I recently received an Alex, am impressed with the machine design, but am puzzled at the steaming performance. Comments everywhere I have read indicate this is a "steaming machine".

The first couple of steaming sessions seemed to meet expectations, then it seemed, the steaming was slow. Good microfoam, but slow and not the volume increase I am used to. Per my tests, given the two hole tip on the Alex, my 2 year old stock Silvia can steam almost as fast.

Here is the test - 360ml of water from 5C to 65C as done in a bellabarista(UK) test. The european model evaluated had a slightly higher wattage steam tank with a different tip, set at 1.4bar heated the water in 36 sec. The Alex set at 1.2 bar (settles to 1 bar during steaming) - 88 sec (!?). Huh? Then disassembly and reassembly of the wand, tip and valve to verify no blockage. There was none visible. Then adjust Alex to 1.4 bar (settles to 1.25 bar), time was 75 sec.

So for a sanity test, went over to Miss Silvia and ran the same experiment. Surfing up to 282F so the boiler stayed on, the time to raise the temperature from 5C to 65C was 83 sec, as fast as the Alex set at 1.2bar. Very puzzling, but may just be due to the tip smaller hole size. The fact that the steam pressure goes from 1.2 bar to 1 or 1.4 bar to 1.25 when steaming should indicate whether there is some other blockage, but I do not have a reference. Perhaps the US tip limits the flow(?) If the UK model tip is the only difference, whew, that is quite a difference. Makes me wonder if anything else is contributing. Temps were measured with a Fluke 51 and type K fine wire probe.

I believe the two tips, with the US version on the left, look like the picture (borrowed picture, thx Dave)

Any comments would be welcome.
That said, the machines espresso capabilities are very impressive.

The steam tip on the left looks similar to the one that comes stock on the Quickmill Anita. In my opinion, it unduly restricts steam power and makes steaming take too long, not to mention making it harder to generate a whirlpool in the milk. I replaced the stock tip and wand on my Anita with a four-hole tip with small .9mm holes, making it much faster and easier to generate microfoam. Steaming times went from about 60 seconds to steam 6 ounces of milk to about 30 seconds.

http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/hom ... lesteamtip

Note that you'll need to replace both the steam arm and tip to make this work, so it's not a cheap fix compared to upgrading just the tip. But I think the results are well worth it.

I replaced the stock tip and wand on my Anita with a four-hole tip with small .9mm holes, making it much faster

I am getting a larger tip that should confirm what you describe. Fortunately there are various tip options for this arm. I am curious if others with this machine and tip have similar findings. The microfoam is actually beautiful, thick as I want, and very silky. I expected, based on forum comments very high energy steam (and it may be all in the tip). Hoping I can egg someone into running a similar test on their Alex, but in any case the new tip will definitely stir things up a bit .
Thanks,
Floyd

I just tried a no tip test based on a suggestion from Martin from across the pond. This was to help determine the constricting factor. Steam pressure set at 1.4bar. The time was 24 seconds to heat the water from 5C to 65C, with the pressure settling to 0.5 bar. Then ran the test again, 22 seconds, with pressure settling to 0.3 bar with the valve wide open. That is very fast, and points to the tip as the constraint, with my pressure drop a bit greater than Martins UK model with the higher wattage heater (1400 vs 1200w), not a surprising difference. I think there was 1.5 turns of the steam wand knob the first time vs 2 full turns to (full open) the second.

The lightbulb comes on, and now to re-run the test with the original US stock small hole tip. Opening the valve all the way (2 full turns) the time was 62 seconds and pressure settled at 1.1 bar!

That is 17% faster than my 75 sec test with setting at 1.4bar and pressure dropping to 1.25 bar, and 30% faster than the original test of 88sec with a 1.2 bar setting. The hidden key variable .....steam valve lazy wrist twistie....

Conclusion - when I ran the original test I probably opened the valve a 1.5 turns thinking that was plenty (Silvia hangover), but it obviously makes a difference to go to a wide open 2 turns....Both in the time & pressure drop (no surprise there).

This machine steams, if you just let it! It is amazing how those little things can cloud data. I will be getting a bigger tip though, because I like the roiling of the milk and speed!

Floyd

Can anyone recommend the best steam boiler PID temperature setting for the new Duetto II? I've got one on its way and want to set it to the best setting when it arrives.

Stock comes in at 255/ 1.3 bar. Its a good starting point. I personally haven't found the need to go any higher. If anything you will need to adjust brew pressure. Most machines seem to be arriving with brew pressure @ 10.5. I used mine that way for a couple weeks (till pump settles in). Then backed it down to 9 to 9.5 bar.

I've been having a real tough time steaming with the duetto with the newly stock 4 hole tip. I have not tried the two hole yet will swap tomorrow.

I stretch without breaking the surface dead center about 1/3 of an inch dipped into the milk until I hit about 100 degrees then move it to the side a bit and submerge about half way and steam till 140-150. Little to know microfoam, super thin milk. Am I missing something here?

Haunce,

I just got my Alex about a month ago and now am starting to dial in the steaming, especially compared with my Rancilio Silvia with which I could take my time. Steaming with the 4 hole tip for a 6 ounce latte is very fast. I would have you try stretching only for a short amount of time, cutting it early and then texturizing. I would say start by stretching to about 70 degrees F and then texturize until about 110 degrees. On my thermometer, those parameters seem to give me the most consistent results. Plus it's fast so be prepared to stop quickly.

Let me know if it works!

Thanks for the tip - I'll try it for sure.

So you are stretching near the surface, straight on, allowing air to enter till 70 degrees then dip it deeper, texture straight on (or at an angle?) only until 110 degrees and then you are done steaming completely?

I bumped up the temp of the steam boiler from 256 (how it came default) to 259. What are you set at?

Haunce,

I did bump up the boiler pressure to about 258 and the pressure is about 1.4 bar.

As for the steaming, I guess it depends on your thermometer. Mine has a delay (not an instant read thermometer). I will have the tip just below the surface when stretching, making a sucking sound and swirling milk at the same time. Then once it hits 70, I lower it so that there's no more sound but just swirling. For my thermometer, if I texturize higher than 110, it tends to burn up the milk and I get poor foam. Also, before I was doing this, I was using my hand to feel the temp but bc the Alex steams so fast, the thermometer keeps the foam more consistent. at 110, that is usually the temp where I can feel the milk is too hot to touch. (end temp seems to be around 130-140 when I allow the thermometer to catch up at the end of my foaming)

I hope that helps. I had good success first getting the technique down with the 2 hole and then went to the 4 hole. That might help you too.