Steamed milk vs. a frother

Beginner and pro baristas share tips and tricks for making espresso.
Elfmaze
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#1: Post by Elfmaze »

Hey guys, I'll get around to a proper first post here when I get a bit more time. But as a quick bit of info. One of the machines i'm looking at does not do steam. the Quick Mill Carola. How do those Breville milk frother/heaters compare to actual steamed milk?

i'm also not against building a copper boiler with a heating element for steaming purpose... Just looking for the path of least resistance. Seems the Carola is a fine option for focusing on the espresso side of the equation for a "reasonable" budget

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sweaner
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#2: Post by sweaner »

I would suggest that if you are going to be making milk drinks with any frequency, get a machine that can do it right.

Get one with a steam wand and a hot water tap.
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Nunas
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#3: Post by Nunas »

My brother has one of those frother/heaters. It does a reasonable job of foaming milk, and amazingly quickly, providing you aren't fussy about the texture of the milk. If you're after mirofoam for latte art or making good form for flat whites or cappuccinos, look elsewhere. The cheapest route might be to go on eBay and search Bellman. You should be able to find used Bellman steamers there (or buy a new one). if you don't want a stove-top model, then check out the older listings for the ones that have a 120-volt heater. Not new, not pretty, but I used to have a Bellman that did both Mocha and steam (my first 'espresso machine'). You can foam milk with it in a very controlled manner...not quite the pressure of a proper HX or DB, but much closer than a frother/heater.

jgood
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#4: Post by jgood »

I have a QM Carola and have both a Nespresso frother (left over from my wife's old Nespresso machine) and a Bellman steamer. The Bellman is an actual steam boiler and wand, so it's roughly comparable to the steam nozzle on an espresso machine, without the swivel and a bit short in the wand department -- not perfect but serviceable. The trick is to let it heat up until the pressure relief valve starts to sing, and then purge the wet steam that comes out first. However, it is a bit of a hassle as it takes about 20 minutes to heat up - but unlike an espresso machine (with steam capability) you can't leave it for long unattended. But for $80 it's a viable solution. The frother is ok in a pinch but the frothed milk isn't the same, and I don't think it much cheaper to buy a frother. If I anticipated making as many milk drinks as I do, I would have gone for a QM67 double boiler, even though it's twice the price of a Carola and a Bellman. That said the Carola is a bargain for a quality E61 machine and I am having a hard time convincing myself that I need to upgrade at this time.

Elfmaze (original poster)
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#5: Post by Elfmaze (original poster) »

sweaner wrote:I would suggest that if you are going to be making milk drinks with any frequency, get a machine that can do it right.

Get one with a steam wand and a hot water tap.
So assuming sticking with the E61 group and moving to an HX boiler you add on another $1000, more than the cost of the QuickMill itself. and arguably not the same level of brew group temp control the QuickMill has. Even the Expobar office lever machines and the Anita doubles the price point. I guess the question to me is a steam generator that critical...

I have seen those stove top units I also am capable of making a 1200watt copper boiler steaming machine for just over $100 with a commercial style steam arm.

I could step it down to a Silvia type machine, But would the espresso shot suffer in the name of getting a proper steam wand?

Elfmaze (original poster)
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#6: Post by Elfmaze (original poster) »

jgood wrote:I have a QM Carola and have both a Nespresso frother (left over from my wife's old Nespresso machine) and a Bellman steamer. The Bellman is an actual steam boiler and wand, so it's roughly comparable to the steam nozzle on an espresso machine, without the swivel and a bit shorter. However, it is a bit of a hassle as it takes about 20 minutes to heat up - but unlike the steam nozzle on an espresso machine you can't leave for long unattended. But for $80 it's a viable solution. The frother is ok in a pinch but the frothed milk isn't really the same. If I anticipated making as many milk drinks as I do, I would have gone for a QM double boiler. But that said the Carola is a bargain for a quality E61 machine.
Thats a shame.... Was hoping the frother would be on par...

Stepping up to the $1500 range does open up HX machines. the QM Anita, Expobar office lever, and even the small Rocket.

I was more trying to compare the Silvia's price point with an actual E61 group machine. All said and done I may end up with a Silvia, even a used one in an effort to keep it under a grand.

jgood
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#7: Post by jgood »

The single boiler machine has some serious disadvantages for steaming -- do a little reading about them if you are unfamiliar. Also don't forget the grinder -- major effect on the end result!

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bluesman
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#8: Post by bluesman »

sweaner wrote:I would suggest that if you are going to be making milk drinks with any frequency, get a machine that can do it right.
I agree completely! I got a Nespresso frother in a special deal when I bought one of their basic machines for my office. It makes nice rich foamy milk, but it's so thick that it's only good for blobbing into a shot or two. Art is out of the question.

Elfmaze (original poster)
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#9: Post by Elfmaze (original poster) »

Thanks guys, I'll get into machine combos and purchasing strategy in an intro thread. Sounds like the milk frother may not be my golden solution

Elfmaze (original poster)
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#10: Post by Elfmaze (original poster) »


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