Don’t let latte art intimidate you because with some practice, you will be wanting to add a bit of art to all your lattes! We collaborated with world renowned artist Michael Breach, aka BaristaArt, to give a step-by-step guide on how to make latte art right at home for both beginner and intermediate levels.
TIPS FOR CREATING LATTE ART
- We recommend using short and rounded mugs, 6-12 ounces in size.
- For a hand frother it is best to use 1%-2% milk if you are creating art. Whole milk always best for a traditional steam but 1%-2% is best when using a hand frother when creating latte art as the aeration can be pretty powerful.
- Temperature is very important. 135-140 F is ideal.
- Steam pitcher should be no less than 20 ounces or else milk can go flying everywhere!
- When frothing, start just under the surface of the milk (1 second is enough) and then plunge down in the center. You should see it start to whirlpool. Try to avoid introducing any more air into your milk during this time. Position your milk pitcher diagonally so it stays submerged better.
- The whole process of frothing the milk should only take around 5-10 seconds. Only froth until the large bubbles disappear.
- It is important that you move quickly once your milk is frothed because the longer it sits, the more it will solidify on the top. You can also remedy this by pouring milk back and forth between two steam pitchers.
- If you have a layer of thick foam at the top it’s okay to also spoon a little of it off.
- What you are looking for in the end is milk with a shiny surface and a homogenous texture.
LET’S CREATE LATTE ART
Now that you have our recommended tips, let’s create latte art! In these tutorial videos, Michael demonstrates how you can make hearts if you’re a beginner or a bear for when you reach the intermediate level!
DIY LATTE, LET’S MAKE HEARTS!