There have been a couple of prior threads on this, but all are too old for new posts. Recently got a second series (Blue label, white rocker switches) Faemina back up and running. This is the machine I had posted about back in October, seeking help with re-wiring. Now that she's fully functional, I'm working on dialing in shots.

The first thing I noticed is that, despite the 51mm basket, the Faemina likes to be down dosed. Mine came with the OEM single basket but no double, and I have a PF that fits the Pavoni millenium double basket just perfectly. Sure, you can cram 18 grams in the basket...but such a dose hits the shower screen and I've only had poor results with this approach. 14 grams has been my sweet spot with this lever.

I've found the appropriate grind to be similar to a Caravel - that is, a bit coarser than one might use for a Pavoni or Cremina. Tamp is firm but not super hard.

The Faemina group is part of the brass boiler, so it tends to run a bit hot. Consequently, I've had better luck with lighter roasts, as the lower temps appropriate for darker roasts are a bit more difficult to manage consistently (I've not tried using a group thermometer or temp strips). I turn both elements on, and once it is really pumping out steam through the OPV, I do a couple of warming flushes with blank PF in place, switch off the high element, and lock in the PF with loaded basket. Pre-infusion is accomplished with the tiniest depression of the lever - just enough to open the gommino. I hold for a count of ten, then pull all the way through, and release. If I get the grind and tamp just right, the flow is a slow but steady stream and roughly 20 seconds total.

One thing I did discover as a result of inadvertantly choking the machine when I was figuring out the grind - this is a spring lever that, like the Brunella, allows you to assist the spring on the way up. Using this 'assist' approach, I've achieved some very syrupy shots with a nice hunk of crema, but if left unassisted, shots with too fine a grind are watery, bitter, and generally very poor.

What have others found with their Faeminas?

Really cool! I don't own a Faema Faemina, but do love the vintage look of said machine. Here is a video that I found through Francesco Ceccarelli website - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bKrTUncsV4 Notice the short pre-infusion.

Regarding temperature management, do you manage to pull several shots in a row by turning the machine off right before pulling the shot (and back on again right after pulling the shot)?

Hi there! I have set the pressure release valve on my Feamina to idle the group around 92 Celsius (197 F) with the low (200w) element on.
This way I may have less steampower, but I have a constant good cup of coffee

So my routine is: Warm up (with portafilter in) on high setting, and switch to low setting when the valve is rumbling. Wait a couple of minutes until the portafilter is warmed up and the rumble is stable - then the temperature is stable.
I use 14-15 grams of my Cremina-grind-setting.
Grind, dose, tamp (a light push), lock in and pull. I normally preinfuse 5-8 seconds, and normally only do one pull.

I used a thermocouple to check the temperature, but it's also possible just to tune the valve by taste - using the same dose and grind - if the coffee is sour, the temp is too low - if the coffee is bitter/burnt, the temp is too high.

Greg, I'm glad you posted this. I've been using the Faema Faemina (blue label with white rocker switches like yours) I picked up from the Orphan Espresso clearance exclusively and enjoying pulling shots with it, and I've been hoping to see more discussion on these machines online. I've resisted the urge to add thermometry to this classic machine, which means that having a shot pulling ritual becomes more important to ensure proper temperature. I've tried to rush this ritual once or twice with poor results.

I'll fill up the Faemina with water and fire it up on high with the portafilter locked in (without a basket) until the pressure release valve starts to hum pretty good. At this point, I switch to the low setting and place the hefty portafilter in a cool water bath to cool down and then lock it into the group to cool the group prior to the shot. I may do this two or three times while I prep my double basket (which I share with my Millennium group Gaggia Factory) normally with a high dose of 16 grams. I may have to try a 14 gram does, because 16 grams leaves the shower screen pretty dirty.

Once I've ground the coffee into the basket (using a short OE dosing funnel to make it easier), I'll tap the grounds down on a hockey puck and then tamp, then I'll cool off the portafilter again and wipe it dry and lock the portafilter with basket into the group. I'll pull the lever all the way down to start the pre-infusion. I let the lever rise enough for a drop or two to appear in the basket in the first few seconds and then return the lever all the way down and hold it for a total pre-infusion time of ten to twelve seconds. I'll then let the lever rise and start the extraction, and if I want a larger shot, I'll bring the lever back down before it rises up too far to increase the shot volume. I normally don't help the lever up, though that does work for a choked shot or to increase body of the shot.

I'll shut off the Faemina's power after the shot and leave the portafilter locked in while I drink my drink to prevent portafilter sneeze. I'll then unlock the portafilter, clean it and the basket and put the portafilter in a cold water bath and clean off the group, turning the power back on low if I plan another shot. The Faemina pressure release valve usually starts to hum pretty soon and I'll lock in the cool portafilter in the group prior to pulling another shot.

I know that this isn't very precise, but I think it's harder to put this into words than to just work with the machine and pull the shot.

You guys inspired me to pull out the Faemina after a few months of neglect. I made a brief video of a shot pull while monitoring boiler pressure and group temperature. I crudely attached a thermometer to the group at about the half way point. I noticed readings can differ substantially depending on where you take your reading from. I'm not sure if I picked the most ideal spot but it allows me a reference point. I pulled the shot just as the low element reached 0.3 BAR, which gave me a group temperature of about 92 degrees C. If I wait longer the element will hold the machine at about 0.35-0.4 BAR, but the group temps will hover around 94-95 degrees. You can see at the end of the shot it was up to 94. I used 16 grams of coffee. I've tried other doses but this one seems to work for me. Cooling the portafilter might help with subsequent shots or you can use the on/off switch to try to regulate temperature, as I sometimes do. Also, I'm experimenting with shorter pre-infusion times and 5 seconds seems to work ok.

I have faemina rebranded as a EMI Emina that I have been using as my morning machine for a few months now.

I start by turning on both elements with the portafilter in the machine. When it starts to rock and roll I first steam a small amount of half&half and then the water in my cup for a pre-heat. At this point I remove the portafilter and turn off the high element. Being a very non-scientific person I have never weighed a dose in my life...I fill the stock double basket to the rim and give it a fairly firm tamp. After installing the portafilter again I release enough steam pressure so the machine is idling quietly and then do a ten second pre-infusion with the shot then taking about 18 seconds. The result is a delicious ristretto.

I find that the flavor profile is similar to the microcimbali I used to own. I loved and hated that machine, it made the best espresso of any machine I've owned but the corroding aluminum boiler was a liability. The faemina is an excellent substitute...not as good looking (purely an opinion) but much better workmanship.

I don't really like this machine for back to back shots. Portafilter sneeze and overheating could be overcome but I have other machines that are better performers in this realm so I use them when company is over.

Hmmm....looking at a few of these vids of different shots (as always, it's easy to get lost in YouTube once you start looking), there seem to be two schools of tamping (light or perhaps just leveling vs. firm). I say this because some of the shots have the lever coming up so quickly that the barista restrains its progress, so those are the light tamp camp. Others are clearly going for the 'classic' 30 second espresso shot and the lever raises slowly.

Grind and dose would also influence lever progress, of course. I wonder if these variances are reflective of personal preferences in terms of shot volume and body or if they are the result of discoveries around group temp management?

I find the gommino to be both fascinating and frustrating. It adds a variable to developing a ritual - and I agree with Yakster that ritual is important when thermotry and manometers are absent (well, ritual and routine are probably important for repeatable, excellent shots no matter what). Some preinfuse simply by opening the gommino and holding there, while others use a more typical pre-infusion by taking the lever all the way down.

Larry, I'm with you - I moved away from weighing doses about a year ago and just eyeball them. The exception is when I'm dialing in a new-to-me machine. Anyway, this morning's shot was about 14g, same beans and grinder as the past few days. The only thing I changed was to preinfuse by pulling all the way through instead of the tiny gommino engagement. The resulting shot was...pretty much exactly the same as my previous efforts this week. Hmm.

I actually weighed my dose this morning on the gram scale I use for weighing bicycle parts. It does not measure tenths so I'm guessing that its accuracy is not so good on the lower end of the scale. My dose this morning was just shy of level and measured 12 grams, though I suspect this measure is low. Maybe I will weigh my doses for a while to check the consistency of my eyeballing.

I open the Gommino for the first 3-4 seconds and then a full pull for the rest of the 10 second pre-infusion. Results, still delicious