Tipping the cup gets the pitcher tip closer to the surface for better control. I am no latte art master by any stretch of the mind but once you get the hang of it pouring art becomes second nature. I do not even think about it, it just happens now. I manage a decent rosetta even in tall square bottom cups now and then. How long did it take me to get to that, it just happens, stage? About 5 years.

Thank you guys! I understand that it's only through practice, you'll learn to master latte art. Though my rosetta is good, I am trying to improve my technique and at the same time learn from others. It's still pretty weird tipping the cup with one hand and pour with the other at the same time but I do find I can squeeze in more number of leaves into the cup. I just have keep practising!!!

Cheers guys!

Right on!

I guess I am a little mental! I even thought about the flow of the espresso while going to the toilet!

Tipping the cup is useful if what you are trying to pour is a full cup pattern.

You start pouring from a little higher (the distance from jug spout to coffee) and if you want very strong contrast (no beige, just crisp white and deep brown) then you need to get the tip of the jug very close to the coffee very quickly. If the wall of the cup is a little high then you can't get the spout close to the coffee, so tipping the cup will help.

If you don't want to tip then you need to wait until the coffee has risen all but a few cm from the top of the cup before dropping down to pour. Depends a little on the size and shape of your cup.

It is hard to see in this video, because it is shot from above, but the cup was tipped so I could start pouring the rosetta relatively early on. The result is a very full cup pour, with pretty good contrast.



I keep meaning to do a proper "how to pour a rosetta" video, but never have time. I delude myself into thinking people might pay a couple of bucks for it - it would be an interesting experiment nonetheless.

Can anyone identify the steam pitcher James uses in that video? It's sort of bell shaped with a very prominent spout. Here's another video that shows it more clearly:

It is made by a company called Motta. That is the 75cl size pitcher.

is there a particular technique for getting the more detailed leaves and the full cup rosetta; it seems by the time my milk rises to the top so that i can draw on the surface, i have reached the top of the cup with my milk and am left with a smalled, less detailed flower