The Coffee Lab
I’m Erin, and welcome to the eighth episode of The Coffee Lab, the series where we forget coffee snobbery. The Coffee Lab is all about making coffee fun. Join me as I help you kickstart your coffee journey!
Here at The Coffee Lab, we’re all about making coffee easy. And what’s the main thing I see new baristas struggle with? Latte art. And you know what? Latte art is actually super easy if you follow these simple steps.
I also have a confession… even after three-and-a-half years behind the bar in various coffee houses, and a decade of tinkering with at-home espresso machines, I’m not actually that good at latte art. I can’t do the tulip, I sure as heck can’t do the swan, but I can do the rosetta — and that’s what I’m going to teach you today.
So buckle up, strap yourself in, get your thinking caps on, because I’m going to show you exactly how to get the rosetta every single time. You’ll need one of the best espresso machines, an angled spout milk jug (like Breville’s), and some high-quality milk. Let’s get stuck in!
It’s all about the milk texture
When it comes to latte art, before you get the actual art down, you need to perfect your milk texture. If your milk is too thick or too thin, you won’t get latte art — it’s as simple as that.
You want milk that looks like melted ice cream. It should be textured, smooth, and velvety. There should be no bubbles and it should not look like microwaved milk. The “art” comes from the foam.
Follow these easy steps to get perfect milk every time.
How to get perfect milk texture every time
1. Fill your jug to just under the spout groove.
2. Pull your jug down slightly to aerate the milk. The tip of the steam wand should be just on top of the milk, but it should still be in the milk.
3. You should hear a “tss-tss” sound. If your milk starts bubbling aggressively, the steam wand is too high.
4. After 3-4 seconds of “tss-tss”, plunge your steam wand into the milk jug so you get the all-important vortex. Sometimes I need to rejig the angle to achieve the optimal vortex. It should look like a whirlpool, the milk spinning around and around.
5. When the milk jug is too hot to touch, wait a couple more seconds, then turn off the steam wand.
6. Bang out any bubbles and swirl the milk to mix in the foam.
7. When your milk looks like melted ice cream, you’re good to start pouring.
How to pour a rosetta
(If the above photo isn’t proof that I’m not great at latte art, then I don’t know what is! But we’re all about being authentic here at The Coffee Lab — imperfect rosettas and all!)
1. Start with the jug high up so the milk tucks under the crema. Pour in circles until the mug is 3/4 full, then pull back.
2. Tilt the mug and place the spout close to the mug at the far end of the mug.
3. Zig-zag the milk jug to create leaves all the way to the front of the mug (where your thumb is).
4. Bring the jug up high and quickly “cut” through the rosetta to make the stem.
5. Ta-da! You’re done! Time to Instagram it.
Now you’re ready to go and make perfect latte art every time! Please, spread your wings and fly!
Let me know in the comments if you need any more help figuring out the overwhelming world of coffee, and I’ll see you back here next Friday for more from The Coffee Lab.
I post new episodes of The Coffee Lab every single Friday, so be sure to follow our TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube pages to never miss out.
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