How to Make Latte Art (at Home!)

Although we usually only expect to find this sort of skill in a high end café or restaurant, latte art is easy to create right in your own home! A great way to entertain guests or add elegance to the end of dinner, latte art is fun, fast, and surprisingly simple — you can do it without a fancy espresso machine!  You can later explore an espresso brewing class, but for now just jump right in with the below steps.

Here’s how to make latte art:

1. Brew the espresso or use coffee as a substitute. Use your regular coffee machine to brew espresso beans or strong coffee beans.
2. Steam the milk: pour the milk into a saucepan and begin to whisk it slowly over a medium setting.
3. As the milk begins to froth, whisk faster. Do not let the milk boil over — boiling will ruin the froth and destroy the flavor.
4. Once the milk has achieved a frothy consistency, set it aside for a couple of seconds while you prepare your espresso or coffee.
5. Finally, combine the two! Begin to pour in the center of your shot. The denser milk will fall right to the bottom.
6. As soon as you see the lighter foam rise to the top, begin to gently shake your hand from side to side as you pour. This will create a nice round milky center on the surface.
7. As your pour comes to an end, run the stream of milk through the center of this circle all the way to the opposite side of the cup: this will turn your circle into a heart!

And you’re done! How does it look? If you don’t see a heart, try, try again! (If you’re having trouble with the pour technique, check out this video)

Tips

1. Use whole or 2% milk.
2. The best proportion of espresso/coffee to milk is one part to two.
3. Let the froth settle for about 20 seconds before the pour, this will allow the froth to rise to the top.
4. Don’t let the milk boil!
5. Sprinkle cinnamon on the surface of your latte after your done — it looks (and tastes) professional!

These geeky latte creations are our personal favorites!

References:
http://www.ratemyrosetta.com/how-to-make-latte-art.php
http://www.ehow.com/how_8031091_make-lattes-machine.html