Your espresso machine is just the beginning. With a little patience and some basic tools, you can really impress your guests with coffee art. Here are some simple directions to make chasing hearts. It’s up to you to choose who you want to show your art off to.
Tools
You will already have these in your kitchen. You need a small stainless steel jug, a teaspoon, a tablespoon and a metal skewer.
Brown Base
Heat a jug of milk and swirl it to get a silky texture, as you learned in the previous post. Pour the milk into the centre of a glass of coffee in a steady stream, in the same spot. The milk will disappear under the crema and leave a smooth, brown base for you to create your art on.
Chasing Hearts
Prepare a glass of coffee and add milk to make a brown base, as above. Foam some milk in a jug. Use a teaspoon to put three dots of foam on top of the brown base. Put your metal skewer about an inch deep into the crema and in one circular movement, draw it through the middle of each of the three dots. And voila! Three hearts, chasing each other around the top of your coffee.
There’s more about espresso machines at http://espressomachinecenter.com
There are some simple techniques you can learn to become a milk master.
Temperature
The worst mistake you can make is to burn the milk. It makes a vile smell that hangs around for ages. It’s also the most common mistake made. The ideal temperature is 66-76 degrees Celsius. You can use a thermometer, but if you want to look like an expert, use a stainless steel jug and heat the milk until you feel you can no longer keep your hand on the side of the jug.
Foaming
Start with cold milk. You’ll have more time to get maximum foam before the milk gets too hot. Only fill the jug one third full, to leave room for the foam. Put the steam arm under the milk in the middle of the jug, apply maximum steam and slowly lower the jug, taking care to keep the steam arm in the milk.
Bubble Size
If you want to do coffee art, the milk needs to be smooth and shiny. Lower the jug very slowly, so no big bubbles form while you are foaming. Tap the jug on the bench to get rid of any bubbles and swirl the jug to get the texture right.
Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect - at least you will look like you know what you’re doing.
So, make a cappuccino and have a look at http://espressomachinecenter.com