Julia Vern 20 196 0

Painted milk foam on the surface of good coffee can be found in popular coffee shops and cafes. Latte art is a means of self-expression for a barista (master coffee brewer), an opportunity to show your creativity. Through images on coffee, he shows respect to the guest, cheers up, surprises, contacts him.

However, the creative approach is based on strict adherence to the laws of the genre. It is well known that coffee gourmets, amazed by the skill of a professional in the very heart, are ready to pay up to 100 euros for a cup with an exclusive drink.

Drawings on coffee can be very original

Milk foam and barista craftsmanship

At the dawn of the art of drawing on coffee, coffee bartenders got along with a minimum of available tools. To amuse customers, they thought of leaving a small "compliment" on the surface of the foam: an uncomplicated pattern with cream in the form of a heart or an apple, sprinkled with fragrant cinnamon. Soon the figures became more and more complex, experiments poured into the present direction - latte art.

Now you will not surprise anyone with coffee drawing championships. Real works of art are created there, new application technologies are invented, aerobatics and virtuoso performance are shown.

Craftsmanship plays a huge role in the latte art technique. But the main components are required:

1. the highest quality espresso, prepared in compliance with all the rules;
2. the freshest milk of the required fat content and temperature.

They simultaneously serve as canvas and paint, and the brush is a trickle of whipped milk or a pointed stick. Decorations are built using chocolate or fruit syrup, chocolate chips, cinnamon powder, natural cocoa.

Using a sharp object, the barista brings the drawing to perfection

Latte art directions

Latte art has standards and criteria as a trend that has received worldwide recognition. With the help of them, the quality of the prepared drink is assessed. According to the method of drawing, 4 directions have become widespread:

• Etching. A popular, massively used direction of latte art. A distinctive feature is the pattern on the coffee, applied with frothed milk and a pointed object.
• Cappuccino art. In use, food coloring is acceptable. Regular latte art is decorated with chocolate syrup and chocolate chips.
• Multi art. A combination of the first two directions. The skill of the bartender in the possession of the technique is characteristic. Create dynamic images in a cup of espresso.
• Espresso art. A simple pattern is applied to the espresso cream.

One more line stands out informally - “unusual art”. Usually this is a way to make fun of the client, creating funny faces and characters on the surface of the coffee, in order to raise the mood.

Very complex patterns can be created on the surface of the coffee.

Professional skills in using latte art technique

The idea of ​​latte art is to bring taste and aesthetic pleasure to the visitor of the coffee shop. Craftsmen pay even more attention to the preparation of milk foam than to the quality of the brewed espresso. The density, delicate taste, and the height of the “cap” will depend on the consistency and size of the bubbles.

Chilled milk is whipped under pressure and at the same time warmed up to a certain temperature. Another method of whipping does not guarantee the desired consistency and preservation of the applied pattern. High-quality foam retains its "art" for more than 10 minutes.

Draw with a coffee and milk stream. On a cappuccino, drawing is done with milk foam, on a latte, on the contrary, with a stream of coffee over the foam. They also use improvised means of various sharpness and subtlety, and for taste and decor - syrups, cinnamon.

A beautiful drawing requires intense, careful work.

There are basic shapes that even novice masters can easily reproduce:

• Heart. The flow of milk foam forms a circle in the center of the cup until it is full. The last stroke in the center of the circle is the final movement of the drawing.
• Apple. A small portion of foam is used to form a "stalk" against the wall. The milk flow then moves to the center of the cup. A circle is formed by a jet, the cup is filled to the top.
• Flower. Direct the milk stream towards the far wall and gently fill the cup 1/2 full. Then bring the milkman closer to you, making swaying movements so that the foam is poured like a "snake". The last movement is to cross out the pattern with a small amount of milk.
• Rosetta. It resembles both a flower and a leaf at the same time. The barista shakes the vessel, pouring in milk, which creates petals of different shapes. The final thin strip in the middle forms the stem of the flower.

The pattern created by the craftsman is influenced by the craftsman's technique and the following factors:

• the height of the milk carafe above the surface of the cup;
• frequency of oscillation of the milk stream;
• the point at which the stream of milk enters the cup;
• infusion rate.

Coffee with three-dimensional figures looks very cute.

Secrets of taste

A true barista always has his own secrets for creating a unique latte art:

The brewed coffee has its own foam. If you sprinkle it with cocoa powder in a cup, then the poured trickle of milk foam will turn dark beige.

It is necessary to study well the behavior of the foam when drawing pictures. To "pull" the image in the desired direction, you need to sharply draw a line-stream. The height of the milk jug above the cup and the force of the jet are also taken into account. Training sometimes takes months.

Baristas know that the main flavor of coffee is concentrated in the coffee foam. To emphasize perfection, you need to correctly position the drawing. The execution of the classic "heart" allows the coffee crema to knock against the walls. This enhances the aroma and taste of the drink.

Trying to make latte art at home

Delightful masterpieces encourage connoisseurs to reproduce coffee drawings at home. The miracle of technology that professional baristas use in coffee houses cannot be found at home. But there are several ways to properly froth milk without special units.

Important!
The main responsibility for high-quality foam lies with the freshness and fat content of the milk. A watery product will never work. It is better then to use cream.

The most affordable whisk is a hand mixer. Only whipping milk is required at the same time as heating. The required temperature is 70 °. Whisk until smooth with a dense and delicate texture.

You can also use a manual cappuccino maker. An affordable household appliance acts like a mixer. The advantages of the device are in the special design of the whisk - milk is whipped in a matter of minutes.

The coffee should be ready by the time the milk froth is prepared. Don't skimp on quality varieties. Cook in your favorite way: in a Turk, a coffee maker, a French press.

Coffee with a pattern on the foam is very beautiful and unusual

Experiment and create your own masterpieces using any method described or invented by you. Wonderful plants, funny images of animals, declarations of love will become the most sincere gift for loved ones.

Drawing on coffee is a whole area of ​​fine art. A cup of familiar coffee turns into a piece of art. Drawing on coffee brings a smile and improves mood.

Photo by Shutterstock

For different types of coffee, the technology for obtaining an image on the surface of this drink is different. For black types of coffee, such as espresso, americano, the pattern is formed on the surface of the coffee itself. For coffees with milk froth such as cappuccino, latte, macchiato, the pattern is applied to the milk froth that covers the coffee.

Drawing secrets for black coffee

The most important thing when painting on the surface of black coffee is to create a solid base for the drawing. One easy way to create such a backdrop is to sprinkle cocoa powder on the coffee surface. Pour cocoa from a salt shaker or through a strainer into a cup with freshly made coffee in an even layer until a dense, dry brown base for the drawing is formed.

You can also use cinnamon to create a base.

On a brown surface, the pattern will look bright and contrasting.

Drawing secrets for coffee with milk froth

For coffee with milk froth, it is the froth that will serve as the basis for the painting. The foam should be dense so that the pattern stays on it for at least 15 minutes. The main secret of the density of the base is that the milk foam should consist of small bubbles. The technique of producing foam from small bubbles in modern high-pressure coffee makers is simple: it is whipped from milk cooled to 2–4 ° C.

The foam from large bubbles is loose and quickly settles, losing its shape, and then completely dissolving in coffee along with the pattern

Essential drawing tools

Prepare or buy a pitcher, salt shaker, wooden sticks, pastry syringe.

The main drawing tool is a pitcher - a metal vessel with a spout and a handle, similar to a milk jug. Designed for hand whipping milk at home. In drawing on coffee, it is used instead of a "pencil".

You will also need a salt shaker filled with cocoa to create the background of the picture.

Wooden sticks are useful for drawing thin lines.

A pastry syringe is required to outline the contours. Instead of a syringe, you can use ready-made cartridges, tubes with a thin tip filled with liquid chocolate.

Milk heart

Prepare chilled milk. Foam it with the steamer of the coffee maker in the pitcher. Make an espresso. Sprinkle the surface of the coffee with cocoa from a salt shaker. The espresso already has its own foam, so the cocoa will not get wet or sink, but will be an excellent base for drawing.

Grasp the pitcher with your hand and tilt it over a cup of coffee. The frothed milk from the pitcher on the surface of the coffee should come from a height of about 5 cm. Pour strictly to the center. When a white circle of the required size appears on the surface of the coffee - a blank for a milk heart, move the nose of the pitcher to the place where the heart should have a depression. Bring the spout to the surface of the coffee at a distance of 2 cm and sharply cross out the milky circle in diameter - from the beginning of the intended depression to the sharp tip of the heart. Finish drawing. A sharply drawn line will pull the drawing in the direction where the last drop of the drawing was made: a depression forms on the circle, and a sharp tip forms on the opposite side.

Each era has its own distinctive features: somewhere great artists appear, somewhere legendary musicians glorify their name, and somewhere real results are achieved. The overseas word “barista” literally 5 years ago was not yet known to the common man. And today he can show how to draw on coffee.

A little about the profession and art

In Italy, the locals created a separate coffee culture several centuries ago, but the profession itself - the coffee bartender - appeared relatively recently - about 50 years ago. Who is a barista? This is a professional coffee bartender who prepares all types of espresso, including lungo and ristretto, as well as all and cocktails (cappuccino, makeup, latte and coretto).

How to draw on coffee? A professional barista will answer, "Very simple." The art of drawing on coffee has appeared quite recently, and in order to master it perfectly, it is not at all necessary to complete the courses of a professional bartender.

Professional requirements or what should a coffee bartender be able to do?

An interesting feature: in Italy, men most often become baristas, since latte art requires the greatest skill, honed over the years, but in the domestic restaurant industry, ladies become decorators of coffee cups.

A coffee bartender is not just about good looks and the ability to create simple squiggles. There are special requirements for the profession that a real barista must fulfill:

• Know thoroughly the rules and techniques for making espresso, its varieties and coffee-based drinks.
• It is great to understand coffee, how to grow it, varieties and features of preparation.
• To master the flair of a gourmet perfectly - to be able to determine the type of coffee from half a sip.
• Be able to make the most delicious coffee in the world, as well as draw unimaginable patterns and unsurpassed patterns on the foam.

To create a small masterpiece that will disappear with the first sip of the visitor, the master hones his art for hours, or even weeks, tries, experiments and enjoys an amazing result. Understanding how to draw on coffee is not difficult. It is much more difficult to put theory into practice.

Master class from the real "barista"

Latte art - the art of creating patterns on coffee crema - requires a certain level of skill and skill. Any beginner can draw a simple heart, but creating three-dimensional images or drawings with small details - this needs to be learned.

First of all, you need to whip the milk with high quality and pour it into the espresso correctly. The image itself is created in two ways:

1. Regular drawing with a toothpick.
2. Infusion of whipped milk using a special method.

In one case or another, a wide variety of patterns are created on the surface of the drink, ranging from simple figurines to true masterpieces of coffee painting.

Drawing technique

There are several of them, however, to perform any of them, you should know a few secrets that will allow you to achieve an excellent result. How to draw on coffee:

• It is necessary to create a thick base for the image (cappuccino or espresso).
• Use cream with a high percentage of fat. They should not be whipped for a long time - a slight thickening will be enough.
• It is recommended to whip the cream in a special pitcher. The device was created specifically for latte art and thanks to its design features allows you to create magnificent drawings.
• For best results, sprinkle the surface of the drink with cocoa powder.

These small but very important secrets form the basis of the art of coffee. Everything else is skill honed over the years.

How to make drawings on coffee?

There are several basic techniques that are used to create original decorative elements on a coffee surface. These are the basics of art that even a novice barista can master.

• Pitching. This is the main and most difficult technique for drawing a picture. To create it, a special stainless steel pitcher is used - a pitcher. With its help, you can draw a heart or "rosette" - this is the base of latte art.
• Etching is a technique derived from pitching. For drawing, not only a special jug is used, but sticks, toothpicks or skewers, which allow you to create more detailed images.
• Mixed media - the name speaks for itself. It is a combination of the above two techniques. A distinctive feature is the ability to decorate the drawing with cinnamon, syrup or chocolate.

Art is developing rapidly. Currently, there are special courses that carry out latte art training and today various competitions and competitions are held in this area, where professional baristas demonstrate their skills.

Stencil and 3D painting techniques

This is the simplest technique for applying a pattern to a coffee surface. To create the pattern, special latte art stencils are used, with which you can make complex and detailed images. The technique is available even to an inexperienced beginner - stencils are available commercially. Having tried several times to create original drawings, you can surprise your family and friends with an unusual drink, decorated with fancy decorations.

3D technique is the most effective and impressive way to create a drawing. Barista from Japan Kazuki Yamamoto has achieved the greatest skill in this area of ​​art. He easily creates incredibly voluminous and realistic images from whipped cream, from which you cannot take your eyes off.

From simple to complex

The theory is clear. It remains only to apply the knowledge in practice and figure out how to do it. It is worth recalling once again about the pitching technique - the basis of all the basics - and about the two main figures - the heart and the "rosette". To get a simple one, you need to whip the milk in a special jug and carefully pour it into the espresso, while shaking the pitcher from side to side. This is necessary in order to obtain petals of various sizes. you need to keep it at an angle - this is necessary so that the coffee foam does not fall. At the very end, all that remains is to draw a thin stream of milk - the stalk of the "rosette".

It's even easier to draw a heart. To do this, you need to direct the milk flow to the center of the cup, and then, swinging the pitcher from side to side, form a small circle. After filling the cup, raise the jug and cross out the circle in diameter with a small stream of milk. So the circle is slightly stretched in the direction of the last movement and a charming heart is created.

Latte art is an art in its true manifestation, which is perfectly mastered by professional baristas. However, anyone who wants to touch the art of coffee can create small masterpieces.

Latte (from Italian Latte - milk) was first prepared in Italy. The drink is appreciated for its soft velvety taste. About half a century ago, Italian baristas breathed new life into the familiar lattes and cappuccino. In his cup, the client was happy to find now "flower", now "heart", now "apple". It was these drawings that were the first and became the basis for the rest.

In the United States, latte art was popularized by David Schomer in the 80s and 90s. Having visited Italy, he was inspired by the art of local baristas and today is the author of the book “Espresso Coffee. A Guide for Professionals ”and many articles on coffee and Latte art. His cafe Espresso Vivace is internationally renowned for its high quality coffee.

You've probably noticed that the pictures on the coffee are different for the visitors. Latte art is a way of dialogue with the visitor. Often, the barista selects pictures on purpose. He will draw hearts for a couple holding hands, a smile for a sad person, a sun for a girl who likes it.

Latte art allows you to create additional value for the guests of coffee shops, cafes and restaurants. At the same time, the cost of a cup of coffee increases, and, accordingly, the proceeds of the establishment. For many local markets, latte art is a novelty to attract guests and outstrip competitors. The quality of the patterns obtained on a latte or cappuccino depends, first of all, on the skill of the barista, the quality of the coffee itself and the milk foam.

The most common types of latte art are as follows:

- Pouring milk froth into a thick espresso is the easiest and most practical way to create patterns on the coffee surface. This method is widespread in American coffee shops due to its speed of preparation and persistence.

- Creating patterns on the surface of the milk foam with a toothpick - patterns created in this way are less persistent compared to pouring in the milk foam. Painting with caramel and food colors is also used in latte art.

- Use of stencils - coffee designs are created using a stencil and cinnamon or cocoa powder.

Latte art application technology

The pattern created by the master is influenced by the master's technique and the following factors: the height of the milk jug above the surface of the cup; frequency of oscillation of the milk stream; the point at which the stream of milk enters the cup; infusion rate.

To draw, you need to prepare an espresso coffee and high-quality milk foam. It's all about her bubbles. Before making the foam, the milk is cooled to 2-4 degrees. After that, a modern coffee maker equipped with a steam engine is used. Through this device, steam is supplied under pressure, which heats up and whips the foam. The milk should have time to heat up to 60-70 degrees, but no more. Then part of the milk will turn into a dense, tender and, most importantly, fine-bubble foam. Milk whipped in any other way will only produce large bubbles. On such foam, the pattern will quickly settle and spread. High-quality foam keeps the pattern for 10-12 minutes. Even if most of the coffee is drunk during this time, the pattern will settle to the bottom of the cup, almost unchanged.

Before pouring the frothed milk into the coffee, it should stand for 30 seconds in the milk jug. After that, you can paint. According to the Italian method (pitching) - coffee or milk stream. When making a cappuccino, drawing begins with the first drop of milk froth that falls on the coffee. If we are talking about a coffee latte, then draw with a stream of coffee on the milk foam. You can also draw in the Australian way (etching), using, in addition to the pitcher, any available means: wooden skewers, Chinese sticks, coffee spoons, chocolate and fruit syrups, cinnamon, etc.

Secrets from the barista

A true barista always has his own secrets of creating a unique latte art. The brewed coffee has its own foam. If you sprinkle it with cocoa powder in a cup, then the poured trickle of milk foam will turn dark beige. It is necessary to study well the behavior of the foam when drawing pictures. To "pull" the image in the desired direction, you need to sharply draw a line-stream. The height of the milk jug above the cup and the force of the jet are also taken into account. Training sometimes takes months. Baristas know that the main flavor of coffee is concentrated in the coffee foam. To emphasize perfection, you need to correctly position the drawing. The execution of the classic "heart" allows the coffee crema to knock against the walls. This enhances the aroma and taste of the drink. If you sprinkle the coffee with cocoa powder, the pattern will be brighter.

Thanks to innovations, latte art has been brought to a completely new level of development. Taiwan's Let’s Cafe uses a special coffee printer that allows a guest portrait photo to be printed directly onto the surface of the coffee drink. The printer uses special food-grade paints to create a pattern on the surface of the milk foam. At the request of guests, in addition to a photograph, various inscriptions can also be added to the surface of the drink.

Now the best coffee bartenders are going to the annual coffee drawing championships. There, coffee gurus create new designs and technologies for their application. The Taj Mahal, invented by Australian barista George Sabbads, is considered aerobatics. One of the last world championships in latte art was won by Australian Scotty Kalagan, who designed 6 cups with an identical pattern, drawing behind the back. And the world record today is 7 roses, "blossoming" in a 150 ml cup of cappuccino.

Is latte art hard to learn? Of course, it is difficult, because you need to learn how to control several processes at once, and at the same time also have a certain artistic taste. Difficult, but not impossible, especially if you have a Saeco automatic espresso machine at your fingertips. After all, it is well known that gods do not make pots, and everything can be learned with the appropriate effort.

A cup of coffee with a pattern on milk foam - trademark of many coffee houses and cafes... For an institution it is a way to attract new visitors, for a barista it is an opportunity to show their imagination and creativity.

It is not easy to do something like this at home for a person who has not received special training and does not have the same technical capabilities as a professional barista, but it is necessary to try.

If successful, you will present to your beloved or beloved not just "coffee in bed" (although this is already great), but confirmation of sincere feelings, if it is, for example, a cup with an inscription on the foam "I love you" or a drawing of a heart.

The instructions for aspiring artists emphasize that the main component of success is good milk froth, which is applied to the drawing. Nevertheless, its own coffee foam is also extremely important - in a well-prepared drink, it lasts for a long time, giving the master the opportunity to create. Sometimes this foam is sprinkled with cocoa powder, and this adds additional, beige shades to the traditional coffee color scheme. Information on the benefits and dangers of cocoa powder can be found. Read about how to whip milk for a cappuccino in the article.

Varieties of coffee art

Coffee painting is developing in several directions:

• pitching - a vessel for whipping milk, which is called a "pitcher", is used to decorate the drink;
• etching - a drawing is created with the help of foamed milk, and the artist's tool is a pointed object;
• cappuccino art - in addition to milk, safe edible colors are used here;
• multi-art - is a combination of etching and cappuccino art;
• espresso art - the so-called "cream" - the foam on the surface of the espresso, serves as the "canvas" for drawing patterns.

Homemade espresso recipes can be found.

You can make a drawing using different types of techniques. One of them is called stencil and more suitable for beginners, since the pattern or inscription has already been carved on a special plate, which greatly simplifies the task of the coffee artist. The second is 3D technique. It is not hard to guess what it is: realistic, three-dimensional (they can be viewed from different angles) images are the aerobatics of latte art.

By the way, lately this technology has ceased to be the lot of the elite. A unique Ripple Maker machine has been created, which literally in seconds reproduces drawings and inscriptions from a customer's smartphone onto coffee crema. The maximum dimensions of the original (text, photographs, including selfies) are 180 x 95 mm.

How to make drawings on coffee

Whatever drawing technique the master chooses, he first of all prepares an invigorating high-quality espresso or cappuccino in a coffee machine. The drink is poured into a cup or glass (as you like) and sprinkled on top with chocolate, cocoa powder or cinnamon. Thanks to these ingredients, the drawing will turn out to be especially interesting and expressive.

Then the milk froth is prepared. Cream (30 percent fat) or milk (at least 3-3.5 fat) are best suited for this purpose. Foam preparation technology provides use of chilled product, which is then heated to the required temperature and at the same time whipped under pressure.

The whipping process, according to experts, should not be too long, because its purpose is achieve a slight thickening of the product... To simplify the task, in addition to the coffee machines, a special milk jug (pitcher) is provided, they use it like this:

For a beginner, it will be quite difficult to do, but experienced baristas are able to achieve the desired result in different ways:

• positioning the pitcher at different heights from the cup (thus changing the force of the jet);
• by adjusting the jet speed;
• selecting different points on the coffee surface and directing a stream into them.

For applying patterns, various thin and sharp sticks like toothpicks... They are immersed in coffee to the desired depth, and then raised, grabbing a little coffee and bringing them out onto a snow-white surface, and a light dark stroke, geometric lines, zigzags, ovals, flowers are applied to it.

To create original coffee paintings, it is also suitable confectionery syringe with fine nozzle, it is filled with liquid chocolate or thick syrup (caramel, strawberry, chocolate) and patterns are created directly on top of the milk froth.

If the perfect picture does not work out, for a start it is better to master an easier way of drawing - with a stencil by buying a ready-made one or by cutting it yourself out of cardboard. Stencils should be slightly wider in diameter than a cup or mug, but the drawing should not go beyond it.

If you are making a stencil yourself, try not to make the slots too thick - this will make the image more elegant. The stencil is placed over a cup, the surface of which is covered with milk foam, and grated chocolate, cinnamon, and ground nuts are poured onto it. On a dark surface of espresso, an image made of powdered sugar will look interesting - for example, a swan, a bunny, a deer.

Technique for creating patterns and images

Latte art, as if on three whales, stands on three basic design elements, these are:

• heart;
• Apple;
• rosette (rose).

It is imperative to learn how to perform these particular drawings, then others, more complex ones, will be given easier, because they, as a rule, are a kind of combination of basic techniques, multiplied by the performer's imagination. Here's how to do it.

Heart: a circle is mentally drawn on the surface of the coffee and it is filled with milk through the nose of the pitcher (it should be directed to the center of the circle), at the final stage, the pitcher is raised, the trickle is made very thin and the circle filled with milk is crossed out in diameter with it.

An apple: they begin to draw it from the wall of the cup, depicting a small twig, and then, directing a stream of milk to the center of the cup, create the fruit itself.

Flower (rosette): the surface is mentally divided into 4 sectors and first the two upper "quarters" are filled, then, shaking the pinscher slightly, they fill the lower left and lower right, the last portions of milk are poured out in a zigzag motion. They complete the work, as in the case of the heart, by lifting the pitcher and crossing the picture in a thin stream.

Tulip: This image is based on several hearts that are crossed by a milky "stalk" strip.

The following video will help to consolidate the skills:

What coffee foam is needed to make a drawing at home

Pessimists argue that you can't draw patterns on coffee without professional equipment. Optimists try and succeed. The goal is to prepare the foam of such density that it retains the pattern for a quarter of an hour. For this, the foam must consist of the smallest bubbles. If they are large, the mass will be loose and will settle very quickly, dissolve in the drink along with the pattern.

You can get the foam of the desired density using:

• a hand mixer (whip the cream while heating it to 70 degrees);
• manual cappuccino maker(he will complete the task faster).

In any case, the coffee must be brewed in advance, because the milk foam will not wait, it must be put into operation immediately.

In an art like latte art, not all baristas are willing to divulge their deepest secrets. But even if they do share them, beginners have to train for a very long time to reproduce the "handwriting" of the master. Here are some guidelines you might find useful:

• to direct the image in the desired direction, the jet line is drawn with a sharp, quick movement;
• the drawing of the heart fulfills not only a decorative, but also a taste function - the foam knocks from the center to the edge of the cup, enhancing the aroma of each sip;
• to make multi-colored drawings, you can use syrups, in which a little starch is added for thickness;
• be sure to heat the cup so that the coffee and milk froth poured into it stay hot longer;
• if sugar needs to be added to the coffee, it is better to sprinkle it with froth, if rum or cognac, pour it directly into the coffee.