# Hi all - and a Delonghi steam wand query....



## gingerneil

Hi all,

This is my first post so please go easy! J

I have always enjoyed a decent coffee - but only just starting to learn that 99% of the coffee I have ever drunk has been awful!

I bought a Delonghi EC310 a few months ago (should have done more reading first!), and attended a one day 'introduction to Barista training' day at Pumphreys Coffee in Newcastle. The training was excellent, and really opened my eyes. The majority of the day was spent on the 'serious' stuff of how to pull a perfect espresso and the different factors that influence the pull. We then spent about an hour playing with the steamers and learning some latte art. I was pretty happy with my latte hearts by the end! J

However&#8230; I have now come home to my Delonghi! I don't have ££ to spend on a new machine, but I will be buying a Porlex grinder. I'm happy hand grinding for the amount I drink, and the espresso from the Delonghi is surprisingly OK (although I'm going to have a play around depressurising the group handle/backet).

My main query though is with the steamer on the Delonghi. I have tried to get decent micro foam, and have done OK - but having used a professional machine during training, I am not getting the results I know I am capable of. Does anyone know if its possible to replace the steam want with a proper one ? I have spent most of the day on google, and seen how Gaggia wands can be replaced. But there is nothing on the Delonghi other than suggestions to saw the end off and cover up the air hole. Has anyone had reasonable success with this, or found a way to replace the whole thing with a proper wand ??


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## Tiny tamper

Hi Neil, and welcome, I'm afraid you might struggle to fix this issue because, once you take the parannello tip off any machine what your left with is pretty useless.

Id suggest saving for gaggia classic there not a fortune used, there's one in our for sale section going for £120 I think no much to get you back on the right path.

Hope you get sorted either way

TT


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## froggystyle

Little bit here on fudging the wand...

http://jakepeters.co.uk/2012/05/22/adapting-the-portafilter-and-steam-wand/


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## gingerneil

Thanks for the replies.

I did find that last site via Google, but before I ordered a spare wand and hacked the end off the old one, I wanted to check if there was a better option. I'll try drilling out the end if the wand to create a hollow tube, and will melt/cover the hole. Worth a go, and a replacement is only £6 delivered....

My wife loves the look of the delonghi, and it 'matches' our other gadgets in the kitchen. When we rip the whole thing out and put a new kitchen in I'll budget for a proper espresso machine and grinder!


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## profondoblu

I have the same machine at home, I filled the hole on the wand and now can create good microfoam, good enough to produce some decent rosettas. Didn't bother with drilling out the end as it didn't seem necessary. I bought a unpressurised basket too and that combined with a porlex was to my taste buds producing decent enough espresso. Like you I will more than likely upgrade one day, but it was bought without the info I have now and I'm not prepared to throw it away.


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## gingerneil

What did you fill it with? The suggestion on the link was to melt the plastic. Did you do this or fill it with something? Where did you get the replacement basket?


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## profondoblu

I'll find the link for the basket, I melted some plastic into there was an old plastic handle I had lying around,


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## gingerneil

Thanks prof.


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