Learn How to Make Latte Art

This coming Thursday is National Coffee Day. Of course, we celebrate coffee every day -- usually right around 5:30 each morning. But we're excited to learn and practice a new coffee-related skill: latte art.

Latte art isn't just found in fancy restaurants and hipster coffee bars. It's something you can do at home, provided you have the right tools and time to practice your technique. But once you learn how to make latte art, you can really wow your friends and family.

Ready to get started?

Learn How to Make Latte Art: Essential Tools

First, you'll need an espresso machine. We offer a wide variety of  espresso machines to suit any skill level and budget.

You'll also need a frothing pitcher to make latte art; you can't just steam the milk in another cup. The metal pitcher allows you to gauge the temperature as you steam, and the spout controls the pour. As you'll see, you create latte art as you pour the steamed milk into the espresso.

Learn How to Make Latte Art: Tips and Tricks

Even before you start pouring, you'll need to steam the milk properly. Your steaming technique can make a big difference in how your latte art turns out.

First, use cold whole milk. You may have already noticed that skim milk doesn't steam and froth the way whole milk does. Steam is evaporated water, so steamed skim milk can get watery. Whole milk should stay creamy.

Next, don't overheat your milk. Keep it between 140-150°F. Heating milk too high (over 180°F) breaks down the proteins and adversely affects taste and smell. You can use a cooking thermometer (which may come in handy for your latte art too) or go by the feel of the metal frothing pitcher.

Finally, steam the milk; don't foam it. The tip of the frothing wand should be below the surface of the milk. You want to create small bubbles in the milk, not large ones. As the outside of the pitcher heats up, you can dip the wand farther into the pitcher to steam the milk toward the bottom.

One last note: Like most things in life, latte art comes with a trade-off. If you pull the espresso shot first and steam the milk second, your latte art will look better. But if you steam the milk first and pull the espresso shot second, your latte will taste better.

Learn How to Make Latte Art: Helpful Tutorials

Because everyone has different learning styles, including adults who want to learn how to make latte art, we searched for a variety of options. The following photo and video tutorials are the best we found. We hope one of them works for you!

For the Novice: The Basics

This step-by-step latte art photo tutorial on Serious Eats walks you through the process of making a rosetta. It accurately captures what you should see in your cup as you pour the milk. Don't forget to read the descriptions that go along with the photos. These instructions cover all the details, including the size and direction of the milk stream and your pouring motions.

For the Expert: Three Designs

If you're ready to try something new, check out these three latte art designs from Food and Wine. While the above tutorial by Serious Eats focused on creating a rosetta, we agree with Food and Wine that creating a heart is probably easier. We're also pretty impressed by the rabbit, which is where that thermometer may come in handy as a drawing tool.

Slow-Mo Latte Art

Dritan Alsela is a German barista who owns a coffee shop and barista training school in Dusseldorf. He's published multiple YouTube videos on how to make latte art, but this slow-motion one (above) really helped us grasp the finer points. We're blown away by his creations, especially the level of detail he's able to achieve.

And if you get really good at latte art, there are organized competitions. Check out some of the highlights and lowlights from this one at Kickapoo Coffee in Milwaukee, featured by Eater. We love how the rhythm of creating latte art is compared to break dancing. But if you do decide to compete, be warned: the critics are ruthless. Better make sure your latte art game is strong.