Hi All,

Is it necessary to use the rubber sleeve tip at the steam wand?
what is it for?
Thanks

This may help you. It sounds like you have a panarello wand that has a hole that sucks air in far above the tip of the wand so that you get automatic foam. Those things are generally regarded among the enthusiast crowd as complete pieces of crap that won't let you get the really silky texture that you can get with a real steam wand.

I believe in the article I linked they discuss a method whereby you can submerge the wand in the milk all the way to the suction hole and get acceptable microfoam. I am skeptical of that, but it sure doesn't hurt to try. Best thing to do if possible is to take the cover off and get your wand down to a single hole opening and learn to surf that.

Hi Shadowfax,

Thanks for your info.
i did try both with n without, at this point of time i'm in a learning stage & cant get the consistency of a microfoam.
i feel tht without the Panarello is much easier to handle, for me i was thinkin tht with steamers heat will breakdown the rubber and have rubbery smell in my milk n i trust the stainless steel wand better with the milk.

Glad to hear it's working out for you. I agree plastic/rubber is an interesting choice, clearly inferior to SS, but probably not a huge deal. The main thing is no doubt getting the best texture. How convenient that coincides with the removal of the rubber attachment as well!