Latte Art - Excuse Me, I Ordered a Cup of Coffee

Written by Rolf

Latte Art is a style of pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso that creates a pattern or design on the surface of the resulting latte. It can also be created or embellished by simply drawing in the top layer of foam. Latte art is particularly difficult to create consistently, due to the demanding conditions required of both the espresso shot and milk. This, in turn, is limited by the experience of the barista (coffeehouse bartender) and quality of the espresso machine. The pour itself, then, becomes the last challenge for the latte artist.

Creating steamed milk requires the introduction of steam to the milk until a certain amount of froth is created. As the milk is poured, the froth phase separates from the liquid phase and rises to the top. If the milk and espresso shot are just right, and the pitcher is moved during the pour, the foam will rise to create a pattern on the surface.

The foam content is controlled by the barista during the steaming process. Too much foam creates a totally white surface (cappuccino), while not enough creates a homogenous, light-brown coffee drink, with no foam or patterning. To pour latte art, the milk should be shiny, slightly thick, and should have very small, uniform bubbles. It is not particularly 'foamy', it is better described as gooey, and closely resembles melted marshmallows. There have been a variety of names used for this ideal standard, such as 'microfoam', 'velvet milk', 'microbubbles' and so forth.

The quality of the espresso shot is also important, the espresso should have an extraction time of 20-30 seconds. Before the milk is added, the shot must have a creamy brown surface of foam, known as 'crema'. As the white foam from the milk rises to meet the red/brown surface of the shot, a contrast is created and the design emerges.

Some controversy exists within the coffee community as to whether or not there is excessive focus on latte art amongst baristas. The argument is that too much focus on the appearance of a drink leads some to ignore more important issues, such as taste. This is especially relevant with new baristas.

The most common form of poured latte art is known as the 'rosetta', and resembles a type of flower. This design is usually poured while keeping the cup tilted in one direction. As the milk is poured straight into the cup, the foam begins to surface on one side (due to the tilt). The barista then moves the pitcher from side to side as he levels the cup, and finishes by making a quick strike through the previously poured pattern. This "strike" creates the stem portion of the flower design, and bends the poured zig-zag into a flower shape.

Although the rosetta design is common, many others are possible. These can range from simple geometric shapes to complicated drawings, such as crosshatched patterns, apples, hearts, animals, and flowers. Some can be done with a single pour, others require multiple pours, and still others call for etches in the design after pouring, usually with a coffee stirrer of some sort.

Have fun!