To celebrate Valentines Day I found it appropriate to start out with the heart design...
Which is coincidently one of the most basic, but foundational designs in latte art. Even as a basic design, there is a lot going on in a short period of time. I felt a video would be a better representation than just a step-by-step in text form. For those who aren't visual learners, or have questions about any of the lingo used in the video, I've written out the steps below.
- Pull your shot of espresso and steam your milk; simultaneously if possible (dual boiler for the win).
- Tap out any bubbles in your espresso and give it a quick swirl to spread out the crema.
- Tap your milk if there are any surface bubbles, and swirl to create an even texture throughout your pitcher.
- Pick up your cup and pitcher, tilt your cup so the espresso is sitting at an angle in your cup (see video).
- Now we'll pour the base; at about 3-5 inches away from the surface pour into the center and fill the cup halfway. If this was done correctly, your steamed milk will rest beneath the crema.
- From here you can immediately drop in so your pitcher spout is very close to the surface, or you can pause for a moment to collect your thoughts.
- To begin the heart get your pitcher as close as possible to the center surface of your espresso and pour at a medium pace.
- Once you see the white begin to pop out on top of the crema, you can speed up your pour slightly to develop the shape.
- Continue pouring until your cup is nearly full, and the steamed milk has rounded out in front of your pitcher.
- Now slow down your pour while simultaneously lifting your pitcher up further from the surface (3-5 inches).
- Lastly you'll cut through the center of your design with that thin stream of milk.
When this is done correctly the heart will take shape with a sharp point at the end. If you don't go high enough, you'll get a heavier stream of milk that will fold in your design, or cause a weird tail on the end of your heart.
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