I'm curious to know if there is any general consensus among long-term and more recent GS/3 owners about the stock vs. "burn me" wand configuration and various tip choices. I've diligently read everything posted on the forum, but much of the discussion dates back to the early production years before the wand mounting was updated. It is hard to get past all the "night and day" comparisons between the two wands, but I note at least one or two posters later saying it may have also been a technique issue. I also note this comment from Dan in the quite recent GS/3 MP review:

HB wrote:The so-called optional "burn me wand" is slightly faster, which may be appreciated by those who regularly steam very large lattes in the same spirit as a Starbucks Venti. But for those who don't serve Big Gulp lattes, the stock configuration is unbeatable.

Certainly no mention of wet steam making the wand unusable.

A while back (more than a year ago), the tip threads on my burn-me wand broke while screwing on a new tip. The threads had been weakened when I screwed on the previous tip, which was a slightly out-of-spec unit from espressoparts (the guy who made their tips didn't have the correct metric tap to cut the threads.)

This calamity forced me to swap out the burn-me wand for the old no-burn wand that came with the machine until I could secure a new steam wand tube (couldn't just swap in the metal tube from the old wand because it's got the teflon tube inside.) So, after years of using the burn-me wand, I was back to using the no-burn wand.

In short, it made a big difference. It's not that I can't steam with the no-burn wand, it's just that it's faster and easier with the burn-me wand. And, IMHO, the quality of the product is better.

As for the tip, I've been using the Sproline Foam Knife tip ever since I got the replacement tube. It takes quite a bit of getting used to, but I like it. The tip churns the milk a lot during the stretch phase, which mixes the product even before you get the to texture stage. I use skim milk almost exclusively, so a good mix is key.

That said, I feel pretty confident that I can steam well enough with the stock 4-hole tip or one of the 4-hole aftermarket tips.

Actually, I think this has more to do with having learned how to pour latte art better, rather than something to do with the tip or improved steaming technique. Honestly, my steaming results haven't changed all that much over the years. I don't have problems with bubbles, but the texture isn't as consistent as I'd like it to be: sometimes too thin, sometimes too thick (the dreaded marshmallow effect.) But I've learned how to mostly compensate for these variations during the pour.

Thank you for the long-term report. Can I ask if you typically steam small or large amounts? I like to make individual cappuccinos with no more than about 4.75 oz of milk, and I've read the foam knife is great for this, but makes the steam a little anemic for larger drinks.

Most of the milk drinks I make are 8 oz lattes, so I steam about 8 oz of milk in a 12 oz pitcher.

I'd be surprised if any tip makes the steam on a GS/3 anemic.

I have the steam pressure set to 1.8 BAR.

Lem certainly had no issue with the stock configuration:



The above is a frame from this video:
For the Strada, I have the stock tip on one wand and the Sproline Vortex on the other. The latter is slower for small drinks (4 ounces) and easier to control. If all my steaming was for 4 ounces of milk, I'd strongly consider one of the Sproline tips. For 6 ounces or more, the stock tip offers enough time to cover up some mistakes by mixing. Which you'll prefer, the "burn me" wand, stock wand, or one of the Sproline tips is really a matter of preference because they're all very good choices.

I think the burn me wand is superior, and fits into the 'night and day' category. If you are pouring art, it's a slam dunk choice in my opinion: the no burn is a needless impediment. The no burn wand makes a wetter steam, a function of keeping the wand cooler IIRC, and when I swapped it for the burn me, I have never looked back.

I had the foamknife, didn't thrill me, and I use the stock GS/3 tip with no complaints. I can't recall if my foamknife use carried over to the burn me wand - so I am not confident on speaking to it used on that wand.

I steam in a small 12 oz pitcher, filled to about 1cm below the spout level. No troubles at all, but it takes getting used to an a powerhouse machine - but what doesn't.

Peppersass,
Pull the teflon tube out of the stainless tube and you have a burn-me wand. That is how I changed mine. The parts to convert the insulated wand to a non-insulated wand was less than $50, instead of $200? I'm pretty sure the stainless tube on both are the same, and you should have all of the parts you need already. By-the-way, on my machine, the lack of insulation in the wand did not eliminate the copious amounts of wet steam it produces.
Rik

I am very happy I switched to the burn me wand about a year ago. The steam is drier and the milk is foaming much better, using the stock tip. The only caveat is it is a little bit harder to clean, but I wipe it after every use and soak it once a week. I steam enough milk for one cappuccino at a time. I can steam a slightly smaller amount for macchiato or cortado, but too little and I have only hot milk!

I keep my pressure between 1-1.5 bar and find the steam quite powerful in that range.

I did have a little trouble swapping out the wand. To turn the valve 180 degrees you must loosen the valve assembly. Being a curious soul, I opened the valve completely to see what it looks like inside. I had a lot of trouble reinstalling the valve due to the o ring clearance and my first choice of food safe lube. The grease was too thick and bound up the valve. With Dow 111 and a valve rebuild kit it was solved.

Frosted, thanks for the tip on using the no burn wand for parts if I need to in the future! Perhaps your steam boiler water level is too high creating such wet steam still? Mine is nice and dry.

Regarding steam tips, La Marzocco used to ship the GS/3 with the heavy L208 version - truly a "boil-the-ocean" tip for professionals, very, very fast and powerful. At some point LM changed the GS/3 stock tip to the smaller-holed L178 tip, which made steaming a lot easier for non-professionals while still delivering great power.

I've had a lot of experience with the Foam Knife I, though I have not tried the Chris or EPNW after-market small-hole tips and can't say if they behave more like the L178 (compared to the L208) or if their holes are even smaller than the L178 and therefore take you down an even slower/easier road.

As for the Vortex tip, I can't say from personal experience how it compares to the Foam Knife I, or which one provides more power or better control or is superior with x-sized steaming volumes. But as others have confirmed, both the Vortex and the Foam Knife I ARE much slower than the current stock L178 tip and MUCH more so than the big L208 of course. If memory serves, the Foam Knife I has received better reviews than the Vortex from users on this forum, but this might only be due to a shorter learning curve, with the Foam Knife I being simply easier to master.

I've found the Foam Knife I very easy to control with excellent, silky results. This tip will extend your steaming times for 8-12 ounces into the half-minute range (depending on your steam boiler temperature) but in return it's easier to manage very small amounts of milk for macchiatos or single cappas. I usually steam just two or three-ounce quantities, which work fine in all my various ~12 oz. pitchers. Even with Orphan Espresso's great (but dollhouse-furniture tiny) five ounce pitchers and the GS/3 at 265F, the slower Foam Knife I negotiates these small volumes without "latte art" (in this case, bad Jackson Pollack) covering the walls.

Since the GS/3's steam control valve is smoothly variable, it's reasonably easy to feather the lever to manage the power, regardless of which tip you choose. Since home baristas aren't under time pressure - and also lack the thousands of pitchers of experience - the smaller/slower tips are a reasonable side-grade.