10 Times Latte Art Was So Impressive, It Looked Almost Too Good To Drink

To slightly paraphrase a quote from Bram Stoker's ‘Dracula,’ “The coffee is the life!” Many of us cannot imagine not starting the day with a hot cup of joe, whether we brew it at home, at the office, or grab it at a local café. What makes our day is when someone puts in the effort to make our cup special somehow. It might be placing a small biscuit or chocolate on the saucer or drawing something on the surface of the coffee.

However, some baristas and coffee lovers take things to the next level. We wanted to celebrate some of the most inspiring latte artists from around the globe, so our team at Bored Panda has curated this list of their most amazing 3D designs. If you’ve only ever seen ‘traditional’ latte art, these full-blown foam masterpieces might just make your jaw drop. Scroll down for a delicious taste of quality.

Bored Panda wanted to learn what a healthy relationship with coffee looks like, so we reached out to neuroscientist Nicole Avena, Ph.D. She is an expert in nutrition, diet, and addiction, and the author of the book ‘Sugarless: A 7-Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Cravings, and Conquer Your Addiction.’ You'll find the insights she shared with us as you read on. Spoiler alert: you don’t necessarily have to give up your passion for coffee! But moderation is key... 

10 PHOTOS

#1

"A morning without coffee can certainly sound like a scary morning to many coffee lovers! Fortunately, coffee can be a part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderate amounts!" Dr. Avena explained to Bored Panda via email.

"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," she said.

"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," the expert said.

#2

#3

While many of us enjoy drinking our coffee black, we won't say 'no' to a splash of milk or a spoonful of sugar (okay, fine, or two) now and then. However, Dr. Avena noted that it's essential to pay attention to what we're adding to our cup of 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. 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," the author of 'Sugarless: A 7-Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Cravings, and Conquer Your Addiction' told us.

Dr. Avena pointed out that caffeine can impact our sleep and even lead to insomnia. Medical professionals typically recommend that people don’t consume caffeine after 2 pm each day.

#4

#5

#6

Pictolic was curious about how much coffee can be considered too much and what someone who wants to cut back on their consumption might want to do.

"Consuming greater than 4 standard cups of coffee is generally considered 'too much.' It is best practice to limit your caffeine intake to less than 400mg/day. Since coffee contains nearly 100mg of caffeine per cup, 4 cups of coffee is the maximum amount we could drink in a day without negative impacts on our health," Dr. Avena said.

One alternative to coffee is tea. It also contains caffeine, and it can be just as satisfying as coffee. "Green tea is a great option that also has additional health benefits." Dr. Avena said that a standard cup of green tea contains anywhere between 30 to 50mg of caffeine, far less than in coffee.

#7

#8

#9

"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!" the author of 'Sugarless: A 7-Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Cravings, and Conquer Your Addiction' explained to Bored Panda.

"A healthy relationship with coffee can certainly be attained, but moderation is key! Limit yourself to less than 400mg of caffeine each day and do your best to keep your cup of coffee as nutritious as possible by avoiding added sugars!" the expert told us, stressing the importance of limiting your coffee intake to the morning hours so it doesn't negatively impact your sleep.

#10