Latte art coffee for pleasure and pleasant emotions

Latte art is a great method of making espresso coffee, which can make people happy when you serve them coffee at home, in the office or in a bar. Who hasn't met these yet beautiful patterns on coffee in the shape of a heart, a flower, a swan and other symbols? latte art coffee can be prepared by anyone who provides certain conditions and is trained in the art of latte art. It’s hard at first, like any other skill, but eventually you’ll be able to create really dream patterns in quality coffee. This will make you a real hero in your company, among co-workers or with customers. In the article you will find useful information on how to create coffee art by hand, at home, in the office or with a professional apparatus.

What are the versions of latte art?

Latte art is created by adding milk micro foam to an espresso. Similar patterns, though less pronounced, can be achieved by adding micro foam to regular brewed coffee, as well as to real tea, hot chocolate, or cappuccino.

Alternatively, you can incorporate the samples into the espresso cream, without adding milk. Latte art requires you to first make a suitable espresso cream preparation and milk micro foam, and then combine them into latte art art.

How to create a latte art pattern on coffee?

Make a latte art pattern by pouring milk into the coffee. Pouring milk micro foam into an espresso cup with coffee cream creates a pattern of a certain shape on the surface of the latte - coffee cream. Creating latte art is not as easy as it looks when created by an experienced professional or a lover of espresso specialty coffee. You must meet the following conditions.

Quality espresso coffee machine

An experienced barista prepares the conditions by making espresso on a quality coffee machine. You will find quite a few quality ones on our website espresso coffee machines different sizes for home use, for office or for bar.

Type of coffee for Latte art

It is extremely important which type of coffee you use for espresso. Coffee should be of good quality and perfectly roasted, not too old and not too fresh. We recommend use Mariposa specialties of freshly roasted coffee for espresso coffee machines or for manual coffee making.

Preparation of milk micro foam for Latte art

The milk or milk foam that the barista pours into the coffee must be prepared correctly, which is also gained through experience. The milk should be warm enough, but not too much and properly foamed.

When all the conditions are met, the challenge of pouring milk micro foam into an espresso coffee preparation remains. The latte art artist is trained and has quite a few trials behind him to create beautiful creations. Some patterns are learned, and some are usually invented by oneself. But for everyone, the beginnings are difficult.

The most common coffee patterns

The most common forms of latte art coffee art are the heart and rosette shape, also known as a flower-like fern. Heart shapes are easier to make and more common for beginners. Rosettes, however, are more complex and more common with experienced baristas.

Even more complex patterns are possible. Some more complex samples need to be cast in several stages. Some examples of advanced latte art techniques are tulips, waves, swans, scorpions and other patterns. See what all can be done in the following video.

Micro milk foam casting techniques

The micro milk foam needs to be just right creamy to flow nicely from the barista of the container into the coffee cup. You can hold the coffee cup horizontally or tilted in one direction.

Classic technique

When you pour the milk straight into the cup, the foam starts to appear on one side of the cup as you hold it in your hands and there is therefore a slight tilt. Then move the jug of milk foam from one side to the other.

You can also move the foam spout back and forth and finish it with a quick swipe of the pre-poured pattern. A quick swipe over the pattern creates the stem part of the floral design and bends the zigzag circles into a flower shape.

Direct simple technique for beginners

More direct pouring of the creamy milk foam with less movement of the milk container allows for a heart shape. The heart can be very simple. However, you can make minor changes to, for example, lengthen its stem or make it apple-shaped.

How to prepare espresso porridge?

Before adding milk foam, espresso porridge should have a creamy brown surface, an emulsion known as cream. When the white foam from the milk rises in the direction of the reddish-brown surface of the espresso puree, a contrast is created and a shape appears. When you pour in the milk, the foam separates from the liquid and rises to the top. If the milk foam and espresso preparation are just right and you move the jugs of milk foam while pouring, the foam will rise and create a pattern on the surface. Alternatively, pour the sample with a milk pouring stick.

Etching latte art

Engraved patterns can be simple geometric shapes, intricate drawings, images of animals or flowers.

Etching latte art is usually reserved for cafes that have high traffic and speed of service is important. These are ready-made metal samples, a kind of sieve with which they imprint the sample on the coffee itself.

Etched latte art usually has a shorter lifespan than latte art, as the foam dissolves faster in latte - a coffee preparation. An even faster method with cappuccino is to pour chocolate powder through the metal cutout on which the image is engraved.

History of latte art art

Latte art developed in different countries independently after the introduction of espresso and the development of microfoam. The combination of the cream, which is an emulsion of coffee oil and brewed coffee and micro foam, allows for a pattern. Supposedly, the first sample was developed in Italy.

In the U.S., latte art developed in Seattle in the 1980s and 1990s. Her popularity was best established by David Schomer. Jack Kelly from the Uptown espresso (1986 to 1989) was known for his heart pattern and signature in Schomer’s Vivace espresso. The rosette pattern was developed by Schomer in 1992 and recreated the technique based on a photograph he saw at the Mateki Café in Italy. Luigi Lupi, however, invented the tulip pattern.

What is milk micro foam and what is latte art in chemical terms?

Latte art is a mixture of two colloids:

• cream, which is an emulsion of coffee oil and brewed coffee;
• and micro foam, which is the foam of air in milk.

Milk is an emulsion of butter fat in water. Coffee, on the other hand, is a mixture of solid coffee particles in water. None of these colloids are stable. The cream is sprayed from the espresso, while the micro foam separates into drier foam and liquid milk. Both decompose in seconds, so latte art only lasts a short time.

Frequently asked questions and answers

Can I make latte art at home?

Of course, latte art can be made at home in two ways. A little harder but the cheapest way is to make regular coffee with a filter and pour frothed hot milk into it. You can froth the milk with a manual or electric milk frother. An easier way is to buy a small espresso coffee machine for home or office use. With it you can make espresso latte and also foam the milk to the right temperature and shape. You can definitely visit the Mariposa café in Ljubljana at Trubarjeva cesta 7 and talk about this topic with the professional barista Klemen.

How do I foam milk at home?

There are two ways to make espresso milk at home. One is a hand-held milk frother that doesn’t work well if you don’t use it right. The milk must be just the right temperature and quality. You need to foam fast enough and persistently enough. The foam only lasts a few minutes, so there’s nothing wrong with it disappearing. Coffee should be served immediately before the sample disappears. A better option and a little more expensive is to buy a battery-powered milk frother. Contact our barista and he will help you. Last but not least, you can also buy a small coffee machine, then you will be able to create professional latte art coffee.

Can I use vegan milk for latte art?

Latte art is usually made with animal milk, but in some places, such as in the Mariposa cafe, it is also made from vegan - vegetable milk at the request of the guest. They usually use oat or rice milk. The fattest milk is certainly soy, but it must be undiluted and raw, such as the Bio village Soja Nature brand.