Sixty years of E61, one bad day
A Faema that won't hold temperature mid-rush turns the best bar in the room into a queue of apologies. We repair the whole line, Hamilton to Oshawa: E71E and E71 Touch, President GTI, Prestige, the E61 Legend and Cult, the little Faemina, the X30 super-automatic, and the E91-era veterans still pulling shots decades on. Scaled thermosiphons, drifting GTi sensors, weeping mushroom valves: name the symptom and we've likely had that panel off before.
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Faema invented the E61 group in 1961, and most of modern espresso still runs on that idea. The current machines split into two temperaments: heritage thermosiphon platforms like the E61 Legend and Cult that age the way good brass does, and the GTi-era E71 family, where multi-boilers, gravimetric load cells, and touchscreens do the thinking. Cafes and hotel bars run both. From the bench, the pattern is consistent: the electronics rarely die first; scale and hardened gaskets do the quiet damage.
Call for Faema service →Why Grajqevci
Call in the morning and a technician is usually on-site before the day is out. Most Faema jobs get diagnosed and fixed on the first visit.
Commercial coffee equipment is all we do, and Faema is one of the platforms we know best. Not a generalist guessing at a service manual. Genuine OEM parts, industry-standard procedures.
Flat rate for the visit, with parts billed separately. For bigger jobs you'll see a written quote on-site before we proceed.
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Our services
Boilers, grinders, brew units, milk systems, touchscreens, error codes. We troubleshoot the issue and quote parts before any work begins.
Plumbed-in or self-contained, we handle water filtration, calibration, and staff onboarding so your machine pours perfectly from day one.
Scheduled servicing tuned to your daily volume. Gaskets, seals, descaling, milk system overhaul. Extends machine life by years.
Faema faults we diagnose
Below are the Faema faults we get called for most, with the usual cause behind each and how we put it right.
Hard water will scale the thermosiphon loop on an E61-derived group inside a few years if nothing treats it, and the group slowly stops holding brew temperature: a cool group body, uneven shots, slow recovery between rounds. We disassemble the group, chemically descale the thermosiphon path, fit new mushroom valve and pre-infusion chamber gaskets, and confirm the group holds stable heat across several test shots.
Small rubber gaskets seal the mushroom and pre-infusion chamber, and years of thermal cycling harden them until they crack. The giveaway is a drip from the group bell during pre-infusion, or water weeping from the lever cam. We strip the group, replace every gasket along with the mushroom valve seal, lubricate with food-safe grease, and pressure-test before the machine goes back to work.
Six to twelve months of daily volume is all a group gasket gets before it hardens and starts to leak around the portafilter. The fix is routine for any Faema E-series: we back-flush the group, pull the dispersion screen and shower screw, fit a fresh gasket, scrub or replace the screen if it's dimpled, and check the seal across five test shots.
When every group is down on pressure at once, the suspects are a worn rotary pump or an OPV that has drifted from its setting. Measuring brew pressure at the portafilter with a calibrated gauge tells us which. We reset the OPV to 9 bar, replace the pump if output sags under sustained load, and check inlet pressure too, since an undersized RO system can quietly starve the pump.
A single slow group almost typically traces to a partially blocked gicleur, sometimes with scale in the heat exchanger feed keeping it company. We pull the gicleur, clean it ultrasonically, inspect the expansion valve and heat exchanger inlet, and verify the flow rate group by group against spec before putting everything back.
GTi runs each group's thermal envelope independently, so one drifted NTC sensor is enough to make two groups pull visibly different shots. We test every sensor against a calibrated reference probe, descale the affected circuits, recalibrate the GTi offsets in the service menu, and verify shot-to-shot temperature stability before signing off.
Scale insulating the steam element is the usual culprit, with a tired element or a worn pressure stat close behind. We descale the steam circuit, test the element's resistance and replace it if it's drawing low, and swap the pressure stat if it's chattering or hunting around its set point. Recovery time gets benchmarked before we reassemble.
On Faema platforms the usual sources are a boiler manifold fitting, a hairline crack in a brass elbow weakened by scale, or a failed three-way valve discharge seal. Rather than guess, we pressure-test the brew and steam circuits separately and dye-trace the chassis until the leak shows itself. Fittings get replaced, not just retightened.
Either the steam valve cartridge has worn out or milk-stone is holding the seat open. We rebuild the valve with a fresh cartridge kit, descale the tip and the steam pathway, and confirm the wand shuts off cleanly while the boiler gauge holds pressure. If an Autosteam wand is fitted, its sensors get tested at the same time.
A failed milk-temperature probe, or a calibration offset that has drifted over time, will let Autosteam blow past its target. We check the probe against a reference thermometer, replace it if it's out of spec, and recalibrate the target in the service menu. Before we leave, a calibration cycle confirms the foam is back where it should be.
Most frozen screens are firmware hangs, which a controller reset clears; the stubborn ones need a reflash to the latest stable build. A genuinely failed touch digitizer is rarer. We work through reset and firmware first, and if the hardware really is the fault, the display module is replaced with an OEM part before the machine returns to service.
Two things knock gravimetric dosing off: load cells that have drifted out of calibration, or a vibration source under the drip tray confusing the readings. We calibrate the cells against known reference weights, make sure the drip tray sits properly, and reprogram doses by weight. Drift that survives calibration points to a failing load cell, and we quote that replacement before touching it.
Plenty of shops have stopped supporting the older E-series; we haven't. Original-spec parts come from refurbisher networks, decommissioned machines we've documented, and validated aftermarket equivalents for E61 group gaskets, mushroom valves, gicleurs, and solenoids. And if a legacy machine reaches the point where the repair stops being economical, we'll tell you straight.
Faema models we service
Current and legacy platforms. If your machine wears a Faema badge, we work on it. Call us with the name and we'll diagnose before we dispatch.
Faema, still working
Faema groups are working cafes, restaurants and hotel bars in every city on this map. The E61 lineage is about as robust as espresso gets, which only means scale takes a little longer to win. Find your city.
Everything on how we cover Toronto, and where we get to fastest.
See Toronto coverageHow a Faema call in Mississauga actually goes, from your first ring to the parts on the van.
See Mississauga coverageThe corners of Vaughan we're in most, and what Faema owners there tend to ring about.
See Vaughan coverageWhat we cover in Brampton, and how soon we can be with you.
See Brampton coverageBooking a Faema visit in Markham, and how quickly we get to you.
See Markham coverageWhere we go in Oakville, what we carry for a Faema, and how to get on the schedule.
See Oakville coverageThe Faema faults we see most in Burlington, and how far across the city we go.
See Burlington coverageA closer look at Hamilton: where we cover, and what the water does to a Faema.
See Hamilton coverageWhat 120-140 mg/L does to a Faema over a year here, and how we work around it.
See Etobicoke coverageNorth York runs 120-140 mg/L. Here's what that means for your Faema.
See North York coverageYour coffee emergency ends here
Call or submit the form. We confirm your address, model, and the issue.
An experienced technician arrives, runs full diagnostics, and identifies the root cause.
You receive a flat, itemized quote. Nothing proceeds without your green light.
We complete the repair, run a test cycle, and walk you through what to watch for.
Same-day available
What we've done
They fixed our coffee machine on-site, minimizing downtime and keeping business running smoothly.
*Estimated based on the approximate distance from our nearest service centre, average commute time, and median service-call length for one machine. Prices in Canadian dollars (CAD $). Final quote provided on-site after diagnosis.
FAQ
20 answers covering service, repair, parts, installation, warranty, and edge cases.
Updated August 2026
We do, week in and week out. Grajqevci services Faema machines in cafes, restaurants, and hotels from Hamilton around the lake to Oshawa, with the downtown core the busiest stretch of the route. The coverage list further down this page shows every zone we reach.
No. We're independent, and we'd rather be plain about that. In practice it means transparent quotes, no factory pricing book, and a willingness to keep working on machines the catalogue left behind years ago. Warranty-covered faults we'll point back to the manufacturer's channel rather than bill you for.
Calls placed in the morning usually see a technician the same day; later calls book for the next business day. Tell us the model and the symptom when you call, and the likely parts ride out on the first visit. A cafe with no working espresso machine gets moved up the route.
The visit and diagnosis are a flat amount you hear before anyone is dispatched. Parts go on top and depend on the fault: a group gasket is small money, a rotary pump or a touchscreen module is not. Bigger jobs get a written quote at the machine before any work starts.
It's the brew group Faema introduced in 1961: a thermosiphon loop circulates boiler water through the group body so it sits at brew temperature all day without its own heater. Most modern espresso machines borrow the idea. It's mechanically simple and very serviceable, which is part of why E61-derived machines live so long.
On thermosiphon machines the first suspect is scale: a partially blocked loop drops the group's temperature and the shots drift sour. Worn group gaskets, a tired pump, and grinder drift produce similar symptoms, so we test rather than guess. Each cause has a clear check at the machine, and most resolve in one visit.
Gestione Termica Intelligente, Faema's multi-boiler thermal management. Each group gets its own micro-boiler and sensor, so the controller can hold every group at its own temperature. When one NTC sensor drifts, the groups stop agreeing with each other; recalibrating against a reference probe is routine work for us.
Yes. The pre-2010 E-series stays on our books long after most service networks drop it, with parts sourced from refurbisher stock, donor machines, and validated aftermarket equivalents. We'll also tell you honestly when a repair on one stops making financial sense.
For the common wear items, yes: E61 group gaskets, mushroom valves, gicleurs, and solenoids stay available through refurbisher networks and aftermarket suppliers we've validated. Availability thins out year by year on body panels and electronics. If a legacy machine matters to your business, have us assess it before something major fails.
Twelve to eighteen years with service is the realistic window, and the heritage E61 platforms often beat it. Water treatment is the single biggest variable: scale is what retires these machines early. A Faema that gets descaled on schedule mostly just consumes gaskets.
Nine times out of ten it's a partially blocked gicleur, the small flow restrictor feeding that group, sometimes with scale in the heat exchanger feed behind it. The gicleur comes out for an ultrasonic clean and flow is verified group by group. If your bar leans on one group all day, that's also the group that clogs first.
Not urgent, but not nothing. A worn valve cartridge or milk-stone on the seat causes the drip, and every hour it runs erodes the seat a little more. A valve rebuild is routine, and cheap compared to letting the leak cut a channel into the seat.
Autosteam adds a temperature probe to the steam wand so milk stops at a programmed temperature instead of the barista's judgment. The probe is the weak point: milk-stone and drift make it stop too early or too late. Cleaning, recalibrating against a reference thermometer, or replacing the probe brings it back.
More than for most brands, because the thermosiphon group depends on narrow passages staying clear. GTA water runs moderate to hard depending on the city, and untreated it will scale an E61 loop within a few years. Proper filtration plus a sensible descale interval is the cheapest insurance these machines can buy.
Yes. The X30 is a different animal from the traditional machines, closer to the Cimbali Group's super-automatic platforms, with a brew group, twin grinders, and an automatic milk module doing the barista's job. Milk hygiene faults and brew group wear make up most of its service calls, and we handle both routinely.
If it's earning money or keeping an office happy, yes. It's a genuine double-boiler machine with the same service needs as its bigger siblings, just scaled down. Most Faemina visits are small jobs: a pump, a sensor, a steam valve, the occasional descale rescue.
Usually repair. At ten years a serviced Faema is mid-life, not end-of-life, and most faults at that age are wear parts rather than anything structural. We give you the repair quote and an honest read of what else is coming, and you make the call with real numbers.
Yes, carefully. If the fault is genuinely covered, we'll say so and point you back to the warranty channel rather than charge you for covered work. Most of what actually fails, scale damage and worn consumables, sits outside coverage anyway, and that's the work we take on.
Yes, multi-site and multi-machine visits are normal for us. One booking can cover the President GTI at your flagship and the Faemina in the office, with one report at the end. Fleets are also where patterns show: when every machine scales early, the water is the problem, not the machines.
The truck stock mirrors what actually fails: group gaskets, dispersion screens, mushroom valve kits, steam valve cartridges, gicleurs, level probes, and pressure stats. That covers most calls in one visit. Pumps, boards, and displays are ordered per job, typically a business day or two.
About Faema
Reviewed August 2026
Faema is an Italian manufacturer of commercial espresso machines, part of Gruppo Cimbali, and the originator of the E61 group head that defined modern espresso.
Faema, short for Fabbrica Apparecchiature Elettromeccaniche e Affini, was founded in Milan in 1945 by Carlo Ernesto Valente, just as the Second World War ended. The E61 of 1961 (named for that year's solar eclipse) paired a thermosiphon-circulated saturated brew group with a volumetric pump delivering water at 9 bar, and the modern bar machine descends from that combination. Gruppo Cimbali acquired Faema in 1995; the brand is now headquartered alongside La Cimbali in Binasco, south of Milan, where the two share the MUMAC coffee machine museum site.
The E61 Legend remains in production as a tribute to the original 1961 machine, iconic mushroom group included. The modern flagship is the E71E: a 7-inch touchscreen, the GTi multi-boiler system managing temperature by algorithm, and 2- or 3-group configurations. The Teorema brought independently variable thermosiphon temperature control to high-end specialty cafes, the President GTI offers the E71E's engineering platform at a more accessible price, and the Prestige series serves high-volume hospitality with Autosteam options.
The E61 thermosiphon group remains Faema's most famous contribution: a passive convection loop that keeps the group body at brew temperature without any active heating. The modern GTi system (Gestione Termica Intelligente) extends the same thinking with multi-boiler hardware, independent thermal management on every group, and the ability to set extraction temperature per group on one machine. Gravimetric dosing, available on E71E and Teorema variants, weighs the shot as it pours for precise yield control.
Current coverage spans the E71E, E71 Touch, President GTI, Prestige, E61 Legend, E61 Cult, Faemina, and X30. The older Teorema, Teorema On Demand, Smart, Emblema, and Prestige A/1 are out of the current catalogue, but plenty are still working for a living, and we carry on repairing them as installed-base equipment.
The E61 group is mechanically simple, but its thermosiphon plumbing is unforgiving: one scale blockage or a worn pre-infusion chamber gasket changes the group's whole thermal behaviour. On the modern E71E and Teorema platforms, GTi multi-boiler calibration, gravimetric dose programming, and the 7-inch touchscreen interface are not procedures a generalist appliance technician will get right from a service manual. We've worked on the Faema platform for 16 years, and that experience is exactly the gap a specialist exists to fill.
Skip the generic repair shop. Call the team that knows Faema machines.
Call (289) 217-3796 now →