After my consideration about milk foaming here, I’m now considering getting a Bellman Stovetop steamer.
First of all - does anyone have any experience with it, bad or good, they’d like to share?
Secondly, I’m unsure whether to get the one with the gauge or not. I’ve read in a few places that it’s actually not quite as good with the gauge - that it doesn’t actually generate as much pressure. It’s also more expensive and money is definitely an issue.
I’ve also read that, with the one without a gauge, you can tell when it’s up to pressure with the pressure safety valve. However, I’ve also seen some retailers very firmly saying to not do this. It occurs to me that this might jsut be to cover themselves legally or whether it’s actually a bad idea.
If there is a clear way to tell when it’s up to pressure without a gauge, then it’s obviously better to get that if only because it’s cheaper. It would need to be possible to reliably tell in advance if it’s there or not though.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
i bet you can kinda just get into a groove with it as long as you follow a process, pay attention, and don’t leave it unattended, but make no mistake: that thing is literally a bomb, so the more info you have on its operating state the better, probably.
Thanks for the reply. You’re right about the pressure bomb thing, which is one of the reasons I’m keen to get some feedback here.
i’d think you can get a sense about where it’s at by just quickly relieving the valve periodically (like, every 30s?)…
Hey I actually have a bellman without the gauge.
First off it works fine. Or maybe it doesn’t. My latte art is terrible. (“Look baby I made you a cloud”)
Second, you can just heat it with the valve open. When it starts steaming you’ll hear it. Close the valve then wait a little while. I usually wait until the safety valve goes then turn the heat down to medium but i dont see why you couldnt just sort of leave it on high and start using it straight away. Hasn’t failed me yet. I know at least one other person who does the same.
Using with a flair 58 by the way. If you start the bellman first, then a gooseneck kettle, then turn on the 58, usually (depending how much water you put in the bellman) you can pull your espresso just as the bellman is up to pressure and from there in just an extra few minutes between espresso and latte.
…And even though my latte art skills are lacking, the flavor and texture of the lattes I’m making are great.
Thanks for the reply. Just to clarify - you use the safety valve to tell you when it’s ready? I’m assuming without the steam valve open at a ll since, I imagine, that would stop it getting fully up to pressure?
Is that (using the safety valve) consistently accurate? Safe?
I’ve heard other people saying this is how they do it and it seems to make sense and be the easiest approach, but I’ve also seen retailers saying to really not do this - although that might just be to cover themselves legally.
i just meant you could quickly open and close the main steam valve every 30-60s to judge how angry it is. sure, using the safety valve as your only indicator may work, until it doesn’t, with potentially dire consequences.
