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One Way to Use an Espresso Machine: "Stir-Frying" Eggs with the Steam Wand – Believe It or Not, It's Actually a Famous Café Dish!

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account: qjcoffeex. The espresso machine's steam wand probably never imagined that somewhere in the world, their counterparts

For more professional coffee knowledge exchange and coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of FrontStreet Coffee, WeChat ID: qjcoffeex.

The steam wand of a coffee machine probably never imagined that in some corner of the world, its counterparts are not only used for frothing and heating, but also for "scrambling" eggs - and it's even a famous dish in Colombian coffee shops!

The method of using a steam wand to "scramble" eggs (Huevos Al Vapor) was invented in 1955 by the owner of a Colombian coffee shop called Café El Polo.

At that time in Western countries, eggs were generally only cooked by boiling, scrambling, or baking. After tasting Japanese chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), the owner was inspired to create a dish where eggs could be tender and smooth with meat inside, without requiring water-bath steaming.

Suddenly, inspiration struck as he looked at the coffee machine's steam wand... "The temperature of the steam can continuously heat milk, which proves it can steam eggs until they set." So, the owner began experimenting by cracking eggs into a coffee cup, beating them, then adding salt, butter, and ham before vigorously working the steam wand.

As everyone knows, steaming milk inevitably creates bubbles. The same was true for this egg dish 😂. The steamed eggs were not only tender and smooth but also very fluffy, like a soufflé, creating a more layered texture.

The diners present at the time were fascinated by the muffin-shaped egg cup and ordered one for themselves, completely overturning everyone's perception of cooked egg textures. The reputation of this dish spread throughout the town, with many coffee shops imitating it, eventually becoming a must-have breakfast option in coffee shops across multiple Colombian cities.

Another Invention: La Macana

Thrilled by how many people loved his invention, the owner of Café El Polo didn't rest idle. Soon after, he also created La Macana, mixing soda crackers, plenty of butter, sugar, and milk in a coffee cup, cooking it with steam, and then sprinkling cinnamon on top.

Although it might not look appealing, it's also one of the famous local coffee shop dishes! It seems everyone is obsessed with fluffy-textured foods.

Modern Attempts and Challenges

Curious netizens have enthusiastically tried this steamed egg method themselves! While those who've tried it agree that the eggs are indeed very soft, tender, and smooth - like melt-in-your-mouth scrambled eggs - the process can be quite messy!

After steaming, people have been seen vigorously scraping hardened egg off their steam wands with small forks...

Scrubbing vigorously with scouring pads...

Some netizens reported that after steaming eggs, the steam wand's exhaust holes became clogged with egg. Even after clearing the blockage, egg mixture had penetrated and solidified inside the wand's inner walls, occasionally adding extra "ingredients" to milk frothing... or resulting in lattes with a subtle egg flavor... (tearfully regretful complaints).

Look! Even Café El Polo seems to have given up the struggle with their steam wands!

Today, after my colleague and I finished watching related videos, she physically restrained me, worried I might try this myself! She said that after her last experiment making Vietnamese egg coffee by whipping raw eggs into a delicate foam, she could faintly smell egginess all day.

Am I that kind of person?! (Yes) If the coffee machine wasn't needed for daily shop operations, I really would have been tempted to try! But reason prevailed over impulse!

Alternative Method

Actually, to achieve that tender, moist, and fluffy texture from a steam wand, you can simply beat eggs, pour them into boiling water that's immediately removed from heat while stirring to create a vortex, remove the eggs as they set, and gently press out excess water - achieving the same texture.