How to Create Latte Art in Americano? What Are the Principles of Latte Art? How to Steam Espresso with Steam?

The Art of Coffee Latte

The birth of coffee latte art has greatly enhanced the appeal of milk-based espresso beverages. Even those who have never experienced coffee are drawn to the exquisite latte patterns, and will order a cup of "bitterness" they've never tasted before. This practice is called "Latte Art" - the art of latte. In Italian, latte means milk. This means that latte art is a unique art form belonging to milk.

However, many Americano enthusiasts who don't prefer milk-based coffee also want to have a beautiful latte art pattern in their coffee. So they ask coffee shops: "Can you make latte art for my Americano?"

As everyone knows, Americano is made with espresso and water, without any other substances involved, which is why Americano is classified as a black coffee. So, can Americano coffee also create latte art patterns without a single drop of milk?

The Answer: Yes, You Can!

The answer is naturally yes! The principle of coffee latte art is to make the foam created by steamed milk float on the surface of the coffee, thereby forming patterns. The main component of milk foam is protein, and espresso also contains this "hard requirement." So, we only need to create conditions that can support foaming, and even Americano coffee can have a beautiful latte art pattern!

The Key: Liquid Volume

The condition we need to create is liquid volume! The small amount of liquid in espresso simply cannot be foamed by a powerful steam wand, so we need to increase the liquid volume used for foaming. This is quite simple to achieve - just replace the hot water originally used to dilute the espresso with room temperature water, then pour it into the latte art pitcher to foam together with the espresso! Of course, using ice water is best, because the lower the liquid temperature, the longer the foaming time, resulting in denser foam. But if you don't have ice water, that's okay - we can add ice to the water to achieve the cooling effect directly! It's all water, and when the ice melts, it won't dilute the water's concentration~ Good! The theory is formed, now FrontStreet Coffee will show you how to make latte art with Americano coffee!

Americano Latte Art Recipe

The ratio of Americano latte art coffee to water remains 1:4 for hot Americano, but because we need to cool the liquid used for foaming, we need to replace half of the water with ice. The specific parameters are: 40ml coffee liquid, then 80ml room temperature water and 80g of ice cubes~ First, we pour the water and ice cubes into the latte art pitcher together.

Then, use a split portafilter to extract the espresso into two portions. (Parameters: 20g coffee grounds, 1:2 coffee-to-liquid ratio, extraction time 30 seconds)

Pour one portion into the coffee cup, and the other into the latte art pitcher and shake well.

After shaking well, we use the steam wand for foaming. The foaming process is the same as foaming milk - air intake, creating fine foam, and integration. What needs attention during foaming is that because water has higher fluidity, we need to increase the thickness of the foam to reduce fluidity and increase fault tolerance.

After foaming is complete, shake the pitcher to better integrate the liquid and bubbles. Then immediately start creating the art! (Don't delay, because coffee foam dissipates relatively quickly)

The art creation process is no different from latte, with specific patterns depending on your latte art proficiency, and then you're done!

The pattern is clearly visible! This Americano with foam offers a unique drinking experience. In addition to the original Americano flavor, the surface foam adds richness to the overall drinking experience, making it very comfortable! Come and give it a try~

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