[Nathaniell]

So I finally bought an espresso machine. I'm in China, so there's not a lot of choice, plus I didn't really know what to buy, so I bought something called Tiziano TSK-1817B. The label looked Italian - I don't know if anyone's ever heard of this.

Anyway, not at all to my surprise, getting the milk to foam properly is difficult. Of course, practice makes perfect, but I don't know if I can reuse the same milk once it's been foamed once. I hate to waste gallons of milk so I'd like to just heat the milk, cool it, and try again if you know what I mean, but I don't know if a once foaming over changes the milk somehow.

On a side note, how do I know how firm to pack the coffee? I'm having trouble getting it right. Sometimes its too hard and just a tiny bit of coffee comes out, and some times it too loose, and it comes out all watery.

Thanks!

[Austin]

I would only do a little at a time. How much milk are you heating at once?

[Nathaniell]

I usually do about 150 ml at a time. I always thought I should do less, but it's got one of those rubber nozzles on it - I think it aids in making foam. There are some holes in the top of the nozzle, that I thought they should be submerged in the milk. I also think the milk is whole milk, but things aren't labeled here in China. It's been so long since I've had skim milk that I can't remember the difference. But I think it's whole, which I've heard is harder to foam.

[Spyder]

Steaming milk changes its structure somewhat and you may be chasing your tail. Your machine may have thermoblock heating, which for the most part lack proper temperature/pressure for decent steaming ability.

Some practice using water/dish detergent but I don't see the reasoning behind that as it won't simulate varying amounts of milkfat, sugar, etc present in different milks.

Regarding tamping, it depends on how fine the grind is, how much you dose, the roast of the coffee to an extent, what type of pump/hydraulic system your machine has internally and so on. Trial and error is the only way as nobody can tell you exactly what your setup needs without being in front of it.

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by Nathaniell

I usually do about 150 ml at a time. I always thought I should do less, but it's got one of those rubber nozzles on it - I think it aids in making foam. There are some holes in the top of the nozzle, that I thought they should be submerged in the milk. I also think the milk is whole milk, but things aren't labeled here in China. It's been so long since I've had skim milk that I can't remember the difference. But I think it's whole, which I've heard is harder to foam.

Those holes in the top of the nozzle are to draw more air in to make things easier. Whole milk will be a bit tougher than skim because the milkfat makes it more dense and requires more aggressive aeration to get moving, but it also holds its shape much better than skim, which will start to separate soon after steaming.

[crowhue]

Where does China import most of it's coffee beans from?

[Austin]

I have no idea.