Well after 6 months trying with my Vetrano, I'm finally going to change the steam tip.

I've been getting very mixed results with micro foam (mostly unsatisfactory for me) with the stock tip the Vetrano comes with.

Either my milk steams too fast before it gets to a nice Latte art consistency & the results is just thin steamed milk or to over compensate for that I overstretch the milk & the results are sudsy big bubbles.

My definition of a good micro foam consistency is half way through the milk pour it should look like white semi gloss paint being poured into a brown paint try.

I've tried different techniques & I've even tried plugging up one hole with a toothpick. This worked fine a few times but still too inconsistent.

I just think the holes in the Vetrano's stock tip are too big for small amounts of milk (around 6oz), so the milks comes up to temp. before it has time to get to a good texture.

I think I've been patient enough giving it 6 months worth of tries. (at least 2 Lattes a day)

At work we have a Gaggia Coffee with no tip, just a hole at the end of the steam wand & we get perfect micro foam every time with it.

Has anyone had this problem & changed their tip with much better results?

When the milk steams in around 15 to 20 seconds, you need to adjust your technique; teasing up the froth like on a home machine won't work.

Have you tried keeping the tip low enough so there is no frothing, sucking, tearing, or all the rest of that stuff, just silence? If not, give it a try; keep the tip at the minimum depth to get silence (i.e. just below the level where you get the sucking/tearing noise), and see if that helps.

<-- new vetrano owner. (three days) long time expobar pulser owner.

i have the "new" isomac tip. it works but i had to add teflon tape to the inside tube to keep steam from going back up into the wand and making it hot. it works really well. i have my boiler at 1.0-1.2 bar. if i use the stock tip i open the throttle enough to get a nice swirl and no more. with the isomac tip i open the throttle about 95%.

perhaps only opening the valve until its swirling well will work for you also.

jon

I think I've tried that one to, with the results just being steamed milk.

But I try that again.

I just think I'd rather take the easy way out at this point & get a tip that give me better results rather than tackling this whole learning curve.

I'd rather get good results & feel like a quitter as opposed to dumping half my drinks in the sink out of frustration.

Jon,

I'm gonna try that. Opening the steam knob less might help.

I don't mind if I have to steam for an extra minute, as long as I get good results.

Thanks for the replies guys

maybe not for an extra minute. but you will be able to gradually increase the speed as you learn. i like to rest my right hand on the drip tray with fingertips touching the bottom of the pitcher, and left hand holding pitcher. by straightening or bending my fingers i can very precisely raise and lower the pitcher.

i sneak the steam wand down the pitcher spout and lean it a bit toward me.

look at the orientation of the holes in the tip and make sure they look like it will push around in a circle.

practice with water.

i actually think that a slower more gentle stretch makes better tasting and feeling milk. im in no hurry to finish, im only making a couple of drink a day, i want to enjoy the zen of the process.

i hope you keep in touch i would like to hear about your progress.

jon

I find that fast steamers need the technique Jim suggests. Do not try to surf the tip, you will just blow milk everywhere or make huge bubbles. Start with the tip near the bottom of your pitcher, maybe one inch up from the bottom then open up the steam and let it rip. The trick is getting the pitcher angle correct and using a properly sized pitcher. The angle you have to find with experimentation. The pitcher size should be no more than twice the volume you are steaming IMHO. With 6oz of milk I use a 12oz pitcher that I keep in the freezer. Once I got use to 15 second steam times using a typical home steamer drives me nuts, it just takes forever.

scottyg514 wrote:Well after 6 months trying with my Vetrano, I'm finally going to change the steam tip.

I've been getting very mixed results with micro foam (mostly unsatisfactory for me) with the stock tip the Vetrano comes with.

Either my milk steams too fast before it gets to a nice Latte art consistency & the results is just thin steamed milk or to over compensate for that I overstretch the milk & the results are sudsy big bubbles.

My definition of a good micro foam consistency is half way through the milk pour it should look like white semi gloss paint being poured into a brown paint try.

I've tried different techniques & I've even tried plugging up one hole with a toothpick. This worked fine a few times but still too inconsistent.

I just think the holes in the Vetrano's stock tip are too big for small amounts of milk (around 6oz), so the milks comes up to temp. before it has time to get to a good texture.

I think I've been patient enough giving it 6 months worth of tries. (at least 2 Lattes a day)

At work we have a Gaggia Coffee with no tip, just a hole at the end of the steam wand & we get perfect micro foam every time with it.

Has anyone had this problem & changed their tip with much better results?

Hi Scott. After 6 months, you've certainly given it a fair shot, so perhaps changing the stock Vetrano 2-hole tip is the way to go. But I've had a completely different experience with my Vetrano. In my hands, the stock tip is well matched to the boiler size, the no-burn wand is a joy to use, and great microfoam is easy to achieve.

Here's a walk-up video I made this morning, using 5-6oz of 1% milk. Nothing special, just my regular routine, complicated by working around a camera on a tripod. Pardon the poor lighting and my pathetic latte art skillz.

[gvideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6920509470066893814[/gvideo]

There really is nothing to it. I recently increased my boiler pressure to 1.3 bars for the Titan Grinder Project, so it only took 15 seconds to froth 5-6oz. IIRC, you're working with twice as much milk, and using whole milk + half & half. The stock Vetrano tip should work just fine for you.

That was very good micro foam. Maybe I'll just keep practicing with the stock tip. Thanks for the video.

it is generally accepted when whipping cream or beating egg whites to gradually and gently introduce air into them.

whipping cream knowledge

* Add 1 cup of heavy cream in the chilled mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer for 20 to 30 seconds on low until bubbles begin to form.

* Increase mixer speed to medium and beat again for approximately 30 seconds. The cream will begin to thicken and the beaters will show a slight trail in the cream.

* Increase mixer speed to high and beat until the cream begins to thicken and puff up. Just before it gets to the soft peak stage slowly add 2 tablespoons of sugar and any flavoring desired off to the side of the bowl, continue beating. Be sure to move beaters along the sides and bottom of the bowl while whipping the cream.

i feel that this same method should be carried over to creating micro foam. we are basically creating the early stages of whipped cream only its hot. why should the same principles not apply.

in a commercial environment im sure its important to make them as fast as possible. but in the home, for me, i like to enjoy the process. i enjoy the art and complete sensory interaction that making and drinking espresso and espresso drinks offers. im in not hurry.

i have officially retired the stock tip for now. i was going back and forth with the isomac one. the stock tip is just too fast for me. i need something in between the stock one and the isomac.

jon