The secret to latte art starts long before you pour.
Perfecting latte art isn’t about practice…
It’s about mastering these 5 fundamental skills every professional barista knows.
If you’ve spent hours watching tutorials and practicing, only to end up with messy patterns, you’re not alone.
Most tutorials skip the critical fundamentals that professionals rely on to make latte art effortless.
I’m one professional who is ready to tell you those critical fundamentals to level up your game.
The truth is, how your Latte Art is going to turn out is decided long before you start pouring your coffee.
It really does come down to your entire process up until the moment you serve your art work.
From how your shot is extracted, to how you set your canvas. Every precise detail is just as important as the next.
Making coffee is so much more than creating pretty pictures, I will show you exactly how to start your transformation into a master barista.
These aren’t just tips, they’re building blocks of every successful latte pour.
Master these fundamentals, and you’ll not only improve your patterns, you’ll elevate your entire coffee craft.
Here are the 5 basic fundamentals of crafting your perfect masterpiece:
A good shot of espresso, your foundation for amazing latte art:
A beautiful espresso creates a solid canvas for you to start pouring your milk.
Action Step: Use a medium - fine grind, and even tamp pressure.
Pro tip: Always use fresh shots for the best crema.
2. Perfect your milk texture:
Your milk should be silky, smooth, and free of bubbles. That is what creates sharp, defined patterns every time.
Action Step: Steam to 65*c and swirl for a velvety texture that blends perfectly with your espresso.
Pro tip: Angle your pitcher slightly off center to the steam wand to create a whirlpool effect.
3. A beautifully even shot of espresso
You want your shot of espresso to be a nice even brown before you start pouring your milk, otherwise you’ll get dark streaky lines through your finished product.
Action Step: Gently swirl your espresso to blend in all the darker oils.
Pro tip: Think of this as preparing your canvas, an even espresso shot creates a stable base that makes pouring easier and more consistent.
4. Pouring with precision, master flow and height.
Proper height and flow control prevent the milk from splashing through coffee, leaving you with a streaky pale mess.
Action Step: Ensure you are pouring high and slow enough where the milk is gently mixing into your espresso giving you an even canvas for your latte art.
Pro tip: The milk should be coming out of your pitcher at about a pencils width.
5. The key ingredient everyone misses
Patience and focus aren’t just for latte art, they are the foundation of becoming a coffee master.
With every deliberate movement, you’re building the habits of a professional.
Pro tip: Each successful pour aligning with these 5 fundamentals gets you closer to mastery.
Imagine effortlessly crafting amazing coffee that wows every friend, and customer. Our baristas utilize these skills, and just look at what our customers have said:
These aren’t just skills, they are the foundation for creating unforgettable customer experiences.
Our baristas have mastered these techniques, and now it is time for you to take the first steps into mastering them as well.
With the right guidance, you’ll go beyond latte art, to truly understand how to make the perfect coffee.
You’ve seen how these fundamentals transform coffee skills, now it’s your turn. Ready to take the next step? Whether you’re ready to dive deeper with our masterclass or want to start small, we’ve got you covered.
Ready to take a deeper dive? Learn more about our masterclass.