Latte Art Basics
So you are tired of making your drinks look like a Jackson Pollock painting? Having a teacher show you how is the best way to learn, but watching videos is the second best. The Sunergos Milk Training video is one of the best to show the whole process from start to finish. Below you will find some helpful information and more videos.
Sunergos Milk Training Video: Learn Milk Science, Steaming, and Latte Art
The Milk Pitcher
The first thing you will need is a milk pitcher and some fresh cold milk. The size of pitcher will vary with the size of the drink you are making. In general a larger pitcher will make art easier, but if it is too big then steaming the right amount of milk for the drink will be hard.
- For a 6-8oz drink: 15oz or 17oz pitcher
- For a 8-10oz drink: 17oz pitcher
- For a 10-12oz drink: 20oz pitcher
- For a drink larger than 12oz: 32oz oz pitcher
- Note that pouring art into these larger sizes will be very difficult, but possible
Milk Steaming
The single most important factor for your latte art is your milk texture. Without good texture, art will be impossible.
- Start with milk equal to about 75% of your finished drink volume. For example, for an 8oz drink, pour 6oz of milk into your pitcher. Add air to make the total volume in the pitcher about the same as the total drink volume - 8oz in the example. After pouring the drink there should be a little left over in the pitcher.
- PLEASE don’t forget to purge and wipe off your steam wand. Do it right after steaming and that little extra time will weaken any large bubbles left in the milk, they will pop easy with a gentle tap.
- Whole milk is the easiest to learn with, though art can be possible with alternate milks. In general, try to get “extra creamy” or “barista” versions of alternate milks for the best results.