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. 

The World Population Review points out that the United States merely stands in 25th place in the hierarchy of the biggest coffee-guzzlers on Earth. Your typical American drinks around 3 cups of coffee, on average. However, they’re outpaced by the Finnish who are known as the biggest lovers of the drink on the planet. They enjoy around 4 cups of coffee per day.

Right behind Finland, the biggest coffee enthusiasts are Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Canada. 

Bored Panda recently interviewed neuroscientist Nicole Avena, Ph.D., an expert in nutrition, diet, and addiction, about creating a healthy relationship with coffee. She explained to us that coffee can definitely be a part of a healthy diet if we consume it in moderate amounts.

Typically, you should not be consuming more than 400mg of caffeine, or 4 cups of coffee, each day.

"A standard cup of coffee contains roughly 95mg of caffeine; however, this can vary depending on the type of coffee being consumed. Coffee can be great because it can help boost your energy levels and give you just what you need to power through a busy day at work. But as with anything, too much of a good thing can be detrimental," the author of ‘Sugarless: A 7-Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Cravings, and Conquer Your Addiction' told us during an earlier interview.

"In general, healthy adults should limit caffeine intake to less than 400mg of caffeine each day. When exceeding this amount, undesirable side effects such as insomnia, anxiety, dehydration, elevated blood pressure, and increased heart rate can occur," she warned Bored Panda about the negative aspects of enjoying too much caffeine during the day.

Another—sneakier—issue lies in what we like to add to our coffee. "For example, if we get our coffee from Starbucks and add 10 pumps of sweetener, vanilla sweet cream cold foam, and sprinkles to our coffee, it isn’t going to be the best addition to a healthy diet,” Dr. Avena pointed out to us.

“Instead, flavoring your coffee with spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger, and adding a splash of skim, 1% milk, or unsweetened non-dairy milk, can be a great way to add flavor without all the added sugar," she suggested. On top of that, it’s best not to consume any caffeine after 2 pm so that your sleep isn’t negatively affected.

If you want to reduce your caffeine consumption without fully giving up coffee, consider swapping out one of your cups of joe for a mug of green tea. It contains two to three times less caffeine than coffee and has a host of other benefits. 

“Research on the health impacts of green tea has shown that green tea consumption can assist in cancer prevention, lowered blood pressure, lower rates of heart disease, and lower cholesterol levels. If you drink large amounts of coffee in the day, swapping out one of your cups of coffee for a hot green tea is a great way to still get some caffeine in, without going overboard! There are also hot tea options that contain little to no caffeine like chamomile tea!" Dr. Avena said.

Which of these latte art fails made you giggle and smile the most, dear Pandas? Were there any designs that you thought were genuinely good despite the artists having made some mistakes? Have you ever tried making latte art yourselves? Tell us what you think in the comment section! And… we hope you enjoy your coffee break, whenever that happens.