50 Hilarious Latte Art Fails

Coffee, milk, frothers, espresso machines, thermometers, and pitchers aren’t the only useful ingredients and equipment needed to make good latte art. You also need plenty of patience, the courage to try, and a growth-oriented mindset.

Like celebrated American painter Bob Ross said, there are no mistakes; there are just happy accidents. We absolutely love this philosophy! 

Embracing your mistakes and learning from them, instead of shying away, is a wonderful way to go through life. This way, you’re actively honing your skills. The alternatives would be either analysis paralysis (thanks, perfectionism) or being so upset after a couple of failures that you never want to try your hand at latte art ever again.

If wowing coffee shop customers is something you want to do, you have to be okay with making some errors along the way.

You can’t really make latte art without first steaming your milk (or heating it up if you’re at home). Get it to around 65°C (149°F) and swirl it to create microfoam. Then, slowly but steadily pour the foamy milk onto the top of the coffee while turning your pitcher.

Adjust it as you pour to create the design you want. You can then use whatever tools you have at hand to refine the design—a toothpick or wooden stirrer both work fine.

Wet milk foam, which has less air in it, is great for two-dimensional latte art. Meanwhile, dry milk foam, which has more air in it and is thus denser and more stable, works better for three-dimensional designs.

Coffee is a ubiquitous drink in many parts of the world. However, it’s easy to forget just how widespread the demand for it really is. Grown in over 70 tropical countries, coffee is the second most exported commodity in the world, after oil. But if you think that it’s mostly an American drink, you’re sorely mistaken.