Latte Art
Lachlan F - 8th Grade
“pour the last of your milk quickly, Cutting through the middle of the design.”
Step 1: Brew an espresso shot and pour it into your mug. Then steam your milk. The right texture of milk is key. It should be like wet paint.
Step 2: Tilt your mug and start the initial pour, pour the milk moderately fast in a circular motion. Start straightening the mug once the latte is about to spill off the tilted side. This will perfectly mix the espresso and milk.
Step 3: Now, we will create the design. Holding your mug at a slight angle, move the milk pitcher very close to the mug and pour. This way, the froth will not go directly down into the latte, but will sit on the top. Pour into the center, then pull away. Do a smaller pour, and then wiggle the milk straight back (see photo) to create the tapered end of the design. Then pour the last of your milk quickly, cutting through the middle of the design.
Obviously, these aren’t great instructions, because latte art is super difficult to do without a lot of practice. I have tried many times, and it just takes a lot of practice. So you might just want to go to Pinwheel and let the professionals do it!
FALLing out
Lachlan F 8th grade
The pumpkin syrup bottle is called for a talk with Pinwheel’s manager James. The manager had just warned them that fall was coming to a close, and people were craving new flavors. Peppermint and eggnog were going to need space in the fridge. Pumpkin syrup remembered years past where they were let go just because the season was over. Pumpkin wanted to leave with a bang this year.
“So I think that we are going to have to” but Pumpkin cut him off and started a tirade.
“You’ll miss me! screamed Pumpkin. ”
“You’re abandoning me NOW! AFTER EVERYTHING I DID FOR THIS SHOP! I was refilled more than any other syrup! You’re crazy to fire me.” The manager tries to stop them, shocked by this turn of events.
“No other syrup rivals me!!!” they screamed as they grab their stuff and storm out, uttering one last thing as they leave.
“You’ll miss me!” screamed Pumpkin.
They ran out and started pondering their decision.
“What have I done? Now they probably won’t even rehire me next fall!” they screamed, anguished. They trudged home, cursing themselves for how they acted in Pinwheel. They crashed into bed, trying to sleep, but there was too much on their mind. So they stayed up and hatched a plan. When morning came, they went to Pinwheel earlier than any other syrup and stood nervously on the shelf. When the shop opened, they got a lot of weird looks from other syrups, and Honey asked them,
“Why are you here? We all heard you quit last night.”
“Quit?! Not me!” Pumpkin said loud and earnestly.
“Yeah, we heard you screaming about how unfair it was,” piped in Lavender.
Then James the manager strolled in. He walked behind the bar and stopped when he saw Pumpkin standing on the shelf, trying to look innocent.
“Pumpkin, what are you doing? You quit last night,” said James.
“Oh me, uh that was just a joke, I was totally kidding,” said Pumpkin, feigning confusion.
“Really, because you were pretty serious sounding,” James said, doubtful, “but that’s good because I wasn’t going to fire you, I was just asking you to move to a different part on the shelf.”
“Oh...I knew that! I was just yanking your chain,” said Pumpkin, shocked.
“Sure you did,” James said sarcastically, “good to have you back Pumpkin.”
Pumpkin smiled and stood up, relieved and happy to be there.
Coffee: Healthy or not?
Lachlan F. - 7th Grade
Art by Dot W - Barista
Coffee is a healthy drink. Coffee is the third most popular drink in the world. 44 percent of American adults said they drink 2-3 cups daily. But a lot of people think that drinking lots of coffee is bad for you. Fortunately for all you avid coffee drinkers, this is incorrect.
Coffee contains a lot of caffeine, which is a psychoactive substance. When your brain cells get overworked, your brain releases a hormone called adenosine that tells the cells to shut down. Caffeine blocks adenosine, keeping your brain active and alert. This is why drinking coffee at night can prevent sleep. Caffeine can also increase your metabolism, but that effect wears off over time. So the caffeine in coffee can be good for you and increase your productivity as long as you don’t drink it at night.
Coffee has a lot of positive health benefits. It contains many antioxidants and nutrients that help you live a healthy life. Studies show that drinking coffee can lead to a 65% less chance of contracting Alzheimer’s disease. It can also give you a 32-60% less chance of getting Parkinson’s disease, and a 23-67% less chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Some of this might not affect you, but coffee is also rich in antioxidants and nutrients. It contains vitamins B5, B3, B2, and B1. It also has folate, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus. These vitamins are super important for the function of your body. Obviously, coffee has a lot of health benefits, but what about negative health effects?
“Coffee is a healthy drink that should be consumed regularly.”
Probably the worst effect of coffee is that caffeine while giving you energy, can also cause anxiety and disrupt your sleep. But this problem can be solved by not drinking too much at one time, or during the evening. Another negative effect is that coffee drinking can raise cholesterol levels via a substance called cafestol. When brewed with a paper filter instead of a Turkish or French press, cafestol is filtered out. Finally, coffee drinks such as frappuccinos are full of sugar and very unhealthy. Coffee has negative health effects, but it can be easily avoided.
In conclusion, coffee is a healthy drink that should be consumed regularly. Just make sure to hold the sugar, and don’t drink it at night. So come into Pinwheel Coffee to get your daily cup!
The Coffee Process From Plant To Mug
Lachlan F. - 7th Grade
Art made by: Athena L.
Coffee is an internationally loved drink that is brewed from roasted coffee beans. It is one of the three most popular drinks in the world, along with water and tea. But where does this wonder drink come from?
Coffee grows in a myriad of countries, but Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Indonesia grow the bulk of coffee in the world. Coffee beans aren’t really beans at all, because they are the seeds of a coffee tree. They are often called coffee cherries, and are small, red, and carry 1-2 seeds. When coffee cherries are harvested from the trees, they go through a process that allows them to be turned into what we know as coffee. Processing involves removing the seeds from the cherry and drying them. They can be processed wet, where shortly after harvest, the pulp and skin are removed and they are left to dry, or processed dry, where they are dried in the sun, and then the pulp and skin is removed. Coffee seeds have a thin membrane around them called the parchment. The last step in processing the seeds is called hulling, which is the removal of the parchment. Then the beans are sorted by weight, size, and other categories. They are then shipped to the coffee roasters, where they become the familiar dark brown beans. To be roasted, they are churned around in a large heated cylinder for 8-14 minutes. This results in the aromatic, delicious, and recognizable beans.
After learning this process, you might appreciate your morning coffee a bit more. Coffee is such a normal part of people’s lives, so it can be rewarding to find out how it got in your mug each morning. Starting out as seeds in the coffee cherry, to being removed and dried, to being roasted to their familiar bitter taste, coffee beans go a long way before grinded and brewed to a steaming hot cup of perfection.