Trimethylpurine wrote:My LaPavoni Pro makes a lovely table decoration when not in use...

Proud as a peacock they are! Conversation piece for people that don't know them too.

To be honest, I don't think you'll kill 99.99% that rapidly, alcohol 70% or more and flaming that off would....but whatever works as lomg as you know what not to use it for.


Also use my faemina as object d'art in a modern kitchen, most visitors don't have a clue what it really does..

Not really an alternative use but I often use my machine for making hot chocolate for my kids.

I use a few drops of hot water to dissolve cocoa and sugar (or just Nestle Quick) in order to obtain a think chocolate sirup. And I add plenty of steamed milk. You can even make latte art (albeit with a lower contrast) this way.

I tried melting pieces of solid chocolate with the steam wand but that didn't work, though.

My brother has an HX machine in his office on a Korean campus and plenty of people use the hot water dispenser for their ramen noodles

If you're making your kids hot chocolate, best to give them something homemade. Chocolate syrup and milk, stir it up in your frothing pitcher and then froth as normal.

Here's my recipe for chocolate syrup. It begins to crystallize a little after a few weeks in the fridge. But it still dissolves nonetheless. You can always exchange some of the regular sugar for an invert sugar or glucose to cut down on the crystallization.

Use the best cocoa you can find, darker the better.

Dark Chocolate Syrup

Makes 2 cups

250g Water
250g Sugar
100g Dark, Dutch Processed Cocoa
¼t Kosher Salt
1t Vanilla

Combine all; bring to a boil while gently whisking almost constantly. As soon as it comes to a full boil, pour into a container and put a lid on it to prevent further evaporation.
Refrigerate

My espresso machines foment unrest and spur heated conversations about kitchen counter space, especially after visiting someone else's house.

neutro wrote:Not really an alternative use but I often use my machine for making hot chocolate for my kids.
...
I tried melting pieces of solid chocolate with the steam wand but that didn't work, though.

I forgot that I do use mine for hot chocolate too, both plain chocolate and Mexican hot chocolate (Abuelita brand)

1. Start with about 1oz of milk, overheat it slightly with the steam wand, drop in milk or dark chocolate. (I use Trader Joes Belgium chocolate, about 2-3 chunks per serving.)
2. After that has sat for about 1 minute give it a quick stir with a spoon, and most of the chocolate should be melted. Steam a little more if necessary. (Don't forget to clean the steam wand!)
3. Once the chocolate is melted pour in the rest of the milk dose, steam away until the desired temp. You can add foam to the mix, as is common with Mexican hot chocolate. Pour into cappuccino/latte cups and serve.
4. Again, cleanup that sticky steam wand.

If you want to do this without the pre-melt stage then use grated chocolate and it will melt nearly instantly in hot milk, pour in the rest and steam.

Absolutely the best hot chocolate you can make I think. I got the idea for melting the chocolate from a Frenchman who scoffs at American hot chocolate with zero chocolate in them. I've made the Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate for years in a blender, but the espresso machine steam wand does a very good job even without the blender and froths it just fine.

DanoM wrote:How did your barrel stave steaming go? That's alot of steam!

I just received some mail order hats that I wanted to change the crown on, and found the Strega's steam wand worked great. Angle could be better, but it had good, sustained steam with a nice toggle on and off. It's definitely better than a tea kettle over a gas stove when it comes to steaming a hat.
A decent intro to hat blocking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHOYh5lgL28

Very kind of you to ask. I may have to look at that video. I don't really even know what kind of hat needs steaming. Do all felt hats, even the Basque (?) boina? Anyway the stave steaming went like a table for my espresso machine and skinned tomatoes.

yakster wrote:My espresso machines foment unrest and spur heated conversations about kitchen counter space, especially after visiting someone else's house.

"You're still planning on selling some of those, right?"

Chert wrote:I don't really even know what kind of hat needs steaming. Do all felt hats, even the Basque (?) boina?

If you are re-shaping a felt hat many of them need steam or heat to loosen the fibers and change the shape. When it cools and dries the felt locks into the new position. A few treatments and the hat will hold the new shape fairly well, even tight creases are possible in high grade felts.

At least that's the theory!
I've been lucky so far in hat steaming with no disasters.