Sorry to add to the overload of latte art related posts on this sub, but you have to admit it is the hardest aspect of coffee making. I’ve been practicing making coffee for just under 2 weeks now, and I’m well aware that it may take me triple that amount of time to nail latte art, but I’d love to get advice from experienced people as early on in the journey as possible.
Here is a video of me steaming milk and attempting to pour a heart into a double espresso but making a little blob with a tail instead. Please do tell me how I can improve to create at least a decent looking heart, all criticism is welcome!
(Also sorry for the siren noises in the background as well as the dishwashing sounds at the end, I live with people and on a busy street 😅)
by nailbitingsphynxcat
15 Comments
Just wanna let you know this is for people working as baristas. We use a totally different style of machine (commercial) which produces VERY different results. If you are using a home machine and looking for tips, might wanna check out r/espresso
I feel like you’re just taking too long? Hesitating and not just getting on with it which means your milk is starting to separate and that’s why you get a big blob because all the foam comes out at once.
Try just pouring straight after purging the wand.
To start you need to aerate more at the beginning it sounds like, as you can hear it still kinda screaming the whole time you steam it. after aerating drop the wand in a lil more to whip/spin all the foam/milk through each other should look like wet latex paint with no bubbles in your milk.
And then, you need to pour a high/thin enough line into the cup while circling, so that you have a good body built underneath the creama. when you get to the drawing level stop for half a sec and remember its not a race seems like you rushed a lil, if you got the time to make it pretty go ahead if its a rush no ones gonna give you flak.
but small wiggles and theres a BUNCH of different youtube videos on good motions to practice or other things like that.
i used just water in a pitcher for a while to practice the motions of pouring down obviously you have no visual to tell how well or badly youre doing however you dont go through milk/espresso while getting the motions more fluid
[1.You](http://1.You) gotta pull a good shot first, that one looked a bit sad 🙁
2.Swirl and mix your milk more thoroughly (after you steamed)
After those 2 things you will likely take a step forward and can learn the next thing!!
Also as another user has said, a home machine is going to produce a far different result then a commercial machine (not always the case if you have invested some serious $$$) and 2 weeks is VERY fresh, making latte art, like many things, is a never ending process of trial and error and making the smallest, most intricate changes for the duration you do this for. Welcome.
One thing you should add OP is the name of the machine you’re using. I have a breville barista express at home and CANNOT steam to do latte art. But at work, it’s a different story.
The longer your milk sits the thicker it will be, you need to be quick. And pour faster too! It’s a lot of trial and error, you have to not hesitate and just go for it. Pour very quickly at the start while far from the cup and going in a circular motion to mix, then when you’re ready to ‘draw’ you need to get close to the surface and move quickly otherwise your milk just thickens and you will get blobs. It takes a lot of practice, good luck! 🫶🏻 -also learning to tilt your pitcher and your cup, watch people on YouTube to see the motions they do
My 50 cents:
Seems that the cup is too “wide” and doesn’t give you enough room for concentrated coffee before putting the milk.
Need to air more, few seconds without the whirlwind that is bringing the milk to become hotter.
Tilt the milk and mix the coffee.
In a different cup, you can “incline” more your cup and pour the milk in a more delicate and constant way.
Mid hight for initial pour, closer to the coffee to drawn the arte.
I didn’t see it mentioned in the comments yet, but you should angle the mug you are pouring into and make it more straight up as it fills. You’re really pouring the top of the milk and floating it on top of the espresso for the art, have the cup at an angle will help stop the milk from dropping straight to the bottom
Rather than swirling your espresso, whisk it together so the crema incorporates well into the mixture.
And to me: it looks like you’re pouring a bit heavy handed and from the wrist. Focus on pouring a fine line from the tip of the pitcher as you are incorporating milk into the espresso.
Notice at 1:23 that the separation in your texture ‘stops’ the motion of your latte art.
The texture of your set base should be smooth and consistent. That should give you greater success when practicing latte art.
1) your espresso shot was unusually bubbly. It looks like you maybe used a pressurized portafilter. This is not gonna be the best for doing latte art, but you can mitigate the shortcomings of the shot by swirling the espresso to smooth out the crema.
2) your steam wand should sit just at the surface of the milk when you begin steaming to incorporate more air. You then need to incorporate that air by creating a vortex, holding the steam wand off centre.
3) when holding your mug, if it’s at 6 o’clock, you should pour your latte art facing 9 o’clock. This will give you better control over the draw.
You should try to create more uniformity in the “canvas.” When you begin pouring, you want to pour as if you’re allowing the milk to flow over the surface. The difference is like pouring over a floor instead of pouring into a bucket.
When you finish your design, within the same pour, lift your pouring jug to create a laminar stream, and pull it back through the design, bisecting it.
4) Note: none of these steps are easy. They all require practice, much less doing them all in sequence. So mastering latte art may take some time. Be patient with the process.
Something is definitely off with your espresso
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I’ve been making latte art at home for more than five years (Linea mini) and mine still looks like this. I can steam some mean microfoam but I just can’t get the handle on the pour. So, I just kinda gave up and if i manage a thin sad looking leaf, I rejoice. 😝
The first thing I noticed is it seems like your machine doesn’t have enough pressure- the steaming wand needs more force to get the milk to the consistency where you can create high-quality latte art. You might be able to get the milk a better consistency with a little extra swirling before the pour.
I feel like you’re doing other things right and would make a good quality latte art with the right machine!
Your shots are not okay. I’d take care of that shot before adressing any milk issue there because coffee is the main ingredient after all.