Now you don’t need to go to a specialty coffee shop to have the perfect macchiato. With this step by step guide you will be able to make it fast and easy thanks to our best tips so you won’t fail in the attempt.
Table of Contents
What is a Macchiato coffee?
Macchiato coffee, also known as Caffè Macchiato or Espresso Macchiato, is a coffee originating in Italy. It consists of espresso with a little hot-frothed milk. The Italian word macchiato stands for ‘stained’, so caffè macchiato means ‘stained coffee’.
For many years, macchiato was simply coffee with a little fresh milk. Over time, however, it evolved and is now traditionally known for the foam on top, indicating that the espresso contains milk.
There is a special story surrounding the macchiato. More than 50 years ago, women in Italy were not used to drinking espresso because it tasted too strong for them. So they asked the waiters to dilute it with a little milk.
However, some of the waiters were unable to distinguish between the straight espresso and the espresso that had been toned down with a little milk. As a strategy, they decided that the floating milk foam would be perfect to distinguish them.
What is the difference between a latte, a cappuccino and a macchiato?
Basically, what distinguishes these coffees is the amount of milk and espresso.
A latte has milk as the dominant ingredient. A macchiato is dominated by espresso, and a cappuccino has equal amounts of milk and espresso.
What about latte macchiato, are there any differences?
The difference lies in the way it is served. When making latte macchiato, the milk is put in the glass first and then the espresso.
With macchiato, it’s the other way around. The espresso is added first and then the frothed milk.
In addition, the macchiato contains little frothed milk, while the latte macchiato contains a higher percentage of milk.
Ingredients for a Macchiato
- 40 ml (1.3 fl oz) espresso
- 20 ml (0.6 fl oz) milk
- Espresso cup or glass mug
How to make a Macchiato?
- Brew an espresso with your favorite coffee.
- Froth the milk with a manual or electric frother. You can use cold milk so that it takes longer to heat up and it creates more foam.
- Pour the espresso into your cup or glass. Then slowly add the frothed milk and you’re done!
Tips for a good Macchiato
- Make sure you make the perfect espresso because it is the star of this blend. Therefore, brew it with your favorite quality coffee.
- Decorations: You can add many decorations such as cinnamon powder, chocolate sauce, caramel, etc., this makes the recipe a little different from the original.
- You should use cold whole milk with a temperature of 4 to 6 °C (39 – 43 °F) to get a better and denser foam.
- If you use a glass cup, you can see the layers formed in the macchiato coffee. However, you can also use an espresso cup.
- With the foam floating in the coffee, you can make latte art with a toothpick.
It’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice! Follow these practical tips at home and you will see how easy it can be to achieve a good taste and texture, without being a professional.
In any case, do not limit yourself, there are other sweet coffees such as the Vietnamese and coffees with milk such as the Hawaiian and mocha.
