How to Practice Latte Art Without Coffee

As you probably know, otherwise you would not have ended up on this blog,

Latte art is no joke.

It all looks so easy when you see your favorite barista making a heart in the coffee. I can do that too, you've probably thought.

But then in practice it turns out to be a lot harder than it looked. So what are you going to do... practice, practice and practice some more.

When I started practicing, I had to use liters of milk and kilos of coffee before I finally had nice milk foam and something that looked like a figure in my cup.

Yes, it's easy for me to say, because we have a coffee roastery ourselves, we sometimes have a failed batch that we cannot sell, so we have plenty of practice material.

But if you don't have this, it can become an expensive exercise.

But luckily you can also practice without coffee and even without milk. With dishwashing liquid, for example, you can learn to froth milk.

Don't worry, I'm going to tell you all about latte art, but without coffee.

Why practice Latte Art without coffee?

Let’s start with the question of why you would want to practice without real coffee. First, it saves you money. Coffee beans are expensive and if you are just starting out, chances are you will use quite a few before you reach that perfect shape.

Plus, it's a great way to relax without worrying about wasting your favorite bean.

And remember, once you've mastered the techniques, you'll never forget them. It's just like riding a bicycle ;-)

Practice with milk and water

An easy way to start practicing is to use milk and water. Mix equal parts milk and water so that you get a consistency similar to frothed milk.

It's a great way to learn how to pour and master your wrist movements. Plus, you can make mistakes and start over without the pressure of wasting real coffee.

Try different pouring techniques and find out which one works best for you.

Please note, this exercise is purely for practicing the pouring motion and how to hold the jug. This has nothing to do with frothing the milk or making figures.

Use soap and water for foaming

Did you know that you can practice foaming with nothing more than soap and water? It may sound strange, but it really works.

Fill a jug with water and add a little soap. Use your steam wand to froth the mixture as you would milk.

This gives you the chance to practice creating the perfect microfoam, without wasting gallons of milk, essential for latte art.

Dye in water

If you want to add visuals to your practice sessions, try food coloring in water or milk. Add a few drops of food coloring to water to create contrast for your designs.

This can be especially useful if you want to practice specific patterns, as it helps you see the movements more clearly and adjust where necessary.

This way you can clearly see the difference between your frothed milk or soapy water and the liquid that is already in your cup.

This makes practicing specific patterns a lot easier. See for example the video of La Marzocco below.

Alternatives to non-dairy milk

Try non-dairy milk alternatives like almond or oat milk. These options have different consistencies, which can help you better understand how different types of liquids react when poured and frothed.

Plus, it gives you extra variety in your practice sessions, which is always fun!

I personally like the barista edition of Oatly to froth. This has the perfect composition for frothing, unlike the standard oat milk packs.

Use a Latte Art pen

A latte art pen can be your secret weapon in the world of coffee creation. It is an innovative tool that helps you refine your designs and add beautiful details to your latte art.

This pen allows you to work more precisely, allowing you to create complex patterns even when you're not using coffee.

Start with simple designs to master the basics, and slowly work your way up to more advanced and impressive creations.

If you want to create coffee shop worthy latte art, a latte art pen isn't something I necessarily recommend, but it's fun to play around with.

Conclusion

You don't have to waste pounds of coffee beans and gallons of milk to take your latte art skills to the next level.

With some creativity, soap and some food coloring, you can practice your latte art skills endlessly without wasting too much money.

Have you ever practiced making latte art or frothing milk without milk and coffee?