Milk Texturing

Ian Brook

I've been trying to master milk texturing long before I got my L1, with limited success. I've read more articles on line and seen more YouTube videos than I care to remember. I've tried various depths of wand immersion, angles and distances from the side of the jug, of which I've tried all manner of makes, sizes and shapes, and I don't overheat the milk. Occasionally I get it right, but it's a rarity, and I'm cross with myself that I can't master something that baristas seem to do effortlessly. My results tend to produce a cappucinno with a white cap, almost as though topped with meringue (see picture attached), where latte art is impossible. When I try to reduce the production of this type of foam, I often end up with a flat white type of product. What I see produced in decent cafés seems to be somewhere in the middle, but may be a latte as opposed to a cappuccino, where the foamy top, in which the latte art is done, is caramel coloured, with white micro-foam artwork on top. May be my white capped cappucinnos, with the brown ring around the circumference is what they should be like, and perhaps I should stop my obsessive desires to create latte art, but I don't give up easily and get annoyed with myself when I can't do something. If anyone has any tips, I'd be grateful. The other image attached is one of my worse attempts at 'art' (some have been better but not photographed). I had given thought to purchasing the 'slow lane' nozzle for the L1. Anyone got any experience of that? I know I could pull out the money and attend a Latte Art class.

Attached files

Ian Brook

A better attempt since the original post.

Attached files

Dave Hyde

Ian where abouts are you? There is nothing like some hands on assistance in relation to this, it is probably something really obvious and simple that you are doing, I get best results out of the four hole 1 mm as it creates a fab vortex, hopwever the two hole tip gives a bit more control over the process. The key is the depth of the tip in the milk at the start.

First, purge the wand thoroughly to get rid of water drop lets, then drop the wand deep in the milk and start the steam, now draw the wand up until you get the tst tst tst sound, the milk should now be foaming not bubbling, I tend to angle the wand at 45 degrees in the milk ( works for me). Stretch the milk but not too much the plunge wand in and to the side of the jug to get the swirl going, now just stop wand at correct temp. This all takes seconds with a four hole but a bit longer with the two.

Here's mine, a bit bubbly but not bad...

Attached files

Ian Brook

Thanks for that Dave, your Rosetta is better than any I've accomplished. I've had that bubbly effect too, which I think is eliminated by a knock or two on the workbench. I'm in North Yorkshire. There's a very nice, small company called Limini Coffee, in Bradford, that does latte art classes, and I may have to resort to that.

Dave Hyde

I know an l1 owner in Sheffield who is open to a little one on one training, his latte art is really good.

Patrick Bennett

Hi guys,

I make allot of flat whites, as many as I make shots. My routine is thoroughly purge the water from the wand, wet steam is your enemy. Next I bury the wand deep enough so as not to create bubbling when the steam is turned on. Turn on the steam and quickly bring it up to the proper depth (it's sometimes you just get a feel for with time). The stretching phase for me only lasts between 5 and 10 seconds, I keep my wand fairly verticle for this part. Then I bury the want deeper and at an angle to one side of the jug to get a nice consistent vortex (swirl/funnel). I ensure that this part has no bubbling or sucking noises. I find any air introduced after 100•F tends to add visible bubbles to the final product. I stop the procedure when the temptag begins to turn yellow. Don't remove the wand until the steam is 100% stopped. Then I swirl and tap the jug and away we go.
Not the best and it's not a great effort every time but it's the best I can offer.

Ian Brook

That's very kind of you Dave. I work in Sheffield occasionally, and will email you to see if it would be convenient to drop by if that's OK. Ian