Mastering Latte Art Techniques: Tips, Tricks, and Step-by-Step Guide.
Welcome to our blog, where we dive deep into the captivating world of latte art techniques. If you're eager to enhance your barista skills and create stunning coffee designs, you've come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we'll equip you with the knowledge, tips, and tricks needed to master the art of latte art. From fundamental techniques to advanced methods, we'll take you on a journey through the intricate process of pouring and frothing milk to create visually captivating patterns and designs.
To explain latte art, we need to talk about the position of the pour in the cup. To do this we use the cup compass. Holding the cup in your hand with the handle facing up your arm (or away from your arm if you’re left-handed, the following steps will also be backwards). Imagine a line from the handle of the cup to the point directly opposite, this line is the east-west line. Now draw another line from north to south. The intersection of the two lines in the centre point.
1. Placing
The easiest of all the techniques to master, the placing technique is used for the heart and tulip designs. To begin the pour, place the tip of the jug <1cm away from the coffee’s surface slightly north of the centre point. The pour requires a steep tilt of the jug and a flow rate of 20 ml/sec. the flow from the tip of the jug should fill the spout.
2. Pushing
When the placing technique is combined with a forward movement it is possible to push one placement into another creating a stack of crescent-shaped lines. Start the pour <1cm from the surface slightly north of the centre point. Begin the pour pushing the white micro foam south. Stop. Reposition the tip at the starting point and repeat the pushing action.
3. Turbo
The turbo pour is a more extreme version of the placing technique creating the placement of a large volume of white microfoam on the top of the canvas. The technique can be used to create more extreme curved petals in the tulip design. Place the tip of the jug <1cm away from the coffees surface slightly north of the centre point. The pour requires a steep tilt of the jug and a flow rate of 40 ml/sec. The white microfoam will pour out quickly creating a large spread of white over the canvas.
4. Shaking
Shaking is the technique of laying down continuous snaking lines into the surface of the coffee. This technique produces the pattern needed for the first part of Rosetta and stacked tulip designs creating the layers of lines at the base. Position the jug slightly south of the centre point and<1cm from the surface, begin pouring and push forward until the tip of the jug is slightly south of the centre point. Make a small east-west movement of about 2cm. done correctly the line will reflect on the southern side of the cup.
5. Fishtailing
Fishtailing is an extension of the shaking technique, it uses the same arch and rhythm but instead of remaining in the same position moves the jug slowly north. It is important to remain relaxed and feel the flow of the milk through the coffee.
6. Cutting
The cutting technique is used for two main things:
- Cutting through patterns like fishtailing to create the leaf-like rosetta that makes symmetrical patterns in the cup.
- Cutting down the side of a pattern to stretch out (pull) the pattern in a direction. For the cutting technique, raise the jug 5cm above the surface, and pour either a thin line through, or next to a pattern to manipulate it.
7. Dragging
The dragging technique is the technique used to draw the neck of a swan. It looks like a snail trail on the surface of the coffee. To use the dragging technique, lower the tip of the jug <1cm from the surface, and slowly pour while slowly moving the jug backwards so that the microfoam is laid out on the surface. The technique works in any direction except forwards.
8. Windmill
Known as the windmill technique this technique involves a waterfall-type pour pulling the surface of the coffee down into the cup. Raise the jug 5cms above the surface, and pour a thin constant stream of milk to pull in the patterns already in the cup
