Machines
How to steam milk for espresso drinks
Oct 12, 2026 · 5 min
What Breville says for Bambino Plus steaming: purge, wand position, texture, wipe. Follow your booklet for other machines.
Before you steam
Breville’s Bambino Plus booklet recommends a momentary purge of the steam wand before texturing: press STEAM to start purging, then press STEAM again to stop. Start with fresh cold milk. Fill the supplied stainless steel jug only between the MIN and MAX marks. Breville warns that other containers may lead to dangerous conditions — use the jug that shipped with the machine.
Auto milk texturing (Bambino Plus)
Lift the wand into the jug, then lower it fully. The jug must sit on the milk temperature sensor on the drip tray, and milk must cover the wand tip. Choose MILK TEMP and MILK FOAM settings, then press STEAM. The button flashes while texturing and stops automatically at the selected temperature. Lift the wand out, wipe the wand and tip with a clean damp cloth, then lower the wand so it can auto-purge.
Manual texturing (same machine)
Auto texturing and auto shut-off are disabled in manual mode. Breville’s steps: tip about ¾ inch (1–2 cm) below the surface, toward the right side of the jug at a 3 o’clock position; press STEAM; keep the tip just under the surface until the milk spins in a vortex; lower the jug slowly to introduce air; keep the vortex going; then lift the jug so the tip sits just under the surface, keeping the vortex spinning; finish when the jug is hot to the touch (Breville puts the right temperature at about 60–65°C, or 140–149°F). Press STEAM to stop, wipe, and lower the wand to purge.
Purge so the wand does not block
After texturing, return the wand to the lowered position and let it purge. If it stays raised, Breville shows a lower-wand alert (MILK TEMP and MILK FOAM lights in a downward pattern). To purge manually with the wand down, hold STEAM for 5 seconds. A blocked wand stops steaming and flashes both milk lights until you clean the tip per the Care & Cleaning section.
What this guide does not cover
Different milks and alternatives texture differently; Breville says you may need to adjust foam level. For other machines, including the Gaggia Classic E24, follow that maker’s booklet. Machine care around the group: see how to clean the group head on a Bambino Plus. Descale is separate: how to descale an espresso machine.
Sources
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