Beginners Guide to Latte Art: 3 Easy Designs & Tips

What’s better than a fresh cup of coffee in the morning? Beautiful latte art designs atop your latte! Many of us know how to use our at-home espresso machines to create a tasty cuppa, but to take things to the next level and add that professional touch, why not try your hand at some basic latte art?

If you’ve never attempted to craft an image in your coffee, never fear – latte art for beginners is surprisingly straightforward! Like all good things, it takes a bit of practice, but with these latte art tips, you’ll be creating latte art hearts, rosettas and tulips like a pro in no time.

Before we dive into the latte art how-to, you’ll need the tools of the trade, even for simple latte art patterns.

• Cold milk.

• Coffee (to pull a fresh shot of espresso).

• A metal pitcher/jug (to steam the milk).

• An espresso machine.

• A cup (use a larger one when you’re first starting out).

It’s a good idea to have all the elements at the ready before you start getting artsy with your cup of joe. This means properly foamed milk and a well-pulled shot of espresso.

Put your pitcher in the fridge or freezer for around 30 minutes to cool down before use. This will also make the cream stiffer (and, as such, easier to handle). Position the tip of the steam wand pointing off-centre towards the wall of the jug to force the milk to spin in a whirlpool. Raise the steam wand slowly, but not too high. If big bubbles appear, you’ve gone too far! You want smooth, velvety milk and small bubbles (aka microfoam).

Using a thermometer, bring the milk to 65-68℃, then turn off the steamer. Tap the jug on the kitchen bench and swirl vigorously for 20-30 seconds to break any large bubbles and create a velvety texture that has the consistency of wet paint.

When creating basic latte art, the shot of coffee matters! As soon as your milk is ready, extract your espresso. One shot should contain 7-8g of ground espresso and take 21-24 seconds to pull. (Yep, we’re getting that precise! This is an art, after all!) Your espresso shot should be topped with a layer of crema.

Now you’ve got all the elements ready to go, it’s time to tap into your artistic prowess! But, as with most art forms, there are a few tricks to using your coffee ‘paintbrush’. The height from which you pour, the position of the jug and the flow of the stream of milk all make a difference when creating your latte art designs. 

• Hold the jug in your dominant hand, your coffee cup in the other. Don’t rest your cup on the table to pour the milk in – you need to tilt the cup at an angle to achieve the proper latte art technique.

• Swirl the cup gently to mix the crema a little – this creates your ‘blank canvas’.

• Pour the milk in a steady stream from around 12cm above the cup until it’s almost half full, aiming to pour the milk into the centre of your cup.

• When your cup is nearly half full, lower the jug so it’s very close to the crema (almost touching – but not quite).

• As you fill the remainder of the cup, start moving the jug towards the back of the cup, very gently moving it from side to side. Note – you’re not ‘shaking’ the jug with your arm so much as giving it a subtle jiggle of the wrist.

• Keep your pour at a steady speed the whole time – too fast, and you’ll break the crema; too slow, and the foam will remain in the jug.

Like all good things, practise makes progress (if not perfect), and the same is true for your basic latte art. But there are a few sticking points that are handy to know ahead of time so they don’t trip you up.

1. Using the wrong type of milk. While not impossible, it’s a lot harder to create latte art using skim, soy, almond, oat and other milks that aren’t straight-up full cream.

2. Pouring the milk too slowly (or too fast). If you pour too quickly, you risk breaking your crema canvas. Pour too slowly, though, and the milk and foam can separate in the pitcher, adding less aerated milk to your cup and making latte art very difficult to achieve. Practise pouring the milk in a steady, controlled stream.

3. Pouring too high or low. If you start your pour too low, the milk can splash up and splotch the surface. But if you start the pour from too high, the milk won’t sink to the bottom of your cup, washing out the colour of the crema. Practice is the best thing to get you pouring from the right height.

4. Pulling the jug away as you pour. If you pull the jug away while pouring, the milk will sink underneath the crema instead of resting on top, where it needs to be to create contrast in the design.

5. Being too hard on yourself! Remember, baristas train extensively to create the incredible latte art designs they do – and they have plenty of practice, too, making hundreds of cups of coffee each and every day! Be patient with yourself and remember, it takes time to learn a new skill. 

Ready to put your latte art skills to the test? Try these three designs – perfect for latte art beginners.

When it comes to easy latte art, the heart is a good place to start. Once you’ve got the latte art heart down pat, you’ll have a good sense of the movement needed to create designs on your coffee.

When your cup is half to three-quarters full, bring the milk jug close enough to the surface of the coffee for the jug to touch the edge of the cup. Continue to pour steadily into the centre of the cup. The foam should create a circular shape on the surface of your drink. Once your cup is almost full, bring the jug up a little higher and pour the milk in a line through the centre of the circle to pull it into a heart shape. Be sure to use a quick, fluid motion, so the circle shape doesn’t get sucked under the surface and disappear.

For rosetta latte art, use the above process to fill your cup to around three-quarters full. As you pour the milk and gently move the jug side to side, begin to pull the jug backwards. When you reach the edge of the cup, pour the milk in a line through the centre of the pattern. 

Hint: perfecting your rosetta is essential if you want to take the next step to fancy swan latte art!

Tulip latte art is an elegant variation on the latte art heart. Fill the cup a small amount, then create the circle/blob of a heart (see above) near one edge of the cup. When the circle appears, lift the jug and stop the flow of milk. The cup should be about a third full at this point. Repeat the process, creating a smaller blob in the centre of your cup. Repeat again, creating an even smaller circle/blob above the second circle. Once you have your final circle, lift the jug and pour a thin stream of milk in a line through the centre of the pattern to make your tulip.