Just bringing this back to the WPM ProSteamer.
I’ve read comments indicating that WPM may be become complacent or that they haven’t listened to their customers.
Not being one to step on the opinion-toes of others, but in the interests of offering an alterntive perspective for future readers, here are some of the feature upgrades from version one to this current version, being version two.
- Increased tank size from 800ml to 1,000ml
- Alter temperature with two up/down buttons (previously fixed temperature)
- Auto shut off when target temperature reached (previously manual shut off)
- Two preset temperature buttons (previously none)
- Auto purge button (previously none)
- New steam tip with finer spray
- LED panel displaying real time temperature while steaming (previously no display panel)
My guess is that a list like that would indicate a commitment to improvement and might even mean they are listening to market feed back.
Other thoughts:
The machines produces 4 bars of pressure and appears to be capable of almost continuous steaming, as long as the water tank has water.
The issue of me having difficulty in removing the jug easily was simply a matter of nudging the wand upwards with the internal part of the jug’s spout; it slides out easily once I discovered that method. In hindsight, I don’t think the wand design is an error, I think it’s a newbie mistake i.e. operator error, and that could be easily navigated if they would include that technique in their manual (that would of course require me to read the manual which I tend to do as a last resort 😀).
The WPM produces a beautiful silky microfoam with both dairy and oat milk, to the point where I’d describe it as lucsious. It’s certainly better than anything I can create with either the Decent or the Nurri steamers. And it achieves that completely hands free meaning I can wander off and grab a cup or pour an espresso simulateously.
WPM itself is a company that producs a wide range of coffee equipment including slingshot and kilo automated tampers, espresso machines and grinders. I had no idea they manufacture such a wide range of kit and I don’t know what the quality is like across their range but certainly they do a lot more than just milk jugs and steamers.
WPM was founded in Hong Kong in 1975 when it was still under British rule and some 22 years before the handover to the Chinese government. As such it may have developed a different approach to quality concerns than similar manufacturers who launched on mainland China during the same era.
The price of the machine is such that most prosumers would not consider it other than to complement a single boiler machine (e.g. Meticulous, Puristika) or manual lever type machine (e.g. Flair, Strietman). As such it’s certainly a niche, but a large one. It would also appeal to prosumers who have a larger than average budget for coffee kit, and who want to up their steaming game without having to upgrade their espresso machine. A secondary, and probably larger market, is cafe’s who want to free up their barista’s time and who don’t want to spend around ten times the price (literally) for the “next level up” milk steamers such as Perfect Moose or Uber Milk. I don’t have numbers but just sitting in my common sense corner, I’d say that if you combine those two markets, it’s enormous.
There have been some humorous posts about the hands free feature with reference to the idea that any espresso machine with a wand can be turned into being a hands free steamer either with a prop or sans prop. Funny and true. But it misses the central point, which is not explained at all well in WPM promotional material. That point being that the steamers on espresso machines typically require some latte art technique to be applied in order to produce silky smooth microfoam milk. Otherwise, if the steaming tip simply sits in the milk and is not positioned with jug tilted so the the milk can swirl and the right amount of steam/air is mixed, the result is a warm but flatter milk. The WPM achieves top quality latte style milk with no technique/hands required. That’s a big difference.