Latte Art Tutorial with a World Champion Latte Artist
Mastering the Heart: A Beginner's Guide to Latte Art
They say hearts are simple—but if you’ve ever tried to pour one and ended up with a blob that looks more like a chicken nugget than a romantic symbol, you’re not alone. Whether you’re crafting a latte for your significant other or just perfecting your skills for the love of the craft, today’s the day your pours get a serious glow-up.
Meet Emilee Bryant, past Latte Art World Champion, and in this tutorial, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to pour three classic latte art heart designs—the simple heart, the rippled heart, and the stacked heart—like a pro.
What You'll Need
Before we dive into technique, let’s talk tools. To follow along, you’ll need:
- A base: espresso, coffee, or even hot chocolate
- A cup
- A pitcher for pouring
- A way to steam milk (We are using the Flair Wizard Steamer in this tutorial)
Don’t worry—if you’re new to milk steaming, check out this milk steaming guide, featuring the Wizard Steamer, here>
The Secret to Latte Art: Foam on Foam
Latte art isn’t magic—it’s just foam resting on top of foam. The key is to create microfoam with the right texture, so it floats instead of sinking. That happens when:
- Your pitcher gets close to the coffee surface
- You tilt your cup (just like baristas do!) to maximize surface area
- You pour with intention
Think of it like a moving truck. You wouldn’t drop furniture straight to the ground—you’d use a ramp. Your pitcher spout is that ramp, helping the foam glide onto the coffee gently.
Design 1: Pouring the Simple Heart
- Integrate: Start by mixing a little milk into your coffee base. This “integration” gives the foundation, or base, upon which your latte art can float. You should be pouring directly into the center of the cup, and then lifting up your pitcher to stop the flow.
- Less integration = larger, softer hearts
- More integration = smaller, tighter hearts
- Pour: Once you’ve integrated:
- Tilt your cup forward to more easily meet your pitcher
- Drop the spout of the pitcher just above center of your cup
- Let foam settle into the base, forming a circle
- Tilt your cup away from the pitcher as you fill in the circle
- Fill until nearly horizontal
- Finish: With the cup full, lift the pitcher diagonally through the heart to create that signature point.
✨ Pro Tip: Go diagonally, not straight up or across, or you’ll end up with a weird shape—think 2011 deep V-neck shirts.
Design 2: Pouring the Rippled Heart
The rippled heart is a bit more technical but builds on the same foundation. This is a bit more technical, but is the basis for so many other designs. To create the rippled heart, you need to create a wave with the milk that’s coming out of your pitcher, by moving back and forth as you pour.
- Integrate, just like before—but give yourself a little more space this time. Don’t fill as high with your integration.
- Ripple: As you pour, gently wiggle your pitcher back and forth.
- Tight wiggles = fine detail, more texture
- Wide wiggles = bolder look, more color
- You can ripple using your arm, wrist, or even just your middle finger to tap a rhythm on the pitcher.
- Cut through: When you’re done rippling, like an airplane taking off, lift and sweep through the center diagonally to finish your masterpiece.
🧠Practice this with water first—it’s all about developing muscle memory!
Design 3: Pouring the Stacked Heart
You’ve mastered one heart—now let’s stack ’em.
- Integrate lightly to leave room for multiple pours.
- Land above center and pour a tiny heart, but don’t cut all the way through.
- Scoop: At the end of each pour, scoop your pitcher up and back. This halts the flow and creates a crescent base for the next layer.
- Repeat: Move slightly higher in the cup, and guide your milk forward into the crescent and scoop again. Repeat for as many stacked hearts as your heart desires!
For the final heart:
- Pour deeper into the cup
- Hold the pour a bit longer
- Then lift and cut through diagonally
🎯 It’s like playing latte art limbo—each heart sits just a little higher than the last.
You're Now a Latte Artist!
By now, you’ve nailed:
- The simple heart
- The rippled heart
- The stacked heart
You’ve also picked up essential techniques like integrating, pouring, rippling, and layering. And yes—this means you now understand the basics of tulips, too!
No more chicken nuggets. You’ve graduated to chicken tenders.
If you’re interested in the milk steamer we used, check out the Flair Wizard Steamer linked below for details.
Cheers to better lattes—and even better art.
