Do you free pour or spoon for espresso-based milk drinks?

[HB]

This morning I was skimming the operating manual from the Brewtus Group. This excerpt caught my eye:

One final note-do you pour or may you spoon the foam into the cup? The vast majority of home baristas admit to using a spoon most of the time. (emphasis added) The professional baristas insist pouring is the only acceptable method. If your pitcher contains near-perfect microfoam, then by all means, learn to pour and thus you will have taken the first step to learning latte art.

My guess would put the "spooners" in the minority, but I have no data to say one way or another. So, what about you, are you a freepourer or spooner?

[shadowfax]

I don't think I have ever used a spoon. It ruins the drink, for me! the whole point of it all is that you steam and pour in such a way that the crema floats to the top intact so you can sip it with the drink and have that extra bit of strength. seems like a waste to spoon out bubble bath over that.

[ulrikmo]

Free pour! The only exception to this, that I can think of, is a cappuccino made with rather dry foam, where a spoon could be helpful putting a nice layer of this more air-containing floating foam on top, I do not however make a lot of these, don't really like the texture the milk gets, but someone does..

[Beezer]

The only time I use a spoon is when I need to dump excess foam into the sink before I pour. Free pour all the way, baby!

[LeoZ]

i put depends on drink, b/c my wife prefers only hard foam, so i spoon some off the top as to prevent the liquid that always remains when i froth. :/

for myself i pour.

free pour? well, i dont use an auto leveling mechanism, so i guess its not an assisted pour...

or, maybe free pour is like at gas stations - would you like full serve, or free serve? lol

[Psyd]

i put depends on drink, b/c my wife prefers only hard foam, so i spoon some off the top as to prevent the liquid that always remains when i froth. :/

My GF likes the fluffy foam, too, and I tend to drink my cappu's short, so I also tend to pull both shots one after another and then steam for both drinks in one pitcher. Practice the art on my shorty, and then on her latte, and then dump whatever's left all over the rosette I poured for her. Sometimes it's less embarrassing that way, and sometimes it feels as if I'm white-washing the Sistine's ceiling...