Okay, so a selling point for me and my baristas is throwing art when we serve drinks. However, I have never taken lessons for latte art and I am not consistant with my pouring. So I am asking those out there with some experience, what are some basic rules to pouring art? Rosettas, hearts, anything. What do I need to look for and how do I make my art look so clean? I see people pour like it is the easiest thing in the world and I pour a very sad looking rosetta or flower once out of maybe thirty pours. HELP ME!!!!

Views: 336

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

best trick for beginners that I know of: (start with evely airated milk, not to thick) Tip the cup slightly towards the pitcher. Begin to pour while maintaining crema. While pouring slowly, rest the pitcher on the edge of the cup with the spout of the pitcher near the middle of the cup. Begin to pour a litlle faster, at this point you should see a white dot begin to form, continue to pour and the milk should circle back, when the cup is almost full lift the pitcher higher to thin out the milk stream and draw a line through the cup completing what should be a heart.
this will help too.
http://www.gimmecoffee.com/Assets/pdf/gimme_learn_milk_prep.pdf
I would recommend one thing that helped me tremendously. Take the latte art class with Chris Deferio and Ellie Matuszak at a CoffeeFest. I had tried for years, but at that class it just clicks. It all came down to the milk for me.
I agree, Chris literally wrote the book that I used to learn. See above link.
Jason Dominy said:
I would recommend one thing that helped me tremendously. Take the latte art class with Chris Deferio and Ellie Matuszak at a CoffeeFest. I had tried for years, but at that class it just clicks. It all came down to the milk for me.
So far these tips sound useful. Whats easier btw, hearts or rosettas.
latte art is one of those things that you can know a thousand formulas for but you are never going to get good at it without practice. i learned the basics by watching youtube videos and stuff like that. but everyone has a different technique so its really hard to just say "here is how you do it". practice practice practice.
also, latte art, while very cool, is only an addition to your coffee. its like a sprig of parsley on a dish; it looks nice but its not going to change how it tastes. i have seen plenty of shops with baristi that can throw down like no other but there coffee tastes like crap. concentrate on how your coffee tastes first and foremost and the art will come along with experience.
all that said, i have never seen this video but have heard good things about it
http://espresso101.com/books_dvds/training/672
im sure Sir Milletto would say its okay
While I know many who can pour well, no one have I ever seen pours as consistently well as Chris Deferio. I work with him and know his technique; he has a full understanding of why milk reacts the way it does and when. You should definitely talk the Coffeefest class with him.
HEarts for sure.
Gabe Windham said:
So far these tips sound useful. Whats easier btw, hearts or rosettas.
So I was at the shop earlier and watched a video on how to steam milk for effective latte art pours. When I began to practice at the end of the shift, I began to see some better results. Making sure the milk is evenly swirled before pouring, and when I pour I should increase the speed of the pour and begin to look for the white dot of foam in the cup. Now I need to figure out how to pour smoothly and create a decent zig-zag pattern for a rosetta or curl the espresso and the foam for the heart. I am having fun practicing but at the same time I wish I just knew how right off the bat. Oh! Has anyone taken any courses at the Counter Culture Training Center? If so, was it effective? Did you walk away a significantly better barista?
Here's a simple how-to I wrote a good while back. It's helped a few people, and it may help you. It doesn't always help everyone, and it's easier to diagnose specific problems than to start from scratch.

TX-Coffee.com | Latte Art 101
I have been trained by Counter Culture for my latte art. I didnt specifically take the class but I essentially have all of the same information since I work for a CC certified shop and went to the training center to learn all my stuff. Its really helpful. They really know what their doing so they can easily diagnose what you should change or do to help your technique. Be prepared to throw what you know now out the window because they will tear up your technique haha. Having somebody who knows what they are doing watch your pour and tell you what may work better is one of the best ways to improve in my opinion so if you can find a class like this it will most likely help a lot. And if you work for Counter Culture call your local representative and they will most likely be more than happy to hang out with you and work on your skilllz.

Gabe Windham said:
So I was at the shop earlier and watched a video on how to steam milk for effective latte art pours. When I began to practice at the end of the shift, I began to see some better results. Making sure the milk is evenly swirled before pouring, and when I pour I should increase the speed of the pour and begin to look for the white dot of foam in the cup. Now I need to figure out how to pour smoothly and create a decent zig-zag pattern for a rosetta or curl the espresso and the foam for the heart. I am having fun practicing but at the same time I wish I just knew how right off the bat. Oh! Has anyone taken any courses at the Counter Culture Training Center? If so, was it effective? Did you walk away a significantly better barista?
Jason, thanks for the info. The way that was worded really gave me a mental image of what needs to be practiced. I have a solo espresso machine at home and I am dying to test out these techniques. As easy as it sounds, I am sure I'll be wasting a lot of milk working on it. But thank God I have friends who enjoy a free beverage once and a while. They can be my garbage disposals. Haha. Thanks bud! By the way guys, Does the shape of the ceramic matter? Is there a cup that grants easier results for beginners?

Brandon Malcolm said:
I have been trained by Counter Culture for my latte art. I didnt specifically take the class but I essentially have all of the same information since I work for a CC certified shop and went to the training center to learn all my stuff. Its really helpful. They really know what their doing so they can easily diagnose what you should change or do to help your technique. Be prepared to throw what you know now out the window because they will tear up your technique haha. Having somebody who knows what they are doing watch your pour and tell you what may work better is one of the best ways to improve in my opinion so if you can find a class like this it will most likely help a lot. And if you work for Counter Culture call your local representative and they will most likely be more than happy to hang out with you and work on your skilllz.
Gabe Windham said:
So I was at the shop earlier and watched a video on how to steam milk for effective latte art pours. When I began to practice at the end of the shift, I began to see some better results. Making sure the milk is evenly swirled before pouring, and when I pour I should increase the speed of the pour and begin to look for the white dot of foam in the cup. Now I need to figure out how to pour smoothly and create a decent zig-zag pattern for a rosetta or curl the espresso and the foam for the heart. I am having fun practicing but at the same time I wish I just knew how right off the bat. Oh! Has anyone taken any courses at the Counter Culture Training Center? If so, was it effective? Did you walk away a significantly better barista?
Yes. Bowl-shaped cups are generally easier to work with while learning. They give you lots of surface area, which is easier to manage than a smaller surface when learning the fundamentals.



Gabe Windham said:
Brandon, thanks for the info. The way that was worded really gave me a mental image of what needs to be practiced. I have a solo espresso machine at home and I am dying to test out these techniques. As easy as it sounds, I am sure I'll be wasting a lot of milk working on it. But thank God I have friends who enjoy a free beverage once and a while. They can be my garbage disposals. Haha. Thanks bud! By the way guys, Does the shape of the ceramic matter? Is there a cup that grants easier results for beginners?

Brandon Malcolm said:
I have been trained by Counter Culture for my latte art. I didnt specifically take the class but I essentially have all of the same information since I work for a CC certified shop and went to the training center to learn all my stuff. Its really helpful. They really know what their doing so they can easily diagnose what you should change or do to help your technique. Be prepared to throw what you know now out the window because they will tear up your technique haha. Having somebody who knows what they are doing watch your pour and tell you what may work better is one of the best ways to improve in my opinion so if you can find a class like this it will most likely help a lot. And if you work for Counter Culture call your local representative and they will most likely be more than happy to hang out with you and work on your skilllz.
Gabe Windham said:
So I was at the shop earlier and watched a video on how to steam milk for effective latte art pours. When I began to practice at the end of the shift, I began to see some better results. Making sure the milk is evenly swirled before pouring, and when I pour I should increase the speed of the pour and begin to look for the white dot of foam in the cup. Now I need to figure out how to pour smoothly and create a decent zig-zag pattern for a rosetta or curl the espresso and the foam for the heart. I am having fun practicing but at the same time I wish I just knew how right off the bat. Oh! Has anyone taken any courses at the Counter Culture Training Center? If so, was it effective? Did you walk away a significantly better barista?

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Barista Exchange Partners

Barista Exchange Friends

Keep Barista Exchange Free

Are you enjoying Barista Exchange? Is it helping you promote your business and helping you network in this great industry? Donate today to keep it free to all members. Supporters can join the "Supporters Group" with a donation. Thanks!

Clicky Web Analytics

© 2024   Created by Matt Milletto.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service