New S1 steam tip from Chris Coffee

Tampers, Triple Baskets, Bottomless PFs, Temp Measuring Devices, Barista Tools, other Coffee Widgets
Post Reply
User avatar
chas
Vivaldi Dreamer
Posts: 3044
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:52 pm
Location: Central Maryland
Contact:

New S1 steam tip from Chris Coffee

Post by chas »

Check out this new four hole S1 steam tip from Chris Coffee.

http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/hom ... lesteamtip

It's got 30% smaller holes than the current stock tip. I've got one coming. I'll report back as soon as I play with it a bit.

:santa:
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
Niko

Post by Niko »

DaMN IT!!
Chris' just closed, I wanted one so badly.
I guess I'll have one shipped out on Monday :!:

Please do post your findings as soon as you get it.
I'm getting one regardless!


I'm assuming this was created to give slightly less (more controlled) power and endless steaming at the same time. A rather nice tweak on Chris' end once again.
CLB

Post by CLB »

Me three!
Niko

Post by Niko »

Me four!

..oh wait, I already said I'm getting one :? .

That new tip probably works great in the 12oz pitchers (are you reading this, Evan?), a lot of people should be thrilled about this.
I like the current stock tip but it's a little fast out of the gate, very controllable after some practice but a lot of 1st time espresso machine users are buying the Vivaldi as their first real machine.
algrilli

Post by algrilli »

I didn't mind the original, but I agree, it's very fast. Perhaps this one will take the edge off.

I went ahead and ordered it just before vacation, so I get to spend a week in Virginia Beach and have it waiting at my front door when I get home! Still, I can't wait.

Yeah, isn't it great that Chris continues to pay attention to the details and bring them to market for us?
Zzyzx

Post by Zzyzx »

So, will the new tip make microfoam more abundant or easier to make then our stock 4 hole tips?
Niko

Post by Niko »

I have a feeling it will produce more abundant microfoam like the old 3-hole tip but it will have the speed between the current stock 4-hole tip and the old one. This is just a guess, me thinks milk steaming to 160 degrees Fahrenheit will occur in about 22 seconds rather than the blistering 16 seconds of the stock tip.
This new tip may be the missing link to the Vivaldi and very well may be the tip of all tips where balance of microfoam and power come into one. Sorry, I know it's starting to sound Zen but if this tip can give smoother foam and steam that lasts longer (due to the smaller holes)...I'm all for it :D .

I ordered one Monday morning so it'll arrive by next Monday (I'm on the damn West Coast).
I'll post my findings in the video section of the forum with thermometer and timer readings.
Zzyzx

Post by Zzyzx »

That would be great.

I would rather have a slower build to heat and make my microfoam. Currently, the 4-hole tip I'm using is very effective, it just heats up to quickly and it has to be in the absolute perfect spot to yield a lot of microfoam.

I look forward to the reviews
Niko

Post by Niko »

It fits them all with no problems.
As a matter of fact, I should've ordered 2 (one for my old S1 as well) but I didn't think of it at the time.
Then again, I should make sure I like it....
woodchuck

Post by woodchuck »

No problem with the stock tip myself but my wife has a hard time tuning it down at the start. Sounds like the new tip would be a good fit. Looking forward to the feedback.

Cheers

Ian
User avatar
chas
Vivaldi Dreamer
Posts: 3044
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:52 pm
Location: Central Maryland
Contact:

Post by chas »

I just got back from a trip and the tip is here. I'll be checking it out first thing in the morning.
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
User avatar
chas
Vivaldi Dreamer
Posts: 3044
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:52 pm
Location: Central Maryland
Contact:

Post by chas »

Aye, she gives a sweet ride, maties!

Nice microfoam seems pretty effortless. I couldn't tell if the time to temp was much slower or not. I may actually have to take some scientific measurements while heating water to temp to find that out.

It's not noticeably slower to me though I'm not sure I could tell unless the difference was significant.
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
Niko

Post by Niko »

How many oz's of milk?
What size is the pitcher?
What kind of milk?
....now I'm dying to try it!

Did the steam seem more continuous to you without a drop in power?
Zzyzx

Post by Zzyzx »

chas wrote:
I couldn't tell if the time to temp was much slower or not. I may actually have to take some scientific measurements while heating water to temp to find that out.

It's not noticeably slower to me though I'm not sure I could tell unless the difference was significant.
Chas,

It seems form your description that the differences from the stock 4 hole tip to the new smaller one are not very noticeable?
algrilli

Post by algrilli »

Another home run for Chris' Coffee. I just tried the new tip on several cappies and I'm pleased to say it makes steaming MUCH more manageable without being weak. I usually use a 12oz pitcher for appx 3-4 oz milk. Didn't take measurements, but I was steaming for probably about 5 more seconds.

Whatever it was, I definitely had more time to spend with the milk without that frantic race-against-the-clock feeling. Microfoam was fine enough for my taste, though i"m not a perfectionist there. I just appreciate the extra time and manageability when building a drink. This one's a keeper!
Niko

Post by Niko »

A 12oz pitcher....5 seconds or so longer, hmm.
According to my calculations (speculations) that sounds about right. It should translate to a 23 second steaming clip in a 20oz pitcher with 8oz's of whole milk (that 2% or fat free junk doesn't count).
That tip does sound like a true winner for 8-20oz pitchers and a loser for the large pitchers (24oz and bigger).
Nice!
Now I REALLY can't wait to get my hands on one.
User avatar
chas
Vivaldi Dreamer
Posts: 3044
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:52 pm
Location: Central Maryland
Contact:

Post by chas »

Here are my pseudo-scientific results in heating 8oz of 67F water in a 20oz straight sided pitcher to 140F.

- New tip 20 seconds
- Old tip 16 seconds

In addition the old tip seemed to result in a more "chaotic" swirl in the pitcher whereas the new tip produced a smoother swirl.
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
Niko

Post by Niko »

chas wrote:the new tip produced a smoother swirl.
You mean like a BellyDancer!
...right? :wink: :D
algrilli

Post by algrilli »

Agreed, Chas! Most noticeable was the new civilized whirlpool; no hyper-rolling, but strong steady action.

I also noticed a very quick fade-in at startup and fade-out at shutoff, whereas before, the steam just blasted on at the start then stopped dead afterward. No concern here, just an observation. It's still quick to respond. I was just a little surprised at the slight lingering at the end.

Actually, it feels more natural - less jolting. I think it's a better match to the overall quiet comfortable feel of the machine. I'm really lovin' it..

Niko, it'll be interesting to hear your take on it next week.
Niko

Post by Niko »

Delivery shows Monday.
I'll start drinking Cappuccinos again :D
Niko

Post by Niko »

My first steaming attempt with this tip was fantastic! It produced the sweetest microfoam on the planet, I've never had sweeter milk...and I mean sweeter as in sugar-sweet, not bad-ass sweet. I did notice IMMEDIATELY that this tip is much slower out of the gate than the previous tip but this horse is certainly no loser like most "cheater" tips made for lame home users of fine commercial equipment. Oh no! This tip is one I'd put all my money on for the small to medium sized pitchers hands down, it breaks open very smoothly and has a quick finishing move with a very nice roll to the milk, the pattern is definitely different but I didn't pay much attention to that, I was too much in awe of the velvety, rich, creamy, stupendous, luscious foam being produced that I was literally hypnotized in a trance. I even drank the rest of the foam from the pitcher it was that good.
Now I need to do some tests in the next few days with thermometers and timer on video to compare the swirl of the milk, etc..
It's fun to get geeky about it!
algrilli

Post by algrilli »

I just tried the 20oz pitcher this morning, and microfoam was indeed excellent. My best yet. I'm pretty happy! Although the milk always tasted sweet to me, even when I was blasting away with the original 4-hole tip. You're just mellowing with age Niko. :wink:
Niko

Post by Niko »

I don't know about mellowing... :D ...that may never happen.
The tip is pretty weak on the 25oz pitchers, for that I install the sandblasting tip to kill the milk off. With patience, the newer tip should be fine but that's one virtue I lack.
User avatar
ScottW
Espresso
Posts: 70
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 9:08 pm
Location: North of Seattle

Post by ScottW »

I tried the new tip for the first time this morning, with about 5oz of milk. Definitely much easier to control, a few seconds longer before reaching 140f and *markedly* better microfoam.

The new tip is definitely a winner, certainly for small amounts of milk (which is all I ever steam).

Looking at all those adjectives, I think Niko has some additional secret ingredients in his milk. :-)
Niko

Post by Niko »

I only drink rBST-free milk! :lol:
MDL
Barista
Posts: 329
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:29 am
Location: San Diego

Further experience with the new tip?

Post by MDL »

I am curious to hear what folks think about the new steam tip after using it for a week or so.

Please let us know if you all remain as happy as you were when you first tried it and initially posted.

It sounds like a great way to go, but I'd like some confirmation.

Thanks very much,
Mark
Niko

Post by Niko »

I can confirm it is a MUCH BETTER steam tip for home usage. I've had it since last Monday and it's not like the testosterone fueled version that shipped with the machine.
I like the old one for big pitchers, 24oz or bigger and the new tip struggles into next week producing froth in a timely manner.
User avatar
ScottW
Espresso
Posts: 70
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 9:08 pm
Location: North of Seattle

Re: Further experience with the new tip?

Post by ScottW »

MDL wrote:I am curious to hear what folks think about the new steam tip after using it for a week or so. Please let us know if you all remain as happy as you were when you first tried it and initially posted.
I am very pleased and would highly recommend the new tip. For large amounts of milk, the speed of the stock tip might recommend it. But for the typical amounts of milk I steam (like 8oz or less), the stock tip was way too fast and furious. The new tip slows things down a bit, and I think the smaller holes propagate smaller bubbles. I find it much easier to use, and get better / more consistent microfoam than I was getting with the stock tip.

...Scott
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 170
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:48 pm
Location: Krakow

Post by admin »

I had a bit of a puzzlement when I got back from vacation but my theory turned out to be correct. I only had a few days after receiving the new tip before I was out of town for a couple of weeks. I stopped by the local mini-mart on the way back to grab a gallon of milk. Previously, I had found that the mini-mart milk from a local diary produced superior micro-foam relative to the supermarket brand I normally get - independent of which tip I used.

This time however, there was no micro-foam. Each steaming session turned out a pitcher fully of mini-bubbles. I was assuming there was something hinkey about the milk. When I finally used it up and got some supermarket milk, the froth with the new tip was perfect again.

Pretty bizarre. It had to be something with the milk but I'm not sure what. It was 2% like I always use - unless it was mislabeled - and it tasted alright. At least that experience is behind me. I thought that "bad" gallon of milk was going to last forever!
S1 Cafe Admin
http://www.s1cafe.com
algrilli

Post by algrilli »

Same here. You would think milk is milk, but it's not. In my area, Hannaford brand stubbornly refuses to cooperate in the pitcher, so it's now banned from my caffeine kingdom.

I'm no good dealing with grinding, brewing or steaming problems at 5:30 AM on a weekday. Anything that fail to cooperate (stale beans, nonsteaming milk, even awkward cups) are banished from my barista-dom.
Niko

Post by Niko »

There's a long thread about this on another forum discussing this exact same issue.
It's the cows! Something about the summer months where there's a variation in the proteins causing no microfoam in the milk.

So it's not just you, Chas. Lots of people have experienced this but I only use Trader Joe's milk and I haven't seen this one get affected.
Zzyzx

Post by Zzyzx »

Niko wrote:I only use Trader Joe's milk
Oh, how I wish we had a Trader Joes in Austin :cry:
Niko

Post by Niko »

Their milk is simply the BEST.
I use the regular organic, not the cream top organic (it tastes great but it's funky in coffee) - too much creamy flavor overpowers the espresso (not good). :wink:
It's almost worth flying out the nearest Trader Joe's to buy a gallon! :D
MDL
Barista
Posts: 329
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:29 am
Location: San Diego

Post by MDL »

Unfortunately Trader Joe's doesn't sell their organic milk in quarts, and I don't use enough to go through 1/2 gallons when it is really fresh. However, the "regular" Trader Joe's milk (no BST) seems pretty good as a regular staple.

It sounds like everyone who has tried the new tip wth smaller holes likes it. Suppose that I have to order one from Chris (I want to get a second dispersion disk anyway so that I can just swap disk and screens when I do a cleaning).
User avatar
chas
Vivaldi Dreamer
Posts: 3044
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:52 pm
Location: Central Maryland
Contact:

Post by chas »

When I lived in Phoenix we had a Trader Joe's that was not too far off my normal travel path. This first one is coming to this area in a couple of months but it will be about a 30+ mile round trip from home. So they definitely won't be my main milk supplier but I'll have to give them a try when I do get over that way.
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
Niko

Post by Niko »

MDL wrote:However, the "regular" Trader Joe's milk (no BST) seems pretty good as a regular staple.
For me it HAS to be the Organic (all their milk is non rBST). I can tell the difference between other supermarket non rBST milk and theirs, it's still loaded with junk because I "feel" the effects later. :pukeright: :sad4:
italyhound

Post by italyhound »

That's what I get for ignoring the forum for a while - still back and forth with my older 4 tip - this is great news. Thanks for the tip off Niko!!!

Evan
Niko

Post by Niko »

No problem, Evan.
I'm always looking out for the good peeps of this forum :D
woodchuck

Post by woodchuck »

I finally got around to ordering the new steam tip. I personally didn't really have too much trouble with the stock tip but my wife struggled with the extra steam. Boy what a difference. She thinks it is great and I have to admit that I don't have to pay quite so much attention to steaming to get good micro foam - this is especially welcome during my early morning sessions when concentration is a hard commodity to come by :)

Cheers

Ian
Weska

Post by Weska »

I can chime in here too. I just got the reduced aperture 4-hole tip, and it does make a nice difference. I didn't have much trouble before, but one could not afford to let one's concentration go slack for an instant.

Sometimes there would be dishwater-size bubbles, sometimes fine bubbles but stiff as polyurethane foam insulation (Euro style). Lately, I don't have to knit my brow but get flowing microfoam out of my little pitcher. Could be mostly suggestion, but it all seems much easier to toss off.
wgaggl

Post by wgaggl »

The 4-hole tip with the larger holes really works well for me with large amounts of milk (more than 8oz) but for smaller amounts the new one with the smaller holes works really well.
I have it for about 2 months now and for me its strength shows with low steam pressure (which happens on the original Vivaldi once in a while, not so much with the VII). OTOH, when entertaining a group of guests I find it to be slower, so I stick with the larger holes mostly; as mentioned above, it is mostly a matter of paying more attention to the steaming process with the larger holes, for the benefit of faster steaming.

Wolfgang
italyhound

Post by italyhound »

Well I might as well make an informed decision. I ordered the smaller 4 hole tip today and will also get replacement o-rings to see if for some reason the leak issues I had experienced with my original set up (burn arm - adaptor - and non native 2 hole tip) was an anomaly. From what I have heard it has not been an issue with others and it gave me great latte art - the likes of which I have yet to recreate.

Now I will have almost all tips at home to play around with. I am curious if the new 4 hole is going to be too strong for my needs.


Evan
Niko

Post by Niko »

italyhound wrote:I am curious if the new 4 hole is going to be too strong for my needs.
I don't think so.
You should be able to steam in a thimble with it :D
italyhound

Post by italyhound »

OK then - Stay tuned ....

Evan
Post Reply

Return to “Accessories”