Full Steam Ahead

We would be remiss in our discussions about latte art if we didn’t cover the importance of steam itself. 

The foundation to good latte art is smooth glossy milk. In our previous post we discussed what to look for when choosing a milk pitcher to help you achieve the perfect milk. Today we will go over the steam wand and steam pressure and how they affect your milk quality, and therefore the quality of your latte art. 

Dalla Corte has a reputation for producing some of the nicest milk for latte art because of our independent boiler system, which allows baristas to independently manage the temperature for each group and/or the steam boiler. We’ve also been praised for the shape of our steam wands, and the cool-touch steam wand featured on the Zero. 

Here are a couple things to consider if you are still struggling to achieve good quality milk for your latte art.

Temperature:

Adjusting the temperature can alter the quality of your steamed milk because it changes the steam pressure, and therefore the speed at which the milk spins. If your milk isn’t spinning at the right speed it won’t be possible to produce a microfoam or a smooth silky finish. Reducing the temperature of your steam boiler will slow the spin of your milk whereas increasing the temperature will speed-up the spin of your milk. 

The Steam Wand Tip:

Dalla Corte has three different steam wand tips that can be used with our system. There is a two-hole tip, a three-hole tip, and a four-hole tip. Using the right tip will also help control the amount of steam going into your milk. The two-hole tip is perfect if you are making a single cup of coffee. The three-hole tip is good for any amount of milk between 8 - 12 oz, for example, if you are making a large cup of coffee or two small coffees. The four-hole tip is best for steaming any amount above 10 oz.