Latte art is the art of drawing things on coffee when pouring milk into your espresso. The art can also be accomplished by just drawing on the froth after the latte is made. Latte art, like all other arts, needs practice to perfect. If you have ever had coffee at any good coffee shop, you will have come across latte art. It is the art of drawing on the top of your coffee. It adds to the appeal of coffee and shows the skill of the one serving it.
Amongst the many Latte Art designs, hearts are the most popular usually. You can find latte art such as leaves, stars, cats, swans and more. The rosetta is another more difficult design compared to the heart, but is popular non the less. Experts in the field of latte art, who have mastered pattern control can create faces, animals, flowers and more on top of the latte with much detail.
Learning latte art can be tricky as most skills are passed down from barista to barista. There are many training classes and video tutorials online that can help you learn. Here we cover two basic ways of creating latte art. The first method is the free pour, in which latte art designs are made as the milk comes into contact with the espresso. The second way is an etching design, made by creating artwork in the froth shortly after the milk is poured with a stick. The trick is to add the milk to create the white part of the design where shades of brown are created at the coffee surface.
The free pour is achieved by keeping the cup flat or slightly tilted on the table top. Pouring in a particular way, the white foam rises to the surface, straight up or sideways depending on the cups initial placement. Placing the cup level with the table and pouring slowly and particularity will result in a heart like shape while movement on the pour can result in the leaf or fern pattern.
With etching, complicated patterns that are impossible to do with the free pour technique can be achieved. The downside of the etching techniques is that they don't last very long. Since you are mixing the foam and the espresso with a thin stick, they will dissolve into each other and fade away rather quickly. It may take years to prefect these latte art techniques and as you become an experienced barista, you will notice these things happen effortlessly.
The type of espresso used, the espresso maker, the foam layer and the general skill of the artist all come in to play when creating the end result. As coffee is something consumed regularly, it is easy to practice, even if you don't work in a coffee shop. If your ever planning to work in one, this skill will come in very handy. Many competition exists for latte art, so check your local coffee shops to see if there are competitions in your area. Designs that showcase uniqueness and creativity perfected will help you score great but its always good to have the basics down as well.
Learn more about Latte Art today! RateMyRosetta.com is your source for latte art pictures. Don't miss the how to make latte art tutorial and refine your latte art skills.
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October 07 2010 | coffee | No Comments »
A type of coffee maker that specializes only in producing the Italian coffee known as espresso, the espresso machine has become quite popular with many consumers. Various types of espresso machines can be categorized based on their drive mechanisms as the variations of these can actually change the taste of espresso itself.
The making of espresso is so sensitively delicate that the combinations of temperature, pressure and texture of the grind can really change the taste of that one cup. The espresso coffee machines are a big help in trying to maintain a consistency in regulating these three factors in order to be sure that the results will always be the same. Some espresso machines go as far as having an attachment steam wand in order to be able to produce latte or cappuccino in the process.
Some espresso machines are steam driven and the concept behind this is when the water is actually forced through the coffee filter with the use of steam pressure. Most of the very first espresso machines were steam models as piping already hot, steaming water through several pipes could serve more cups of coffee at one time. This type of design still survives as a combination drip coffee machine that is sold as a lower cost appliance.
Pistons are also a way to deliver the water using a hand lever, and this allows for an operator to pass the water through the coffee grinds by manual pulling of this lever. The long lever and mechanism adds pressure to the manner in which the water is passed, and this produces that distinct flavor. The designs vary from manual piston design, where the operator determines the pressure placed into the pulling of the lever, and the spring piston design where there is a spring to help the operator in terms of keeping the pressure consistent with every cup.
A motor to pump pressure is also used in order to achieve the necessary pressure level, and this is the concept behind the pump driven espresso machines. Some commercial establishments use this type of machine as it can be directly attached to a water source, whereas some home versions of the appliance have containers for water to be poured into the machine.
Another type of espresso coffee machine is the air pump driven version that uses compressed air to force hot water through. For this version, the hot water can be added from a separate source such as a kettle, and the compressed air can be released by a hand pump, pressurized cartridges, or an electric compressor. The air pump driven machines are a much smaller version than the electric compressor type, giving them the option of portability.
There are also more sophisticated machines that run on automation, as they basically do much of the process on their own using a combination of pumps, valves, grinders, and sensors to make things easier on the operator. Usually this removes the manual aspect of delivering the water through the grinds, making it much easier to produce more cups in even portions.
These automated machines have three different versions, and many establishments have an option which type they wish to use depending upon their needs. There is the semi automatic version that uses a fully automated pump that brings the hot water through the grinds, and then a three way valve helps to release the brew pressure. Then there is the automatic machine version that has an extra inflow meter attachment to the three way valve which fully controls the amount of water that passes through, thereby regulating the brewing time for each cup.
Super automatic model usually can produce a few cups, but not high volume, and are considered inferior quality for many seasoned baristas. However, they are popular because even the unskilled can operate them as they provide consistent cups of espresso coffee.
Ken Wright has written super automatic espresso machine reviews for the models that he owned or tried. He shares much information on coffee making in his espresso machine reviews website including guides to choose the best espresso machine and coffee grinder.
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September 01 2010 | coffee | No Comments »