Learn to Master Easy Latte Art

If you have a home espresso machine, or even if you are a semi professional barista, one of the most impressive things that you can do is learn the ins and outs of expert latte art! If you are interested in learning this process, then all you need is your own home espresso machine, a frothing pitcher, a frothing thermometer, whole milk, and a large mug. Latte art is a beautiful skill that is done by many espresso professionals worldwide, and you can even see this displayed in many expert competitions.
The key to a beautiful piece of latte art is in the wrist. You can create many different shapes and images, and they will become more detailed the more practice that you get. The latte art itself comes from a free pour, and you will be able to create a shape in your foam through the movement of your wrist in pouring your latte. This is something that many baristas specialize in, and it is something that you will be proud of when you learn how to master this technique within your own home.
It is always best to start with fresh and cold milk, and many professionals do recommend using whole milk because it creates a fuller and denser foam for the latte. It is important to start out with cold milk and a cold metal pitcher so that you can heat it for longer, which will create the perfect steaming process.
Start out by pouring cold milk into your metal steaming pitcher, and use an amount that will fill up the latte cup that you are pouring into. When you steam, it will reduce the volume of your milk by up to 20%, so you may need to compensate for that. Start out your steaming process by using your steam wand in the bottom of your pitcher. Steam your milk until it reaches 100°F, and then start to bring the wand to the surface of the milk as it is steaming. Continue to steam, and keep the wand tip submerged just below the surface of the milk itself. It is important for the wand not to break the surface once you begin steaming. Continue this process until your milk reaches 160°. Turn off the steam wand, and then remove it from the milk after the steam has stopped.
This process will allow you to create a very dense foam without any bubbles, and you can begin to pour this over your fresh espresso in your latte cup. Begin by pouring the steamed milk gently into this cup. To create the leaf pattern, tilt your cup at an angle, and pour the milk towards the bottom of the cup itself. Fill the cup up two thirds of the way, and began to pour by swaying your wrist back and forth. This will create a delicate leaf pattern in the top of your latte, and you can finish by pouring the rest of your milk directly through the pattern without disturbing it!

latte art

All About Latte Art

If you are already a pro at brewing espresso, you may want to consider the options available to you in latte art. This is something that is done competitively by expert baristas, but the good news is that you can learn a few simple techniques to achieve the same results yourself at home!
First of all, it is important to start out by brewing an impressive shot of espresso as the base for your latte art. Brew this directly into a large mouth cappuccino cup, which can range from small to large in size. It is very important to have a wide mouth on the espresso cup, which will allow you to better develop the design with the space available. One helpful tip if you are just starting out is to practice your design using water, which will help you to get comfortable with pouring and the movements of the wrist involved. One of the greatest keys to perfect latte art is to pour at a gradual speed so that the design can be created with milk atop the espresso. However, this skill can also be achieved by using water to practice.
After you have steamed your milk and brewed your espresso, you can get ready to pour. It is very important to have the right position when pouring, and you can start out by holding the cup at an angle, where the back part of the cappuccino cup is slightly raised. From there, start to pour your steamed milk into the center of the espresso in a straight stream. For balance and accuracy, you can keep the edge of your metal pitcher resting on the edge of the cappuccino cup as you pour.
Once the cup is roughly halfway full, start to shake the pitcher side to side to create leaves in the milk pattern. This is the motion of your wrist used to throw the milk to create the latte art. Continue to shake your wrist gently back and forth, while still pouring the milk into the espresso. This should create a pattern of leaves on top of the espresso, and after you have shaken your wrist about four times, you can start to move the metal pitcher back toward you, while still shaking side to side.
The important thing to remember is that the pouring and shaking motion is somewhat slow, and it is not necessary to rush as you pour. Slow and steady will win the race, and it will help you to develop a gentle rhythm as you create your latte art. From there, you are almost finished with your latte creation, and you can complete the pattern by elevating your metal pitcher to pour through the milk to create the stem of the leaves.
Of course, practice makes perfect, and any professional barista has the opportunity to create hundreds of drinks on a daily basis. Continue to practice your latte art for your own personal drink creations, and it will give you the chance to develop a wonderful skill to impress your family members and friends!

Latte art 2011 all the best

Top Favorite Coffee Recipes Aimed to Please Everyone :)

If you would like to 'wow' your guests with a nice delicious serving of their favorite coffee drink, then you need to read this article. It's not about the fancy names or titles, but all about the flavor and refreshing taste of coffee based drinks that make them so appealing. In addition to the tastes, you can also count of the appearance of the froth and milk to give your drinks a finished look.
This article will cover the most popular coffee drinks that most people will agree are awesome. Remember that your coffee will vary based on the following ingredients; the coffee bean, the grind, water used and the temperature of the brew. There is a proper method to brewing that perfect cup for your recipes. We will cover them shortly. Here are the boil-down versions of the most popular recipes.
The Cappuccino
Cappuccinos are one of my favorites and you must have tried one yourself at one time or another. This coffee recipe is made up of half steamed and frothed milk with an espresso shot. After the milk is placed on top of the shot, you top it of with a dusting of either nutmeg or cocoa powder. The Cafe Mocha If you are a chocolate lover, then this is your drink. The simplest way to describe this recipe is a blend of coffee with hot chocolate. Again you will mix the hot chocolate with a shot of coffee. Then you top that with steamed and frothed milk. Finally, you will top off with cocoa powder.
The Latte
Lattes used foam and steam milk as half of the drink. The trick with Lattes is that you need to slowly add the milk down the side of the cup. This will enable to milk to mix properly with the shot of coffee. Remember, the ratio of coffee to milk is one to one. The real difference between a Latte and a Cappuccino is the way its presented. The Latte combines the milk and coffee together, while the Cappuccino keeps them separated.
The Espresso
Espresso is a rich and full bodied beverage. However, if you have even encountered a bad serving of espresso, it could be for the following reasons. If the wrong coffee is used to brew espresso, the taste will be awful.

The best type of coffee bean would be Kona Coffee. Try to use a Kona Blend when making espresso. It will be absolutely delightful. Espresso is served straight black. It's important to have the cup warm when its being served.

Iced Coffee Recipes for Enjoying!!

There are many refreshing iced coffee recipes available, and we have selected some of the most interesting for you. However, my favorite of all it the traditional Italian iced coffee recipe which uses freshly made espresso, a cocktail shaker and ice cubes. In fact, if you ask for an iced coffee in Italy this is the only recipe they will serve. Poured into a cocktail glass, the chilled Italian espresso is second to none.
When the heat is on try this traditional Italian iced coffee recipe ...
So, how is the Italian iced coffee recipe actually made? Simple, like all good things. Use your espresso machine, if you have one, to make a normal shot for one, two or more servings. Pour the freshly made espresso coffee into the cocktail shaker, add ice cubes (the ice doesn't get poured into the glasses with the coffee, so the flavor isn't diluted), close the shaker and shake like crazy! Pour into cocktail glasses and enjoy. Surprisingly, the iced coffee will not be a dark espresso brown color, but a creamy beige .
Here are a few more iced coffee recipes for you to try...
Bermuda Iced Coffee
For this recipe, you'll need coffee, cream, sugar and coffee flavor ice-cream. Pour the coffee, cream, sugar and 1 or 2 scoops of ice-cream into a blender. Blend, and serve cold in glasses or mugs. Tastes great, but if you're on a diet beware.
Fresh Lemon Cafe
Here you'll need 1/4 cup of coffee to which you add 2 oz of lemon sherbet, 1/2 tsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp of grated lemon rind and 1 tsp of sugar. Place the contents to your blender and blend until smooth. Serve in chilled glasses.
Cinnamon Caramel
This recipe has an interesting taste. You'll need about 6 tsp of ground coffee, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup caramel syrup. Prepare a pot of coffee in the usual way, but add the cinnamon to the ground coffee. Add the syrup to the hot coffee and stir until dissolved. Chill the coffee and serve over ice with milk, cream or sugar. For an interesting variation, you could also use this coffee, but chill it in the way of the traditional Italian iced coffee recipe above.
Thai Iced Coffee
Here's another interesting variation. You'll need strong ground coffee for brewing 4 cups, 4 tsp sugar, 4 tsp heavy cream, 2 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp almond flavoring, crushed ice. Add the cardamom to the ground coffee and brew, when ready add the sugar and almond flavoring, mix well and leave to cool or chill in fridge. Fill four glasses  half way with the crushed ice, then add the coffee leaving about an inch or a little more from the rim of the glass. Hold a spoon over the coffee and gently pour the cream over the spoon so that the cream floats on the top of your iced coffee.

Well, that's it. These are just a few of the many iced coffee recipes that are available today. Part of the fun is also experimenting. Enjoy.

Tornado Alfredo

latte art - Flower

Top Coffee Recipes To Impress The Loved Ones!

Have you ever tried preparing fancy coffee adding whiskey or other things? Yes! Coffee can be prepared adding various recipes to it for the taste you want. The tradition of serving coffee with a different relishing flavor has been there since ages. There are as many ways to prepare coffee as there are races in the world.

Discover here the art of preparing a variety of the most experimented beverage in the world. There is no longer any need to step in a restaurant for sipping your favorite cup. You can prepare it with a difference, every day to the wish of your gusto and enjoy a cupful of it being hypnotized in its flavor. The modus operandi is very simple and you simply need the ingredients of the recipe for the kind of the taste you want.

Let's reveal the secrets of  some of the ecstatic flavors of coffee beans!

Cafe Borgia

This Italian serving needs hot chocolate, whipped cream and grated orange peels as its main ingredients. Take  two cups of strong Italian coffee and mix it with another two cups of hot chocolate. You can make the proportion as per your need but the coffee and the chocolate ratio must be the same. Pour it in the mug and add the cream and the orange peels...And its ready for an amazing sip!

Irish Coffee

A cup of Irish Coffee lights up the mood and fascinates truly in Irish way. A cup of it requires Irish whiskey, cream, and sugar. Prepare a cup of strong coffee, then add one shot of Irish whiskey and the amount of sugar you need. Put the cream over the top. It's ready for the shot!

Caribbean Coffee

This is a sweet coffee for a sweet mood. Feel the taste of coco in a tart flavor. You need baked grated coconut, coconut water, milk, sugar and cream if you are willing for a little change. Make three cups of strong coffee. Mix the grated coco, milk and coco water in a pan and heat it till it is creamy. Put some extra grated coconut in the cup to be served, pour the coffee and the milk mixture prepared along with some sugar. The sip of it will take you to the beaches of Caribbean!

The Mexican Mocha 

You require two cups of strong coffee, chocolate syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, whipping cream for the mocha to comfort you in the scorching sun. Mix the chocolate syrup, cream, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg in a cup. Pour strong coffee prepared into the mug and add little bit of cinnamon in it. Add some chocolate syrup and stir well. Pour the mixture of cream over it. Have it and feel it!

While trying these coffee recipes, you will be a coffee expert. Be innovative in your coffee preparations and give it name you want and surprise your friends and loved ones.

Montreal Caffe Art Java

Coffee art - Talking coffee sometimes better than words!

How to Make a Latte

The word 'latte' actually means 'milk' in Italian. An Italian cafe e latte ('coffee and milk') is coffee mixed with milk, much like the French cafe au lait ('coffee with milk'), but both are very different from the latte we know.
Nowadays outside of Italy, latte has come to mean a drink comprising one third espresso and two thirds steamed milk. Steamed milk is mainly hot milk with froth on top for effect.
Similar to cappuccino but with twice as much milk and hence a milkier taste, the latte is often flavored with sweet syrups.
With a bit of practice and the right tools you can make a great latte at home, saving money in the long run and impressing your friends.
This is what you need:

• An espresso machine
• A steam wand, which comes with most espresso machines, to heat the milk.
• A metal pitcher in which to heat the milk and make the foam. 
• Shot glasses
• Thermometer
• Homogenized cold milk - try whole and skim to see which you prefer
• Good quality espresso beans ground medium to fine
• Tall glass or a coffee mug
• Flavored syrup (if you wish) available from speciality stores and some coffee bars.

Start by steaming your milk:
Pour two thirds of a cup milk, or half a cup if using flavoring, into a cold pitcher.
Secure the thermometer inside the pitcher and steam the milk so it reaches a temperature of around 150 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are not using a thermometer, you know the milk is hot enough when you can no longer hold the container.
Begin with the steam wand at the top of the pitcher to create the foam. Keep the tip close to the surface; diagonally, not straight and when it is lukewarm or 100 degrees Fahrenheit, lower the wand into the milk until it heats up to 150 degrees. Turn off the steam wand, set the pitcher aside on the espresso machine warmer plate and brew your espresso.
Putting it together:
Usually a latte comes in a tall glass on a napkin and saucer; other times, a cappuccino cup large enough for the barista to show off his surface latte art.
If using flavored syrup, pour a shot or spoon a few teaspoons into your glass/mug with sugar to taste.
Layer the beverage so it looks good. You do this by first pouring two shots of freshly brewed espresso into your latte glass and within 10 seconds, the milk.
Roll the milk around in the steam pitcher until glossy on top. With a spoon push the foam aside to stop it from pouring out with the milk. Then pour milk from the bottom of the pitcher over the espresso until the cup is about two thirds full. Stir if using flavored syrup and sugar before filling the cup with the froth which was at the top of the pitcher. Use the spoon to direct the flow of foam, or spoon it over the beverage so it blends nicely with the espresso crema. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or dust with ground chocolate, cinnamon or nutmeg if you wish, and enjoy.

Beautiful cafe latte art designs

Frothing Milk: The Perfect Topping on a Latte or Cappuccino

Frothing Milk gives a latte or cappuccino its sweet milky top.  Getting this right brings the final touch to a great cup of coffee.  It also gives you budding barista's a chance to practice and show off your artistic talents.  Yes I'm talking about latte art.  While not an indication of good milk (you could burn it) it will show others you have a passion for coffee.  But before we get all excited about making flower or heart patterns, let's make sure we get the milk temperature right first.
The first tip is to start right.  That means cold milk and a cold stainless steel straight walled steamer or milk jug.  Yes, cold milk, not room temperature, you don't need to help the steamer wand do its thing.  It takes a little longer, but the smooth velvety frothing milk you will have at the end is worth the extra effort.
* Put in the amount of milk you need for your coffee.
* Then raise the milk jug so that the steamer wand falls well below the milks surface.
* Open the steam valve, and raise the steamer wand so it sits just below the milks surface.  You don't want to create large bubbles, so somewhere around 1cm (or 2/5 inch) under the milk surface will be fine.
* As the milk rises move the steamer wand accordingly.  Remember your aim, smooth velvety frothing milk, not big bubbles.
* Once you have built a velvety surface, push the steamer wand deeper into the milk and continue to heat the milk.
* Wait until the milk jug is hot to touch, not warm, HOT, you should have hot velvety frothing milk.
* Then just pour into your espresso to complete a great cup.

Now, those milk patterns I mentioned earlier? It's called Latte Art.
Cheers!

Latte Art

Coffee Preparation & Presentation

As we all know coffee is a hugely sold product worldwide. From traditional Turkish coffee to more Americanized espresso based coffees that you often see in coffee shops or "coffee houses". Like with gourmet food professionally made coffee must be prepared and presented to a high standard, in the same way a chef would plate up his dish.
Coffee preparation and presentation is carried out by "Baristas". These people now are able to do amazing things with coffee, from smell to taste and even texture. Presenting coffee's is now growing toward art, Baristas are capable of manipulating milk to create patterns, they can use sauces and even chocolate powder.
The most common form of presenting a gourmet coffee is to use "latte art". This uses the texture of the milk and the crema of the coffee to produce patterns in the top of the finished drink. Unfortunately Latte Art isn't as easy as it sounds and does require a little bit of knowledge and a lot of practice.
You will probably already have seen Latte Art if you have been to a good coffee house as it is something all Baristas love to do and are always trying to perfect. The most familiar pattern is the "Rosetta", which looks like a small furn type leaf sitting on top of your drink.
Other patterns can be achieved by simply pouring the coffee such as hearts, other flowers, waves, apples and so on.
 However, with a simple tooth pick the Barista can then use the milk and crema to "draw" and further the pattern that is displayed.