THE BREW DOG BLOG

Slaying The Milk

Now know why the espresso taste so good, but isn’t the machine called a Steam LP? What does steam have to do with espresso? Nothing, really.

All Slayer espresso machines are created with maximum espresso extraction in mind, but this one is even more specifically aimed at creating incredible milk texture, especially in a fast paced café environment. Why is this important? Let’s find out!

Milk

Coffee and milk have been mixed for a long time. In many ways we have used technology to bring out incredible textures and flavors, deftly refining this process over the years. 

Latte’s are always among a cafés best selling drink when offered, coming in varying flavors and sizes, you can customize them to your preference: changing the milk to a non-dairy alternative or adding more espresso. 

Latte’s incredible textures are achieved by the process of denaturing. High pressured steam, from what’s called a steam wand, is applied to whatever milk is being used through three to six small holes found at the end of the wand. The steam folds air in between protein, and fat bonds,  stretching the milk and aerating it. 

If done just right, and paired with well pulled espresso, there’s absolutely nothing like it. 

Now, how does this apply to the Slayer? 

The Steam LP has tons of incredible features, but what puts the steam in it’s name are the four boilers dedicated to the pair of steam wands. Each steam wand has two dedicated boilers, the second one flash heating the steam before it comes out, creating some of the most dry steam you can find. 

This paired with the constant pressure of the steam when the lever is pulled, as opposed to a dial, which means the barista has the pleasure of simply learning to work with the steam wand lever is pulled down, the wand emits a constant pressure. Some machines have dials, which allow the barista to control the flow of steam, and must learn to dial in.

The Steam LP does away with that, changing tact and asking the barista to learn around one constant pressure for the steam, and gives the user both hands for fine attention to the steaming from the beginning, or one hand free to start prepping the next drink, allowing for an extremely quick bar flow no matter how busy. 

Mixing It All Together, Then

After the espresso shot has been pulled, and the milk steamed, the barista must integrate both in order to achieve the final, creamy drink we all love. Both pulling a balanced, flavorful shot of espresso, and steaming milk to perfection take time to learn. 

Then comes the mixing, and lastly the art! The practice of latte art also takes time to master, but the results are worth it. Having a lovely design on your latte is important because it means whomever made it, has balanced at least the milk very well, and the mixing of the espresso. 

At Black Dog, we think our lattes speaks for themselves, and we dare you to try one! Mention you’re getting a latte because of this blog (even if it’s your usual, of course) and get 10% off your drink.