Latte art has become a staple of specialty coffee. Most consumers expect baristas to pour intricate, crisp designs on their milk-based beverages – and for good reason. Higher prices paid for specialty coffee means visual appeal and attention to detail are important factors in the overall customer experience. In fact, a study from the Journal of Sensory Studies found that people are often happy to pay up to 13% more for high-quality latte art.
Alongside the rise of the “home barista” and the explosive growth of the prosumer market, more and more consumers have invested in making café-quality drinks themselves. Learning to pour latte art at home can be one of the biggest challenges, but with the support of local baristas and online educational content, it’s certainly achievable with plenty of practice.
Even with all the necessary skills, however, home baristas still need to use high-quality equipment to get the best results. Traditionally, this meant buying a single-group espresso machine, which, of course, isn’t the most affordable option for most people.
To cater to growing demand, new technology is helping consumers create high-contrast latte art designs at home. Jamie Wang, Senior Product Manager at DREO, and Anthony Douglas, 2022 World Barista Champion and Head of Research & Development at Axil Coffee Roasters, provide their insight.
You may also like our article on which milk is best for latte art.
Why latte art is now the norm
Over the past two decades, latte art has become one of the most recognisable symbols of specialty coffee culture. Carefully-crafted hearts, tulips, florettes, or swans (or sometimes more complex patterns) on top of milk-based drinks are considered an essential part of the specialty coffee shop experience.
Baristas spend months learning the necessary skills to pour latte art, which starts with properly steaming milk. When the steam wand is placed at the optimal angle and depth under the surface of the milk, proteins and fats work together to trap small air bubbles within the liquid, which we refer to as microfoam.
The next step is then pouring the steamed milk into espresso to create latte art, which is a skill that can take months to master. The hallmark of high-quality latte art includes:
- Symmetrical designs that cover at least three-quarters of the surface of the drink
- High colour contrast between espresso and milk
- Crisp, clean, and well-defined lines
One of the reasons that latte art is so appealing to both consumers and café owners is that it easily conveys the level of precision and care that baristas invest into their job roles. Moreover, many baristas enjoy pouring a wide range of latte art patterns to hone their skills even further.
Latte art at home: An ongoing trend
Following forced business closures during the pandemic, more and more consumers started to make coffee at home. To replicate café-quality drinks, many invested in online courses and educational content to improve their brewing techniques and latte art skills.
Anthony Douglas is the 2022 World Barista Champion and the Head of Research & Development at Axil Coffee Roasters in Melbourne, Australia. He emphasises how latte art is often considered “one of the more fun” aspects of coffee preparation for home baristas, which only adds to its popularity.
“You can see just how much your skills improve, and for a lot of people, a visually-pleasing coffee is a sign of quality,” he says.
The proliferation of latte art pictures and videos on social media platforms (notably Instagram and TikTok) has helped to drive this trend, too. Research from Foresight Factory shows the number of “photogenic” coffee posts on Instagram has increased by 4,500% since 2015, and a significant number of these feature the #latteart hashtag.
But affordability can be a barrier
Acquiring the necessary skills to pour latte art is certainly important, but these efforts are in vain if home baristas don’t invest in high-quality equipment.
Traditionally, handheld electronic whisks were the only option for consumers to froth milk at home. In addition to the French press trick, however, they often result in foam that is too dry and stiff.
Jamie Wang is the Senior Product Manager at DREO – a smart appliance manufacturer. He explains why it’s so important to achieve the right foam consistency when pouring latte art.
“When mixed with espresso, microfoam should integrate seamlessly to create a uniform texture and flavour profile throughout the drink, as opposed to traditional foam which can be overly airy and separates easily from the coffee,” he says. “The smooth texture of microfoam provides a silky mouthfeel that coats the palate and enhances the overall drinking experience.”
The high pressure produced by espresso machines means using a steam wand results in optimal levels of microfoam. While there is a growing number of single-group machines available on the market, most come with a high price tag that isn’t affordable to many home baristas.
What’s more, some home machines (particularly bean-to-cup systems) have smaller or fewer boilers. In turn, they can take significantly longer to steam milk, and don’t usually perform to the same standard as their more expensive counterparts.
“For most coffee enthusiasts, savouring a barista-quality cup at home is one of the biggest highlights of their day,” Jamie says. “As the coffee industry evolves, systems like capsule machines and fully-automatic coffee brewers have made it easier for more people to prepare high-quality coffee at home.
“However, for those who prefer milk in their coffee, there are very few lower price-point home-use products which produce silky microfoam without requiring expert foaming skills,” he adds.
How new innovation is making latte art more accessible
As part of the push to improve quality standards in both coffee shops and at home, more and more equipment manufacturers are developing new and innovative products to reach a wider range of people.
“For a lot of consumers and home baristas, the quality of microfoam can make or break milk-based drinks,” Anthony tells me. “Solutions that are accessible and affordable like the DREO BaristaMaker Milk Frother can minimise inconsistencies and improve the at-home coffee experience.
“The BaristaMaker Milk Frother also doesn’t dilute milk with water like a steam wand, which maximises sweetness and enhances mouthfeel,” he adds. “From my experience, as long as you choose the right settings, it will consistently produce the results you need.”
To replicate barista-level latte art, these products need to be designed with the science behind milk foaming in mind, as Jamie explains.
“We worked with a dedicated team of food scientists to focus on protein and fat contents, as well as temperature,” he says. “As temperature increases from 38°C to 55°C (or 100°F to 130°F), proteins start to denature and interact with air bubbles to provide initial stability.
“At this stage, the patented impeller tip – which also includes a stainless steel mesh screen designed to break up air bubbles into sizes smaller than 0.5mm – introduces air into the liquid,” he adds.
Incorporating the right amount of air at the optimal temperature range, however, is key to producing the best microfoam.
“Proteins are optimally denatured within 55°C to 65°C (130°F to 150°F), which means they can stabilise air bubbles to create a dense, creamy microfoam,” Jamie says. “At around 60°C (140°F), the impeller tip reduces its rotation speed to stop aeration and break up bubbles.”
Accounting for different consumer needs
With the surge in popularity of plant milks over the past decade or so, it’s become more common for consumers to order dairy alternatives in their milk-based drinks. According to data from World Coffee Portal, over 28% of customers at UK branded coffee shops ordered oat milk – which makes it the most popular plant milk in the country.
To accommodate for different protein-to-fat ratios, baristas use different steaming and pouring techniques to create high-quality latte art with a range of plant milks. For example, as oat milk has a low protein content, it usually needs to be steamed for a longer period of time than cow’s milk to create stable microfoam.
“Without sufficient protein to act as a stabilising agent, microfoam tends to disintegrate more quickly, which leads to suboptimal beverage texture and appearance,” Jamie explains. “To address this, the DREO BaristaMaker Milk Frother includes customisable programmes that take the specific protein structure and content of different plant milks into account.
“By adjusting parameters such as temperature and agitation speed, we can compensate for lower protein contents and improve microfoam stability,” he adds.
In addition to using a wider variety of milks, more and more consumers want to prepare a more diverse range of drinks at home – which means adding different amounts of microfoam.
“For multiple layers of foam, our algorithm can control the speed and duration of aeration and heating, which creates different textures suitable for different beverages, including flat whites and cappuccinos,” Jamie says.
Getting the best results with latte art at home
Pouring café-quality latte art at home requires practice, patience, and dedication. On top of using high-quality milk and investing in the right equipment, Anthony shares his best tips.
“You need to keep your milk integrated right up until you pour,” he says. “As milk sits, the foam is constantly separating from the liquid, so if you don’t fully incorporate them, the foam will stay behind in the jug when you pour – compromising the texture and appearance of your drink.”
To avoid this issue, baristas “polish” steamed milk by gently tapping and swirling the pitcher for a few seconds, which also creates a glossy finish to the milk.
“Integrate the milk by swirling the jug until the foam and milk are fully combined,” he adds. “This means that when you pour the milk, you will be able to create latte art.”
More and more consumers want to pour café-quality latte art at home, and now more than ever, an espresso machine isn’t a necessity. As manufacturers continue to innovate, home baristas and coffee enthusiasts can more easily create excellent latte art designs.
For the wider industry, this comes with a number of benefits. Ultimately, it allows consumers to become more skilled and knowledgeable, and helps to make specialty coffee more accessible.
Enjoyed this? Then read our article on the history of latte art.
Photo credits: DREO
Perfect Daily Grind
Please note: DREO is a sponsor of Perfect Daily Grind.
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