What kind of steam tip is best?
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rpavlis
- Posts: 1799
- Joined: 12 years ago
From time to time there are discussions about just what kind of steam tip is best.
Many manufacturers provide lever espresso machines with multiple hole steam tips. Many of us make or obtain single hole ones.
La Pavoni steam tip - How I made one:
Optimal steam tips
As mentioned in the above references and elsewhere, with small boilers steam tips should be designed so that their diameter is such that they pass all the steam that can be produced by the power supplied to the boiler at the desired pressure. With small boilers a steam tip that emits too much steam will result in cooling the reservoir and reducing pressure. The steam velocity is highest when optimised in this matter with a single hole tip. This quite literally creates a shock wave at the point where the steam impacts the milk.
After one develops technique, one can produce high quality micro foam very easily with such a tip. (It is also possible to have milk flying out of the steaming pitcher!)
Multiple hole steam tips are also best optimised so that pressure does not change during the steaming operation, and so that it does not take excessive time to do the steaming.
Many machines have threaded and removable tips. That permits changing tips in a few seconds.
My primary milk drink is the cappuccino. I always use single hole bullet shaped tips for these because, to me, this produces the best foam for this application.
For "softer" foam I like the multiple hole tips.
Unfortunately all manufacturers do not use the same thread on the tips. For example La Pavoni levers all seem to use M6x1.0. My Elektra Microcasa a Leva uses M6x0.75. Some have soldered on tips. It seems to me that that is a very bad thing--it removes the choice to use the proper tip for the type of drink that is being prepared.
Many manufacturers provide lever espresso machines with multiple hole steam tips. Many of us make or obtain single hole ones.
La Pavoni steam tip - How I made one:
Optimal steam tips
As mentioned in the above references and elsewhere, with small boilers steam tips should be designed so that their diameter is such that they pass all the steam that can be produced by the power supplied to the boiler at the desired pressure. With small boilers a steam tip that emits too much steam will result in cooling the reservoir and reducing pressure. The steam velocity is highest when optimised in this matter with a single hole tip. This quite literally creates a shock wave at the point where the steam impacts the milk.
After one develops technique, one can produce high quality micro foam very easily with such a tip. (It is also possible to have milk flying out of the steaming pitcher!)
Multiple hole steam tips are also best optimised so that pressure does not change during the steaming operation, and so that it does not take excessive time to do the steaming.
Many machines have threaded and removable tips. That permits changing tips in a few seconds.
My primary milk drink is the cappuccino. I always use single hole bullet shaped tips for these because, to me, this produces the best foam for this application.
For "softer" foam I like the multiple hole tips.
Unfortunately all manufacturers do not use the same thread on the tips. For example La Pavoni levers all seem to use M6x1.0. My Elektra Microcasa a Leva uses M6x0.75. Some have soldered on tips. It seems to me that that is a very bad thing--it removes the choice to use the proper tip for the type of drink that is being prepared.
