grinder user you can help us with a small test.

Grind enough coffee for three shots from each grinder. Put each dose in a separate marked container, and randomly pull the shots without knowing which grinder they came from. THEN tell us if you get 3/3 for the Faema vs the Dienes. I've never had the chance to compare mine personally, but I've always been skeptical when others report that the notice a difference when they know which grinder the coffee came from.

Thanks!
PC

You're right. I probably shouldn't have jumped to conclusions as fast as i did, but from the 3rd shot on the new MC tasted better to me than the shots on the PeDe, on a pretty familiar blend (Caffenation House Blend, when someone is in Antwerp, you should stop by. This could fully be the 'omg new machine' effect.
I haven't used the PeDe since, as i've got an electrical machine that is faster, quieter and newer to me.
I will do blind tastings. Not today, but when I have time. Until then, i will edit my first post before I make any conclusions on the Faema with regards to taste vs. the PeDe.

What i can say is that i like the PeDe more than i did before. Although the MC is a titan conical and the biggest grinder Faema offers I don't have the feeling the Faema is shaming the PeDe.

Hello,

I bought the same grinder, an MC78 (I think yours is the same, very original colour for yours, purple?)
350W, conical 68mm, 60 steps, 300-400rpm, ~20kg
I choose it for a SAMA machine I just have to finish to restore.

I'm waiting new burrs to test this grinder.

I find that the design is very good, I like!

Whoohoo i'm not alone anymore.
Is this yours?
http://www.planetcafe.fr/forums/viewtop...f=4&t=1932 *
I think your grinder is a bit older as it got a more ornate dosing lever and coarseness dial. The buttons are different too and my base is higher.
The rest looks exactly the same though.

If you want to use it with a small 45mm basket, consider making a tiny funnel similar to AndyS's schnozzola, this makes it easier to see where the grounds will come out.

It's a bit of a pain to get the inner burr out. Don't use the burr chamber sweeper to hold the burr still. It'll break. I screwed down the upper burr carrier with hard rice inbetween and gripped the upper burr carrier with my hand while i turned the screw.
The rest is very easy to service. To remove the autofill, just take out the mechanism, and connect the two wires.
The doser star can use a tapemod for extra cleanliness.

PS peacecup, i've got an accurate scale now, so blind taste testings will come.

*HOLY sh** DO THOSE FRENCH PEOPLE HAVE NICE STUFF
http://www.planetcafe.fr/forums/viewforum.php?f=5

There is one for sale at Marktplaats, bids are still under 100 euro. (Dutch market-site, sorry.)

That's an MP78. An altogether different beast. ~54mm flat burrs.

Ah, fooled by the design.

this is a very good grinder i got about 10 of this grinder and works fine the only disadvantage of this grinder are
weight and size, the lever is not so strong and occasionally breaks.

I have tried a couple hand mills, which makes me far from an expert but I have always gotten a clearer, brighter cup with a good electric mill. Be it flat or conical but I am sure there are plenty of others that would argue the exact opposite.