alterra employees up here are all trained to do rather nice latte art. they make it look so easy.

i'm crap at it, so my advice is probably useless, but from the photos posted in the other thread, it appears you first need to get your microfoaming skills up to par for making good latte art. your bubbles are too big. i have this problem too. a consistent texture throughout the foam will allow it to flow more evenly, making it easier to control. i have given up on making latte art until i get my microfoam perfected.

the machine i use now is capable of it, which might be another problem for you, some machines are just don't make good foam, no matter how hard you try. the last time i was at electrical, there was an orange francis francis machine there? i've used that particular model extensively, and if that's what you're using, i think you're getting the best results you'll ever get with it. (and you're doing really well by the way, i didn't mean to be too critical)

i'm sure you have seen this already, but there's a lot of excellent instructions here.

then again, if the girl who offered lessons is cute, by all means take her up on the offer.

good luck.

I'm not much for latte designs, but I really enjoy Flying Saucer's coffee...they serve a local coffee called "Freedom Coffee." It's delicious!

Also, Intelligensia (sp?) is quite good...sometimes a little too smokey, but very rich.

as official life long coffee shop barista (i need to get a life immediately) i can officially say do not skim the surface of the steaming milk with the tip of your wand the whole time. it's retarded. heat your milk (from 1/3 up from the bottom, moving up and down about 1 or two inches) to 140 - 160 (keeping in mind that it'll probably raise in temperature another 10-20 degrees once you're done). at about 140 you can pull yr pitcher to where the steamwand is only submerged about an inch... slowely pull pitcher downwards to get a good foam (not too airy) (but not for too long or the milk will get filmy and that is so so gross). if you want an easy foam, use skim and a metal pitcher (for the milk) you've kept in the freezer. doot doot!

just skimmed through the instructions again, i'd forgotten that the foam to milk ratio needs to be heavier on the steamed milk side.

she probably doesn't have to surf too long because there's a lot more power behind the machine she's using. smaller home machines take longer but maybe you don't need to expand the milk so long. we've got the andreja premium and it gets annoying that it works too damn fast heating the milk up. i like a lot of foam. the texture and it sweetens the milk, but i have a hard time getting enough withouth scalding the milk.

i'll try to remember to post photos to the other thread.

Intern_8033 wrote:I noticed the lady at Metropolis (not hot, incidentally) only skimmed the surface for a brief moment before sinking the wand. I had been skimming for almost the entirety of the steaming. It makes a lot of foam, but its dangerous -- if you pull out too quickly, you'll get huge nasty bubbles.

ok, seriously, let's agree to not bother with the jokes regarding the above statements--sinking the wand, foam, pulling out, and so forth. way easier than shooting fish in a barrel. QED etc.

tmidgett wrote:ok, seriously, let's agree to not bother with the jokes regarding the above statements--sinking the wand, foam, pulling out, and so forth. way easier than shooting fish in a barrel. QED etc.

And makes for terrible band names:

Metropolis
Not Hot
A Brief Moment
the Wand
Steaming
You Pull Out
Huge Nasty

thought about that, but it's more fun to be subtle.

The Coffee and Tea exchange on Broadway just north of Belmont is great. They have new varieties every day, and only 1.00 a cup. No latte art, but also a great place to get beans.

It is, however, in the heart of Boys Town, for all you Steaming Huge Nasty... oh, never mind.

steve wrote:Metropolis
A Brief Moment
the Wand

i'm pretty we shared a four-band bill with these guys at the vogue in seattle in '91

'huge nasty' was probably playing at the university sportsbar

gio wrote:The Coffee and Tea exchange on Broadway just north of Belmont is great. They have new varieties every day, and only 1.00 a cup. No latte art, but also a great place to get beans.

It is, however, in the heart of Boys Town, for all you Steaming Huge Nasty... oh, never mind.

seconded.

used to work for them at the other old store.

a fine, fine business run by an honest dude that treats his employees very well and roasts the coffee in this city.

f-r-e-s-h.



Faiz