Rating of the best coffee decorators for 2022

Latte art and its varieties, like cappuccino and macchiato art, are real art. For the first time they began to draw on coffee in Italy. According to legend, the Capuchin monks were the first to try to create an image on the surface of the drink, when they noticed that when milk foam was added to an invigorating drink, various patterns were formed.

Coffee drawing competitions between professional baristas have been held since 2004. Milk foam, cinnamon, cocoa powder and various syrups are used. Masters create real masterpieces - from images of animals to mini-portraits.

The clarity of the "picture" depends on the strength of the coffee and on the density of the milk foam, and on the method of preparation of the drink. And if in order to draw on the surface of a drink with the same toothpick, you need special courses and practice, then in order to please your loved ones, you need the most ordinary coffee decorator.

The decorator is

In fact, just a stencil - a plastic or steel circle with a handle-holder and an image embossed in the center. Usually these are emoticons, flower-leaves, hearts, animal contours, like everyone's favorite pandas. For decorating coffee, a confectionery decorator (for decorating cakes and pastries) of small diameter, with a pattern without small details, will also fit. If desired, instead of a purchased stencil, you can use a sheet of plain paper with an image cut out along the contour.

How to choose

When buying, make sure that there is no sharp unpleasant odor from the plastic. It is clear that the plastic plate will not be subjected to serious heating - well, unless you hold the decorator for a couple of seconds over a cup of hot coffee. But it’s still worth it to play it safe, especially if there are children in the house.

The second point - see that the embossed pattern has a clear outline, and the image itself is large enough. Small details when sprinkled will merge into one continuous spot.
Last - pay attention to the diameter. It should be slightly larger than the diameter of the cup. And, yes, it is desirable that the decorator has a handle so that it is more convenient to remove it from the mug.

If you order a set of decorators online, just pay attention to the reviews.By the way, if users note that the drawing did not work out, it is probably not the decorator who is to blame, but a weak, loose foam that acts as a substrate that holds the image on itself.

There is a wide selection of decorators on the well-known Aliexpress. Here you can find both shakers and plates with contour images made of plastic and stainless steel. Plus all kinds of battery-powered pens and spoons. Prices for all this variety, by the way, are about 2 times less than on large Russian marketplaces.

Tip: shakers with a strainer for 60-80 rubles are not worth taking. The metal for their manufacture is thin, with a poor coating. Such a container survives a couple of washes and begins to rust.

How to use

Everything is simple here. Beat the milk foam (you need fat milk, at least 3.5%, then the blender will knock down a dense foam in just a minute), put it on top of strong coffee. After we lay the stencil directly on the cup and with a quick movement, it is better to sprinkle cocoa or cinnamon through a sieve. It is better to do this through a strainer, the usual will do, for tea leaves - the topping layer will be uniform. Everything - coffee can be served.

If you don’t want to bother with foam, you can add milk or a little ice cream to the espresso. After we repeat the operation with laying the stencil and sprinkling.

If the foam turned out to be dense or the coffee in the cup is filled to the brim, the decorator will have to be kept on weight (rule number 1 - the stencil should not come into contact with either the foam or the coffee). Moreover, the closer the stencil is to the surface of the drink, the clearer the pattern will be.

It should be borne in mind that the image on the surface of the drink lasts just a few minutes, so it is better to serve coffee immediately.

Rating of the best coffee decorators for 2022

You can find a great variety of kits for about the same price. They differ only in drawings, color of plastic, and, of course, in price. If you want the stencils to last longer, choose decorators with a thickness of at least 0.5 mm. It is good if each product is wrapped in a protective film - a guarantee that the decorators will arrive intact, without scratches on the surface.

Made of plastic

Multihouse

A set of 4 stencils made of safe plastic with a comfortable handle. Suitable for coffee and for decorating pastries. It is easy to use, the main thing is that the foam is dense enough, otherwise, instead of a clear pattern, you can get a stain.

Price - 70 rubles.

• sold in almost any major supermarket;
• durable plastic;
• easy to use.

• no.

Coffee Barista Stencils

The set includes 16 stencils with a diameter of 8 cm. A variety of patterns, a clear contour on the surface of the drink and a great mood for little money. Of the minuses - the thickness of the plastic. The decorator is very thin, so you should handle it carefully.

Price - 290 rubles (with a discount).

• a large selection of drawings;
• high-quality performance - even a beginner will succeed in drawing, the main thing is not to overdo it with cinnamon or chocolate powder;
• price.

• Sold in one color - off-white.

Qlux

Set for decorating cappuccino. The stencils are made of thick plastic, so the image is clear. Plus, these decorators will last a long time. The only negative is that the diameter of the picture is about 5 cm, so you will have to look for a larger mug.According to user reviews, stencils are perfect for decorating sweet casseroles or pastries.

Price - 230 rubles. (in a set of 4 pcs.).

• a simple drawing - it just won’t work out, you can entrust the decor to children;
• strength;
• Ease of use.

• large diameter.

FoPPi

The black plastic template looks stylish and is a pleasure to use. Supplied one by one. A choice of images of a funny cat and wishes (English font and hearts). The plastic is dense and plastic, so the risk of damaging or breaking the template is minimal.

Price - 139 rubles

• safe material;
• high quality;
• sharp image.

• no.

KALINOFF

16 decorators with various images to decorate coffee. The quality of the plastic is not bad, stencils can be safely loaded into the dishwasher. Of the minuses - small details, so if you want to achieve a pattern with clear outlines, use finely ground cinnamon or cocoa powder. And yes, for even distribution it is better to use a strainer.

Price - 300 rubles.

• dense, durable material;
• a good selection of drawings - the set also includes inscriptions, such as "Good morning" and drawings that will fit for decorating children's sweet dishes;
• can be washed in the dishwasher.

• small details may not be "printed" due to which the picture will look blurry.

MaxxMalus

"Cappuccino Time" is 16 stencils with a strainer. Solid thick plastic, clearly punched image, comfortable handle, which facilitates the decorating process. The sieve is steel, with a decent mesh size.It is to him that users have the most complaints - finely ground cinnamon immediately falls into the cells, without lingering. You have to either act with lightning speed, or buy a new sieve, smaller.

Price - 500 rubles with a discount (full price - 750 rubles).

• plastic without the addition of dyes;
• clear large drawing;
• universal diameter;
• easy to wash.

• large sieve and clearly overpriced.

Of steel

Such stencils will last for decades. They will not crack, as can happen with plastic, and will retain an attractive appearance for a long time. When choosing, be guided by the thickness of the metal plate (the larger it is, the clearer the resulting image will be), the presence of a handle-holder. There should be no roughness and burrs along the edge and contour of the image, and the protective coating should be uniform - the stencils will remain shiny even after several hundred washes.

But the mention of the use of environmentally friendly steel (it is unlikely to find information about such a metal) is just a way to unreasonably increase the price of a product. The fact is that the production of rolled steel itself is a far from environmentally friendly process.

Latest

A set of 5 pieces with the contours of a leaf, a cup of steaming coffee, coffee beans, a heart with an ornament and a flower. Each stencil has a holder with a hole (if desired, the decorators can be connected with a metal ring, so they will definitely not be lost). Plate thickness - 0.1 cm, diameter 8.5 cm.

Price - 800 rubles.

• performance quality;
• a clear image is obtained, despite the presence of small details;
• easy to wash;
• universal size.

• no.

BESTONZON

A set of metal stencils. The set includes 5 pieces. Beautiful outline drawings, universal size and smooth metal, no jagged edges. A choice of stencils from around the New Year (in the set there is a plate with the contours of a deer, a Christmas tree, 2 types of hearts and unexpectedly a rose), romantic (hearts, a tree with leaves stylized again as hearts) and Halloween.

Price - 320 rubles for Aliexpress.

• selection of images;
• good quality;
• price.

• no.

TEENRA

Includes 6 stainless steel stencils. Simple clear contour drawings, smooth edges and a semi-matte surface. Supplied in a box that can be used to store decorators.

Price - 1500 rubles.

• safe material;
• clearly embossed image;
• comfortable handle.

• no.

The best coffee decorating devices

The set usually includes stencils, a shaker - a collapsible steel cylinder with a built-in sieve, and an optional measuring spoon. The finer the sieve, the better - it will be possible to evenly distribute the dressing with particles of even the finest grinding.

There are also models with a shaker, in which a replaceable plastic nozzle-stencil is installed (essentially a plate with holes that outline the outline of the image). Such devices are also made of steel, they have a larger volume (100-300 ml), and it is easier to use such shakers. No spilled cinnamon or chocolate powder. The only negative is that you won’t be able to get some kind of complex drawing with them.

Duster

The set includes 16 decorators made of translucent plastic, a steel shaker and a deep measuring spoon - everything a beginner barista needs. Everything is made in China, but the quality is not bad. The metal is solid, with a uniform coating. This set will last more than one year for sure.

Before using, you need to select the image you like, pour a little (a spoon will come in handy) filler of a contrasting color into the shaker. If you want to decorate coffee with milk, powdered sugar will do, if you are going to “draw” on milk foam, you can use chocolate.

Then gently shake the shaker over the cup, achieving the desired image clarity. Everything - a couple of minutes and the decor is ready.

Price - 1500 rubles.

• quality;
• many stencils - the size, by the way, is universal, suitable for any cup;
• Ease of use.

• no.

ILSA

From the famous Italian manufacturer of dishes and kitchen accessories. Volumetric shaker with a fine sieve of 300 ml, plus 4 plastic stencils included. Stylish design, high quality workmanship.
The only negative is a decent volume. Such a shaker is more suitable for a coffee shop, or at least for a large family. And, yes, the polished steel container looks just fine on the kitchen shelf.

Price - 3300 rubles.

• comfortable;
• just wash;
• durability;
• high quality workmanship.

• no, the only advice is that if you like to change your toppings often, you should look at smaller containers.

Decochock

Chocolate bar from ILSA. Does not require any special skills.To decorate coffee, just turn the handle a couple of times and a clear pattern on the surface of the coffee is ready (you don’t need to shake anything). Easy to use, and as a topping, you can use any powder fillers - from chocolate to milk powder.
It is easy to wash it - the container is disassembled into spare parts in just a couple of seconds. After cleaning, the main thing is to dry the container thoroughly, and the rotating rod with metal blades, which act as a chopper (crush the caked lumps of powder).

Price - 2200 rubles.

• easy to clean;
• transparent plastic container;
• does not require any special skills - even a child can handle it;
• long service life;
• safe materials.

• strange design - it definitely will not become a decoration of the kitchen.

OEM

Battery-powered stencil spoon with interchangeable nozzles. The country of manufacture is, of course, China. But the build quality is good. This wonderful device is powered by batteries. All you need to do is install the stencil you like, pour powdered sugar (any powder filler) into the container and press the button. That's it - the topping will be distributed evenly, forming a clear image on the surface of the coffee.

Price - 300 rubles.

• unusual accessory;
• easy to use;
• 6 interchangeable nozzles.

• the manufacturer is mysteriously silent about the type of plastic used (it remains to be hoped that it does not emit harmful substances without heating);
• it is very difficult to wash this unit.

Drawing pen

It resembles an ordinary ballpoint pen, but instead of ink, cinnamon or chocolate powder is placed in the container. After you need to press the button and create.There are no stencils, so you can feel like a real barista.
Sold on Aliexpress, brand name could not be found. There are no informative reviews, but the overall score of 4.9 points is impressive. It costs, by the way, such a device is ridiculous 160 rubles - not ruinous.

Price - 160 - 300 rubles for Aliexpress (depending on the seller).

• bright color;
• you can create author's drawings;
• useful for decorating pastries (the handle is safe, so the process can be completely entrusted to children).

• the origin and safety of the plastic is questionable.

So, using coffee decorators is the easiest and fastest way to please your loved ones and turn your morning routine into a fun ritual. Plus, templates can be used to decorate baked goods (cupcakes, pies, cupcakes), ice cream, healthy, but not loved by children, casseroles.