How do beginners practice coffee flower drawing from scratch?

Whenever a small partner joins the team in front of the street, the study course of Coffee Lafayette follows. As soon as it comes to the interval of practice, the "Zizi" sound of the steam stick surrounds the whole store.

Some people understand the trick within a few days, as long as a little practice a variety of good-looking patterns come in handy. But some people practice more and more retrogression, originally can also pull the heart, why now can not even come out of the shape. The worse the practice is, the worse it is, the more urgent it is, the more anxious it is, the more you want to give up. What are we going to do?

From Qianjie's point of view, as a beginner, if you want to learn and learn to pull flowers well, it is the key to find the right reason for turning over.

Only by understanding the principle can we be invincible.

The oil of espresso (Crema) and the foam produced by the whipping process of milk (the air is wrapped with protein) float on the surface of the liquid because of its lower density. When the two blend, the milk and coffee will sink, and the grease and milk bubbles will float, relying on the sharp contrast of the two colors to form a beautiful pattern.

Flower drawing is divided into two main links: fusion + drawing. The same vat of milk foam, fusion stage, it is required to properly increase the nozzle to inject milk, milk bubbles are washed into the coffee with strength, so the surface will not appear white. When it comes to the pattern, you need to lower the cylinder mouth, and the foam will fall gently on the upper layer, combined with different pouring techniques to form changeable white lines.

And the premise of flower drawing is to be able to make delicate milk foam.

Many friends fail to form an ideal pattern when drawing flowers, always pile up into a "lump", and then directly blame the problem on incorrect posture, layered milk, too small mouth (too deep), espresso grease and other reasons, but ignore one point: the importance of beating a jar of dense milk bubbles.

Beating milk foam is also divided into two steps: air intake stage and heating stage. The steam stick emits high-temperature water vapor, which is heated by spraying it into the milk through the steam hole. When there is a steam hole exposed, the water vapor has to pass through the air and then enter the milk, and the air that is "forced" into the milk will make a "nourishing" sound. Therefore, listen to this "Zizi" sound to judge whether there is air intake or noise. for example, a latte usually takes only 2 to 3 seconds to breathe.

If you want to make a moderate thickness and smooth foam, you should not only control the air intake, but also provide sufficient time for these gases, the key of which is to create a whirlpool. For more details about getting rid of foam, you can review the notes that Qianjie once shared (click here) and analyze the specific situation, so we won't elaborate too much here.

Integration is very important! Family members ~

The blended coffee can show a uniform "golden background". The entrance is full of fragrance, which is both good-looking and delicious. If a cup of hot milk coffee is not integrated well, not only points will be deducted in appearance, but the coffee may also be bitter and light, and even foam stratification may appear.

There is also some skill in mixing foamy milk and coffee evenly. Generally use the left hand to hold the cup at an angle of 45 degrees, hold the flower jar with the right hand, keep the lever mouth and the liquid level at the distance of 5~8cm according to personal habits, and stir the left and right hands around a single direction to make it fully mixed. As for the size of the circle, Qianjie is advised not to rush to the edge of the cup to make the largest circle.

Posture in addition to handsome, but also correct to the most basic heart-shaped pattern, milk and coffee blend to 7 points full, you can lower the milk tank to push the pattern. Pattern formation technique: when the milk foam flows into the coffee liquid surface, the milk foam flows along the liquid into the cup by adjusting the angle of the cup at the same time, that is to say, no matter what the pattern is, if you want the milk foam to appear on the coffee liquid surface, you must put the cup straight while injecting it.

On the Internet, there are videos of flower drawing at different stages, from white hearts to leaves, from embossed tulips to all kinds of animals, and there are many channels to learn. But Qianjie noticed that some friends always stared at difficult patterns. In fact, the posture of these masters when pulling flowers is more worthy of our observation and imitation.

Hold the cylinder posture, injection angle, fusion technique, shape sequence, cup return gesture and so on. First observe carefully, then copy, and then repeat the practice, it is best to bring in a bystander to see if there is any problem of incorrect posture. After all, the technique of flower drawing is a muscle memory that has been practiced for a long time, and the formation of a pattern is often only about ten seconds, so it is sometimes difficult to express it clearly in words.

Tips for efficient practice

Learn to pull flowers can not be quick, this process can only be constantly summed up in practice, whether it is the foam, the posture of holding the cylinder, or the technique of drawing will affect the final shaping.

If you come into contact with flowers for the first time, Qianjie suggests that you try to practice with fresh milk a few times to feel the strength of the milk in the steam and the white texture when blending with coffee. Then begin to practice with clean water and master the slight differences in air intake, whirlpool, temperature and other details. Until you have enough muscle memory on the hand, you can exchange the milk for real practice, starting with the basic patterns such as love and tulips, and gradually test the accumulated results.

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