There are a million variables to a great latte. There’s the beans, how they are roasted, the grind, the temperature at which you steam the espresso grounds, the timing, the water you use to make your expresso…the list goes on and on for days and many coffee aficionados are happy to tweak and finesse every variable until they have created the perfect cup.

My personal obsession is the latte art that is created when you pour steamed milk onto the top of your espresso. I’ve been working on perfecting it for two years now. Guess what? I have not perfected it! It is an on-going work-in-progress that I practice every day happily. I thought I’d share some of the tips I have learned along the way. My latte art is not as amazing as what you’ll get in a coffee shop but it’s coming along.

The first step to great latte art is finding a pretty cup. The cups I used in this post are vintage Pfaltzgraff Gourmet Brown Drip Ware from the 1970’s. I love their short, squatty shape and hook handle and don’t even get me started on the handmade ceramic glazing, it’s so boho-gypsy! They just make me want to make a latte, curl up in a warm crocheted afghan and listen to Stevie Nicks repeat, but maybe that’s just me. Lattes can be made in all kinds of cups but you want to keep their size around 5-6 ounces and wide in brim so that you have a big round canvass on which to create your art.

Next you’ll need a semi-powerful espresso maker with a steam wand. I had a cheap espresso maker when I first started out and I was never able to create anything more than clouds of foam that blobbed onto the top of my cup. To create latte art you really a lot of steam to aerate your milk so that you can create microfoam which is basically incorporating air into the milk until it reaches the consistency of thick house-paint. You don’t want big bubbles. You want tiny small ones.

You’ll also need a thermometer with a clip attachment and a stainless steel frothing jug with a narrow spout. You can skip the thermometer and just go by the temperature of the jug (stop when t’s too hot to touch) but a thermometer helps a lot with timing.

Let’s get started on the latte. Make your espresso first (two shots is my preference) however you usually do it and set it aside. It’s the milk that is critical for latte art.

First pour cold milk into your jug.  For a 6 oz latte you’ll want to pour about 4.5 ounces of milk. I usually measure by pouring milk into my jug until it’s about half an inch from the spout protrusion.

Insert your steam wand into your milk below the surface and turn it on. This is where steam wand power comes into play. If you have an espresso machine that has a pressure meter you’ll want your steam to be about 1 bar. I personally do not have a pressure gage for my steam wand so I wing it, which also might be why my latte art is not quite as silky as the professionals.  Nevertheless I am still able to create some sort of art so onwards!

Steam your milk with the wand below the surface slightly at an angle so the milk swirls in a clockwise formation. Leave it there until you get to about 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Then lift the wand to the surface so that it creates a “pffff” sound, similar to the sound of ripping paper. Let it make that sound and count to four slowly (four seconds). Then put the wand back down and leave it there until your foam as reached 160 degrees. This might happen about the same time as your 4 seconds are up.

Many people say that steaming milk any hotter than 160 gives it a burned flavor but I’ve chatted with a  couple of professional barristers and they say when it comes to latte art, going slightly over 160 is okay.

Once your milk is steamed you want to make sure your foam is properly groomed for creating latte art. Do this by banging the steam mug on the counter a couple of times to break down the big bubbles and then swirling it around until the consistency is similar to paint.

Now you are ready for the pour of your latte foam-milk concoction. The pour is an art form in itself. Hold your jug above your cup about 4-5 inches and slowly let it pour out in a narrow stream at the back of the cup. When the cup seems about halfway full start moving your jug back and forth very gently from your wrist. This creates the rosetta or leaf pattern (and yes, I know my art is far from professional lever but I’m a work in progress as I mentioned earlier).  When you get to the back of the cup move the jug in a quick straight line through the pattern creating the stem.

Many times my latte art does not create anything near a leaf or a rosetta shape but that’s okay because that’s where some creativity can come in! If you circle your foam around in a circles you can create a rose shape that can then be wanded with a toothpick to create a fancy star! You can even swirl your tooth pick through a flop of a rosetta to create a series of hearts of just funky stripes. I’ve been known to drop a plop of foam on one side and then I dip my toothpick into my espresso crema and draw a quick “x” mark so that my rosetta now looks like a dead fish. Of course that is not very appetizing but it’s a lot of fun.

Play around with your toothpick art and you’ll be surprised what you can come up with!

Another trick to creating latte art is to add spice. I love fresh nutmeg shavings on top or a sprinkling of cardamon. If you can’t dazzle the eyes you might as well try the nose! And it’s super delicious.

No matter where your latte art skill level lies you’re always going to end up with something drinkable and you can always try again the next day! Pair your latte art with some yummy breakfast treats and it’s sure to bring a smile. Rosettas, leaves, little hearts and swirls…It’s the little things that say you took some extra time to make your morning ritual something special.

We hope you enjoy your lattes as much as we do!