Hi, I'm a long time reader on this forum, it's been invaluable in my journey to coffee nirvana so far. First post. Would really appreciate some help regarding the below.

I recently bought a 14 year-old Cimbali Junior, which is now working well after a thorough descale, cleaning and some new bits and bobs. Only thing is I can't get anything like microfoam with the current steam wand. I think it's the stock one, with a large opening at the tip and two large holes just above on either side - pic with the tip removed and placed on the tray. I've read on this forum that a lot of people struggle with this style of wand/tip.


I read in the new Cimbali review that the La Spaz S1 wand makes a handy replacement, however this seems expensive so I'm exploring other options and would like some advice.

1) Can I just buy a new steam tip or do the newer ones not fit with the wand I have?
2) There is an Izzo Alex steam wand available here in the UK much cheaper than the S1 - would this be an easy fit on the Junior and is it potentially a "good fit" in terms of similar steam power, etc?
3) Anyone tried any other options?

Many thanks
Gordon

gordslondon wrote:
I recently bought a 14 year-old Cimbali Junior, which is now working well after a thorough descale, cleaning and some new bits and bobs. Only thing is I can't get anything like microfoam with the current steam wand.
Gordon

I can't tell much from your picture, however the steam tip that was supplied with my first Cimbali Jr., a pourover "S" model, was good only for spraying milk on the ceiling. I ultimately replaced it with a more modern one from a Cimbali dealer.

My later "D" version Cimbali Junior came with a much better steam tip.

The issue is not the wand but rather is the steam tip. If the wand is ok, articulates well and isn't otherwise damaged or leak, there is no reason to replace the wand; all that needs replacing is the tip itself.

I have not kept up with the various tips out there that will fit on a Cimbali steam wand; I am sure that there are more of them available now then the last time I would have thought about this subject (6 or 7 years ago). It is certainly possible that a steam tip from another manufacturer, if it has the same threads, would fit, but I don't know which one or from whom you would buy it. I do know of at least 3 different good steam tips that Cimbali made, that were available 5 or 6 years ago, and there are probably more of them now.

Rather than bother with any of that, I think you will have a much easier time calling around to Cimbali dealers and seeing what they have in stock. This might be a new steam tip which might not cost that much, or it might be a used tip off of an old machine, which you might get for next to nothing. If that doesn't work, then find out the thread size that will fit your steam wand, and see what else is available out there that can fit it. The brand is not important, only the function is. And you can get a generic tip for a few dollars, so if you have to buy 2 or 3 of them to find one that works well, you won't have spent much.

ken

Hi Gordon,

I too have been a long time reader on HB and your questions have prompted me to join in!

I am also on the lookout for a new steam tip(s) for my Junior (2000 D/1).

I replaced the stock steam arm a couple of years ago now with an inox no-burn arm from an espresso parts online dealer here in the UK (near Horley- I think!). This wasn't a La Spaz S1 arm and was listed on the site's Cimbali parts list. Now the only thing that worried me slightly at the time (whilst fitting) was that I had to re-use the fixing from the original steam arm to mount the replacement arm, and in order to do that I had to hacksaw my way through the original arm in order to get the fixing off!

The new arm rather like the La Spaz arm has a female thread so therefore any tips used with this arm (without an adapter) must obviously have a male thread.

The tips I now use are a single hole expobar tip (available from where you found the Izzo arm- I guess!!), a two hole tip and a four hole tip both from where I purchased my replacement arm.

My usual set-up means that I mostly use a 12oz pitcher and therefore the two hole tip gets the most usage. I am, however, not entirely satisfied with the results I'm getting- partly I'm sure, my technique and perhaps partly the set-up.

Which brings me to other options both for myself and perhaps for you.

I think I have personally come across the La Spaz steam tip, as it seems to also be used as the stock tip on (my dad's) dalla corte mini ( I may be totally wrong but looking at reviews (closer looks!) of the La Spaz and D.C mini as written by Davec- again on the website with the Izzo arm- the tips appear to be identical). If this is the case then this tip is very capable of producing small amounts (in 12oz jug) of extremely high quality micro-foam, albeit, fairly briskly.

I think this tip is a three hole tip and despite searching for it online I don't seem to be able to find it on either side of the pond!

La Spaz now seem to be using a four hole stock tip with 1.2mm holes which steams relatively fast, although a four holed 0.9mm tip also exists which slows the steaming process down, which I've only seen on sites or a site in the States!

Another and probably more sensible option for you would be, as already stated by Ken Fox, to track down a new Cimbali tip that would be compatible with your existing steam arm. Now, if you go through to the 1st page of the review of the Junior DT1 on this website (HB!) and click on the image of the DT1 at the top left of the screen, this will link you to a site in the States that has commissioned a more home user friendly version of the DT1, which includes a new three hole steam tip deigned for Junior to allow perfect microfoam production with smaller amounts of milk. The original DT1 uses a four hole tip, much more suited to commercial application, although others on HB get good results with this tip too!

The site above which carries the new version of the DT1 also carries the La Spaz steam tips (as already mentioned) and another 'no burn', small holed, four holed tip that is compatible with both the La Spaz and my replacement steam arm. Also available is an adapter that allows you to use 10mm steam tips (female) of which there are many! It doesn't look like the new cimbali tips are available to purchase separately on the site but it must be worth an ask!

To the best of my knowledge, and I'm sure somebody will know for definite here, the new Cimbali tips are compatible with your existing wand which I think has a 1/8" internal diameter and an external diameter of close to 10mm.

I have also tried using some aftermarket tips on my original steam wand (izzo two hole, expobar single hole plus various others!) some were 10mm tips others possibly 3/8" (?!) and I found most of these unsatisfactory. The problem being that back then I didn't appreciate the long length of the thread on the stock arm, so the thread was quite often left partly exposed, which of course got a bit yukky as well as having teflon plumber's tape visible! All in all the fit of these tips never seemed quite right.

I haven't come across either of the Junior DT1 tips in the UK (as single unit parts) but if you do, I would be very interested to know about them, likewise, if you can purchase them singly from the states. Although, if you do, I'll be wishing that I hadn't put a hacksaw through my stock steam arm! (oh well xmas approaches!)

I hope my 1st time lengthy waffling is of some use to you, and of course, good luck on your journey to microfoam nirvana!

Craig