Cappuccino With Latte Art

In this instructable I will show you how to make a cappuccino with latte art. It's basically 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 microfoam to create a design on top. When I do it, it's more abstract art, I'm not as good as some people.

My espresso machine is a Breville CAFEROMA and I would say for its price it's a really good machine to start with. With it comes two sizes of filters and a milk jug. What I additionally bought was a coffee bean grinder, a tamper with two sizes and a knock box. If you don't have a coffee grinder you can just use pre-ground coffee, but I like it because you can regulate the grind consistency.

It's always good to have a clean work area so before you start if your machine is dirty of other things are a bit crusty, just give them a quick wipe.

Next grind the beans (I don't use really fancy coffee beans). Like i've said if you don't have beans you can use pre-ground coffee and just skip this step. Pour a small amount of beans into the grinder and grind it to your preferred grind size, for me it's fine with a few bigger chunks of coffee bean scattered in the coffee.

Next get your coffee and add it into your filter, then tamp it down. Then lock the filter in the machine and turn it on and fill the cup about 1/3 full. Before you brew the coffee it's always good to run hot water for 3 seconds before putting the filter in place because it rinses off any old grounds off the top filter plate were the water comes out of.

The next thing to do is to steam the milk. I didn't get perfect microfoam milk but it takes an expert with a lot more coffees under his belt then me. Add some milk about 3/4 full or a little less. Give the steam wand a purge and let it heat up before steaming. Then for more detail on how to do this go here, but basically start by aerating the milk which means you lower the jug till you hear a smooth hissing sound and the milk gets bubbly. them hold the jug so the wand is at one side and that should create a whirlpool. Then tilt the jug and make sure the wand is in the middle and go back and forth between those two. I'm sorry i couldn't explain this in more detail but that's what i do and it works for me. If it does not work for you you might want to consult that link for more detail. After steaming lower the jug and wipe the wand. Then purge the steam wand again in case there's some milk still in it.

I don't have a video of me doing it but you hold the cup at an angle over sink.Then give a milk in the jug a swirl and pour it in while swirling it in a circular motion to about 2/3 full. By then there should only be the foam to create the art with and what you want to create, you can create. From a smiley face to abstract art. Again for more detail go here or here, or here, or here.

Now sit back with your coffee and a piece of coffee cake and enjoy! Hope you liked this instructable and don't forget to check out my profile.