Looking for any good ideas for insulating my Vivaldi S1 steam wand. It's not annoying enough to spring for the "no-burn" version. I got ahold of some silicone tubing which works about as well (or poorly) as the original black rubber sleeve. I was thinking of boring out a wine cork -- not very aesthetic, though. Anyone found something more elegant for insulating steam wands that works well? Michael

What's wrong with just using the original rubber sleeve? It works just fine for me.

There are some black plastic corks.Try one,if you can open a hole in it.Also,some self shrinking "spaghetti s"?

The black rubber one that came with it got quite hot. What are self-shrinking "spaghettis"?

Michael,

Did you try that salt mixture I suggested?

About the steam wand, you need something that will hold up to high temperatures without getting warm to the touch -- a good insulator. PTFE (Teflon) would be a good choice. They sell this in sheets and various shapes in professional cooking supply stores. You can also get some small Teflon balls and drill a hole in them, just to try it out. Simple, easy, and elegant. You can also get a roll of plumber's tape (Made of PTFE) and roll it onto the wand in a thick layer. Less elegant, but easy enough to try. And both options are about a buck.

gyro wrote:Was the silicone tubing you tried on the outside or the inside of the wand? The ECM I use to have appeared to just have some silicone tubing up the inside of the wand and it worked extremely well. I have been considering trying this on my new machine. Somehow I actually managed to burn my FACE on it ...! (don't ask!)

That is the "No Burn" steam wand. Works well. I have burned my hands, of course, but never my face!

The silicone tubing was on the outside of the tube and was may 2-3 mm thick. It may withstand heat well, but it also conducts it well. Michael

Did you try that salt mixture I suggested?

Adrian,
I just found it now, so I'll have to shop for some black salt this week. What kind of Calcium magnesium do you use -- there's lots of varieties of Cal-Mag capsules/tablets? Michael