# Standalone Milk Steamer? Is this a thing?



## le'deps (Jul 14, 2017)

Made myself probably the best 'espresso' I've ever made myself this morning, my Gaggia Classic is on the blink so I dug out my mokka pot & used that (thus the inverted commas) & it was better than anything I've got out of the classic or the cheapo De'longhi I had before.

It's got me seriously thinking I may not bother making real espresso again, too much faff & machine maintenance required when a mokka pot espresso can taste that good. The only thing i'd miss, is I do like a flat white or latte on occasion, so is there such a thing as a standalone steamer? I've very rarely got good textured milk out of the classic anyway unfortunately


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## le'deps (Jul 14, 2017)

Of course this may all change if I make myself another one tonight & it's foul


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## jj-x-ray (Dec 31, 2017)

I would worry something was seriously wrong with your classic or grinder if you managed to make better tasting 'espresso' from your mokka pot. It may also imply you prefer brewed coffee (coarser grind, low/no pressure) to pure espresso.


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## Simon_S (Jul 4, 2016)

@salty offered a Bellman stove top steamer on my thread in the wanted section of the forums.....


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## Batian (Oct 23, 2017)

I use one of these along with my Bialetti. It heats by induction. It has two 'settings', one for slightly frothy milk and one for very very frothy milk.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lavazza-10080916-Modo-Frother-finest/dp/B017KU3A4U

May be cheaper elswhere.


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## le'deps (Jul 14, 2017)

jj-x-ray said:


> I would worry something was seriously wrong with your classic or grinder if you managed to make better tasting 'espresso' from your mokka pot. It may also imply you prefer brewed coffee (coarser grind, low/no pressure) to pure espresso.


There's definitely something wrong with the classic now, it's developed a leak at the group head after changing the seal (which tells me I'm completely technically inept  or maybe it was a bad seal ? ) & the steamer has completely packed up.

Even when it was working though there was always a bit too much bitterness to any shot, timed & weighed to pretty exact specs I could never get it quite right, I thought I got close, but after this morning's mokko pot I realise I didn't really.

Who knows, maybe I do prefer brewed, to me this tasted like every espresso I've ever enjoyed when I've had one at a coffee shop, buuuut I could just have bad taste 

Either way, I'll do some research on those steamers


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## jj-x-ray (Dec 31, 2017)

There are no exact specs....only your tongue and a grind level and brew ratio that works for you....

If it was bitterness and not sourness then it implies too finer grind and or too long an extraction.

It certainly won't have helped if the machine was leaking and playing up.


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## khampal (Feb 6, 2017)

Dualit make a standalone milk steamer. Pricey though, at £175

https://colonnacoffee.com/collections/accessories/products/dualit-cino-milk-steamer


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## CoffeeCoop (Jul 3, 2018)

You can get the Dualit Cino for cheaper by searching around, but I've not found any proper reviews on it.


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## spoxehub (Oct 24, 2014)

For £175, I'd buy another used Classic and have the best of both worlds, plus some spares in the back pocket.


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

No idea how good this is but for £40 it might be worth a punt. If it's not good enough just return it.


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## le'deps (Jul 14, 2017)

jj-x-ray said:


> There are no exact specs....only your tongue and a grind level and brew ratio that works for you....
> 
> If it was bitterness and not sourness then it implies too finer grind and or too long an extraction.
> 
> It certainly won't have helped if the machine was leaking and playing up.


Sorry I was a bit vague, when I say 'exact specs' I don't mean I found one recipe & stuck to it, I just mean I did my research, always weighed the beans, tried different grind sizes, timed & weighed the shots etc but never got close to the Moka pot I made this week 

Anyhoo, as an update, I've now made a few more Moka pot shots & I'm sure it will surprise no-one to learn that I've never matched that first shot since  must have been lucky because I paid very little attention to what I was doing that time ?

Thanks for all the steamer tips folks, I like the look of the stovetop one best, though I would worry about an explosion, I worry about that with the Moka pot  in light of my subsequent failures I may just give up again & go back to aeropress only, which is what I've been doing since the classic packed up until the Moka pot miracle. Even I can't cock up an aeropress, much


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## le'deps (Jul 14, 2017)

spoxehub said:


> For £175, I'd buy another used Classic and have the best of both worlds, plus some spares in the back pocket.


I don't trust myself with a repair  unfortunately


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## le'deps (Jul 14, 2017)

ashcroc said:


> No idea how good this is but for £40 it might be worth a punt. If it's not good enough just return it.


I'd guess that type of thing only makes quite a dense cappacino type foam, I'm after a more pourable microfoam type jobby that I'd presume you can only really get with a steam arm & some practice


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## salty (Mar 7, 2017)

Check one of the vids posted by @Stanic crafting some great milk and latte art using a Bellman Stovetop Steamer. If that convinces you I have a nearly new one I'd be happy to sell on


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## Stanic (Dec 12, 2015)

I'm really happy with the Bellman - after getting a single hole tip







the steam is very powerful, lasting and dry

Few videos


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## salty (Mar 7, 2017)

@Stanic You da man


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