Chasing Better Latte Art: My Experiments with Cup Size, Ratios, and Milk Texture

There Were More Things to Think About Than I Expected

As I spent more time making coffee, I started noticing how many things I could change.

There was the cup size, the amount of coffee, the espresso yield, the beans, the milk texture, and the design I wanted to pour.

Having room to experiment was part of what I liked about using an espresso machine. It also made learning confusing when too many things were changing together.

If a cup turned out differently, I wanted to understand what had made the difference.

The Cup and the Recipe Needed a Starting Point

My early setup included a 300ml cup and a starting espresso recipe of 18g in and 36g out.

The cup felt large for learning latte art. It gave me more to get used to while I was still struggling with milk texture and trying to pour a simple shape.

Now, if I were organising my practice from the beginning, I would choose one manageable cup and keep using it for a while.

I would also keep the coffee beans and espresso recipe steady while concentrating on the milk. There would still be room to explore different ratios later, once I had a clearer idea of what I was trying to improve.

Cup size became one of the things I paid more attention to.

Milk Texture Needed Its Own Practice

My milk could be thick one time and thin the next. That made it difficult to judge the pouring part fairly.

I could try to repeat the same movement, but different milk would still give me a different result.

The aim was to get a smooth, even texture that stayed together as it poured. Preparing that texture is a key part of the process in La Marzocco’s pouring guide.

For my own practice, I wanted that part to become more familiar before moving quickly between different designs.

Some attempts to compare while learning what to pay attention to.

One Change at a Time

The advice I would give another beginner is to keep your starting conditions steady.

Use the same cup for a while. Stay with the same beans and a starting recipe. Practise one basic design. Then choose one thing to adjust and pay attention to the result.

That’s how I want to approach improving my coffee too. I still enjoy experimenting, but I want each change to teach me something I can use in the next cup.