Art of Making LATTE Like a Professional

When we say you can find art anywhere, we aren’t joking. Look at what baristas can do with coffee and milk with practice and creativity. Watch this review of latte art and tell us what you think. Enjoy!

But first What is a latte?

A latte is a coffee drink with espresso, steamed milk, and a layer of foam on top. What’s the difference between a latte vs a cappuccino? A cappuccino has equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam (⅓ each). A latte has ⅓ espresso and 2/3 steamed milk, with a thin layer of foam on top. Oh, and a macchiato is just espresso with a thicker layer of foam on top. (Here’s a chart that breaks it down.)

One special thing to note about a latte is the type of foam you want to get. You want the milk to get to an almost “wet-paint” like texture, which baristas call microfoam. It can be tricky to get to that texture without a steamer, so we’ll show you how to approximate it with some various tools you might have on hand.

recipe:

Make the espresso: Use an espresso machine or manual espresso maker to make two shots of espresso and pour it into a mug (or try our Aeropress Espresso).
Steaming method (espresso machine): Place the milk in a pitcher. Hold the steaming wand just below the surface of the milk until it doubles in size. This makes foamy froth. Then, move the steaming wand lower and near the side of the pitcher to create a spiral vortex. This makes the silky smooth microfoam bubbles and wet-paint texture that’s characteristic of a latte. Steam until the milk reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit (use a thermometer or judge by when your hand can’t hold the pitcher for more than a few seconds).
OR, heat the milk to scalding and foam it (without espresso machine): Heat the milk to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot to the touch but not simmering. Measure with a food thermometer, or you can approximate by testing with your finger. Use a milk frother, French press or whisk to froth milk into small, even bubbles. For a latte you’ll want small bubbles and lightly thickened milk (if you’re using a milk frother, don’t go too far: you want the milk to mix in with the coffee so you don’t need too much froth). For the French press method, note that it’s useful to have at least 1 cup to have more milk to work with: this makes enough for 2 drinks. We highly recommend reading How to Froth Milk if this is your first time frothing. Wait 30 seconds to 1 minute to get the foam to incorporate into the milk and separate slightly (exact timing depends on your foaming method).
Serve: Tap the milk container on counter and swirl it to break down any large bubbles. Pour milk into center of the espresso, ending with light foam.