E-Campus

Introduction

Latte art is a method of making coffee by pouring micro foam into espresso to create patterns or designs on the coffee’s surface. It can also be done by “drawing” on the top layer of crema. It’s challenging to create consistent latte art due to the specific requirements of the espresso shot, milk texture, and barista’s experience, as well as the quality of milk and espresso machine. Latte art originated independently in different countries, likely starting in Italy. In the United States, it was developed in Seattle in the 1980s and 1990s.

Latte art is made using a combination of espresso crema, which is a mixture of coffee oil and brewed coffee, and micro foam, created by adding air into milk. Both crema and micro foam are unstable and degrade quickly, so latte art lasts only briefly.

Creating perfect latte art takes time and practice, as it requires precise extraction of espresso, well-textured milk at the right temperature, and careful pouring. It’s a skill that customers appreciate, and baristas take pride in their hard work.

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1. Prep your milk before pulling a shot

Getting everything in place will help you focus on the variables that matter. Prepping cold milk in a pitcher and having it ready to go can be a helpful workflow addition.

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2. Steam milk that looks like wet paint

This may seem like a given, but focus on steaming good milk first. Not only will you set yourself up for success, but your drink will taste better, too.

If you add too much air? You’ll end up with thick and foamy milk. Too little air? You’ll end up with no texture. Too hot? Less sweet milk. It’s a lot to keep in mind, but finding the balance is worth it.

Equal milk texture from top to bottom looks like wet paint.

It has some texture, but it also has movement. Adding too much air or not mixing properly gives you a rigid layer of foam on top and thin, hot milk on the bottom. That means when you pour, all the thin milk comes out first, leaving globs of foam for the very end. Not good for making patterns.

Learning to balance these variables while steaming milk are the building blocks to pouring good latte art.

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3. Give yourself a blank canvas at every step

This may seem like a given, but focus on steaming good milk first. Not only will you set yourself up for success, but your drink will taste better, too.

Likewise, before you drop the pitcher down to begin pouring your design, make sure you’ve mixed the espresso and milk evenly.

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4. Pour into the centre of the espresso

At the start, focus on pouring into the centre of your espresso. Pouring into the centre will push your design down slightly toward the edge of the cup, while starting too close to the sides of the cup will cause milk to shoot around the edges and can break the crema.

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5. Focus on steaming the right amount of milk for your cup

Overfilling or under filling your pitcher with milk can throw off your flow. Try to get a feel for the size of the cup you’re pouring into and what your espresso output will be. Use the right pitcher too—we use a small pitcher (350ml) for macchiatos, cortados, and flat white. Cappuccino and Latte we use the middle size pitcher (600ml) and the large pitcher for any bigger coffee (1000ml)

Start with an amount of milk that will nearly run out as you’re finishing your design—keeping in mind that milk will expand as you aerate it. A good rule of thumb is to fill the pitcher about a finger’s-width beneath the spout. Using the same cup size over and over again will help you understand and adjust your milk volume to reduce waste while having enough.

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6. Know what you’re trying to pour ahead of time

Start with a plan. This will help you focus and create meaningful movements as you transition through each step. Milk pouring is a quick process, and little movements matter a lot. Throwing a last-second decision at your brain sets you up for failure. Spontaneity can be fun at times, but not while you’re learning.

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Before you begin your pour, decide what you’d like to end up with. This will help you notice little things that you can improve upon the next time you go to pour the same design.

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7. Create a right angle between the pitcher and the cup

Hold your cup straight out in front of you. Almost like an extension of your arm (Line AB). Hold the pitcher out in front of you with your other hand (Line CD). Before pouring, rotate the pitcher over so that it’s perpendicular with AB. This will help with your pouring technique by giving you more range of motion. Plus, finishing your design so that it is perpendicular with the cup handle is a nice aesthetic. Stay on these axis’ the entire time.

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8. High & slow, then low & fast

With your cup tilted inward, start to pour a thick pencil-width stream about 4-5 inches from the surface of the espresso (keep it centred). The height and slow pour will help you mix your milk and espresso (blank canvas).

Once the milk + espresso mixture starts to reach the lid of the cup, drop the pitcher low toward the surface and pour faster by tilting the pitcher. Low, so that the milk doesn’t dive below the surface. Fast, because pouring faster helps the milk “fan” out and fill up more of the cup.

This is the beginning of your design. Pouring low and fast is, in essence, how to make latte art. Make sure to start tilting your cup back parallel to the floor as you pour faster.

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9. Get closer to the surface

Closer than you think, even. Pouring from too high will sink your milk below the surface of the espresso. Getting close to the surface is almost like skimming rocks. It will help the milk skate right across the surface of the espresso. Dip it low, but not quite touching the liquid.

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10. Don’t “wiggle” too fast

Wiggling or shaking the pitcher back and forth gives you the line work in your drink. The brown and white pattern that emerges is not only beautiful, but can help you make more designs, like a rosetta, or a base for a tulip.

This movement is learned and becomes easier with muscle memory. Initially, it’s common to shake the pitcher back and forth rapidly. Try slowing down the motion to a gentle rocking back and forth, similar to making small scribble-marks on a piece of paper with your hand.

As you become skilled at this subtle movement, the milk will sway inside the pitcher rhythmically. With practice, you’ll achieve consistency, resulting in even and thick designs, and you can start experimenting with speed and flow.

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11. Finish strong (don’t slug-trail your design)

For most designs, the pull through is the last step to complete the pour. The goal is to “slice” through the middle of your design, giving it symmetry and finishing the design itself.

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Before you pull through your design, make sure you’re pouring a couple inches above the surface. Pulling through from the same height as you made your design will sink your design and paint a slug trail through it.
When the cup is full, you’re ready to pull through. Slow the speed back to a pencil-width stream and lift your pitcher up before moving across your design- up, then over.

Latte Art