Many people agree that making a great cup of espresso is an art in itself. Making latte art refers to making a pattern made of foam on top of an espresso drink. If you want to hone your hidden barista (coffee-making) talent, latte art is an important technique that can take years to master.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Making the Perfect Foam
Step 1. Pour enough cold milk (1ºC) for one cup into the steamer
- If you have time, store the pitcher in the refrigerator or freezer before using it. A cold pitcher will give you more time to steam the milk and reduce the chances of the milk boiling. A cold pitcher also makes the cream stiffer and easier to work with. Try to cool the pitcher for at least 30 minutes before using it.
- For perfect foam, always use a liquid thermometer. A thermometer will help you determine the right time to remove the milk from the steam engine before it boils. The goal is to heat the cream to keep it below the boiling point. Do not leave the milk at this temperature for too long, as this will cause the milk to boil.
Step 2. Place the steam wand on the base of the teapot
Turn on the steam engine, and slowly lift the wand until it reaches the top of the milk. Lower the pitcher as the milk rises so the steam wand will be 1 cm from the top of the milk. The milk does not need to be stretched excessively or large bubbles will appear. This method is done to produce a smooth and soft milk that will be different from the foam found on the top of the espresso drink.
Step 3. Let the milk reach 37ºC
Then place the steam wand on one side of the teapot, dip it in the milk, placing the teapot so that it rotates counterclockwise.
Carefully rotate the milk in a counterclockwise direction using the steam wand still near the bottom of the teapot
Step 4. Keep doing this movement until the heat of the milk reaches between 65ºC to 68ºC
The absolute temperature you need to get on the milk foam is 71ºC.
- Something to keep in mind: some steam machines generally heat milk quickly so you will need to remove the milk from the machine around -12ºC before reaching the limit to prevent the milk from boiling. This is done because the milk will still experience heating even though it is not being steamed.
- In addition to popping large bubbles, burst small, light bubbles (often called microfoam). You want to produce a light foam without sacrificing the filling.
Step 5. Close the steam engine and remove the steam wand and thermometer from the milk
Clean the steam wand with a damp cloth.
Step 6. Let the milk sit for a few seconds
This will give the milk a softer texture.
Step 7. Twist the milk firmly
If there are bubbles, tap the pitcher against the counter a few times and stir the milk again for another 20 or 30 seconds.
Part 2 of 3: Brew Your Espresso
Step 1. Use between 7 – 8 grams of espresso powder to make one shot of espresso
Start making shots as soon as you make the milk foam.
- Press your filter using a weight that weighs between 14 – 18 kg. For most adults, press as hard as you can with one hand.
- Use a coffee grinder for extra freshness. The grinder will help you control how fine or coarse your espresso is.
Step 2. Brew your espresso shot
The perfect shot has a hint of cream in it, and delivers a classic coffee flavour.
- Brew espresso in a span of 21 – 24 seconds to produce the perfect shot. The espresso will become sweeter as the brewing time approaches 24 seconds.
- You can adjust the length of extraction from the force you apply when pressing the espresso powder. Press with enough force and your espresso will filter slowly and quietly. If you don't do this, your espresso will filter too quickly.
Step 3. Pour the shot into a coffee cup or suitable container
Do not let the shot exceed 10 seconds without adding milk to it. If desired, add 1' shot of flavor enhancer to the cup before adding the espresso.
Part 3 of 3: Pouring Milk and Espresso Art
Step 1. Try making a floral pattern
This floral pattern is simple, elegant, and relatively easy. As with other latte art patterns, it can take you a while to master the technique.
- Pour the milk about 2-3 cm from the bottom of the cup.
- When the cup is almost half full, gently shake the pitcher back and forth in a back and forth motion and slowly move it backwards. The floral design will move forward, filling the cup.
- Instead of moving your hands back and forth, do a shuffling motion based on a wrist motion.
Step 2. Try making a heart pattern
This pattern is also relatively easy, but to master this technique, you will need a lot of practice.
- Start by bringing the jug of milk close to the top of the cup, then slowly pour in the milk in the same position.
- Lift the pitcher 1 inch or so, pour in a circle. Make sure what you're moving is the milk jug, not the cup.
- Hold the flow of milk in the same position, but shake the jug of milk in a back and forth motion as if you were making a circle.
- When the milk is almost completely poured, swing the milk upwards to make the bottom edge of the heart shape.
Step 3. Decorate the design using a stencil, powder, or milk foam
This step is optional, many prefer to limit latte art using free motion, but you can experiment with the possibilities by adding "strokes."
- To write a word, such as “love” in the picture, melt the milk chocolate and use the needle as a brush to slide the melted chocolate over the foam. In general, this is mostly done by dipping a sharp object (like a needle) in the cream of the drink to be decorated, and then transferring the stained foam cream to the white cream to 'draw' the design you want to produce.
- Garnish with chocolate in several other ways. Pour the chocolate syrup over the foam, then start decorating with a needle. Outline the foam pattern with chocolate. Taking a needle, cut small circles on the outside of the chocolate using one continuous motion. This will result in a wavy brown pattern.
Tips
- Start with very cold milk – keep the temperature just above freezing and ensure that the steam pot is kept cool. Cold milk and a steamer will give you more time to create the smooth, creamy texture needed to make latte art.
- Use a cup with a wide mouth. This type of cup will make it easier for you to develop latte art designs.
- If you add a drop of dish soap to a pitcher of water, the water and soap mixture will evaporate just like milk, so you can feel the texture while you're experimenting without having to use up a lot of milk. This method is a must for you to try!
- Try sprinkling cocoa powder in a cup before pouring the milk, this can have an interesting effect.
- Use fresh milk for each cup, even if you still have milk left in the previous cup.
- The use of 2% milk (98% fat free milk) is recommended by baristas when you are developing your steaming/pouring technique. This milk has a better volume and consistency which makes latte art easier.
- In addition to using a thermometer, you can stick two fingers into the base of the teapot. Once the milk has reached a temperature between 48ºC and 51ºC, you usually can't stick your fingers together for long without getting a burn.
- You should use an espresso machine with a good brew head and a kettle and steam power that is strong enough to evaporate the milk properly. Machines like this have a fairly expensive price.
- Before trying with milk, try with water first. While water doesn't have the same consistency as milk, practicing with water will get you used to pouring and whisking at the same time.
- When steaming milk, it takes 3 seconds to form microfoam
Warning
- Do not let the heat of the milk exceed the temperature of 60-70ºC, because it will limit the sweetness contained in the milk.
- The steam produced is very hot, so be careful not to burn yourself.
What You Need
- Milk
- Espresso
- A steam pot with straight walls with a pointed spout
- Espresso machine with powerful steam wand
- 400 ml latte
- Thermometer
