Who doesn’t enjoy a little heart made of milk on their cappuccino? Many baristas receive admiring glances every time they skillfully handle a cup and milk jug. We show you how you can create your own milk heart at home and reveal the secret of perfect latte art.
Step 1: The perfect milk froth
All you need is a cup, a small can, a milk frother (electric or steam), fresh milk and aromatic espresso (available here) and the fun can begin. We’ll start with the preparation of the milk foam and give you some tips on how to make it the best.
In principle, you can use both cow’s milk and a plant-based alternative to prepare the milk foam. It is important that the fat content is at least 3.5%. You should also chill the milk in the fridge beforehand. This is the best way to froth it fresh. If you have a professional filter machine with a steam lance, it is best to use a milk can to foam the milk.
The optimum temperature for milk foam is 65 to 68 degrees Celsius. Then a little talent is needed to create the perfect foam through even up and down movements. Practice makes perfect at this point. Of course, you can also work with an electric milk frother. However, this offers fewer possibilities to influence the result. The perfect consistency is achieved when the foam is as creamy as half-whipped cream. Now you have to act quickly, because after about 30 seconds the solid and liquid components of the milk separate again and your foam is no longer usable for latte art.
Step 2: The latte art heart
Now it’s time for the art. Espresso and milk foam are ready to go and are just waiting to combine into the perfect cappuccino. We show you step by step how to create a beautiful latte art heart:
- Hold your cup with the espresso at a 45° angle and the milk jug about 3 to 4 cm away from the edge of the cup.
- Pour the milk foam into the centre of the espresso so that the milk flows under the crema. Continue pouring until the cup is about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Keep the milk jet exactly in the upper third of the cup.
- Now make the heart by moving the jug downwards until you reach the edge of the cup. The first milk stain appears, as you are now very close to the crema with the jug.
- Slowly put the cup back up, taking the jug with you, so that the milk always flows evenly out of the jug. The white spot will get bigger and bigger. Keep pouring until the cup is almost full.
- For the heart shape, move the jug upwards again by 3 to 4 cm. The milk stream should become thinner. Cut the resulting dot very slowly in the middle. This creates the heart shape.
Of course, a little skill and a loose hand are an advantage. Just give it a try and you’ll see that you’ll conjure up better and better hearts on your coffee over time. If you’d rather have your favourite barista make latte art for you instead, you can find an overview of all the Coffee-Bikes in your area in our free Coffee-Bike app.
