These metal or plastic sleeves that fit over the end of the steam wand may be OK for the beginner or casual latte drinker. However, the CoffeeCrew had come to the conclusion long ago that microfoam is just not attainable with these devices.

We decided to take another look at the device and after several months of concerted effort and practice we have concluded that yes, it is possible to make very good microtexturized foam. It would be difficult however, to describe it as true microfoam - it is not.

This particular device (the Gaggia turbofrother) has a small inlet hole in the side of the sleeve that draws in air and incorporates it into the milk, presumably with some sort of whirling (turbo?) motion inside the sleeve.

Therin lies the flaw with this and similar designs from other manufacturers. The small inlet hole is at a fixed distance from the bottom of the sleeve. This means that the milk has to be at a certain depth for the device to work properly.

About 10 ounces of milk or more seems to be ideal. If you are making two Dave Schomer cappuccinos, that amount of milk is fine, however, if you wanted just one cappuccino, you've got a problem - the milk is just not deep enough and you pretty much have to turn a standard 20 ounce pitcher almost horizonally to reach the milk.

As mentioned in the last article [see Articles | Turbofrothing] the inlet hole must be kept immersed in the foam allowing the milk to circulate and recirculate through the frothing sleeve. With a little practice, OK - a lot of practice, bulldozing the bubbles with the inlet hole is not strictly necessary. You can actually keep the turbofrothing sleeve in one spot in the container. I like to lean the sleeve on the side of the container, so I can control the depth of the inlet hole a little easier.

Conclusion: By all means, experiment with your newly acquired, frother equipped machine. Eventually, you will want to achieve the Holy Grail of foam - perfect microfoam! For this, take a deep breath, remove the training wheels and try your hand at bare wanding. More tips and techniques for short wand machines to follow. Stay tuned.