Latte art, explained by our head barista

The first thing I tell every trainee: latte art is a by-product. The goal is microfoam — milk stretched into a texture so fine it pours like wet paint. Get that right and the pattern almost draws itself.

We steam to 60–65°C, never more. Above that, the sugars in milk stop tasting sweet and start tasting flat. The hiss should sound like tearing paper for the first second, then go silent as the milk spins.

The pour starts high and thin to sink the milk under the crema, then drops low and fast to let the foam surface. A heart is one confident wiggle. A rosetta is the same wiggle while walking the pitcher backwards. That's the whole secret — plus roughly four hundred practice pours.

Next time your cup arrives with a tulip on top, you'll know: it's not for the photo. It's a signature on a job done properly.