After we discussed the basic topic “What is Latte Art?” in detail in the last edition of our online barista course , in today’s article we want to start with the implementation and learn Latte Art.
We should tell you right from the start that learning latte art is n't necessarily easy . It takes a lot of time and practice to master the right moves and to be able to draw the first patterns on the coffee. But that shouldn't stop you from learning latte art! We'll show you step by step how you can learn latte art and which little tricks will ensure that your cappuccino becomes a work of art . We'll also give you a little tip on how you can practice latte art without wasting huge amounts of milk. You can find out how this works in the last part of our online barista course, as well as on our YouTube channel , where you can watch all parts of this course again in video. Our barista Robin Matthijsse will show you in detail how to learn latte art! Elias Fischbacher from the Wildkaffee Rösterei wishes you lots of fun learning latte art.
Learn Latte Art - Preparation
To learn latte art, you obviously need the right equipment. In the first part of our online barista course, we showed you how to perfectly prepare your barista workstation and what equipment you generally need. When learning latte art, however, it is advisable to have some other accessories at your workplace. Basically , starting to learn latte art is very easy. You need the heart of your brew bar or coffee corner, the portafilter machine, a milk jug and possibly other tools, such as a milk thermometer, which allows you to achieve the really ideal temperature for your milk and milk foam. You also need one, or better yet, several, cups. Ideally, you should use cups that are quite narrow at the bottom and get wider towards the top.
Learn Latte Art - Step 1 - Froth milk
In part 6 of our online barista course, we already showed you in detail how to froth your milk for learning latte art . In our step-by-step guide to learning latte art, we will go over it again in summary. Take the milk straight from the fridge. When frothing, the milk is heated at the same time and needs a good amount of air to draw in, i.e. to create foam. Now fill the milk up to the notch on the spout and froth the milk.
Would you like detailed instructions on how to froth milk? Then click here . If there are still small air bubbles on your foam, you can remove them by tapping it gently. Swirl the milk in circular movements and continue using it immediately so that the foam does not settle. Ideally, the consistency of your milk should be nice and creamy and have a shiny surface.
Learn Latte Art - Step 2 - Prepare Espresso
You can do steps 1 and 2 almost in parallel . Prepare an espresso of your choice. How much espresso you want to use or which coffee recipe you want to prepare is an individual question . Since we mainly devoted ourselves to cappuccino in our online barista course, we will also base the topic block on learning latte art on cappuccino preparation. We therefore prepare a single shot of espresso for each cup.
We still do this in a double sieve and ideally use two cappuccino cups . In a single sieve, the extraction might not be sufficient, so always use the double sieve. To prepare the espresso, you will need 17-19 g . The brewing process should last between 25 and 30 seconds . Do you need precise instructions for making espresso? Then click here !
Learn Latte Art - Step 3 - Now it's time to pour!
Once we have both ingredients prepared and ready, we can move on to the main part: learning latte art! We can tell you in advance that you will probably have to go through all these steps a few times, as learning latte art requires several attempts. But now we will show you step by step the detailed points that you need to pay attention to when learning latte art so that the latte art can even be created.
1. Take the cup with the espresso, swirl it a little and then hold it at about a 45 degree angle.
2. Now pour the foamed milk into the middle of the espresso so that the milk almost flows under the crema and the emulsion takes on a light brown color.
3. Fill the cup about halfway. Now comes the pattern! Now move the milk jug to the bottom, middle edge of the cup so that you are close to the crema.
4. Now a first small spot of milk should appear, which you can enlarge by tilting it horizontally and by moving the spout of the jug slightly towards the middle.
5. Now pour a heart out of the white circle. To do this, pull the spout of the cup straight forward and then out again at the top.
6. The heart is finished!
Or not? As mentioned above, pouring latte art takes a lot of practice. In addition to the heart, there are numerous other patterns that you could prepare in the future. There are no limits to creativity. Whether it's a tulip, fern or Easter bunny. There are numerous different variations and ways to decorate your cappuccino. So that you don't waste so much milk when learning latte art (unless you actually enjoy every attempt), there is a little trick!
Learn Latte Art - practice makes perfect, but we want to avoid waste!
Of course, we don't want you to waste endless resources when learning latte art. Especially in today's world, a sustainable attitude to products and attitude to life is essential. That's why you can practice both frothing and learning latte art with water and dish soap . Replace the milk with the water-dish soap mixture and you can use food coloring for espresso. The mixture reacts almost the same as milk and there are hardly any noticeable differences when pouring the latte art. Only the color of the mixture of espresso/food coloring and the mixture will be a little lighter. But it's ideal for learning latte art!
Conclusion!
Learning latte art takes a lot of time, skill and, above all, patience . It is important that you are optimally prepared for your practice sessions and have the right equipment . Basically, all you really need is your portafilter machine, a milk jug and a suitable coffee cup . After frothing the milk and preparing an espresso, your practice sessions can begin. The easiest way to start is with a heart. Once you have perfected this, you can try out many other patterns in the future. There are no limits to your creativity. So that we don't waste too many resources (coffee & milk) when learning latte art, we can also practice with a water and dishwashing liquid mixture, as it has similar properties to regular milk.
Our barista shows you how pouring works in detail on our YouTube channel . This brings us to the end of our “Online Barista Course” series of articles. We hope you were able to improve and optimize your barista skills. If you have any further questions, you can of course ask them at any time on Instagram , TikTok , Facebook or YouTube . More exciting articles can also be expected here at Wildkaffee in the future. In the meantime, we wish you many great coffee moments and #staywild !
