For Beautiful Iced Latte Art, Try This Milk Pouring Tip

Iced latte art — you probably didn't even know that was a thing, did you? That's because it's hard to pull off. Compared to hot lattes, where perfectly warm steamed milk is poured directly into a shot or two of espresso to create artful designs, iced lattes have many more elements standing in your way — the most annoying being the ice cubes. An iced latte wouldn't be an iced latte without the requisite ice, but there is one way to get around it in order to give your summertime iced coffee drinks a bit of personality.

When it comes to making iced latte art, it all comes down to how and where you pour your milk. But before you do that, you have to get your ice cube placement right first. For one, you'll want to use smaller ice cubes simply because they take up less space. Then, to make more space for your latte art, you'll have to place them strategically around the outside of your glass. This way, you'll have an ice-free, open canvas to pour your milk into. When you do, avoid pouring directly onto the ice and aim for the space in between.

As with all latte art, this sounds a lot easier than it is. Practice certainly makes perfect, but there are other tips to follow to get you there faster.

Before you get to pouring your milk and arranging your ice, there are some other steps you can take to make your iced latte art come out as beautifully and clearly as possible. One pro tip is to increase the concentration of your espresso pours using the settings on your machine. This will produce an even darker color to your espresso, which only means more contrast. When set against the crisp, white color of your frothed milk, your latte art designs will pop much more, especially when created with cold-foamed milk.

Not only will a cold foam help keep your iced coffee drinks from melting too fast, but it will also create even more layering in your drink — which means even cleaner latte art. You can create a cold foam using the setting on your standing milk frother machine or with a Nanofoamer or other handheld milk frother. It will take a bit longer because cold milk doesn't expand as easily as hot milk, but the results on the top of your cup will be more than worth it. Just remember not to pour directly over any ice cubes.

Of course, none of this will mean anything if you don't get the technique of pouring latte art down. The prep work is just as important as the execution, so be sure to read up on how to nail impressive art, too.