Connections and Formulas...

I have an inquisitive mind. Whenever I'm doing a task, especially if it's repetitive or less neuron hungry, half my mind is thinking about how it works, how it comes about, how to improve it, that sort of thing.

There is one thing that has been with me for about 13 years. An elusive formula on getting a task just right taking into account several controllable variables. I've been carrying out this task, trying work out what the magic combination of variables is that would give perfect results.

The task is producing the perfect frothy milk for what is referred to in my house as 'posh coffee' or coffee out of the coffee machine.

Making frothy milk using a coffee machine involves steaming it by using the coffee machine steam valve to both heat up the milk and froth it at the same time. I was taught the basics of this when I worked in an Italian restaurant using a 'proper bo' full size italian coffee machine. Ever since, I've been trying to work out a hard and fast technique for making the perfect frothy milk. There are a few pointers such as not letting the milk get too hot, dipping the steam nozzle in and out of the milk repeatedly to aid frothage.

I've probably made thousands of batches of frothy milk and I don't think any have been exactly the same in technique or outcome.

This morning my frothy milk making was of particular note and slightly different. Over the last week my coffee machine's steam nozzle has been displaying some odd behaviour. It's been sounding like it's lost pressure and stuttering every now and again like a misfiring car. The frothy milk is still achievable but again, it a case of slightly changing variables to get there.

I decided to pop the top of the nozzle off to see if something obvious was wrong with it. To my surprise, an indescript mass popped out like a hairball or a tumour. It looked kind of like charred plastic but slightly soft and could well actually be a build up of dried milk. Further tests are required but I describe it as thus not because of it's look but because of the effect of it's removal. I proceeded to try making my frothy milk and the machine mananged the frothing part in literally half a second. It turned a half full cup of milk into a full cup of frothed milk in that time. All I needed to do was to heat it up. One of the most perfect frothy milks I've done.

I'll never be able to sign off this mind twitch until I can consistently do perfect froth or diagnose why I haven't.