# Learning to steam, wand holes



## nicholasj (Nov 11, 2013)

My Minima is quite powerful when it comes to steaming. I've got three holes in the wand and find it's all too quick. Milk heated, foamed and done before I knew it......and not particularly done well!!

Is a newbie better off with just a one or two hole steam wand to start off with? Cheers.


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## Cooffe (Mar 7, 2019)

nicholasj said:


> My Minima is quite powerful when it comes to steaming. I've got three holes in the wand and find it's all too quick. Milk heated, foamed and done before I knew it......and not particularly done well!!
> 
> Is a newbie better off with just a one or two hole steam wand to start off with? Cheers.


 Probably best to have a steep but useful learning curve with the 3-hole tip. Doing this you will be mastering one of the most powerful prosumer machines on the market, so anything else you go to should be easier to grasp...


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## Saltydog (Jan 27, 2019)

A Barista told me to practice with water and detergent, saves wasting milk.


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## Cooffe (Mar 7, 2019)

Saltydog said:


> A Barista told me to practice with water and detergent, saves wasting milk.


 Yeah, this works, but I found that I could never practice my Latte art with it yesterday... Milk isn't too expensive so sometimes is just worth getting through a few litres and getting used to it


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## Michael87 (Sep 20, 2019)

I have a question on this. Is the technique of most online videos still applicable for three hole wands? As they talk about using an angle to direct the steam into a circulation pattern, so that implies a single hole is being used.

I found another online tip that says with three hole wands to put the wand vertical down into the centre of the pitcher to create a toroidal circulation (down the middle, outwards at the base, up the sides, then back inwards) rather than circular (around the sides).

Does anyone have any insight into this? I haven't found the sweet spot yet for either method.


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

I sometime stick it in at an angle, sometimes straight down. Makes no real difference so long as there is enough turbulence created to mix the milk and you don't put too much air into it.

I had a hard time steaming on the Expobar and was able to get really good results instantly with the Minima. I only steam enough for one flat white in a little 30c jug.

For the Minima: Rest the tip just under the surface of the milk and open the steam valve all the way, you'll hear the really loud hissing/tearing sound of the milk. Move the jug up pretty much the moment you've opened the valve for a flat white (so you get the turbulence and mixing with a little tear every now and again) wait a couple of seconds longer for a latte and a couple of seconds longer than that for a cappuccino...I think that's how you do it anyway I never really make the latter two. You need to swirl the jug around before pouring and I pour off a little from the top usually because it settles a bit while I clean the steam wand.


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