Faema E61 Two-Group Espresso Machine

Before there was specialty coffee, before third-wave roasters and precision brewing, there was this machine. The Faema E61, manufactured in Milan in 1962, was the first espresso machine to use a motorised pump to pressurize water — an innovation so fundamental that every commercial espresso machine built since pays homage to it. The E61 group head design remains the industry standard more than sixty years later.

This is the two-group version, the professional configuration designed for high-volume bars and cafes in 1960s Milan. The chrome exterior gleams with the confidence of Italian industrial design at its peak — sculptural curves, polished surfaces, and mechanical details that are as beautiful as they are functional. Every lever, valve and fitting reflects the engineering ambition of a company that was not merely building a coffee machine but inventing a new category of appliance.

This E61 shows wear consistent with its age and history. The chrome retains its lustre, the mechanical components are intact, and the overall presence is commanding. As a collector's piece and object of design history, it occupies the intersection of engineering, art and culinary culture.

Faema — Fabbrica Apparecchiature Elettromeccaniche e Affini — was founded in Milan and became synonymous with espresso innovation. The E61 launched in 1961 and immediately transformed the Italian coffee bar. Its pump-driven system replaced the manual lever mechanism, delivering more consistent pressure and enabling baristas to produce espresso with unprecedented reliability. The thermosyphon circulation system it introduced is still used in professional machines today.

Whether displayed in a coffee shop, a design-focused home, or a collector's space, the E61 commands attention and starts conversations. It is a genuine artefact from the golden age of Italian espresso — the machine that changed how the world drinks coffee.