Macchiato
Macchiato means stained or marked. The drink is exactly that: an espresso with a spoonful of milk foam dropped on top, originally so that Italian bar staff could tell a plain espresso from one with a little milk in it.
It is a very small, very strong drink. The large sweet iced version sold under the same name in chain cafés is a different thing entirely.
What you need
- A single or double shot of espresso
- A spoonful of steamed milk foam, about 15–30 ml
- A demitasse or small cup
How to make it
- Pull the shot into a warmed demitasse.
- Steam a small amount of milk with plenty of air, so you have dense foam rather than liquid.
- Spoon a single dollop onto the centre of the crema. That is all.
The ratio
Roughly 4:1 espresso to milk, or less milk still. The foam is there to take the sharpest edge off the shot, not to make a milk drink.
Dose and yield, so the numbers below are unambiguous
Throughout these recipes, a double shot means 18 g of ground coffee going IN and about 36 g of liquid espresso coming OUT, in 25–30 seconds. That 1:2 ratio by weight is the modern specialty standard, and 18 g is the usual dose for a 58 mm double basket; anywhere from 17 to 20 g in is normal depending on your basket.
The two numbers are different things and it matters: the grams of coffee you grind are not the grams of espresso in the cup. Weigh both if you can.
The traditional Italian figures are smaller. The Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano certifies a SINGLE at 7 g ± 0.5 of coffee producing 25 ml ± 2.5 in the cup, in 25 seconds ± 5, at 9 bar and 88°C — so a traditional doppio is around 14 g in rather than 18. Both are correct; they are different traditions, and the modern one is what most specialty cafés and home machines are built around.
Espresso macchiato and latte macchiato are opposites
- Espresso macchiato: espresso marked with milk. Mostly coffee. This recipe.
- Latte macchiato: milk marked with espresso. A tall glass of steamed milk with a shot poured through it, which layers rather than mixes.
If someone orders a macchiato without specifying, in Italy they mean the first.
Which coffee to use
Anything on our shelf works, but milk drinks reward a coffee with body and sweetness over one built for delicate florals — the milk will bury the top notes either way. Check the tasting notes and the process on each product page; a natural or a honey-processed lot usually cuts through milk better than a light washed one.