Unboxing a new old Faema Baby!

#1: Post by **samuellaw178** » June 7th, 2018, 1:14 am

It's been a long time since I've acquired any new toy, and my hunch was right that it's was about to happen...

Note: This will be a picture-heavy post, enjoy!

If you've been following the lever forum, you probably have seen the Cafelat Robot fever happening over in the other thread. When I saw this Faema Baby with Cafelat Robot's pale green, I just couldn't pass it up! Would be super interesting to have them side by side after the Robot is shipped! I would also be curious if any of the part is interchangeable... This is technically a Faema Baby take-2 for me as I had previously owned a salmon pink Faema Baby many years ago.

This time, I lucked out and scored the Baby with full accessories, and more importantly *gasp* the retail box and the documentation are intact and are included!

Parcel of love from France:

Unboxing....note the illustration - holding it like a Baby:

Peeking into the box, what's in there?

Taadaa! Look at the spoon! Most importantly, the seal is like new! Looks to be not used or used very little.

Achievement unlocked - A wild Faema Baby has been captured!

To me, the most interesting aspect has been the manual booklet in its 1960s glory. I was expecting some typical Italiano manual instruction like "pull one time for single, and two times for double", but no, that's not the case! It turned out to be pretty in-depth, even if you don't understand Italian!

Here're some of the page snapshots:

The booklet cover:

Here's the accessories list that should come in the box!

How cool is that, it even included the tips for preheating!

Every page of explanation is accompanied by some cartoon illustration. This is my favourite (I don't read Italian but I assume it's something about grinding too fine and a choked shot). You just gotta love the Faema coffee lady!

Official Faema's product.

The whole thing is just ~1.3kg. Needless to say I brought it to work in my backpack!

Un caffe crema:

This should do until the Cafelat Robot is shipping.

#2: Post by **feitz** » June 7th, 2018, 8:45 am

looks like you even have the stainless steel portafilter... nice capture.

June 7th, 2018, 9:20 am

I wish! It's actually pretty lightweight, indicating it's aluminium or similar. It feels very different from the aluminium used on my Rossa though. I am really hoping the Cafelat portafilter would fit somehow.

#4: Post by **arcus** » June 7th, 2018, 9:46 am

Wow, that's an awesome score! A comparison would be very cool.

#5: Post by **drgary** » June 8th, 2018, 2:04 am

New in box. What a fantastic score for side-by-side comparison!

#6: Post by **walt_in_hawaii** » June 8th, 2018, 9:55 pm

Excellent demonstration of your hunting prowess, Samuel! Congrats!

aloha,
walt

#7: Post by **sweaner** » June 9th, 2018, 10:20 am

That is simply a stunning machine.

And, soon you will have the Faema Baby's baby!! Nothing more satisfying than reuniting a family!

#8: Post by **Stanic** » June 9th, 2018, 10:36 am

wow, so nice and the illustrations are great!

#9: Post by **Freddy Camacho** » June 9th, 2018, 11:39 am

Awesome find...post some vids please.

June 9th, 2018, 6:51 pm

Thanks guys!

Surely I will post some videos when I can. And probably share some of my findings in relearning the Faema Baby. The lever is so smooooth and so satisfying when you get the grind right.

In the mean while, I have found a scanner and digitalized the manual booklet.

Enjoy, though it isn't quite the same as how it feels with the actual copy in your hand.

If someone could translate them it'd be great! Otherwise I will have to resort to my poor Google-translated italian.

Update 15 Aug 2019 : Thanks Ron for the translation (below)! Cafelat Robot User Experience

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Page 1
The secret of crema coffee at home.

Page 2
Faema Baby
Portafilter, measuring spoon, shower screen, filter.

Page 3
Place a receptacle on a heat source with enough water for the amount of coffee you want (1/4 liter for 4 cups, 1/2 liter for 8 cups, etc.).

Page 4
1. Raise the levers and remove the portafilter.
2. After taking out the shower screen, immerse the filter and portafilter for a moment in boiling water. This should be enough to get rid of the "icy" metal.
3. Place two measures of very finely ground coffee (coffee bar type) in the filter and tap the filter with the coffee measure in order to uniformly distribute the coffee at the bottom of the filter. (Two coffee measures are for two portions of coffee.)

Page 5
Place the shower screen in the filter and press it on the coffee as much as possible, making sure the level is not uneven, but is completely horizontal.

Page 6
Fill the filter with boiling water up to 2-3 millimeters under the rim. The water should boil not to make a very hot coffee but to get the best extraction.

Page 7
Attach the portafilter to the machine and put the espresso cups under the spouts on the circular marks on the base. The portafilter can be attached on either side.

Page 8
Slowly lower the levers until the piston contacts the water level. Then use force, supporting your open palms on the knobs at the bottom of the levers, gradually forcing out the coffee.

Page 9
Using the Faema Baby is very simple. If you don't obtain an exquisite crema coffee and you have any problems, this is how you solve them:
If water drips out of the top of the portafilter when you lower the levers, remember to lower them slowly, in order to avoid feeling resistance. Only after that should you use pressure on the levers.

Page 10
If the coffee starts to drip out of the spouts when you just start to pour it in the filter and before inserting the portafilter in the machine, or if it drips without even putting any pressure on the levers after the portafilter is attached, this means that the grind is too coarse. In this case, you have to have it ground or grind finer, using the grind used at coffee bars as an example.

Page 11
If you feel no resistance at all when you lower the levers for the first time and diluted coffee comes out of the spouts, this means your grind is too coarse and will be corrected if you follow the previous instructions.

Page 12
If you get too much resistance when you lower the levers, this means that the coffee has been pulverized and not ground properly. In this case as well, correct the grind, taking the coffee bar grind as an example.

Page 13
When the levers reach the bottom of their travel, keep them in this position until the coffee stream decreases. If you release the downward pressure and the levers start to rise, this means that there is still usable coffee in the filter.

Page 14
Raise the levers again and quickly repeat the operation of lowering and keeping them pressed until the coffee exits. If the levers rise again, repeat the operation until they stay down by themselves when no pressure is exerted. If air flows out of the spouts, the coffee is ready.

Page 15
If you need to make more coffee, raise the levers, remove the portafilter, take out the shower screen, tap the filter in order to empty the used puck. If you want more than two coffees, repeat the procedures described above. It's advisable to always have water on a heat source to keep it boiling.

Page 16
If one spout puts out more coffee than the other, the shower screen or the machine is not perfectly horizontal. A simple correction can fix this.

Page 17
The secret of a perfect crema coffee at home has been revealed! Faema appliances are sold with a guarantee!

This is the flyer that was included with the machine.