A Quick Guide to Using a Steam-powered Espresso Machine

I recently got rid of an old Farberware steam-powered espresso machine after acquiring a pump-driven Starbucks Barista. The Barista is a powerful, near-professional machine, capable of producing great espresso with just about anything with enough steam power to do at least two cups of milk at a time, and efficient enough to do drinks for a crowd without too much hassle. The Farberware is an underpowered unit that needs to cool down to brew more espresso and has no steaming power to speak of.

You can guess why I got rid of it.

The thing is, people do buy steamers. I don't recommend them; as an experienced barista, I find the more expensive pump-based machines to be worth every penny. But if what you have is like what I had, this should be helpful. Steamers are inexpensive and much easier to find than pump machines, and produce decent (though not great) espresso. This page is a guide to getting the most from your steam machine. (Incidentally, if you're insistent on buying one, Krups seems to be the most reliable manufacturer, not to mention the easiest to find.)

Note that this is a guide written for American tastes and measures; if you're from a different culture, YMMV.

Hints

• Don't try to be a barista with a steamer. Since most such units have to cool down between cycles, throughput is very low. Also, without exception every steamer I've seen lacks the professional-grade features that a would-be barista should take for granted, including a way to lock the filter into the holder (hell, most mid-range machines (Krups and Pavoni come to mind) don't even have this). Patience is a virtue dealing with steamers.
• The espresso quality is roughly equivalent to the coffee you get from a standard Italian moka pot, which is to say decent but not professional. You need to use a slightly coarser grind than a pump machine uses; something equivalent to a very fine drip grind will usually work.
• Some steamers have good steaming power. Some don't. My Farberware didn't. If yours doesn't have a way to separate the steam process from the brew cycle, save yourself the agony and buy a milk steamer. Salton/Maxim sells a model called the Cappucino Crazy that's supposed to be pretty good; a newer model even comes with an attachment that works rather a lot like a moka pot so you don't have to buy two different appliances, though it seems a bit kludgy to me. Alternately, if you can do without cappucinos, just heat the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop. It's how millions of Italians do it every morning. (I do know of a few tricks for getting decent steaming power out of the Farberware, but they're more trouble than they're worth.)
• Use the same coffee as you would for a bigger machine. I've had good luck with Starbucks Espresso Roast (natch), Green Mountain Espresso Roast, and Trader Joe's Espresso di Roma; however, any dark-roast Latin American or Indonesian coffee will do. Stay away from African coffees, as they will result in some very strange-tasting drinks. Save your Kenya AA for the drip machine or the French press. Also, remember that espresso isn't considered a gourmet beverage in Italy; give Italian coffees like Lavazza a try for authenticity's sake, but don't be too surprised if you find yourself returning to the expensive stuff.
• Your grind should be fairly fine, slightly coarser than the sandy grind used for a typical pump machine. Most places that sell whole-bean coffee will have a grinder that will have the necessary settings written on it somewhere or a salesperson who will know how to do it for you.

Basic Operation

1. Measure the necessary amount of water into your carafe. Most steamers have either a 2 or 4-cup capacity; use the markings.
2. Measure the corresponding amount of coffee into the filter. My experience is that it doesn't hurt to pack the coffee down with a tamper, though most machine instructions will say otherwise. If you don't have a tamper, don't worry about it.
3. Pour the water into the boiler tank and put the cap on. Tightly. As tightly as you can put it on and still get it off. Put the filter holder in the brewhead and turn it as far as it will go. Make sure the steam valve is closed. If you have a brew/steam switch or knob, make sure it's set to brew.
4. As soon as everything is in place, put the carafe under the filter. Most filters have a single hole that is meant to mate with the lid on the carafe. Plug in and flip the switch.

Drink Recipes

This is a selection of some basic espresso recipes. The end results will be a little bit different from their coffee bar equivalents, but they should still be enjoyable. This is pretty generic, actually; they apply just as well if you have a moka pot or even a pump machine.

Milk for espresso beverages should be heated to between 140 and 170 degrees F, but no higher. Any method can be used, but only a properly powerful steam wand will get the dense foam you need for a cappucino; if you're not making cappucinos, however, you can get by with a microwave or stovetop for heating milk. An instant-read thermometer is a virtual necessity, as is a steaming pitcher of some sort if you have a usable steamer (a plastic measuring cup of 2 or 4 cup capacity will be fine, though a nice stainless steel pitcher looks great and will last a while). As far as technique is concerned, follow your manufacturer's directions.

• caffè latte -- In American parlance, often simply called a latte. Italian proportions would have one shot of coffee to two of heated milk. American tastes call for more milk, enough to fill a standard coffee mug.
• caffè mocha -- Like a latte, but before adding the milk, mix in sweet ground chocolate (Ghirardelli makes a good brand) or cocoa mix to taste with the hot coffee, then add the milk. A little whipped cream on top is a nice touch as well.
• caffè americano -- Espresso to taste in a standard coffee cup, then topped up with hot water (and cream and sugar, if you wish). When you're in an espresso bar with no drip service, this is a regular cup of coffee.
• cappucino -- Italian proportions: 1/3 espresso, 1/3 hot milk, 1/3 milk foam. Don't bother unless you have some way of steaming milk; piston-type milk-foamer gadgets that resemble French presses do exist, but I don't know how well they work with hot milk.

As for serving cups, many kitchen supply stores carry demitasse (2-4 oz) and cappucino-sized (about 7 oz) cups. You may find them easier to work with than a normal coffee mug, especially if you're used to Italian proportions that would be dwarfed by an American mug. On the other hand, if you like big drinks, lattes are often served in Italy in large, shallow cups or bowls.

Maintenance

For all their primitiveness, steamers are very simple to keep running. Keep your machine clean with a damp cloth, just like any other appliance. Every few months, it's a good idea to decalcify your machine (or any coffee maker, for that matter) by running a weak acid solution (vinegar or citric acid will do the job) through the machine for a few cycles. Steam wands can be cleaned off with a soaking in some hot water for a few hours; soak, then wipe the encrusted milk off with a damp cloth.

Conclusion

Above all, remember that a little ingenuity will work wonders. Don't be afraid to experiment to get the best results; like anything else, practice makes perfect, and a little forethought will get good quality out of even the most underpowered machine. Though limited, steamers are hardly useless, and are for the most part a good deal if you must buy on a shoestring.

Also, I do recommend getting a good steam unit, whether built into the espresso machine itself or as a separate unit. It's the easiest (not to mention the most fun) way to heat up milk for a latte or a hot chocolate, and it can also be used for soy milk, eggnog, apple cider, half-and-half (a latte made with that is called a breve), and even scrambled eggs.

A steamer or a moka pot is often the cheapest way to get into espresso. While it's far from ideal in terms of practicality, it's not too hard to get good results from one.

Good luck and enjoy!