What coffee skills are people showing off on Xiaohongshu?

Coffee enthusiasts on Xiaohongshu are pushing latte art and pour-over into unusual territory. Examples include micro latte art in citrus peels, espresso machine blind baskets and lids, art poured directly into an open palm, 3D carving, orange peel drippers, bamboo leaf pour-over, milk frothed with a wrench, and beans ground in a mortar and pestle. The results are inventive and often funny, and some of the methods carry real risk.

The techniques share a logic: shrink the vessel, substitute the tool, and see whether the result still holds. Understanding how an espresso machine works, from pressure to basket and steam wand, explains why the blind basket and lid experiments even function. The article notes that several of these operations are hazardous and advises against copying them casually, then points readers to Front Street Coffee recommendations and exchange channels.

An editor who spends all day with words secretly scrolled through Xiaohongshu during a factory assembly line experience, only to have her mind blown by the incredible tricks of coffee enthusiasts. From latte art in miniature containers to 3D carving, from orange peel drippers to bamboo leaf pour-over, from wrench milk frothing to mortar and pestle grinding, these ideas are both hilarious and astonishing. This article takes you through the unconventional skills displayed by coffee lovers on Xiaohongshu, while reminding you: some of these operations carry risks, so please don't try them easily. At the end, Front Street Coffee recommendations and professional exchange channels are provided for coffee enthusiasts' reference.

As an editor who is online around the clock and typing away except when my eyes are closed in sleep, I recently experienced the daily life of an assembly line worker.

But I wasn't slacking off! Really! I was secretly scrolling through Xiaohongshu while working... (Don't tell anyone!) Probably because I browsed so frequently, the page kept pushing amazing coffee creations to me, and every single one made me hit the save button...!

- Once I've picked my beans and finished packing, I'll join you all

Speaking of latte art, this has always been the most competitive battleground in the specialty coffee world. In the past, baristas competed over latte art patterns in standard latte cups; now they compete over who can complete latte art in a smaller container — as small as it gets...

At first it was just latte art on citrus peels — first oranges, then lemons, then the blind basket of espresso machine handles. Later it evolved to all kinds of lids, and the latte art layers were still perfectly defined.

- Zidong Woxi

Later still, containers could no longer satisfy everyone's urge to challenge, so they simply held the latte art directly in their palms... Oh my! Doesn't it burn? Doesn't it burn! Doesn't it burn?!

- Coffee Latte Art Teacher Meng

Those coffee enthusiasts who can't do latte art have opened up another kind of artistic competition — painting on lattes!!! From Van Gogh to Van Gogh, from latte's original colors to full color, from Sunflowers to The Starry Night, the latte is like Van Gogh's canvas, with content that is plain and sincere yet closely connected to life. The paintings tell of laborers' toil, and the latte likewise carries the stories of laborers.

- Liu Laoshier, Korean Coffee Shop

Gradually, flat surface creations could no longer satisfy the baristas' desire for expression, and 3D carving techniques emerged. Three-dimensional shapes instantly bring coffee to life.

-HATCOFFEE

The dense milk foam is "stacked" by baristas into adorable figures, and because they float on the surface of the liquid, they have a jiggly duang duang duang wobble when held in your hand! (Can't help but ask: Why is the milk foam so firm?! Why does mine come out thick and foamy but always collapse?)

There are also those who aren't satisfied with directly using their hands to operate the milk pitcher — they just pick up a wrench (🔧)

- Sorry, I forgot the username for a moment

So you see, if your latte art isn't good, it's really not a problem with your hands — it must be a problem with the milk foam. As long as the milk foam is properly frothed, even a beverage bottle can pour latte art!

The spent espresso pucks aren't casually discarded either — they're neatly arranged in boxes! Recording the barista's fulfilling day.

- Only get double eyelids when sleepy

Besides lattes, pour-over coffee hasn't escaped netizens' "creative modifications" either. For the problem of unstable pouring in pour-over, people really have come up with every possible method! And they're quite effective! After all, if the stream is too strong or the circling isn't steady, you'll immediately end up with a pour-over that even mosquitoes would fear.

- Anonymous

There are also netizens performing tai chi pouring methods, coconut tree pouring methods... making you furrow your brow while being unable to stop watching hahahaha!

Incredible, this pour-over must be named "Thinking of You Tonight"!

- Anonymous

Some aren't satisfied with conventional extraction methods and go further and further down the path of stirring to increase pour-over extraction!

- Beautifully Stunning Guo Degang

Netizens who want to clearly taste bright citrus acidity simply swapped the dripper and filter paper for orange peel!

- Barista with an Orchard

Worried you can't taste tropical fruit fermentation flavors? Then swap it for durian shell!

- Newsstand Coffee

And during the recent Dragon Boat Festival, clever netizens wove bamboo leaves into coffee drippers. Unfortunately, this editor is clumsy — after weaving for ages, it fell apart before it could even go up...

- Lechen Coffee Research Society

Got coffee beans and brewing equipment but no grinder? Netizens have it all sorted out — mortar and pestle, stone mill, stone mortar, hand-pushed groove stone roller... everything arranged perfectly!

- Xiaohe Makes Coffee, Ti Qi Shen Lai, Qiqiqiqi

Gotta say, it's truly amazing!

Of course, everyone shares these just for fun!

Some of these actions are somewhat dangerous, and we advise everyone not to imitate them!!

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.