hiii so normally our milk is kinda bad at steaming during the summer but its recently been very good quality so i’ve been trying to practice my art and i’ve noticed that when i’m attempting tulips + hearts they always come out super skinny… does anyone know how to make them fatter? lol. thank you!!
by sighconic
5 Comments
One of the factors at play is when you start the pour and how much you have integrated. Also how much it flows into the cup, so if you have a thin milk it can flow further into the cup and then fill the cup and be more full. Just some ideas I’m not sure:)
Keep practising hearts before tulips. If you can’t perfect a heart your tulips won’t work.
– Tilt your jug more
– tilt the cup at a 45 degree angle when pouring
– swirl motion as you pour
– pour close at about half full
– steady hands when pouring the art
One or more of the above is the most likely reason your art is skinny. Without a video we can’t tell where you went wrong. We also don’t know if you steamed your milk properly. Perfectly steamed milk doesn’t require much effort to control how the latte art pours.
Start the art earlier, and pour faster. Make sure the tip of the pitcher is very close to the drink so that the art doesn’t sink down below the surface.
Have your milk jug closer to the surface of your coffee and slow down your pouring speed is my recommendation
A tall skinny design usually means you’re not moving forward while marking! When pouring you have to keep moving forward to keep pushing that milk towards the walls of the cup which helps it wrap around.
Also make sure you’re polishing your milk and your espresso before you start pouring; once steamed the milk will start to separate and make latte art more difficult.
Set up:
Hold cup by handle (pointing handle toward your stomach). Pitcher grip shouldn’t be too tight, just comfortable. Tilt your mug 45° towards you, so that the espresso is closer to the lip of the cup.
Fill:
Pour from higher up with a lower flow rate to fill the cup and aim for the deepest part of the mug, that will help achieve an even color (milk should sink all the way down)
Marking:
Lower the pitcher as close to the espresso as possible, aim for the front part of the cup (important). Pour with a heavier consistent flow and as you pour, start moving your pitcher toward the center of the mug while still staying close to the surface of the liquid. (If you don’t push forward as you start your marking, that’s when you get the tall skinny look). If you rock the pitcher side to side that’s when you get the ripple effect.
Then draw through! (like a helicopter, not an airplane. Up and then forward, not going forward While going up)