The recent cost of living crisis has meant that more and more of us are opting for the best coffee machines instead of a trip to Starbucks. Despite many people thinking this is more time-consuming than not, there's one secret you need to know – making your own barista-quality brew is a lot easier than you think.
We've already covered the five ways you can improve your coffee game at home, but now we're moving on to latte art. I spoke to Dave Cutler, Head of Training at Lavazza, who shared three simple latte art designs that you can easily make at home.
Before we move onto the designs, Dave recommended starting with perfecting your microfoam. He said: "After filling up your jug, lower the steam wand towards the bottom, turn it on, and slowly move it back up to create air bubbles. Continue until you reach the desired amount of microfoam or temperature, then knock the jug to break small air bubbles."
1. Heart
Create a latte art heart by resting the spout of your jug against the cup and shaking it side-to-side to form a circle or apple shape. Hold the cup on a slight tilt and introduce milk into the centre. Lift the jug to create a steady stream of milk, creating a suction that arches the top of the circle to form the love heart curve. Follow through by keeping the flow of milk steady and moving it from one side of the cup to the other until your latte cup is almost full.
2. Rosetta
Make a latte art rosetta by resting the spout of your jug against the cup and shaking it side-to-side at a medium speed until a white cloud appears. Continue shaking into the centre of the cup, then move the jug back towards you while keeping the spout on the cup for control. Make smaller shakes as you approach the end of the cup to form a ball/heart shape. Pull the jug up to create a thin steady stream of milk and follow through the middle of the waves to finish the rosetta.
3. Sunrise
Make a latte art sunrise by resting the spout of your jug against the cup and rocking it side-to-side to create a semi-circle. Repeat this inside the semi-circle to form a full circle. Sprinkle chocolate powder on the lower half of the circle for the landscape, then use a toothpick to draw sunrays on the halo. Optionally, repeat with darker espresso/chocolate for contrast.
Interested in some more coffee machine recipes? Check out the 3 quick and easy cocktails you can make at home with your coffee machine.