ECM Technika IV Profi steam pressure

[BERVY]

I have an ECM Technika and have always been a bit disappointed in the steaming side of things. I came from an EM6910 and I wouldn't say the ECM is any more powerful if at all from the Sunbeam.

I recently had to return the ECM to place of purchase to repair a faulty control board (under warranty) and I asked them to check the steam while they had it. Nothing was mentioned when I got the machine back and the steam output is the same.

The boiler pressure gauge reads 1.5 bar, and obviously drops when steaming but doesn't get below 1.
How do I tell if my steam pressure is okay or not?

Will getting a four hole tip help?

How long should it take to heat/texture enough milk for 1 drink?

Cheers.

[ibiza888]

My recent Giotto V3 took 25s for 4-5oz milk for 1 drink. It comes with standard 2 hole tip.

[kwantfm]

I have a Technika and I find it to be a massively powerful steamer. Had a work colleague over on the weekend who knows a lot about coffee and machines and he agrees that the machine is a powerful steamer. The machine steams faster than it extracts, so I'll turn the pump on, start steaming and the milk is ready before I switch off the pump. Something has to be wrong with your machine.

[BERVY]

Mine takes about 55s to steam enough for 1 latte. Annoying. Especially after I specifically asked the shop to check the steam output while it was there. And it is a major hassle to get it to the shop as I'm in a regional area - we are talking 2-3 days freight (and $100+). Grrrr.

[Dimal]

G'day Bervy...

With a Boiler Pressure of ~1.5BAR, you should be enjoying superb steam delivery. Seeing as how you aren't, there may be a blockage between the Boiler Discharge Port and the end of your Steam Wand. Suggest that you troubleshoot this logically from the Wand Tip backwards, until you locate the source of the problem and then clear it...

Mal.

[BERVY]

Thanks all. Being still under warrantee I'm not sure I want to start pulling it to bits. But, the warrantee is back to base, so I'm up for ~$140 to ship it to the retailer. Now I have some feedback from other owners it confirms it's not just in my mind, and I will speak to the shop. How would a tech typically test the steam output? I did ask them to check it, but it seems they just spurted some steam and thought that it looked about right. The time it takes to steam 1 drink of milk says otherwise.

Cheers.

[noidle22]

Check out this video by Jetblack Espresso: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osz7LbZMQkw

You can see that it takes between 0:14 and 1:06 in the video to steam enough milk for 2 standard caps in quite small cups. That's 52 seconds for about what, 400ml or so?
Seems like your machine is operating correctly. In the comments section, Jetblack themselves say that the installation of a 4 hole steam tip will speed the steaming up as the standard 2 hole tip is quite slow, as you know.
By the sounds of the other people in the comments, they experience the same problem as you.

Contact Jetblack Espresso about it and they should be able to supply a new 4 hole tip.

[Dimal]

Hmmm...

That seems awfully slow for a machine with a 2+Lt Boiler. I know all machines have their idiosyncrasies but my 2.0Lt Junior Extra could regularly and reliably texture milk for two Lattes at a time in about half the time of that in the video and for a single Latte, 15 seconds was all it took. Seems very odd if that is the best the Profi can do...

Mal.

[noidle22]

It does seem a bit odd, my EM6910 is faster than one of these even.

A La San Marco 95 Sprint E that I did at my shop today idles at 1.3 bar and does 450ml in 20 seconds or so. A Unic Diva single group that I did a few days back sits at about 1.6 bar and with a 4 hole tip it can steam 450ml in about 12-15 seconds. I don't think boiler capacity has much impact on steam power though, it's the steam tip and boiler recovery speed that impacts it.
The steam tip difference between 2 hole and 4 hole, with a boiler that can recover fast enough to maintain reliable pressure, should essentially double the speed. I think this is the case with the Technika, or so it seems from people who have installed the 4 hole tip.

I rebuilt this La San Marco 85-16M-2 a few months ago. It idled at 1.5 bar or something, I don't remember, but it had a 6 hole steam tip. It could steam 600ml in like 6 seconds or something ridiculous. Probably controllable if I had the skills haha. It has the lever steam valves too so it was full on or full off. luckily I got the second steam valve to slowly open so I advised the customer to use that one instead.

[Caps]

I thought I was happy with the steam on my Technika as I didn't know any better. Only after reading this thread did I realise what I should be aiming for - gotta love CS. Straight onto Jetblack and ordered a 4 hole steam tip and the difference is day and night.