I'm getting good at this...

Nearly perfect

Good form but EXTREMELY wee

Looks like a pine tree?!

So I've been having some pretty darn good pours recently and besides getting the frothing just about right, I've changed up my pouring technique. Instead of holding both the cup and the pitcher in the air I've started putting the cup on the counter and resting the spout of the pitcher on the edge of the cup. This lets me do a slower more consistent pour before I begin the rosetta "shake".

As you can see the results have been very good. Not master barista good, mind you. Just good enough that I'm pleased with the look I've achieved before it goes in my belly. After all, it's kind of a stupid thing latte art, because once you enjoy the drink the art is all but a memory. But yet it's still fun to do! I'm odd, what can I say.

As a side note, I'm getting MUCH better crema now that I have some robusta beans in my home roast once more. I don't know anywhere in town that carries them so I had to order online - 3 lbs to be exact and since I only use about 25-30g at most per roast I think I'm set for quite some time. :)

Happy ending of summer!

-Naug

New house still average results

So, I have a new house and I had to fight with my wife to put my Silvia and Rocky where *I* wanted them. I eventually won and she gets to buy $1200 worth of drapes. Wait, did I REALLY win after all?

I really need to order some robusta beans online cause even though my crema is good, it could be GREAT!

I also have to roast in the basement now using the dryer vent since my new house sadly doesn't have a vented stove hood as my first house did. But it's all good.

Here's one of my rosetta pours. It's not great. I wish I could get that perfect pour. Someday, right?

-Naug

Sunny Morning Latte

Nothing like a sunny morning and a good pour to cheer up one's day. If only my new water heater would self-install itself.

Happy and warmer days ahead!

-Naug

Less froth is better...

I now know - or at least I have reaffirmed my understanding that LESS is more and in the case of latte art, you need good tight froth, but you can't have too much lest you ruin the crema during the pour. I am also getting more comfortable with the pour itself. It is just often hard to get good dry steam and not TOO much so that I can quickly get some tight microfoam then bury the wand deep into the milk and get a whirlpool going.

My wife still wants me to learn a new pour, but until I can do a rosetta every time and equally as good as the last I continue to trudge onward and forward. My baby is crying so I end this blog entry now.

-Naug

Another try - not bad... not bad

I still try to pour good latte art every time I make a latte but depending on the freshness of the milk and basically how little I try the better results I get. I try to just minimally incorporate air when I begin to froth then I get the milk whirlpooling around. Sometimes this works great and sometimes I get no froth whatsoever and therefore no art.



I'm getting a little more consistent with the actual pours - this is where the true skill lies. And then there's my wife who keeps chiding me asking when am I going to learn a new design. Sometimes she can be so mean. ;-)



I wish I worked in a coffee shop... part-time, that is.