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Silvia - Steam Tips

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  • Silvia - Steam Tips

    Hey,

    I have been doing quite well on foaming although the last week it has been harder work possibly due to the rainfall here in Perth affecting the milk. Still easy to get huge amounts of foam but fine microfoam is harder.

    One thing I have noticed though, is that the Silvia produces too much steam through the single tip for small amounts of mlik (150 - 200ml). It really does need a two or three hole tip so that it can use the power that it has. I have seen these tips on overseas sites but is there anywhere I can get one here in Oz?

    Grant

  • #2
    Re: Silvia - Steam Tips

    Hi Grant,

    Might be worth contacting a company called "Coffee Parts"? You can contact them here.... http://tinyurl.com/blwem and explain what youre trying to do and they might be able to help.

    Ive found them to be a very helpful company to do business with and pretty fair pricing for the stock they sell. All the best,

    Mal.

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    • #3
      Re: Silvia - Steam Tips

      Mal,

      I have phoned them and they are getting back to me.

      I tried a latte again this morning but this time whacked the steam up and the foam came out lovely even though it was a bit hard to manage in the jug. The foam came up very quickly too. I still think the three hole tip is a good idea.

      It is funny isnt it, the little Silvia packs so much steam. I havent reached the limits of its steaming ability yet although I know probably 2x20ounce is its limit.

      Grant

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      • #4
        Re: Silvia - Steam Tips

        Re Silvia one hole steam tip having too much power for small amounts of milk, I tend to disagree. I regularly steam 60-80mls of milk for my macchiati with the Silvia and, if my technique is OK, I regularly get great microfoam. The trick is NOT to open the steam valve up fully, but steam with just enough power to get froth, but not too fast so that one has enough time to get the microfoam. This takes some experimentation, but when one has the technique downpat, it works everytime. No need for a new steam tip. The prevailing wisdom to froth with the valve open full simply does not apply for quantities of milk under a 100mls.

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        • #5
          Re: Silvia - Steam Tips

          No, I dont open the steam up to the point where it makes a mess but it does seem to go well with more steam than I had been using.

          I want the three hole tip as it enables you to use all the steaming power for quicker and better frothing.

          Grant

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          • #6
            Re: Silvia - Steam Tips

            Grant, if you look at the discussions on coffeegeek regarding the 3 hole tips for the silvia offered by Ist Line and Wholelattelove, youll find most who purchased these tips were disappointed. And, in any case, for small quantities of milk they are worse than the Silva tip, which is quite well designed for the purpose. For anything less than 150mls you want steaming to be as slow and steady as possible. Speed, in these circumstances overheats the milk.

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            • #7
              Re: Silvia - Steam Tips

              I am still experimenting. I got some whole milk yesterday and steamed it in 500ml and 150ml amounts and it came up with good microfoam in both instances. The Silvia steams 500ml with ease and you can open up the tap full and just leave it to steam.

              The problem is milk is a variable product too. I think with the rain weve had here in Perth it has affected the milk properties.

              I am getting better all the time at this. One thing is just to look carefully at what is happening to the milk so you can adjust if necessary what you are doing as you are doing it.

              Generally I get good results. The 3 holed tip I would like to try if I can get hold of one.

              The Silvia seems to be quite capable of doing two 500ml lots of milk before running out of steam. I generally do 4 lattes at one time. Four espresso shots then 500 - 600ml of milk which just microfoams nicely to fill a 1 litre jug. This is only when we have visitors of course. Most of the time it is just me drinking latte as my wife doesnt like coffee. For some reason I have gone back to latte, I think because the Silvia does microfoam much better than the Gaggia Classic I had before.

              Great little machine. I am enjoying the decaf from snobbies too. It is a great drop for those affected by caffeine in the evening.

              Cheers,
              Grant

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              • #8
                Hi wattgn, did you ever get to try the 3 holed tip?

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                • #9
                  I dare say given the date of the post he may have even tried a new machine

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