BODY

EVERY

LATTE

ARTS!

Written and illustrated by

Dennis Hew

Decent Espresso

edition

A LATTE ART STARTER BOOK

EVERYBODY

LATTE

ARTS

By Dennis Hew

Decent Espresso Edition

reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by

any means, including photocopying, recording, or other

electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written

permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief

quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other

non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For

permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed

“Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

Illustration and book cover by Dennis Hew

First published in Malaysia 2021

by Dennis Hew

Unit 3-19, Level 3, Block B, MAHSA Avenue,

Jalan Ilmu, 59100,

Kuala Lumpur!, Malaysia

Decent Espresso Edition, 2024

Introduction

Before we jump into the main topic, you may have some

doubts—like who is this Dennis Hew? What qualifies him to

teach latte art and coffee?

Many people believe that a teacher should be a champion in

the field or an award winner in order to qualify to teach.

I don’t believe this is true, and I’ll show you some examples.

The famous chef Gordon Ramsay and the late Bruce Lee are

both well known in their fields. One is a culinary arts

celebrity who became a multiple restaurant owner, the

other was a legendary martial artist who became a movie

star.

Do they possess any championship titles? No, they do not.

Nonetheless, they’re respected teachers, mentors or

coaches. It’s because they're passionate about teaching and

spreading their knowledge.

Gordon Ramsay spreads his knowledge through TV shows,

inspiring millions to learn the culinary arts. Bruce Lee made

movies to share his martial arts mastery. He changed the

traditional Kung Fu film industry and inspired generations.

You may argue that these are rare or exceptional cases in

history. Fine. How about your school teachers, then? Your

science instructor or your English teacher? Did they get

literature awards, Nobel Prizes, or other honors? Probably

not. However, many of them are very skillful in teaching and

full of patience, even though they’re not champions in their

fields.

So, who is this Dennis Hew? I’m an entrepreneur who

started a small, humble weekend coffee class at a café

named RGB Café in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My classes

started in 2017, and my classes were always fully booked.

Since then, I founded the Barista Experience Academy. I

also host a podcast, “The Coffee and the Company.” I’m

certified by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) as an

Intermediate Barista and a Professional Barista.

I’ve taught over 8,000 students (no webinar: it’s in person).

I’ve committed thousands of hours to teaching and

providing face-to-face and hand-in-hand guidance.

How I started the classes harkens back to how I started as a

weekend part-time barista.

In 2013, when interest in specialty coffee was booming in

Kuala Lumpur, I had my first flat white with latte art on top.

I'd never tasted such delicious coffee without sugar before,

and I was intrigued. I asked for a weekend job there, and I

was accepted.

Fast forward to 2017: I gained working experience with a

few cafés, yet felt like I hadn't developed enough and

couldn’t move on to the next stage of learning. I felt like I

was teaching more than being taught, and I became

demoralized by earning a minimal wage.

I was certain that my time was worth more than what I was

earning. I thought of quitting my part-time gig at the café,

but then the owner asked me to kickstart a coffee class. Her

roasting room was vacant on weekends, and she had an

extra espresso machine in the room that I could use for

teaching.

So I started the class alone and from scratch – designing a

post, creating a syllabus, handling digital marketing,

scheduling bookings and so on.

As it happened, I enjoyed teaching so much that although

my body ached from working all day on weekends, I didn’t

feel like I was working at all.

Along the way, I’ve often received messages from followers

in other countries who tell me that their country or their

hometown has no coffee class.

Since I routinely write about coffee, sharing my knowledge

with videos on Instagram (@sinnedhew,

@baristaexperienceacademy and @thecoffeethecompany

if you’re curious), I got the idea to write a book to reach out

to a global audience and those I can't teach personally.

Guess who illustrated this book

I did, from cover to cover. I started writing this book without

knowing how to illustrate digitally. When I was a kid, I liked

to draw and doodle with an old-school pen and paper. My

drawing hadn’t developed since then.

But I had many ideas I needed to show to you: my readers,

my friends, my IG followers, my audience from all over the

world. And so as my book progressed, I had to learn digital

illustration skills. Simply because latte art requires more

than just words – it needs visuals. I believe that we're all

visual creatures.

One fine day, I received a new tablet from my day job and it

came with an attached pen. This sparked an idea in my brain

and changed my perspective on developing this book.

You might notice as you turn the pages that my illustration

skills gradually improve from the first picture to the last.

Many times, I drew and failed. I taught myself to make these

illustrations better and better.

Nonetheless, I’ve found that I enjoy illustrating. It calms my

mind, gives me purpose and trains my mindfulness. I’m not

a skillful drawing artist, but from the bottom of my heart, I

spent a lot of time learning from scratch.

At the end of the day, my goal is to pass on the knowledge

of what I learned the hard way to you, my friends

throughout the world, so that you have an easier (and less

frustrating) way to learn.

Why do we need latte art on our

coffee?

We live in a digital world. At any moment, we pull our

smartphones from our pocket and scroll through our social

media platforms or check notifications.

Modern people (like you and me) also like to snap photos

before we eat or drink, then upload our pictures to social

media to share amongst friends, family and followers.

From a business perspective, it’s free advertising to create

beautiful food or products for your customers to share on

their social media. And I don’t think any business owner

would have anything against that.

From the customers’ perspective, if the prices are similar,

they’ll always go to the café that serves fancy coffees with

beautiful latte art, rather than one that does not.

Just ask yourself the same question: comparing the two

coffees below, which would you choose if they were both

the same price?

Formula for latte art

There’s no point in having a cup of coffee with nice latte art

if it tastes diluted or tasteless. It’s also pointless to have a

coffee with a nicely calibrated espresso base but the

steamed milk is messed up —!maybe it’s too hot or has too

much dry foam.

What constitutes tasty coffee can be subjective or

debatable. But based on my judgment through years of

serving coffee to customers, I believe my formula – while

not the best – would at least not be mediocre.

To make a tasty cup of coffee requires two items: delicious

espresso plus nicely textured steamed milk. And here I have

to be honest with you: with or without latte art, the coffee

tastes the same. Latte art is purely eye-pleasing and for

aesthetic purposes.

Hence:

Espresso + steamed milk + pouring skills = latte art.

What's the recipe for espresso, and how do I make nicely

textured steamed milk? We’ll cover that in a later topic.

How important is a shot of

espresso in making latte art?

Very important. If you asked Ray Kroc (founder of

McDonald’s) if fries were important to his restaurant

business, I’m sure he would have said they're important, too.

Let’s imagine… in a burger combo, if the burger is delicious

but the fries are uncooked or chewy, is the meal still

delicious to you as a whole?

Same goes for a shot of espresso, or what I call “shot black.”

A good espresso shot allows you to make a nice contrast

and makes it easier to land some latte art. Most importantly,

it also makes café latte taste delicious.

Therefore, both calibration and milk-texturing skills are

equally important.

10% learning through class, 90%

learning through daily practice

When I was in my early ’20s, I took guitar lessons. After a

class, teachers usually ask students to go home and

practice the songs or skills they learned during the class. My

guitar teacher taught me a very important philosophy: if we

want to improve on anything that we’ve learned, we have to

practice over and over again.

Humans are capable of ‘motor memory’. Activities and

routines in our day-to-day life, such as driving a car, riding a

bicycle, or scrolling on your phone have become habits. We

often perform these actions without thinking because we

do them so frequently.

I’ve never seen a good musician who doesn’t practice, and

I’ve never seen a skillful latte artist who doesn’t make latte

art addictively and often. Good baristas need to enjoy both

making and drinking coffee in order to improve their skills.

To give you more examples:

An experienced driver can drive without thinking about

when to step on the brake pedal or when to shift gears. He

or she can do it automatically in a heartbeat.

Yet another example:

A new barista is unable to make many latte art patterns

because he or she didn't practice enough (or drink enough).

Like a driver who just got his license, every single step

requires some thinking before he's able to execute.

So how does one practice latte art? By making coffee for

yourself, your customers or anyone at all. And try not to

waste liters of milk while trying to create a pattern out of it.

Many people ask, “what's the most difficult latte

art pattern to me?” The answer is simple. The

most difficult pattern is the one I never practice.

I strongly believe that any pattern is achievable if you put

your heart in it and practice diligently. I don’t want to

discourage you from attending a coffee course or class.

Instead, I advise you to commit to drinking more coffee, so

that you’re able to make more of it.

Attending a course gives you a shortcut that helps you

correct your mistakes immediately.

MILK

TEXTURING

Instruments for texturing milk

This part of the process is crucial because it plays an

important role in the taste of white coffee. Each of the

items below has its own design and purpose, so let’s explore

them.

For texturing milk, you need:

• Milk

• Espresso machine (steam wand)

• Milk pitcher

• Thermometer

• Wet cloth (for cleaning)

Which type of milk is suitable for

latte art?

Many people ask what sort of milk works for latte art and

which milk pairs best with coffee. In this chapter, I'll

introduce what’s available in your supermarket chiller and

what’s best for latte art.

Fresh milk (cow’s milk)

This is the most-common milk in your local supermarket,

and by far the best milk in terms of taste and texture. I’m

not too bothered about the fat content, because this is

more of a taste preference. For texturing, it should work

fine, though I believe the higher the fat content, the shinier

and sweeter the milk gets after it's textured. This is terrific

for a cup of white coffee, but it still comes down to your

preference.

Some fresh milk brands have heavy cream-tasting notes,

which is my least favourite. But some people like it that way.

Please note that UHT (ultra-heat treatment) full-cream milk

is!not suitable for latte art. You can find this type of milk on

the shelves, not in the chiller. It’s pasteurized with high heat

and kills off endospores during the process. This gives it a

longer shelf life, but also gets rid of the sweetness of the

milk. And UHT steamed hot milk will smell and taste bad in

coffee.

Low-fat milk or skinny milk (cow’s

milk)

For texturing, I would say there’s not much difference from

fresh milk, but I’ve found this type of milk to be less sweet

when paired with coffee due to its lower fat content.

Flavoured milk (chocolate, vanilla,

honey milk, etc)

At one point, I was curious to see if I could make my coffee

with chocolate milk or vanilla milk to add some special taste.

But it ended as an epic fail. Flavoured milk doesn’t texture

well, and it’s designed to be consumed chilled or cold. After

it’s steamed, it tastes bad and weird, especially when it’s

paired with coffee. In short, these types of milk don’t work

well with coffee and latte art.

Others as in soy, almond milk and

more (alternative milks)

Due to the rising number of vegan consumers and lactose-

intolerant patrons, you can find many alternative milks

nowadays. As I write this, I see more brands and options

available in the supermarket.

Personally, I'm not a vegan and not in favour of alternative

milk in terms of taste. I’ve tried a few brands that work well

for texturing, but you can’t compare the result with cow’s

milk. You can’t pour a fancy latte art with alternative milks:

the most you can make is heart shape or tulip.

Some brands are designed for baristas or coffee making,

and they work really well. I’ve had a bad experience with

vegetable milk. The taste is savoury and the texture is very

thick. My coffee ended up tasting like cream of mushroom

soup.

A Decent perspective

New alternative milks get created often, and some of

them are "barista blends" that might be better for

making latte art than previous blends.. Your local store

might have an alternative milk that works well for you.

Milk pitcher: which type do you love

the most?

Let’s talk about milk containers. We call them milk pitchers.

Unlike ordinary pitchers you get from kitchenware shops or

Ikea, this type of pitcher is designed mainly for texturing

milk and pouring latte art. It has a pointy spout designed to

pour latte art.

In the next illustration, you’ll see two popular sizes of

pitchers. Of course, you can find even bigger sizes than the

ones pictured here.

If you notice, some baristas like to use a smaller pitcher to

texture milk. Then they transfer the milk into a bigger

pitcher. I'll explain this in detail in a later chapter.

The illustration above shows two sizes. Typically, the barista

uses the 12oz size to texture the milk and serve a single cup

of coffee. If you want to texture milk for two cups of coffee,

you can use the 20oz jug to get two jobs done at a time.

A Decent perspective

Decent Espresso makes a 350ml and a

600ml milk jug. Learn more about these

jugs here.

Why not use a 20oz pitcher to

texture a single serving of milk?

A bigger pitcher has a bigger diameter. To texture silky-

smooth milk, the barista has to introduce air into the milk to

make microfoam. The next step is to swirl the milk to make

it silky.

Shown here are different types of pitchers in the market.

I’ve searched for the name of each type of shape, but

unfortunately, most producers provide a minimal

description of their product.

The comfort of a pitcher’s handle and the symmetrical

alignment are both important when it comes to pitcher

selection. I always advise people to hold and feel the pitcher

before you proceed to purchase.

I’ve had some bad experiences when I bought a pitcher

without trying it out first. I ended up owning an

unsymmetrical pitcher that poured unsymmetrical latte art.

If you pour a single serving of milk (for a 6oz cup, let’s say)

into a 20oz pitcher, this means less swirl RPM (revolutions

per minute). Less RPM swirl means less-silky milk. In short,

you create less-delicious milk.

Thermometer – is it necessary?

In short, yes, you need this especially when you’re a newbie.

I suggest you get one before you start to texture any milk.

Reason? As I mentioned previously, you need to know when

to turn off your steam wand during the texturing process.

You will also train your temperature sense with this tool.

Shown above is a manual thermometer. Some people prefer

a digital thermometer, which has a slightly higher price

point.

The illustration above shows a thermometer mounted onto

a milk pitcher.

Two ways to use a thermometer:

1. Just like the previous illustration, the thermometer

is mounted onto a pitcher. But the downside is that

the thermometer will block your view of the inside

of the pitcher.

2. Leave the thermometer out of the pitcher. After

you turn off the steam wand, check the

temperature with the thermometer. The downside:

you might run the risk of texturing milk at a less-

ideal temperature. But ultimately, you'll learn

faster, and you won't rely on the thermometer all

the time.

Temperature?

55°C – 60°C. Some say 60°C – 70°C. There’s no written rule.

I think 65°C is a little too hot for me to drink after the coffee

is made, but as long as you don’’t scorch the milk with a

temperature that’s too high, this will be alright.

What if the water or milk is under or

over the ideal temperature?

Under (below 55°C)

Lukewarm coffee. Your customers or guests will complain

and request that you redo the coffee. This will double your

cost and waste time.

Imagine if you paid big bucks for hot soup noodles during

winter in a fancy noodle bar, but they serve you lukewarm

soup noodles. Wouldn’t you demand a redo as well?

Over (above 70°C)

Similar to cooking, higher temperatures have a higher risk of

burning the coffee and milk. Burnt coffee tastes like

cigarette ash and smoke, not to mention that it will burn

your lips and hands when you hold the cup and drink.

If the temperature is too high when milk gets textured, it will

lose its natural sweetness and taste blunt.

Imagine that you love wagyu steak and prefer it cooked

medium-well done. But the restaurant serves you overdone

wagyu steak with visible black burnt marks on it. Would you

care to find out what's in the chef’s mind that he'd want to

waste this precious wagyu steak?

Note: for best texture, use chilled milk, because this will

create a shiny result.

A Decent perspective

Decent Espresso’s milk thermometer

accommodates Celsius or Fahrenheit

measurements, and it has very low latency,

so it reads the temperature very quickly.

Learn more about it here.

A cloth: should I get a fancy one?

No. Microfibre or a regular cloth will get the job done. Use

this cloth solely to clean your steam wand. For the sake of

hygiene, don’t wipe your counter with it. I always leave this

cloth folded on the espresso machine’s drip tray. Some

prefer to leave it on a saucer beside the espresso machine

when it’s not being used. This cloth should be rinsed

regularly and kept wet so it’s easier to wipe off the milk

stains after texturing milk.

MILK

FOAM

How much foam do you need?

The illustration above shows a few popular beverages with

milk.

Three major espresso-based white coffees – what’s the

difference? The main difference is the thickness of foam.

Foam and milk dictate the taste of a milk coffee. Let’s

compare a few cups.

Cappuccino:

Rule of thirds. ⅓ of the cup is foam, therefore this has the

least milk for coffee, which also means this is the strongest

coffee amongst the three.

Café latte:

Cut the cappuccino's foam by half, leaving a little bit more

milk for coffee.

Flat white:

Cut the café latte’s foam by half. This makes a large amount

of milk for coffee, so this is the mildest coffee among the

three.

What about foam for other

beverages?

Café mocha, hot chocolate, cortado or piccolo café latte are

also served with café latte’s foam.

Why do some cafés serve different

beverages in different sizes or with different

cups?

There could be a few reasons. Each cup design may

represent a different beverage (for example, a glass for café

latte or a ceramic cup for cappuccino). This makes it easier

for a waitress to identify each beverage based on the cup

design without asking the barista during rush hour. It also

depends on a café’s customers. Some customers like their

café latte served in a bigger coffee cup so they can sit

longer and hang out.

Let’s texture milk!

First, you need to know your cup size. Then you’ll know how

much milk you need. Baristas go through this with practical

experience and repetition.

For example, if you’re making a 6oz cup of coffee with a

12oz pitcher, then I would usually measure with the neck.

Leave around 5mm distance between the milk and neck.

Some pitchers have markings to indicate liquid volume.

Remember to use only chilled milk for best results.

A Decent perspective

The Decent milk jug shows measurements in

ounces and milliliters on both sides of the

jug, so left-handed and right-handed

baristas can see them easily.

How to hold a pitcher to texture

milk

I believe that if you want to improve, then you have to

consistently do something the same way until it becomes a

habit. So I urge you to hold the pitcher the same way every

time. This way, you can avoid burning your fingers while

you’re texturing milk and you’ll improve your skills faster.

Shown here is a style of holding a pitcher that’s symmetrical

with a flat bottom. Avoid any contact between your fingers

and the pitcher body.

Symmetrical jugs with a flat bottom allow newbies more

ease in positioning the tip accurately.

Steam wand positioning

Step 1

Place the steam wand tip right in the centre of your pitcher,

then submerge the tip into the milk around 1.5cm – 2cm.

If the placement is too shallow (1cm or less), the foam will

immediately flow in as soon as you turn on the steam, and it

will be too late to control how much foam you need.

Also, don’t place the tip too deep (3cm or more) because

during the steaming process, every second counts. If the tip

is submerged too deep, it will take time to introduce air into

the milk to generate foam.

I used a blue colour in this illustration to represent milk.

Because milk is white, it’s more difficult to see it on a white

background.

From a side view, the milk should look like the preceding

illustration. Always keep the bottom flat so that you can

easily measure the position accurately. You don't have to

think much about the degree of tilt. Keeping it flat is the

easiest way.

Step 2

Rotate the pitcher to make the tip off-centre.

This position allows milk to swirl easily and create a vortex. If

the wand tip is placed right in the centre, it will create a

messy swirl, just like a tsunami. This creates a higher risk of

rough bubbles on the surface and not-so-shiny milk.!

Note: don’t place the tip close to the pitcher’s

wall, because this will generate higher swirl

power. You’ll end up with milk spilling out of the

pitcher.

Step 3

After you turn on the steam, immediately use your other

hand to hold the bottom of the pitcher to feel the

temperature.

Move the pitcher down for foam.

Gently lower the pitcher!1mm - 2mm!to generate a chirping

sound to introduce air into the milk and create foam.

Note: when lowering your pitcher, don’t do it hastily.

It needs to be lowered steadily and gently. If you

lower it quickly, the chirping sound will be very thick

and rough, and it will generate very rough textured

milk.

Step 4

When the chirping is done:

• Move pitcher up for the swirl.

• Lift the pitcher!1mm – 2mm — high enough to silence the

chirping sound, and let it generate a swirling vortex.

When the temperature reaches 55°C - 60°C, turn off the

steam and wipe the tip with a wet cloth.

The result should be glossy, shiny and silky. Some describe

it as similar to wet paint. It should be full of microfoam, with

minimal bubbles on the surface.

Practice advice

I recommend that you practice this procedure with the

ingredients below:

Tap water

One drop of soap (dishwasher, hand-washing soap or any

liquid soap).

A few pieces of ice cubes (to chill the water).

This is how café baristas train their juniors at a low cost and

with unlimited tries. These materials will generate very

similar sensations with milk (in terms of the texturing

process only, not pouring latte art).

Remember this magic phrase

“Pitcher down for foam, pitcher up for swirl.”

The details:

• Pitcher down 1-2mm for foam (chirping sound)

• Pitcher up 1-2mm for swirl (shiny milk)

Watch it on YouTube:

How to texture milk

Questions for texturing milk

How long does it take to texture milk?

It’s not about time. It’s about the correct temperature:

55°C-60°C. Your outcomes may vary with different

machines and different steam pressure.

What is the chirping sound?

It’s similar to the sound of paper tearing. This sound

represents steam introducing air into the milk and creating

microfoam.

How much foam do I need?

With more foam, it becomes a cappuccino. Less foam is for

café latte, and the least foam is flat white.

The chirping sound is most important. No chirping sound

means no microfoam. No microfoam means that no latte

art is going to happen.

I’ve lifted up the pitcher 1mm–2mm, but there’s still a

chirping sound. What’s the solution?

Lift the pitcher another 1mm–2mm until it swirls without a

chirping sound.

Mistakes revealed

Many people around the world have contacted me and

asked why their latte art doesn’t turn out. Most of their

attempts look like the illustrations above.

Illustration at left: “No matter how I try, my coffee has no

latte art.”

It could be either or both of these reasons, One, you didn’t

get a chirping sound during the texturing process. No

chirping sound, no foam, no latte art.

Two, after you’ve textured the milk, for whatever reason,

you didn’t immediately (and I mean As Soon As Possible)

pour the milk into coffee and start making latte art.

Illustration at right: “My coffee is always foamy. No matter

how I try to pour, it will be completely covered with white

foam.”

This is mainly because you made too much chirping sound

during the texturing process. As a result, it’s too foamy. And

no matter how you pour it, it’s still a completely white

surface.

Watch it on YouTube:

Milk steaming common mistakes

Rephrase Steps (Texture Milk)

1. Position at centre point.

2. Rotate to off-centre point.

3. Pitcher down for foam.

4. Pitcher up for swirl.

5. Turn off the steam when the temperature reach 55°C -

60°C.

Remember to purge the steam wand before and after use!

Introduction to milk pitcher

sizes

As I mentioned previously, the most commonly used

pitchers come in two sizes, as shown in this illustration.

What’s the purpose of the different sizes? Basically, the

small pitcher is meant for a single-cup serving, while the

bigger pitcher can texture two to three servings of milk at

once.

You may have seen some videos of baristas transferring milk

from a small pitcher into a big one to pour latte art. You can

head to Instagram and search #latteart to watch videos of

baristas performing this procedure.

Let me explain further with an illustration.

Here you can see two different-sized pitchers containing

the same amount of milk. However, the big pitcher can be

tilted lower than the small pitcher when you pour it.

The advantage of being able to tilt lower is because you can

access many areas within the cup without the pitcher’s neck

getting blocked by the cup lip. This also enables a barista to

start making latte art with a cup that's less filled. Especially

if you want to stack layered tulips, your cup should be less

full so you can add more stacks of tulips.

If a cup has less coffee in it, you get more space to stack

more layers.

Types of spouts to choose

A barista will usually choose different spout types to pour

different latte art. The illustration above shows a round

spout and a shape spout. (I wish I could draw better so you

can more easily spot the difference.)

Usually, a round spout pitcher is meant for solid latte art

patterns, because the wider spout produces a broader

stream of milk to create a bigger or broader solid pattern.

A shape spout can be used for patterns with both solid and

fine lines. It enables you to pour a thinner stream of milk to

make layered lines (if you're trained in wiggle techniques),

yet it’s still able to pour a solid pattern.

Some pitcher makers produce very sharp spouted pitchers

with claims that it’s easier to make finer lines with great

contrast.

How to hold a pitcher

There are many ways to hold a milk pitcher, but this is the

one that I’ve found comfortable. The red circle shows that

my fingers never come into contact with the lower part of

the pitcher, because they might get burned. And that will

affect your mood when pouring.

My thumb is placed on the upper part of the pitcher (which

is not hot) because this will give me a better grip and more

control when I pour.

Pay attention to these two things:

1. The way you hold the pitcher should be comfortable and

not painful.

2. Hold the pitcher firmly – not too loose, not too tight.

On the following page, you’ll see more holding styles to

explore.

Why am I shivering when I pour?

If you hold a pitcher or cup too tightly, it might make you

shiver when you tilt the pitcher or cup downward. Put both

items down, and relax your hands. Then pick them back up

and try holding them with less muscle tension and force.

This will reduce the shivering effect.

Standing posture

If you want to pour symmetrical latte art easily, you should

stand symmetrically. Your legs should be apart (shoulder

width) and your arms relaxed (not clamped close to your

body). Hold the pitcher and cup right below your chest. This

will give you a clear view and give your pitcher arm more

freedom to manoeuvre.

I find this posture more comfortable for pouring, and it’s

easier to produce symmetrical latte art.

With this posture, your eyes should be facing the angle

indicated in blue (in the illustration above) while holding

both instruments. The cup’s handle should be pointing

towards 6 o’clock (for basic heart, tulip rosetta pattern).

You'll notice two arrows in the illustration.

Blue arrows:

Pitcher pouring direction, facing horizontally from 3 o’clock

towards 9 o’clock.

Dark blue arrows:

Cup’s handle facing 6 o’clock with a vertical line.

The result should look similar to the previous illustration, and

your latte art should be symmetrical. The ultimate goal is to

make the pattern face the drinker. Keep in mind that the

majority of people are right-handed. If you’re a left-handed

barista, you should flip to the opposite direction.

I’ve found some other postures difficult (like the one shown

above) because my pitcher arm is more restricted. I’ve

found it rather difficult to raise my arm higher to tilt the

pitcher in this position.

TYPES OF FREE-

POUR LATTE

ART

Above are some of my works for solid pattern latte art and a

9-stacks tulip. I used a 20oz pitcher to pour the additional

stacks. I usually advise students to start with the basics, as

shown above, and then move on to fine lines.

Because the heart shape and the 3-stacks tulip are the

fundamentals of all latte arts, they enable us to master the

art of pouring and cup tilting.

Note: Many baristas can pour more than 9 stacks, but

please don’t be greedy: more stacks don't mean nice

contrast and symmetry.

Defining a perfect pour for latte art

A perfect pour latte art should meet these criteria:

•Intention: pours with a goal to create a specific latte art

picture.

•Contrast: the art shows clear lines or contrast between

the foam and coffee.

•Symmetry: the latte art faces the drinker and it’s

symmetrical.

•Consistency: the barista can make the same pattern twice

consecutively.

Real inconsistent scenarios

A barista claims to be able to create up to a 10-stacks tulip,

but the result looks like a clump or cloud with minimal

contrast. This defeats the purpose of stacking.

A barista claims he can create many types of latte art: like a

swan, rosetta and more, but just like winning the lottery, he

can only do it once in a blue moon. Most of the time, he

fails. I would consider this “luck," not the ability to pour.

A barista claims to be able to make advanced patterns, like a

unicorn, squirrel or “Red Indian." But in reality, none of the

patterns look like what he claims.

Practice with water and imagination

first

As I mentioned previously, I’m a person who strongly

believes in training motor memory through repetition.

Cafés train their new staff with continuous practice, and it's

a "must" for latte art training.

Now that you know how to hold a cup and pitcher, it’s time

to train with water and imagination before we do the real

thing with milk and coffee. This will simplify the learning

progress, reduce frustration and let you train at a lower cost.

Let’s start!

Learn to control the flow

Pouring latte art means controlling the flow of milk. Usually,

I advise learners to practice with water first. This will help

most people get over their fear of spillage. Remember not

to grip the cup or pitcher with too much strength, because

this will cause your hands to shiver.

Flat position:

Distance between the tip and surface:

The distance between the pitcher’s tip and the coffee

surface shouldn’t be too high, because this will produce a

drippy flow and create bubbles on the surface.

In addition, the tip shouldn’t be too close to the surface,

because this will generate a lot of white foam on the

surface. This is what we call “dirty” latte art.

Ideally, you should have around 8cm-10cm of space

between the pitcher’s tip and the coffee surface.

Try standing in front of a mirror to check your posture and

the height at which you hold the pitcher and cup. Then

verify with the illustrations below.

The illustration above shows the ideal distance between the

pitcher and cup. Try to maintain this distance at all times,

because as you pour the liquid it will fill up the space,

bringing the cup’s liquid closer and closer towards your

pitcher’s tip.

This would be too high to pour, and you'll end up with

bubbles on the coffee.

This is too close to the surface, and it will generate too

much white foam on the surface.

Usually, this speed fills half the cup. In the illustration, the

orange circle shows that the flow is thin enough without

dripping.

Pouring too slowly will create a weak flow. As a result, the

latte art pattern will be tiny because the flow isn’t strong

enough to expand the pattern. Pouring too slowly will also

cause a dripping effect and create bubbles. Bubbles are bad

for latte art because they can block your flow and prevent

you from creating symmetrical latte art.

Hopefully, you now understand why your latte art

sometimes turns out to be tiny or undersized.

The illustration above shows an even slower pour than in the

previous example. This is what will happen if you pour too

slowly with some classic pitchers – the liquid flows

backward. This is quite discouraging, and it might make you

want to stop practicing.

But don’t let this put you off. It’s OK to overflow and spill.

Next, let’s practice pouring fast. Note the orange circle

highlights a stream that’s a little thicker than the previous

one.

Again, try not to pour too fast, or your latte art will get

messed up. How can you tell if it’s too fast? If you pay

attention to the ripples, a pour that's too fast will produce

very strong and high ripples.

Your heart shape will become an eggplant or an elongated

shape.You have to find a sweet spot between a flow that's

not too slow or too fast.

Conclusion: What's the difference between

fast and slow?

Metaphorically, just like driving at 60km/h (slow) or 80km/h

(fast), the contrast is not much, but it has huge effect on

the result.

Watch it on YouTube:

Practice with water before pouring latte art

LATTE ART,

WATER

PRACTICE 1

Let’s begin! Start by pouring a slow flow right into the

centre of the cup until it's 50% filled.

In every pour, flow consistency is the key to success.

WATER

PRACTICE 1

When the cup is 50% filled, speed up your flow rate. You

should pour faster.

Then keep a consistent flow rate until the cup is 100% filled.

WATER

PRACTICE 1

Once the cup is completely filled, cut off the flow

immediately.

Remember: stop when it’s filled, not when you’re afraid of

overflow.

100

WATER

PRACTICE 1

Why can’t I stop when it's

90%, 80% or 95%?

Let’s say you make two cups of coffee. One cup is 100%

filled and the other is 80% filled.

In terms of taste, the one that’s 80% filled will taste much

stronger because less milk was poured into the coffee. And

from a customer’s perspective, he or she would bring the

two cups back to you and question you about the lack of

standardisation of your products. You'll also cause your

customers to not have confidence in your coffee-making

skills.

101

WATER

PRACTICE 1

Water practice 1 rephrase:

Control the flow

Water practice tips

1. Flat cup.

2. Pour a slow flow right in the centre point, up until

cup is 50% filled.

3. Increase speed and pour a fast flow, up until 100%

filled, then stop.

4. Repeat as many times as you can until you’re

confident.

102

WATER

PRACTICE 1

LATTE ART,

WATER

PRACTICE 2

103

Importance of tilting a cup

In this practice, you're going to learn about tilting the cup

from an angle until it's flat and even.

To make latte art that has a nice contrast (especially solid-

pattern latte arts), the pitcher’s tip has to be very close to

the coffee surface. This can be done by tilting the cup very

low, right before the contents spill out. If you can, try to

touch the coffee with the pitcher’s tip. Yes, you can let the

tip touch the coffee. Just remember to wash the coffee

stain at the tip after you’re done.

Now let’s get started.

104

Step 1

Start by tilting the cup at a slight angle, as shown in the

illustration above.

Pour a small volume of water, and imagine it’s a shot of

straight espresso. Then, pour slowly into the centre of the

imaginary shot.

Flow rate: Slow

Distance (tip to surface): around 8cm-10cm.

105

WATER

PRACTICE 2

Why tilt the cup instead of starting

flat?

You won’t normally see a barista start pouring latte art with

a flat cup because the coffee will have a shallow depth.

Pouring foam and milk onto a thin, shallow espresso shot

creates an overflow of white foam back to the top. In short,

you'll get dirty latte art.

If you tilt the cup, the shot has a deeper depth and the foam

can dive through the surface of the coffee, thereby giving

you cleaner latte art with more contrast.

106

WATER

PRACTICE 2

Step 2

Right about!50% filled, stop for half a second, and then…

107

WATER

PRACTICE 2

NOTE: I advise newbies to stop before the next move. After

you’re experienced and you can pour confidently, you don’t

need to stop any more.

Right before the next step, you have to know the position

for your tip to land.

108

WATER

PRACTICE 2

Two things you need to pay attention to for

water practice:

1. The orange circle in the illustration on the left

shows that the water is right at the edge of the

cup lip. This is the only way to get the pitcher’s tip

close to the coffee surface.

2. In the illustration on the right, the position for the

pitcher’s tip is 2cm from the cup lip, where I’ve put

a white X. That’s where the tip should touch the

water surface.

109

Step 3

Let your pitcher tip dive into position X, and start to pour

fast. Then…

Flow rate: fast

Position of tip: 2cm from the cup lip.

110

WATER

PRACTICE 2

Step 4

As you pour, tilt the cup slowly back to a flat position. This

will prevent spillage and provide the closest distance for

your tip.

Remember this phrase:

“Pour fast, tilt slow.”

111

WATER

PRACTICE 2

Flow rate: fast

Position of tip: Same as in Step 3. Don’t move the tip

around. Stay at this position with a consistent flow rate until

the cup is filled.

112

WATER

PRACTICE 2

Pour until the cup is 100% filled. Only then do you stop, as I

mentioned previously.

113

WATER

PRACTICE 2

Water practice 2 rephrase:

“Tilt the cup”

Water practice — tilt:

Tilt the cup.

Pour a slow flow at the centre of the water until it’s

50% filled (tip distance 8-10cm from the surface).

Stop for a half second to check if the water reached

the cup lip (water almost spilling).

Dive your pitcher’s tip into position X, pour with a fast

flow (2cm from the cup lip).

Pour a fast flow up until it’s 100% filled, then stop.

Repeat until you’re confident.

114

WATER

PRACTICE 2

Solid Latte Art: Heart Shape,

the mother of all latte arts.

Before we move on to the next chapter, please make sure

that you know how to pull a decent calibrated shot and have

no problem in texturing milk.

Otherwise, please go back to the previous chapters and

read them thoroughly. Apply and diagnose what went

wrong. You have to master these two skills first before

making latte art.

I’ve personally been through the hard ways (trying to master

pouring skills without mastering calibration and texturing),

which eventually slowed my learning progress significantly

compared to others.

115

Allow me to list some scenarios that might happen if you

don’t master calibration and milk-texturing skills:

•Tasteless coffee – failure in calibration.

•Dirty latte art, full of bubbles on top of coffee – failure in

milk texturing.

•Coffee is too hot – not familiar with the temperature.

•Difficulty pouring out latte art, the shot is too watery –

trouble calibrating espresso shots.

•Every cup of coffee is a flat white, even though the order

is cappuccino. Or every cup is a cappuccino, even though

the order is a café latte or flat white – milk texturing skills

not mastered yet.

So, don’t try to take a shortcut. It will ultimately turn into a

long route.

116

Done?

Let’s get started!

117

A Solid Heart Shape

118

HEART

SHAPE

Step 1: Mixing

After pulling a shot and texturing the milk, begin by pouring

a slow flow right into the centre of the shot.

119

HEART

SHAPE

Then immediately, move in a circular motion while

maintaining a slow flow rate (as slow as Tai Chi) right at the

centre of the shot.

This step is to mix and soften the crema, because crema is

oil. And when it cools and dissolves, it becomes islands of

particles. If the coffee isn’t mixed well, these particles will

prevent you from making a symmetrical latte art pattern.

Flow rate: Slow

Height of tip to coffee: 8cm - 10cm

120

HEART

SHAPE

When it’s about 50% filled, the position of the tip is around

2cm away from the cup lip (similar to water practice).

121

HEART

SHAPE

Step 2: Landing

Dive the tip in the correct position, touching the coffee if

you can. Then pour a fast flow (but not too fast).

Flow rate: Fast

122

HEART

SHAPE

HEART

SHAPE

Mistakes to avoid

If you pour too slowly, the pattern will not expand and you'll

have a tiny heart shape.

If you pour too fast, the heart shape turns into an eggplant

or an elongated weird shape.

You need to practice with water until you achieve the right

speed of flow.

123

Step 3: Lift up

Lift up around 5cm – 8cm, then immediately you have to…

Flow rate: Slow

124

HEART

SHAPE

Mistakes to avoid

If you lift too high (12cm and above), you'll produce lots of

bubbles on the surface.

If it’s too low (1cm – 3cm), you'll drag the shape into an

elongated heart shape or a heart shape with a big, fat tail.

If you lift up, but you keep pouring at that height for too

long, the buttock gap on top of the heart shape will close,

and it will look like a strawberry shape instead.

125

HEART

SHAPE

Step 4: Cut through

Move your pitcher slowly forward, and keep tilting your

pitcher down to keep the milk pouring. This is to generate a

tail for the heart shape and simultaneously fill the cup up to

100%.

126

HEART

SHAPE

The speed of moving forward will depend on how much

space is left for you to fill. I suggest beginning by moving

slowly.

Flow rate: slow

Watch it on YouTube

Basic heart shape - learn this first!

127

HEART

SHAPE

Mistakes to avoid

If you finish your pour by cutting through with high speed,

then your cup will not be filled up, and this will make your

coffee contain less milk.

If you cut through with high speed and then stop at the

edge of the cup to fill it up, your latte art pattern will be

dragged and become elongated.

If you cut through with a fast flow, again, the latte art

pattern will get dragged and be elongated.

128

HEART

SHAPE

Heart Shape step rephrase:

1. Mixing

Start pouring a slow flow into the centre of the coffee.

Then move circularly, as slow as you can.

2. Landing

Dive into the coffee 2cm away from the cup lip. Start to

pour fast.

3. Lift up

Lift up around 5cm away from coffee.

4. Cut through

Immediately cut through by pouring and moving forward

slowly towards the edge of the cup to achieve a 100%

filled cup.

129

HEART

SHAPE

HEART

SHAPE

Mistakes revealed

(heart shape)

130

HEART

SHAPE

Here are some examples of various mistakes and

asymmetrical latte art.

These are common mistakes that people make. So when

these happen to you, you’ll know the reasons why.

1. Elongated latte art

This usually happens if you cut through too quickly towards

the edge and then wait at the edge to fill the cup, or you cut

through with a fast flow rate.

2. Strawberry shape

This happens when you lift up but stop before cutting

through, resulting in the buttock gap getting closed.

3. Symmetrical heart shape

Clean and tidy latte art with a symmetrical pattern for right-

handed drinkers.

131

HEART

SHAPE

4. Heart shape not positioned towards drinker

This latte art points sideways, which means the barista isn’t

holding and positioning the pitcher or cup correctly.

5. Dirty latte art

During mixing, the pitcher pours too close to the coffee,

which is why there's an overflow of white foam. This makes

the latte art less clean and with less contrast.

6. Small latte art

During landing, the pour speed isn’t fast enough. Therefore

there’s not enough strength for the pattern to grow bigger.

How do you know if you can move on to the next pattern?

Simple: if you can do this confidently and consecutively two

or more times without any problem, you're ready for the

next pattern – 3-stacks tulip.

132

HEART

SHAPE

Solid Latte Art, 3-Stacks Tulip,

Stepping Stone & Winged Tulip

A solid stacking tulip

Again, if you can’t make a heart shape confidently yet,

please go back and master that before moving to stacking.

The stacking technique can be used in many types of latte

art. For example, the stacking heart, stacking swan, multiple

layered tulip, rotating tulip, and propeller stacking. This

technique will get you to tilt a cup confidently, and it also

opens up many possibilities to create your own style of latte

art.

First, you have to start with basic stacking, which is the 3-

stacks tulip.

133

There are two types of the classic 3-stacks tulip:

•Stepping-stone-3-stacks tulip

•Winged-solid-3-stacks tulip

Through years of teaching, I have found that stepping-

stone-3-stacks tulip is the easiest for newbies to learn.

Once you’ve got this, you can master the winged-solid-3-

stacks tulip in no time.

So, let’s get started.

134

Stepping-stone-stack tulip

135

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

Step 1: Mixing

Start with the usual: pour with a slow flow to the centre of

the coffee and move circularly. Fill up until 40-50%, then…

Flow rate: Slow

136

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

Step 2: Landing (1st stack)

For stacking patterns, you need to plan your stacks before

pouring. This is essential to pouring a clean stacking tulip. So

for the first stack, it should be 3cm away from the cup lip.

137

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

Flow rate: Fast

138

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

The pitcher’s tip needs to lift and tilt forward a little bit (as

shown above in the illustration on the right) to create a “V”

gap. Pay attention to the tip (as shown above in the green

circle) because this will create a cleaner contrast in-

between stacks.

139

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

Step 2: Landing (2nd stack)

For the second stack, the landing position must be behind

the first stack, as shown in the X in the illustration above.

That’s where you need to dive the pitcher’s tip in. Then…

Flow rate: fast flow

140

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

Step 3: Landing (3rd stack)

This final stack will be nearest to the cup lip, as shown in the

X in the illustration above. Again, pour fast, and the pitcher’s

tip has to be close to the coffee surface. Touch the coffee if

you're able to do so. Make a big heart shape, then…

Flow rate: fast flow

141

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

Mistakes to avoid

Before you pour, you have to plan each stack’s landing spot.

Don’t try your luck or go with your feelings. It usually won’t

turn out well. Plan before you pour.

For each stack, you must land on the yellow coffee surface

behind the white foam. Do not land on the white foam.

Otherwise, no matter how many you try to stack, it will

merge into one single stack. Remember, contrast is key to

making latte art look good.

142

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

Step 4: Lift up

Lift up about 5cm – 8cm, as shown above. Then

immediately…

Flow rate: Slow

143

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

Step 5: Cut through

Cut through to get the tail out steadily and slowly.

Flow rate: Slow

144

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

Three-stacks tulip, complete

145

Three Stacks Tulip (stepping stone)

steps rephrase:

1. Mixing

Start pouring slowly into the centre of coffee. Then move

circularly, as slow as you can.

2. Landing (1-2-3 stacks)

First stack, dive down into the coffee at 3cm away from the

cup lip. Start to pour fast. Don’t forget to create a “v” gap for

each stack.

Second stack, dive down and land a distance away from the

first stack.

Third stack, land near to cup lip. Dive down and touch the

surface to land a heart shape.

146

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

3. Lift cup

Lift up around 5cm–8cm away from the coffee surface.

4. Cut through

Immediately cut through by pouring and moving forward

slowly towards the edge of cup, and fill it up until 100%.

Watch it on YouTube:

Three-stacks tulip demo

147

STEPPING STONE

STACK TULIP

Winged-Stack-Tulip

This pattern is very similar to the previous pattern. The only

difference is the landing of the second stack, which will

generate a different kind of 3 stacks tulip.

148

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Step 1: Mixing

Start pouring slowly into the centre of coffee. Then move

circularly, as slow as you can.

Flow rate: Slow

149

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Step 2: Landing (1st stack)

With landing at “X” position.

Flow rate: Fast

150

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Again, don’t forget to make a “V” gap.

151

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Land your second stack at position “X,” as shown above.

152

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Step 2: Landing (2nd stack)

This is the part where we’ll do it differently from the

previous pattern.

For the second stack, you need to pour a fast flow from the

landing, slide forward to the middle position, and pour until

the second stack shape is big enough. This allows the first

stack to wrap up like a pair of wings (illustrations from left

to right).

153

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Without the pitcher, it will look like the illustration above,

where “X” marks the position for the next stack.

154

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Mistakes to avoid

The key to success? A fast flow rate and the pitcher must

touch the surface for the foam to follow the sliding

manoeuvre. Otherwise, it becomes one straight, visible root

or stem-like shape.

Flow rate: fast

Watch it on YouTube

Steaming, pouring the milk into a larger pitcher, and

creating a winged-stack tulip.

Latte Art with XXL

155

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Step 2: Landing (3rd stack)

Land a big heart shape away from previous stacks, then…

Flow rate: fast

156

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Step 3: Lift up

Step 4: Cut through

Flow rate: slow

157

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Three Stacks Tulip

(winged tulip) steps rephrase:

1. Mixing

Start pouring with a slow flow into the centre of the coffee.

Then move circularly, as slow as you can.

2. Landing (1-2-3 stacks)

First stack, dive down into the coffee 3cm away from the

cup lip, and start to pour fast. Don’t forget to create a “v”

gap for each stack.

Second stack, dive down and land a distance away from the

first stack. Then slide forward into the middle position, and

keep pouring until the first stack wraps up like wings.

Third stack, land near the cup lip, dive down and touch the

surface to land a heart shape.

158

WINGED

STACK TULIP

3. Lift up

Lift up around 5cm – 8cm away from the coffee surface.

4. Cut through

Immediately cut through by pouring and moving forward

slowly towards the edge of cup, and fill it up until 100%.

159

WINGED

STACK TULIP

Mistakes revealed (Tulips)

160

ALL

STACKED TULIPS

1. Why does the tulip have different-sized stacks?

For the first stack (bottom), the landing is too far away from

the cup lip, probably 5cm – 6cm away, which means the tip

is too far away from the surface. For the second stack, the

landing flow rate was too slow, which is insufficient for the

shape to expand in size.

2. How come I can’t see the stack lines?

Each stack was landed too close to each other. As I

mentioned earlier, you need some distance between each

stack in order to create clear contrast.

3. Why is there a visible root-like line across the tulip?

Usually, there are two main reasons:

Number one: during the lift up and cut through, the pitcher

tip is too close to the coffee surface.

161

ALL

STACKED TULIPS

Number two: there's insufficient milk in your pitcher. Before

you’ve finished your pattern, there’s only foam pouring out.

So no matter how high you lift, there will still be a line. If this

happens, just fill more milk into your pitcher the next time

your pour.

4. Why is the first (bottom) stack washed out?

For the first stack landing, the tip distance is too far.

Remember, it should be 3cm – 4cm away from the cup lip.

To me, this looks more like 5cm – 8cm away. The farther the

distance between the surface and pitcher’s tip, the more

likely the pattern will be washed out.

162

ALL

STACKED TULIPS

5. Why are my stacks so tiny?

You need to pour a fast flow as close as possible to the

coffee surface for each stack. If the landing flow rate is too

slow, you’ll get tiny stacks.

Over my years of training in latte arts, for this particular

pattern, I've found that most people share one trait that

causes the mistakes shown above: fear of spilling.

One of the ways to overcome this fear is to practice with

water. Go ahead and spill the contents more than 10 times –

your fear will be significantly reduced. Then your mind will

be free and your hands will move without hesitation, like

driving a car without thinking much about it.

Here’s another tip: it’s good to analyse your past mistakes

with recorded videos, but don’t over-analyse. This will cause

your mind and body to disconnect, and we need this

synchronization (body and mind) for achievements.

163

ALL

STACKED TULIPS

Now you know about stacking, but

how about more stacks?

When you’re confident with this, you can use the same

technique for more repetitions. If you want to make more

stacks, then you have to start the first landing earlier. For

example, 50% filled to land 3 stacks, then 20-30% filled to

land 7–8 stacks.

The pitcher size matters. I recommend using a big pitcher

(20oz) for multiple stacking, because it can land lower than

a small pitcher. See my previous chapter regarding pitchers.

164

Fine Line, Winged Heart:

Learn to Generate Lines

About winged hearts

All the fine line patterns you’ve seen — a Rosetta, a Swan,

or a Winged Tulip — derive from this basic pattern.

In order to make this wing (bottom part), you need to land,

then wiggle with the correct manoeuvre, speed, and flow.

This will create a wing with good contrast.

You’ll see two different styles in the following illustrations.

The difference is caused by the wiggle speed and the

moving formation.

165

Slow winged heart – wiggle slowly. This will create thicker

lines and more contrast.

Winged heart – wiggle slightly faster to create thinner lines.

This will make the wing tidy and neat.

166

Patience and determination are the keys.

This wiggle skill requires extra patience. In my case, I tried

my luck without any guidance or mentor, and it took me

two years to master this skill. By “master,” I mean being able

to make clean winged patterns with nice contrast.

I studied many latte art videos and made many failed

attempts. It was a do-or-die situation (self-motivated), so I

studied and failed until I could do it. Then I got my first

apprentice, and I was able to train him to do this within

three months.

With these illustrations, you might learn more detail. It could

take you a month, or a few weeks.

You may ask which you should master first: the slow wiggle

or the wiggle?

167

This remains a mystery. I’ve taught some people who start

with the slow wiggle, some are fine either way. But one

thing’s for sure: don’t skip this pattern or try your luck with

the Rosetta or Swan first. I’ve been there and wasted eight

months of my time not mastering either the wing pattern or

any other patterns, like Rosetta.

Patience and determination are the keys. This technical

information is help you understand and run faster for the

next level.

Nothing works until you try and fail enough.

Let’s get started.

168

Concept of wiggle

There are a few key points you need to know about making

a fine-line pattern.

Foam. You need café latte foam or flat white foam. If the

foam is too thick, it won’t follow your wiggle manoeuvres,

and your lines will have less contrast.

Distance. Unlike solid patterns, fine-line patterns require the

pitcher’s tip to keep a distance (see the following

illustration) of around 0.5cm – 1cm. The tip shouldn’t touch

the surface.

169

THE WIGGLE

Wiggle speed. I'll explain in detail below.

I get many questions about the speed or tempo, and the

width of the wiggle.

170

THE WIGGLE

It’s difficult to tell you how fast is “fast” or how slow is “slow”

in writing, but thanks to modern technology, we're able to

communicate better.

In music, musicians refer to a metronome for tempo

guidance. You can use a metronome app (plenty of these

for iOS or Android) which makes a tick-tock sound,

indicating the speed for us to follow.

I’ve tried a few of them; they all measure speed by beats per

minute (bpm), so you don’t have to worry about which

application to download.

So, here are the wiggle tempos for your reference:

Slow wiggle is in a range of 100 - 110 bpm.

Wiggle is in a range of 150 - 160 bpm.

171

THE WIGGLE

The illustration above is to give you a better idea of how to

practice the fluid move of slow wiggle.

172

THE WIGGLE

Practice with other people’s hands (gap width of around

3cm). Or if you're alone, you can draw on a piece of paper.

Just make a tapered shape so you can practice wiggling

with the hand that holds the pitcher.

You need to move forward while wiggling according to the

tempo. Don’t forget to turn on the metronome!

There should be 8 touch points. Touch each point with each

sound or beat from the metronome.

The 8th point is where you push it forward. And this

tapering movement will create a neat wing that wraps

around the top of the heart.

173

THE WIGGLE

Points 1 – 7 means you wiggle 7 times. More wiggles will

create more layers but you’ll get less contrast, and the

outcome will be a blurry wing. Fewer wiggles will create

fewer lines. So 7 times is just nice. A range of 6 – 8 times is

just nice, depending on cup size. The priorities are contrast

and cleanliness.

Mistakes to avoid

• If you wiggle at the same point for the entire wing, you’ll

generate a blurry wing. Or worse, it will be one solid stack.

• Movement has to be fluid and smooth, but a robotic arm

movement will not work in real pouring.

(fluid and smooth like squid swimming in the sea)

174

THE WIGGLE

After you practice the wiggle concept with your hands, try it

with a pitcher. It will feel very similar.

My advice is to practice with water first before using milk

and coffee. Practice at least 5 – 10 times before you

attempt the wiggle with milk and coffee.

175

THE WIGGLE

Mistakes to avoid

These are some common mistakes that I’ve made, and

many other people. Let me list them:

Wiggle too fast and too much. This will create a very blurry

wing.

Wiggle too widely. This will create an unsymmetrical wing,

where one side is higher than the other.

Wiggle repetitively at the same spot. This also will create a

blurry wing.

176

THE WIGGLE

Slow winged heart

Let me write down the requirements to make this to work.

Slow winged heart

Foam: café latte foam.

Wiggle tempo: 100 – 110bpm.

Landing tip distance (wiggle): 0.5cm – 1cm from

surface.

Landing for solid heart: touch the surface.

Landing position: 3 – 4 cm away from cup lip.

For this pattern, I'll change from the side view to front view,

so it’s easier for you to understand.

177

SLOW-WINGED

HEART

Step 1: Mixing

Again, start with the step below, and mix until it’s 50% filled,

then…

178

SLOW-WINGED

HEART

Step 2: Landing with wiggle

Land at 3 – 4cm away from the cup lip, then pour fast, as

the tail is out, then…

179

SLOW-WINGED

HEART

Immediately start to wiggle with the right tempo. It will start

to lay out the lines, as shown in the illustration above —

note the numbers within the “V”. This is a rough idea about

how to wiggle to each touchpoint and keep moving forward

in a tapering movement, then…

Remember to keep a tip distance of 0.5 - 1cm away from

the surface throughout the wiggle process!

180

SLOW-WINGED

HEART

As you wiggle, keep moving forward until the 6th or 7th

wiggle. Then give a final push forward to create a “V” gap, as

shown in the illustration above, before lifting up for the next

move…

181

SLOW-WINGED

HEART

As seen in the illustration above, land a heart shape at the X

position. This time, you have to touch the surface and pour

fast. Then…

182

SLOW-WINGED

HEART

Step 3 and 4: Lift Up and Cut Through

Lift up then cut through to the X position with a slow flow

rate. Some people cut through until the edge of the cup.

This depends on your personal preference.

183

SLOW-WINGED

HEART

Winged heart and formation

This wiggle concept is slightly different compared to a slow

wiggle. This formation isn’t tapered. It stays the same width,

as you can see in the illustration below.

184

WINGED

HEART

As you can see, the illustration shows a different formation

of wiggles. There’s no tapering—so it stays the same width,

but still requires you to wiggle while you move forward and

maintain the same tempo. The width is narrower – around

1.5cm.

Practice with hands (your own or other people’s) and water

the same way as before.

Specifications for winged heart:

Foam: café latte foam or flat white foam.

Width: around 1.5cm.

Wiggle tempo: 150 – 160bpm.

Landing tip distance (wiggle): 0.5cm from surface.

Landing for solid heart: touch the surface

Landing position: 3 – 4 cm away from cup lip.

185

WINGED

HEART

Step 1: Mixing

You know the drill: fill the cup to 50%, then start…

186

WINGED

HEART

Step 2: Landing

3cm away from cup lip, do the landing, whenever you see

the tail is out…

As you wiggle, follow the tempo. Not too fast, not too slow

(use the metronome for guidance), and fast flow, you have

to keep moving forward slowly.

187

WINGED

HEART

WINGED

HEART

Then after the final wiggle (5th or 6th wiggle), give a final

push forward with a gentle lift up to create a “V” gap. Then it

should look like the illustration above: shaped like a tomato,

with internal lines like a chopped onion (full of lines).

188

WINGED

HEART

At the X position shown above, you can…

189

WINGED

HEART

Step 3: Land a heart

For this part, again it's solid latte art, so you have to touch

the coffee with the tip and pour fast to land a heart…

Step 4 and 5: Lift up and cut through

I don’t need to explain this part.

190

WINGED

HEART

Layered heart

There's another version of the top heart, which can be from

2 to 5 layers. Of course, if you'd like to keep it simple and

master the basics first, a single heart is a good start. But

after you master the single heart, you may want to try a 2-

layered heart and keep building your skills to create a 5 or 6-

layered heart.

After you get the idea of landing a 2-layered heart, you’ll get

to make 3, 4 and more. But take it step by step. I would

never advise a newbie to jump right into 2 or 3-layered heart

at the start.

191

LAYERED

HEART

The illustration above shows a 3-layered top heart. It looks

like an inverted chopped onion.

Next, I’ll explain how to make a 3-layered heart..

192

LAYERED

HEART

193

LAYERED

HEART

Land the first layer

At the “X” position, touch the tip and land a first layer (as

slow as possible) with a small lift-up gesture to create a “V”

gap, then…

Land the second layer

Referring to the “X” position in the previous illustration, land

another layer.

194

LAYERED

HEART

From the “X” position, land a second layer. This part is a bit

tricky. You have to pour with a!fast flow and touch the

surface with the pitcher’s tip.

195

LAYERED

HEART

Then slide forward to the centre of the first layer. After this,

you'll have space for the following layers. The foam should

follow your movement if you pour with a flow that’s fast

enough. Otherwise, it will end up as messy foam.

This stacking repetition needs to be done as slowly, steadily

and gently as possible.

You should note that if you want to make more layers, the

following layering steps are a repetition. Hence, the more

layers you want, the more space you'll need. So you'll need

to start the landing earlier.

196

LAYERED

HEART

Land a third layer

Refer to the illustration above: it’s the same step as before.

197

LAYERED

HEART

Again, remember that the more layers you want to make,

the more space you need. So if you’re planning to make a. 4

or 5-layered heart, then you need to plan your landing

ahead.

For example, instead of landing at the usual 50% filled cup,

your first landing should be earlier, when the cup is 30 -

40% filled. I recommend that you plan ahead —not just for

this pattern, but for any other latte art pattern as well.

198

LAYERED

HEART

Finally, you have to lift up and cut through to make the

layered heart look like an inverted chopped onion.

199

LAYERED

HEART

Winged Heart (slow winged or

winged) steps rephrase:

1. Mixing

Pour slowly into the centre of the coffee, then move

circularly, as slow as you can until the cup is filled 40 – 50%.

2. Landing for wing (wiggle)

Slow wiggle tempo is 100 – 110 bpm

Wiggle tempo is 150 – 160 bpm

(Use the metronome app to guide you.)

Wiggle while moving forward 6 – 7 times.

Slow wiggle – tapered formation.

Wiggle – straight formation.

200

WINGED OR

LAYERED HEART

3. Landing for a top heart (single or more

layers)

Single heart – land a big heart on top of the wing (touch

and pour fast).

Layered heart – land a “V” gap at the top of the wing (3cm

away from the cup lip) at the edge of cup, land and slide

forward into centre of first layer (touch the surface and pour

fast), lift with “V” gap. Repeat for desired layers.

4. Lift cup

Lift up around 5cm – 8cm away from the coffee surface.

5. Cut through

201

WINGED OR

LAYERED HEART

Mistakes revealed

(Winged Heart)

202

WINGED OR

LAYERED HEART

1. Why is my 3-layered heart so big?

You started landing too early when you landed the wing. You

probably started landing when the cup was 30% filled.

Eventually, when you did 3-layer stacking, you had more

time, especially on the third stack. That’s the part where you

spent too much time (landing the third stack) because you

wanted to fill the cup.

2. My wing looks like a single stack. Why?

It’s mainly because of the way you wiggle. You’re touching

the surface (with the tip) while wiggling. As I explained

earlier, you need to make fine lines without touching the tip

to the surface during wiggling. Leave minimal space

between the tip and surface — around 0.5cm to generate a

layer of lines.

203

WINGED OR

LAYERED HEART

3. My wing is not clean. The lines are blurry and washed

out. What's happening?

Wiggle tempo is very important. This happens because the

wiggling tempo is inconsistent (the wiggle speed is fast,

slow, then fast or vice versa). It is also partly because the

flow rate isn’t fast enough.

Watch it on YouTube

Layered heart

Winged heart

Slow-wiggle winged heart

204

WINGED OR

LAYERED HEART

Born of Winged Tulips

After you’ve mastered both the slow wing and the regular

wing, you can now use your creativity to make different

patterns. Below are some of the same techniques for

making different patterns.

205

Classic Winged Tulip

The preceding illustration shows the classic fine-lines tulip.

In technical terms, I call it the 7-3-3 Tulip, because it has 7

wiggles (bottom), 3 wiggles (centre) and a 3-layered heart

(top).

The cup’s capacity and your experience matter. To make this

pattern, I would use a 6oz (177ml) cup. With smaller cups,

it’s more difficult to make fine lines. You might have seen

some people on social media using bowl-like cups: 10oz

(295ml) to 12oz (354ml) cups to make many lines. It also

depends on a café’s preference in cup sizes.

This requires many failed pouring experiences to achieve.

That’s why I always encourage newbies to move step-by-

step to be more productive. No idea what I’m talking about?

Need a tutorial for this? Let me explain.

206

Classic Winged Tulip – a brief

tutorial

I assume you’re already experienced with the wiggle and

stacking techniques. If you’re not familiar with them, please

go back to the previous chapters and start from there. If

you’re ready, then here it comes.

207

WINGED

TULIP

WINGED

TULIP

After you’ve made a wing as usual, at position “X”, you have

to…

208

You have to land a wiggle heart. This is a 7-3-3 Winged Tulip,

which means on this middle part, you have to wiggle three

times. Now, if you want to wiggle more, it’s fine. But for me,

three times is fine.

The previous illustration shows landing at the “X” position,

then a wiggle while moving forward. While doing that

(wiggle + sliding forward), you’ll notice that your wing starts

expanding (the green circles in the illustration). This is a

good sign that you’re doing it right.

209

WINGED

TULIP

When you’re done with the wiggle, it should look similar to

the cup on the left. Follow up by topping with a 3-layered

heart, or if you like to keep it simple, with just a single heart.

Again, the top heart has to land with a fast-flow rate, and

you have to touch the surface.

210

WINGED

TULIP

1-1-1 Winged Tulip

There are many versions of this. You can use your creativity

to play with different stacks. The illustration above shows

stacks in one-by-one on top of the wing.

211

WINGED

TULIP

You could use this technique to play with different styles—

for instance, a 1-2 Winged Tulip, or a 2-2 Winged Tulip. It

depends on the cup size. I made a 5-3 Winged Tulip with a

7oz cup before, and it was easy when I realized my mistakes

after replaying my self-recorded videos. Then I could master

my stacking and winged techniques.

Watch it on YouTube

Slow-winged tulip

212

WINGED

TULIP

2-1 Slow Winged Tulip

I repeat: there are so many patterns you can make after

you’ve mastered these skills (wing, slow wing, stacking).

This tulip is a slow wing topped with a 2-layered and single

heart, which makes the whole pattern look different with

just a minor tweak.

213

SLOW-WINGED

TULIP

LATTE ART 2:

FINE LINE LATTE

ARTS

214

Why I refuse to teach Rosetta by

skipping basics.

For basic fine-line patterns, the Rosetta is the benchmark

for latte art skills by far. It’s also the most difficult for most

newbie baristas. I noticed that most newbies jump straight

into this pattern and ignore the basic patterns. I was one of

them as well.

But when I awoke from this behaviour, I realized that I'd

wasted 8 months of my time on perfecting the Rosetta

(while skipping basic patterns) and I had failed. I also

realized I’d achieved nothing on basic patterns (I could

barely make a tulip) and I still couldn’t make a clean, neat

Rosetta.

215

This is why my book presents to you the tutorials for basic

Heart Shape, Tulip, and wiggle techniques — then Rosetta.

Learning from my experience, I refuse to teach students

who only want to learn the Rosetta pattern or the Winged

Tulip and skip the basic patterns, because I know it will be a

waste of their time.

216

I’m going to introduce two types of “Settas”. Just like the

Winged Heart, there’s a slow-wiggle type called “Slowsetta,”

and a regular one called “Rosetta.”

Besides the tempo and wiggle repetition differences,

there's an additional difference in the wiggle formation.

After I failed the Rosetta at first, I learned the basics, then

Slowsetta. Then I eventually got the wiggle right for Rosetta

by picking up the tempo.

217

But you can have it your own way: either the Rosetta first or

the Slowsetta. However, because I believe in learning to

walk (slow) before learning to run (fast), I suggest the

Slowsetta first.

218

Slowsetta Wiggle Concept

The wiggle has two parts.

1. Forward (illustration at left).

2. Backward (illustration at right).

219

As I mentioned before, the forward-wiggle formation will

create a tidy wing that wraps upwards. The backward wiggle

will then create the neck for Slowsetta, as you can see from

the illustration on the right. The backward-wiggle formation

should be shaped like a snake. After this wiggle, top it with a

heart shape or a 2-layered heart shape.

220

Wiggle more, wiggle less?

The number of wiggles depends on the capacity of your

cup. If you use a bigger cup — like a 10oz cup — then you

can wiggle more. If your cup is smaller, like 5oz, you could

have 5-6 wiggles.

I would use a 6oz cup as a standard.

Specifications for the Slowsetta wiggle:

Foam: café latte foam or flat white foam

Width: around 2-3cm

Wiggle tempo: 100 – 110bpm

Landing tip distance (wiggle): 0.5 – 1cm from

surface

Landing for solid heart: touch the surface

221

Again, I advise practicing with your hands and water before

getting into the real thing. This pattern needs to have very

fluid, smooth manoeuvres and you need to perform them

calmly.

222

Slowsetta

Step 1: Mix until the cup is 40 - 50% filled.

Step 2: Land at 3cm – 4cm away from the cup lip, then

continue with the steps.

223

SLOWSETTA

Landing

The illustration shows that after a tail flows out, immediately

follow with a tempo wiggle forward around 3 times, then…

224

SLOWSETTA

Around the 4th wiggle onward, start wiggling backward to

create the neck.

225

SLOWSETTA

Remember, you have to wiggle backwards, like drawing a

snake. The illustration above shows approximately the 7th

wiggle. When you pour fast enough, the wing will wrap up

(as highlighted in the green circles). Next…

226

SLOWSETTA

This is the part where you need to make the final wiggle, like

a dragon head on top. Then…

227

SLOWSETTA

On top of the dragon head, at the “X” position right before

the white foam, land a heart shape. Touch the surface and

pour a fast flow. Always remember, never, ever land at the

white foam – because the patterns will merge. That’s why

the “X” above is on the coffee.

Step 3: Lift up.

Step 4: Cut through.

228

SLOWSETTASLOWSETTA

And it’s a wrap for this. The next pattern is the Rosetta. And

to tell you the truth, it’s a classic and basic pattern, but also

the hardest for newbies. So before you go there, you should

master the wiggle and stacking skills.

229

Watch it on

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YouTube

The Slowsetta

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Rosetta and Formation

This is the final pattern in this book. But this won’t be my

last book. Your support means everything to me. Therefore, I

hope to cover many more variants and more technically

advanced patterns in the near future.

Rosetta – I don’t know why they gave this a feminine name

when the real inspiration came from a fern leaf. There are

many types of Rosetta — too many to cover — so I’m

choosing this pattern because it’s easiest for newbies.

So let’s begin.

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Wiggle concept

Similar to the Slowsetta, this pattern has two parts: forward,

then backward.

I would give 10-14 wiggles for this. It also depends on your

style and creativity. Based on my 6oz cup, I could wiggle

around 14 times or less. As the illustration above shows, the

formation should be 1.5cm in width. It’s narrower, but

consistently the same width all the way.

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A different wiggle repetition, flow rate and wiggle tempo

will create a different style of Rosetta.

This is one of the reasons why it's difficult to produce

exactly the same Rosetta pattern every time. We need to be

very aware of what we’re pouring in terms of technicality,

but it’s not impossible.

For this tempo, I would go roughly at about 160bpm –

170bpm.

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Specifications for Rosetta:

Foam: café latte foam or flat white foam

Width: around 1.5cm

Wiggle tempo: 160 – 170 bpm.

Landing tip distance (wiggle): 0.5cm from surface

Landing for solid heart: touch the surface

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ROSETTA

Rosetta

Step 1: Mix until the cup is around 40% - 50% filled.

Step 2: Land, following the instructions below.

Land at 4cm from the cup lip. As soon as the tail is visible,

start wiggling at 160-170bpm, at a consistent width of

1.5cm with seven forward wiggles.

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ROSETTA

When you notice the wing starting to wrap upward (as

shown in the illustration above, in the red circle), then start

wiggling backwards, until …

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ROSETTA

The neck should show up clearly and with good contrast.

Then you need to land a heart or a 2-layered heart, but try

not to stack too many layers, as it will compress the whole

picture and blur out the contrast of the whole pattern.

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ROSETTA

Step 3: Lift up

Lift up right after you land a heart.

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ROSETTA

Step 4: Cut through

The Rosetta may sound and look very easy with these few

simple illustrations. In reality, it may be way more

complicated than I described. But keep practicing with

water and getting the tempo right. These are crucial for

success and to better understand the wiggle concept.

As I’ve mentioned many times: patience, determination and

calmness are keys to making good coffee with latte art.

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ROSETTA

Most importantly, you should enjoy the process of making

good coffee for yourself, your family, loved ones and

friends.

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ROSETTA

I understand that new latte art patterns can be a pain in the

ass at the start. Just like our love life or starting a business,

it’s not easy to start and not easy to maintain, but as long as

you enjoy what you do every day, it will maintain itself.

Watch it on YouTube

Pouring a rosetta

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ROSETTA

Mistakes revealed:

Slowsetta and Rosetta

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SLOWSETTA &

ROSETTA

You can make more mistakes than the ones I showed in the

illustrations. But these should give you an idea. Don’t you

worry; I’ve made these errors before as well. Look at it from

another perspective: these are the pathways to pouring a

nice, neat Slowsetta or Rosetta. I've never seen anyone pour

a nice pattern during the first few trials. Therefore, be

patient and determined.

1. How come my slowsetta doesn’t have neat leaves and a

bigger shape?

Generally, this happens when you don’t pour fast enough.

The flow rate of the milk didn’t produce enough strength to

push and expand into a bigger pattern size. You need a fast

flow rate to generates a neat pattern.

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SLOWSETTA &

ROSETTA

2. Why does my slowsetta bottom seem washed out,

although I poured fast enough?

For the landing part, you’ve poured too far away from the

cup lip. You need to land around 4cm away from the lip. In

this pattern, it looks like the pour was at least 6cm away.

This distance will lead to a washed-out pattern.

3. It’s weird that my rosetta pattern is hitting the lip.

What’s going on here?

This is also another classic example of starting the landing

too far away from the lip. And I can tell that the wiggle

didn’t follow the suggested tempo.

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SLOWSETTA &

ROSETTA

4. The heart shape on top of my rosetta looks tiny and the

wing doesn’t wrap up. Why?

The straight answer is that the flow rate is too slow and the

wiggle too fast. As I mentioned, the right flow rate

generates the strength to expand, so that the wing will wrap

upwards. The landing flow rate for the heart shape was too

slow, as well.

5. I’ve finally made what looks like a rosetta, but why isn’t

the whole pattern clean and neat?

This is a great start. This shows that you’re on the right track.

One last thing you should work on is the wiggle tempo,

keeping a consistent width. These are the keys to landing

any nice, neat latte art pattern.

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SLOWSETTA &

ROSETTA

How was this book conceived?

I enjoy teaching classes and coaching students from

inexperienced to skillful. I feel proud cultivating them and

watching them grow.

Often, I’ve received requests from my followers to guide

them because their hometown or country doesn’t have

coffee classes available. Therefore I’m also eager to teach

people outside of Malaysia, but I can’t reach other countries

and run my local classes simultaneously.

Latte art classes can't be conducted via Zoom webinars.

You need an espresso machine for hand guidance or visual

guidance. But a book is a good idea for those of you in

distant countries that I can't reach.

253

Also, I’ve bought books about latte art, but I couldn’t

understand much from them. The books don’t provide clear

technical how-tos or explanations; they only showcase

photographs. They don’t teach fundamentals like texturing

milk.

When I searched “latte art book” on Google, I found limited

choices. So I came up with a brighter idea of what the

market needs.

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Acknowledgments

What I've learned from my years of experience at the coffee

bar, home coffee bar, and teaching classes, I’ve passed on

to you. If you read this book page-by-page and apply it to

your daily practices as a home barista or at a café, this

information will lead you to the next level.

I also have to acknowledge that there are many

perspectives; I'm still a student, keeping my heart curious

and open. I believe we can serve better coffee worldwide.

Though I can't teach you face-to-face, I hope this book has

revealed and demystified latte-art pouring techniques and

texturing methods. I struggled with these at first without

any mentor to guide me through countless moments of

frustration.

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I would like to express gratitude to my friends, my followers,

my supporters, my loved ones, my colleagues and family.

Thanks for giving me space and time to write and for being

emotionally supportive.

And also, thank you for purchasing this book from me.

Please share it with whoever you think is in need of such

information.

My learning philosophy is:

When you've learned something, you pass it on to others.

This will double your improvement and benefit all.

If you want to move on to the next stage, give teaching a

try. You’ll understand the subject even deeper.

I believe in a win-win situation.

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Feel free to visit or DM me via Instagram @sinnedhew

(Dennis Hew) or visit my YouTube tutorial channel or my

The Coffee and the Company podcast (on YouTube).

I would be glad to know how your improvement progresses

and how you're able to inspire others to make coffee at

home or at a coffee bar.

Stay healthy and see you again.

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