How to Make Latte Art

How to Make Latte Art at Home

Have you been dreaming of taking on the role of a barista in your own home, whipping up your favorite coffee beverage, and finishing it off with a beautifully impressive work of art?

Well, your latte art-making dreams are within reach! This craft is not just for the professionals and, with some practice and patience, you can create lovely latte designs with steamed milk any day of the week right in your own kitchen.

Below, get step-by-step instructions on how to make latte art at home.

What You'll Need

The first step, of course, is to ensure you have everything you'll need on hand. We've broken the list down into ingredients and tools:

Ingredients:

• Whole milk (Note: While you can always use your preferred milk choice, whole milk  is best for latte art because it creates a smoother, more velvety foam. For a vegan/non-dairy option, we recommend oat milk).
• Espresso grounds or capsules

Tools:

• Espresso maker
• Milk Frother
• Wide, shallow coffee cup

Instructions for How to Do Latte Art at Home

Step One: Make Steamed Milk and Espresso for Latte

Prepare steamed milk and espresso according to our post's instructions on how to make a latte at home (follow through step two). Then follow the latte art instructions below!

Step Two: Create Your Latte Art Design

As a beginner, we find a heart and a rosette are two of the best images to practice.

To Make a Foam Heart:

1. Tilt the cup with espresso in it toward you and pour approximately 80% of the steamed milk into the cup.
2. Bring the pitcher to the edge of the cup that's closest to you and quickly shake it from left to right to make a round shape.
3. Once you have a round shape, move the pitcher in a straight line across the cup (away from you) to form a heart.
4. Serve.

To Make a Rosette:

1. Hold the pitcher an inch above the coffee cup with the espresso and begin pouring the steamed milk at the edge of the cup that's furthest from you.
2. After pouring about 50% of the milk, move the pitcher close to the cup's surface and quickly shake it from left to right to form the layers of foam. This should make the foam look like branches or leaves.
3. Once you begin seeing layers, continue shaking the pitcher and move it toward the inner edge of the cup closest to you.
4. After the rosette layers are formed, continue pouring while moving the pitcher back toward the outer edge of the cup.
5. Serve.

Remember, with practice, you'll be a pro in no time! Be sure to snap pictures before you take your first sip and, after enjoying your delicious beverage, share your latte art images with us by tagging @thecoffeebean.