We need innovation. Steam wands have the tendency to build up burnt-on milk residue on the tips, as is seen on the photo. This example is taken at my own workplace, Rohs Street Cafe. At Rohs Street, we clean this implement regularly- about once/shift- which is much more frequently than most places. This milk buildup is gross and unacceptable.
Are there any alternatives to this system if screw-on wand tips? Solid body wands would not allow for easy cleaning, but the ridge created by the screw on function is responsible for the problem. Perhaps a more smoothly engineered wand is in order; imagine one with zero overhang at the attachment point.
This La Marzocco GB/5 is clearly lacking. Photos of La Marzocco’s newer models, such as the Strada, appear to suffer from the same problem.
In a specialty coffee world where we control everything we can to create the perfect extraction and resulting taste, it is a shame to have overlooked such an obvious, and unappetizing, flaw.
Where do we go from here?
