Noonievut Senior Member Joined: 9 Sep 2006 Posts: 472 Location: Toronto. Canada Expertise: I love coffee
Grinder: Rocky DL Vac Pot: Other - Aeropress, Clever,...
Posted Mon May 7, 2007, 5:26am Subject: 2-Hole Steam Tip - Technique?
My recently purchased, used Brasilia Club, has a 2-hole steam tip. It's not a frothing gizmo/aid, just 2 holes at the bottom of the tip. I use to be able to get decent microfoam with my old machine, now I'm having a problem with the new machine.
I've been gently rotating the pitcher (someone posted this as a tip) but following all other instructions (tip just below the surface, no noticeable bubbles, etc.).
John_Manzo Senior Member Joined: 5 Aug 2005 Posts: 318 Location: Calgary Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Elektra Microcasa a Leva,... Grinder: Baratza Vario Vac Pot: none Drip: presspot Roaster: nada (yet)
Posted Mon May 7, 2007, 8:43am Subject: Re: 2-Hole Steam Tip - Technique?
Noonie-
The only way I could get microfroth my mine was to plug one of the holes with a toothpick. I wasted gallons of milk on that thing.
I went to Touch of Italy (in Calgary where I bought it) and enquired about a one- or three-hole tip and they said there were none but were not sure if another company's aftermarket one would work or not- the Lady/Club has a big fat steam tube so maybe a nozzle for another pro-sumer or even professional machine would work- it's worth a shot. Maybe replacing the whole wand is possible too. But the two-whole, wide pattern just seems like a dead end without modification. I'll keep you posted at this end.
Noonievut Senior Member Joined: 9 Sep 2006 Posts: 472 Location: Toronto. Canada Expertise: I love coffee
Grinder: Rocky DL Vac Pot: Other - Aeropress, Clever,...
Posted Mon May 7, 2007, 9:35am Subject: Re: 2-Hole Steam Tip - Technique?
Thanks Furry.
I'm not too concerned as I mainly drink double espressos (which by the way are great, huge improvement from my Breville...no complaint at all).
When my wife wants a steamed milk, I then make enough so I can have a cap or a macchiatto. Yesterday I made one and swirled the pitcher...it helped but wasn't microfoam. I was still happy with my capp though (and she doesn't care that much). It was also very fast at steaming.
I did carefully slide a toothpick up one of the steam tip holes and I see that it can work, but I'm not too keen on that.
P.S. I found out that A Touch of Italy (in Calgary) is the only Canadian supplier of Brasilia. I e-mailed them last week asking if they supply parts, service, etc., but they didn't respond. How have you found them in terms of service?
John_Manzo Senior Member Joined: 5 Aug 2005 Posts: 318 Location: Calgary Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Elektra Microcasa a Leva,... Grinder: Baratza Vario Vac Pot: none Drip: presspot Roaster: nada (yet)
Posted Mon May 7, 2007, 11:49am Subject: Re: 2-Hole Steam Tip - Technique?
Try A Roma Espresso Essentials- they are the ones who service for ATOI. I have found ATOI pretty responsive and helpful but that's because, probably, I go there in person.
I cannot find a listing for aroma (or a roma, neither seems to work) but they are definitely somewhere here!
Noonievut Senior Member Joined: 9 Sep 2006 Posts: 472 Location: Toronto. Canada Expertise: I love coffee
Grinder: Rocky DL Vac Pot: Other - Aeropress, Clever,...
Posted Wed May 9, 2007, 5:11am Subject: Re: 2-Hole Steam Tip - Technique?
Thanks Furry.
Question for you (unrelated, sorry) - have you tried other baskets with your Club/Lady? I can pick up Rancilio baskets (including a blind) at a store not far from me, but these are the only 58mm they sell and I don't know if they'll fit (I would think all 'commercial' 58mm should be interchangeable...but something tells me that isn't the case).
I'd prefer to pick up from this store (greenbeanery) as opposed to internet.
I finally got around to plugging a hole with a toothpick and it worked...I got about 4 leaves on the rosetta and botched the rest...but that wasn't the machine's fault.
Posted Tue Jun 12, 2007, 11:01pm Subject: Re: 2-Hole Steam Tip - Technique?
John_Manzo Said:
Noonie-
The only way I could get microfroth my mine was to plug one of the holes with a toothpick. I wasted gallons of milk on that thing.
I went to Touch of Italy (in Calgary where I bought it) and enquired about a one- or three-hole tip and they said there were none but were not sure if another company's aftermarket one would work or not- the Lady/Club has a big fat steam tube so maybe a nozzle for another pro-sumer or even professional machine would work- it's worth a shot. Maybe replacing the whole wand is possible too. But the two-whole, wide pattern just seems like a dead end without modification. I'll keep you posted at this end.
Wow, this is the best practical tip I've gotten from CG I tried it with my two-hole Andreja wand and it makes much better microfoam. I've not been able to make rosettas. but with your technique it's easy. I don't know why it works, but it does! Thanks. Your post should win some kind of prize!
I was also having plenty of difficulty with my 2 hole tip on my Expobar Pulser...... ver frustrating, as I was able to make great microfoam with my older Starbucks machine.
Anyway, I didn't like the idea of plugging the hole with a toothpick - I thought this would be difficult to keep clean. So I broke open an old calculator laying around the house, and pulled out a nice and shiny circuit board screw. The screw thread nicely into one of the holes! Tried some frothing tonight - and the results were much improved. Seems that the whole whirl-pool effect is easier to achieve.
John_Manzo Senior Member Joined: 5 Aug 2005 Posts: 318 Location: Calgary Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Elektra Microcasa a Leva,... Grinder: Baratza Vario Vac Pot: none Drip: presspot Roaster: nada (yet)
Posted Fri Jun 15, 2007, 7:19pm Subject: Re: 2-Hole Steam Tip - Technique?
Pressino Said:
Wow, this is the best practical tip I've gotten from CG I tried it with my two-hole Andreja wand and it makes much better microfoam. I've not been able to make rosettas. but with your technique it's easy. I don't know why it works, but it does! Thanks. Your post should win some kind of prize!
I really think that there is something inherently "wrong" with two-hole tips, but it's not as I thought because there is something inherently wrong with an even number of holes- I'd had great experiences with my one-hole steam toy way back when and with a one-hole krups novo. Then I could not get anything close to microfoam with my Brasilia (same model as Noonie's but mine is called a "Lady") without, as I say, plugging a hole. I upgraded to an elektra leva, which has a THREE hole tip and which steams amazingly well, so I thought, maybe, odd holes good, even holes bad.
Not that simple, of course. I've had the good fortune to steam milk with both a Synesso Cyncra and a LM Linea over the past few weeks, and both have FOUR hole tips. I was intimidated as hell both times but it was dead easy to steam with the Synesso, less so with the LM but after 4 tries I had perfect microfoam (this was at a dessert cafe where the owner and I chatted about latte art, and she said, seeing as there were no customers, let's see what we can do here- it took 4 tries but that last one was pretty excellent if I do say so myself). So the problem looks to be in part the 2 holes..
Bott Senior Member Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 193 Location: USA Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Fri Jun 15, 2007, 10:33pm Subject: Re: 2-Hole Steam Tip - Technique?
cafeprune Said:
I was also having plenty of difficulty with my 2 hole tip on my Expobar Pulser...... ver frustrating, as I was able to make great microfoam with my older Starbucks machine.
Anyway, I didn't like the idea of plugging the hole with a toothpick - I thought this would be difficult to keep clean. So I broke open an old calculator laying around the house, and pulled out a nice and shiny circuit board screw. The screw thread nicely into one of the holes! Tried some frothing tonight - and the results were much improved. Seems that the whole whirl-pool effect is easier to achieve.
Whole Latte Love has a single hole tip replacement for the Expobar. It's cheap with free shipping. It should look better than the toothpick. They claim it also fits ECM, la Valentina, and Pasquini. Not sure about the Brasilia. It's so cheap that I would try it. Is the Brasilia Club an E61 machine? If it's an E61, a Rancilio basket should work.
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