The weird thing is how many TH-cam reviews out there say how great it is when you see they don't bleed that air at all. How could they all not notice or mention it is way over-aerated?
@@michaelporter000 I went to the garage and drilled the holes in mine and it made a significant difference! I found that if I bring it up to pressure and then purge the wand for only a couple seconds it already steams very well without over frothing like before.
With how little info there is about this machine i put mine away for almost 2 years thinking either i was bad at steaming or the machine wasn't good. Thank you for the added info and mod ideas! The bubble test you used was a fantastic visual aid. Really appreciate it!
Pretty cool hack, mate! I was considering getting a Bellman steamer myself. I don't wanna trust myself modding it myself, so maybe I'll wait and see if they build this into a future revision.
So I've figured out a mod free process. Fill up the Bellman to the crease. Place the lid on loose, top nut loose. Boil water, when steam is comming out the top tighten the top nut. Heat until safety valve breaks. Purge moisture from wand. Here I would test water for bubbles the first few times then Steam Milk. Because you filled it up fully you can reheat the steamer after this for a few more rounds before you run out of water as long as you don't open the wand while it is cold or have an anti siphon valve no air is introduced either so you don't need to initially boil the water with the lid loose.
Sounds like that should work but I have seen accidents happen from heating without putting the lid on tightly which results in the rubber seal being blown out when pressure builds up. As long as you are careful to avoid pressure build up it should be ok. Thanks for the info!
@@michaelporter000 in that case you can use it without the nut on the top, first steam would barely have any pressure, just off the flame, put mittens on, tighten the nut. Or you can add a degassing valve to the lid 🤔
Bellman advises (as do I) to not use the relief valve as an indicator. It is a safety feature and using it in that way is ill-advised. Repeatedly breaking the relief valve can compromise its seal and potentially cause it seize up (due to calcification of the bearing), which can lead to catastrophic results.
Nice mate, hats off to you for your inquisitive attention, I now give a good purge before texturing and with pretty happy results, I tried the 4 x 12mm holes and didn't have any luck with it, the milk wasn't silky enough, so I modded it back to default and now just do a long purge at the start,
@@JS-de2pp with a reverse drill of course or maybe he bought a new bellman steamer, cut out 4 similar sized holes from the new steamer, and then welded it onto the old steamer.
I wonder if you could mod this unit to put an electric heating element in it. I thought about trying that. They also make one with a pressure gauge on it. That, plus the heating element, and your mod would make the perfect Bellman, in my opinion.
Doing mods to a pressure vessel wall is dangerous, so I wouldn't suggest people try that type of mod. It is far simpler just to buy a single electric stovetop for heating instead of an internal heater. I see those for sale second-hand sometimes. A pressure gauge would be very nice but all you really need to know is if you have enough steam, and the pressure relief valve tells you that.
@@michaels-ideas oh yes, the precision engineering in a moca pot...take a sheet yay thin and form it, make the spout about this diameter... trying to pretend you know something on the subject... but I do agree that it is not worth all that work, just use a hot plate and call it done.
You are absolutely my hero, I have been struggling to steam proper milk foam with bellman, and I always find the second jug of milk can be steam properly, while the first one never. And you totally save my days !!!!!! But now, I can consistently get my first cup of milk steamed properly, now the second one seems to get hot very quickly then the first one. Do you guys have the same problem ?
I usually wait for the pressure-relief valve to open again before starting steaming a second time and it seems to be the same for me. Maybe it depends on how hot the stove is set. Also, you don't have to open the steam valve fully if it is too energetic. I hope that helps.
Saw your video the day I received mine, put holes in it like you did, checked with water as soon as it was ready, no air bubbles! The difference in milk texture is night and day! Thanks!
That didn't work well for me. The problem is the air and steam are mixed in that top compartment and it takes a while to get all the air out of there without the additional holes - plus it is just awkward trying to heat while tilting. If you can't make the holes, the easiest way is just heat with the steam wand open for the first few minutes.
@@michaelporter000 I live in Argentina where there tough import restrictions. Hence, I'm making the steamer myself. I wonder how the main bolt (I guess it's an M12) is sealed at the bottom. Thank you!
It needs the bolt to go through the centre hole. I actually tried adding more holes that were much larger and didn't see much more improvement so 4 holes are enough. Maybe even fewer would work ok too.
Leave steam valve open while heating for 5 minutes then close and wait for pressure relief to open before steaming. There will still be some air so you do less stretching when you steam the first cup.
Hi Michael, Thanks for the video. I’ve watched your other video about the pressure valve too. The valve seems rather involved and I am not really interested in a major project at the moment. Drilling the holes seems more manageable for the time being. I was wondering, though, instead of holes, do you think I could just take a hacksaw and cut the whole bottom off of that inner chamber and leave it as a couple cm ring of metal? As long as I leave enough of the basket for the gasket to still seal properly, it seems as if this could work and be easier than lining up the holes and such. What do you think?
Because this is a pressure vessel which have inherent dangers, I can't recommend cutting there. I think you need to keep the structural integrity by at least keeping the central hole where the main bolt goes through. Maybe you could cut at an angle or, better yet, just cut slots where I had drilled holes.
Anyone know if the steam wand base can be repaired where it attaches to the valve. I’m seeing bubbles and steam escaping right at the base of the steam wand.
If it is leaking where the steam valve attaches to the main boiler then there is a nut inside that could be tightened. Leaking anywhere else probably needs a whole new steam valve and nozzle assembly.
@@michaelporter000 I can make out a crack, thought of using a steel epoxy putty but not sure if that’s “food safe”. I see Prima has a steam wand and knob replacement but out of stock. Bellman website doesn’t list those parts tho.
I don't rate your chances of fixing it because of the temperature and pressure involved, and being food safe. I think you should either return it if possible or else buy another one.
I encountered problems with the Bellman steam wand tip. After some 2 months of use the tip got clogged (in spite of constant purging after use, with one exception which may or may not have caused the problem). I unscrewed the tip, which was relatively easy, and cleaned it but I couldn't revive it. I could buy a spare part but fear the same problem will come up again. So I thought about adding a tip on my own, e.g. by making an adapter since I have some experience in metal working and have access to a milling machine for aluminum. Do you have any advice ?
I think it is much easier to clean what you have rather than make a new one. The number of holes, their size, and direction are all crucial to success. Maybe give it a good soaking in hot water and detergent and perhaps some careful scraping etc.
Hi - a couple of questions: 1. I thought the science of milk frothing areation was that you want a mixture of air and steam ? Are you saying normally an espresso mashine only uses steam and vortex motion to areate the milk ? 2. The Bellman Stovetop Steamer apparently does not inject steam at the pressures of espresso mashines, so the vortx created to areate the milk isn't as strong. So, this might be why it injects both air and steam. You seem to be saying it's all down to a lazy design bug. They've simply imported the espresso making model compnent over to the steam only model but i'm wondering if the steam/air mix is actually intentional to the design. I'm interested as to what your answers to the above questions might be if you have time. Cheers ! sp
You definitely don't want air plus steam, only steam, otherwise you have no control. You use the steam pressure in a controlled way to suck in as much air as you need. The bellman pressure is easily enough to do this well. In an espresso machine the anti-vacuum valve lets out the air. The issue with the Bellman is that the internal shape tends to traps air inside making it difficult to purge. It would be easier to purge if it was just a smooth chamber inside with the outlet pipe at the top, but it's not. I think they adopted this design so they could have common parts with their other coffee machine and save money at the expense of performance. If it was intentional I doubt, but it means the first cup steams completely differently to subsequent ones making consistency very difficult without heaps of purging.
I dont understand. If i follow the official bellman video i can froth milk, it's a bit inconsistent sometime i got big foam, sometime i got perfect foam. But with your technique, after emptied the air. I just got no foam at all. I think their is no enough pressure to build it width dry stream only. And i wont rely on the safety valve. I read so many bellman that exploded ... And it is not recommanded by the manual. So, actually it seem they did it on purpose.
If you get no foam after emptying the air, it must be because you have developed a technique of not introducing any air yourself during steaming, probably because of this Bellman shortcoming. You need to change your technique now to intentionally add air - which is called stretching the milk. As soon as the milk is spinning, lower the jug until the tip is near the milk surface and you hear a paper tearing sound, which is air being slowly injected. Keep it there until the jug reaches body temperature and then push the tip well under the surface to complete heating the milk. Also, you can trust the safety valve. Bellman explosions are usually just the lid seal blowing out because the lid wasn't done up tight and are nothing to do with the safety valve operation.
@@michaelporter000 Theoretically I know all that. But when I try to stretch the milk the angle with the hole just don't work, that push the milk without create bubble (why I thought, there is not enough pressure). I have drop 2 cup of milk. I played with the angle, up and down below or above he surface until the milk burn my hand. And barely zero foam. Not even large bubble. Then, when we see your example you barely stretch the milk, in a second the tip is below the surface. Another thing. I can control the stretching and get large foam or finer foam with the basic Bellman's technique. So theoretically I do stretch the milk somehow. (Maybe it's easier with the little bit of foam created by the air) Edit: after some test with water to see the vortex, and the air flow. I'm pretty sure that's a lack of pressure. If I let the pressure build over a minute after emptied the air (Bellman recommend 30 sec to 1min as soon as steam get out of the wand) without reach the safety valve. (the manual say to dont rely on it, i'm gonna follow the documentation) I have a better vortex and air intake. So my technique seems good. I will try to remove the air with more pressure few more time to see if the consistency of my froth is improving. Otherwise. i will just stuck to the official Bellman's technique.
I would expect you couldn't get enough air out but try it and see. My Bellman now has a proper espresso steam boiler anti-vacuum valve now so I couldn't do that. Fyi the valve didn't help as much as just drilling 4 holes.
@@michaelporter000 The steam/air density ratio changes with temperature and pressure. Sometimes steam is heavier, sometimes air is. I think that's what makes the anti-vacuum less effective, because it's activated while the unit is still heating (when air is heavier). The best solution would be to have a bleed valve on the top, and use it when the steamer is ready. Maybe you could carefully tilt the unit a little before purging the wand to get more air out, but that could also be dangerous if the water level reaches the pressure release. The most practical solution for me is to use already boiling water and leave the wand open for most of the heating cycle like you did.
@@victorbarroscoch I have now added an anti-vacuum valve which automatically purges the air out as it is heating. The video is here th-cam.com/video/j0NFVpxzQAo/w-d-xo.html
@@dushk0 I have come up with a technique that doesn't require a bleed valve. By letting the water boil for a bit with the lid on, but before screwing down, I get rid of almost all the air. It has been working very well so far, with no need to drill into a presssure vessel.
Guys, come on. I love making coffee and I have a cupboard full of coffee gadgets. But this is a bridge too far. Too fidgety and time consuming. Even after the mod, it takes 8-1/2 minutes to get good steam. And when you add the time it takes to make the coffee, that’s too long! Just buy an espresso machine already.
Some of us make coffee off the grid, and even with a decent generator, an espresso machine is too strong of a draw. Stovetop is the only eay to make pro espresso/cappuccinos wirhout at least a 4000 watt generator, which makes noise and wastes gas. Lever machines and bellman are the best you are gonna get without electricity.
@@ThorD4602 Another option - I have a La Pavoni Europiccolo now and can run it from my 1000W inverter and Lithium battery, It takes around 6 minutes at that full power as a minimum though to make a really nice latte or two.
Brilliant! I had struggled with my Bellman until I finally figured out it needed a very long purge before steaming...now I understand why. Thanks!
The weird thing is how many TH-cam reviews out there say how great it is when you see they don't bleed that air at all. How could they all not notice or mention it is way over-aerated?
@@michaelporter000 I went to the garage and drilled the holes in mine and it made a significant difference! I found that if I bring it up to pressure and then purge the wand for only a couple seconds it already steams very well without over frothing like before.
@@nathanemilywillems9699 Well done - you're my first confirmed believer! Just kidding, I'm very glad it worked for you.
With how little info there is about this machine i put mine away for almost 2 years thinking either i was bad at steaming or the machine wasn't good. Thank you for the added info and mod ideas! The bubble test you used was a fantastic visual aid. Really appreciate it!
Very nicely done. There is not enough content out there right now on these. Thank you for putting this together!
Pretty cool hack, mate! I was considering getting a Bellman steamer myself. I don't wanna trust myself modding it myself, so maybe I'll wait and see if they build this into a future revision.
Maybe you have a friend with a drill?
So I've figured out a mod free process. Fill up the Bellman to the crease. Place the lid on loose, top nut loose. Boil water, when steam is comming out the top tighten the top nut. Heat until safety valve breaks. Purge moisture from wand. Here I would test water for bubbles the first few times then Steam Milk. Because you filled it up fully you can reheat the steamer after this for a few more rounds before you run out of water as long as you don't open the wand while it is cold or have an anti siphon valve no air is introduced either so you don't need to initially boil the water with the lid loose.
Sounds like that should work but I have seen accidents happen from heating without putting the lid on tightly which results in the rubber seal being blown out when pressure builds up. As long as you are careful to avoid pressure build up it should be ok. Thanks for the info!
@@michaelporter000 in that case you can use it without the nut on the top, first steam would barely have any pressure, just off the flame, put mittens on, tighten the nut. Or you can add a degassing valve to the lid 🤔
@@dushk0 I have actually added a valve now which works well. I have a video of that mod too.
Bellman advises (as do I) to not use the relief valve as an indicator. It is a safety feature and using it in that way is ill-advised. Repeatedly breaking the relief valve can compromise its seal and potentially cause it seize up (due to calcification of the bearing), which can lead to catastrophic results.
Nice mate, hats off to you for your inquisitive attention,
I now give a good purge before texturing and with pretty happy results,
I tried the 4 x 12mm holes and didn't have any luck with it, the milk wasn't silky enough, so I modded it back to default and now just do a long purge at the start,
nothing to do with the bellman performance, just curious about how you modded back to default after drilling four holes on it?
@@JS-de2pp with a reverse drill of course
or maybe he bought a new bellman steamer, cut out 4 similar sized holes from the new steamer, and then welded it onto the old steamer.
I wonder if you could mod this unit to put an electric heating element in it. I thought about trying that. They also make one with a pressure gauge on it. That, plus the heating element, and your mod would make the perfect Bellman, in my opinion.
Doing mods to a pressure vessel wall is dangerous, so I wouldn't suggest people try that type of mod. It is far simpler just to buy a single electric stovetop for heating instead of an internal heater. I see those for sale second-hand sometimes. A pressure gauge would be very nice but all you really need to know is if you have enough steam, and the pressure relief valve tells you that.
@@michaels-ideas oh yes, the precision engineering in a moca pot...take a sheet yay thin and form it, make the spout about this diameter... trying to pretend you know something on the subject... but I do agree that it is not worth all that work, just use a hot plate and call it done.
Thx for sharing. Very frustating steam milk with this.after watch your video its work perfectly
You are welcome 😊
Wow I had to do the exact same modification on my CX25p a couple of years ago for the same reason. I only used it for steaming anyway.
You are absolutely my hero, I have been struggling to steam proper milk foam with bellman, and I always find the second jug of milk can be steam properly, while the first one never. And you totally save my days !!!!!!
But now, I can consistently get my first cup of milk steamed properly, now the second one seems to get hot very quickly then the first one. Do you guys have the same problem ?
I usually wait for the pressure-relief valve to open again before starting steaming a second time and it seems to be the same for me. Maybe it depends on how hot the stove is set. Also, you don't have to open the steam valve fully if it is too energetic. I hope that helps.
Saw your video the day I received mine, put holes in it like you did, checked with water as soon as it was ready, no air bubbles! The difference in milk texture is night and day! Thanks!
Thanks for your success story. Love it!
Would it be sufficient to just tilt the bellman with the steam wand valve facing up and purge so that all the air is forced out the wand?
That didn't work well for me. The problem is the air and steam are mixed in that top compartment and it takes a while to get all the air out of there without the additional holes - plus it is just awkward trying to heat while tilting. If you can't make the holes, the easiest way is just heat with the steam wand open for the first few minutes.
Hi. Thnak you for your ideas!!. The only reason not to completely get rid of that basket is b'se of the seal?
Yes
@@michaelporter000 I live in Argentina where there tough import restrictions. Hence, I'm making the steamer myself. I wonder how the main bolt (I guess it's an M12) is sealed at the bottom. Thank you!
Good job. Why not cut the entire basket off and just leave the sleeve with the seal? Maybe the basket does serve some purpose.
It needs the bolt to go through the centre hole. I actually tried adding more holes that were much larger and didn't see much more improvement so 4 holes are enough. Maybe even fewer would work ok too.
What would you suggest is the best way to get rid of the air without drilling the holes?
Leave steam valve open while heating for 5 minutes then close and wait for pressure relief to open before steaming. There will still be some air so you do less stretching when you steam the first cup.
Cut an opening with a small grinder xD
Hi Michael, Thanks for the video. I’ve watched your other video about the pressure valve too. The valve seems rather involved and I am not really interested in a major project at the moment. Drilling the holes seems more manageable for the time being. I was wondering, though, instead of holes, do you think I could just take a hacksaw and cut the whole bottom off of that inner chamber and leave it as a couple cm ring of metal? As long as I leave enough of the basket for the gasket to still seal properly, it seems as if this could work and be easier than lining up the holes and such. What do you think?
Because this is a pressure vessel which have inherent dangers, I can't recommend cutting there. I think you need to keep the structural integrity by at least keeping the central hole where the main bolt goes through. Maybe you could cut at an angle or, better yet, just cut slots where I had drilled holes.
Fantastic!🥰
Anyone know if the steam wand base can be repaired where it attaches to the valve. I’m seeing bubbles and steam escaping right at the base of the steam wand.
If it is leaking where the steam valve attaches to the main boiler then there is a nut inside that could be tightened. Leaking anywhere else probably needs a whole new steam valve and nozzle assembly.
@@michaelporter000 I can make out a crack, thought of using a steel epoxy putty but not sure if that’s “food safe”. I see Prima has a steam wand and knob replacement but out of stock. Bellman website doesn’t list those parts tho.
I don't rate your chances of fixing it because of the temperature and pressure involved, and being food safe. I think you should either return it if possible or else buy another one.
I encountered problems with the Bellman steam wand tip. After some 2 months of use the tip got clogged (in spite of constant purging after use, with one exception which may or may not have caused the problem). I unscrewed the tip, which was relatively easy, and cleaned it but I couldn't revive it. I could buy a spare part but fear the same problem will come up again. So I thought about adding a tip on my own, e.g. by making an adapter since I have some experience in metal working and have access to a milling machine for aluminum. Do you have any advice ?
I think it is much easier to clean what you have rather than make a new one. The number of holes, their size, and direction are all crucial to success. Maybe give it a good soaking in hot water and detergent and perhaps some careful scraping etc.
nice
Hi - a couple of questions:
1. I thought the science of milk frothing areation was that you want a mixture of air and steam ? Are you saying normally an espresso mashine only uses steam and vortex motion to areate the milk ?
2. The Bellman Stovetop Steamer apparently does not inject steam at the pressures of espresso mashines, so the vortx created to areate the milk isn't as strong. So, this might be why it injects both air and steam.
You seem to be saying it's all down to a lazy design bug. They've simply imported the espresso making model compnent over to the steam only model but i'm wondering if the steam/air mix is actually intentional to the design.
I'm interested as to what your answers to the above questions might be if you have time.
Cheers !
sp
You definitely don't want air plus steam, only steam, otherwise you have no control. You use the steam pressure in a controlled way to suck in as much air as you need. The bellman pressure is easily enough to do this well. In an espresso machine the anti-vacuum valve lets out the air. The issue with the Bellman is that the internal shape tends to traps air inside making it difficult to purge. It would be easier to purge if it was just a smooth chamber inside with the outlet pipe at the top, but it's not. I think they adopted this design so they could have common parts with their other coffee machine and save money at the expense of performance. If it was intentional I doubt, but it means the first cup steams completely differently to subsequent ones making consistency very difficult without heaps of purging.
I dont understand. If i follow the official bellman video i can froth milk, it's a bit inconsistent sometime i got big foam, sometime i got perfect foam. But with your technique, after emptied the air. I just got no foam at all. I think their is no enough pressure to build it width dry stream only. And i wont rely on the safety valve. I read so many bellman that exploded ... And it is not recommanded by the manual. So, actually it seem they did it on purpose.
If you get no foam after emptying the air, it must be because you have developed a technique of not introducing any air yourself during steaming, probably because of this Bellman shortcoming. You need to change your technique now to intentionally add air - which is called stretching the milk. As soon as the milk is spinning, lower the jug until the tip is near the milk surface and you hear a paper tearing sound, which is air being slowly injected. Keep it there until the jug reaches body temperature and then push the tip well under the surface to complete heating the milk. Also, you can trust the safety valve. Bellman explosions are usually just the lid seal blowing out because the lid wasn't done up tight and are nothing to do with the safety valve operation.
@@michaelporter000 Theoretically I know all that. But when I try to stretch the milk the angle with the hole just don't work, that push the milk without create bubble (why I thought, there is not enough pressure). I have drop 2 cup of milk. I played with the angle, up and down below or above he surface until the milk burn my hand. And barely zero foam. Not even large bubble.
Then, when we see your example you barely stretch the milk, in a second the tip is below the surface.
Another thing. I can control the stretching and get large foam or finer foam with the basic Bellman's technique. So theoretically I do stretch the milk somehow. (Maybe it's easier with the little bit of foam created by the air)
Edit: after some test with water to see the vortex, and the air flow. I'm pretty sure that's a lack of pressure. If I let the pressure build over a minute after emptied the air (Bellman recommend 30 sec to 1min as soon as steam get out of the wand) without reach the safety valve. (the manual say to dont rely on it, i'm gonna follow the documentation) I have a better vortex and air intake. So my technique seems good. I will try to remove the air with more pressure few more time to see if the consistency of my froth is improving. Otherwise. i will just stuck to the official Bellman's technique.
Is there some way we can figure out how to use a vacuum saver to pull out the air from the Bellman while it's assembled?
I would expect you couldn't get enough air out but try it and see. My Bellman now has a proper espresso steam boiler anti-vacuum valve now so I couldn't do that. Fyi the valve didn't help as much as just drilling 4 holes.
@@michaelporter000 The steam/air density ratio changes with temperature and pressure. Sometimes steam is heavier, sometimes air is. I think that's what makes the anti-vacuum less effective, because it's activated while the unit is still heating (when air is heavier). The best solution would be to have a bleed valve on the top, and use it when the steamer is ready. Maybe you could carefully tilt the unit a little before purging the wand to get more air out, but that could also be dangerous if the water level reaches the pressure release.
The most practical solution for me is to use already boiling water and leave the wand open for most of the heating cycle like you did.
@@victorbarroscoch I have now added an anti-vacuum valve which automatically purges the air out as it is heating. The video is here th-cam.com/video/j0NFVpxzQAo/w-d-xo.html
@@victorbarroscoch the bleed valve should do it
@@dushk0 I have come up with a technique that doesn't require a bleed valve. By letting the water boil for a bit with the lid on, but before screwing down, I get rid of almost all the air. It has been working very well so far, with no need to drill into a presssure vessel.
You can pre-boil your water in a fast teapot and transfer into the steamer then. You will get to the finish line way faster.
That's true
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH I WILL TRY THIS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
Enjoy!
Or you can just purge it before use and keep it on a low temp to maintain pressure. Which is, you know, how it’s designed.
Commerical units aren't magic, you still have to PURGE both the steamer and the Porta-filter to clean and remove excess air/contaminants.
Guys, come on. I love making coffee and I have a cupboard full of coffee gadgets. But this is a bridge too far. Too fidgety and time consuming. Even after the mod, it takes 8-1/2 minutes to get good steam. And when you add the time it takes to make the coffee, that’s too long! Just buy an espresso machine already.
Yes it does take a long time. You need to do something else while you wait. But the end result is very good.
Some of us make coffee off the grid, and even with a decent generator, an espresso machine is too strong of a draw. Stovetop is the only eay to make pro espresso/cappuccinos wirhout at least a 4000 watt generator, which makes noise and wastes gas. Lever machines and bellman are the best you are gonna get without electricity.
@@ThorD4602 Another option - I have a La Pavoni Europiccolo now and can run it from my 1000W inverter and Lithium battery, It takes around 6 minutes at that full power as a minimum though to make a really nice latte or two.