Espresso macchiato
An espresso shot 'marked' with a small dash of foamed milk, the smallest and strongest of the traditional milk-based espresso drinks.
- Coffee dose
- 18g
- Yield
- 40ml
- Milk
- 10ml
- Intensity
- very strong
- Preparation time
- 2 min
- Skill level
- advanced
Caffeine estimate
Approximately 60-80mg (single shot).
Well established
Brewing method
Made using Espresso machine.
Taste, variation and common mistakes
The strongest and most coffee-forward of the traditional milk-marked espresso drinks — just a small dash of foamed milk sits on top of the shot, so the espresso's own body and bitterness-to-sweetness balance dominates rather than being diluted.
Common mistakes
- Confusing it with a latte macchiato, a much larger, milk-dominant drink built in reverse order — the two share a name but are very different drinks.
- Adding too much milk, which turns it into something closer to a small cortado rather than a macchiato.
- Expecting a smooth, milky texture — the small amount of foam sits on top rather than being integrated through the shot.
Traditional Italian macchiato is very small, close to the shot's own volume. 'Macchiato' has also become a marketing term for unrelated, much larger, sweetened drinks at some chains, which causes genuine confusion about what the word means.
Steps
- Pull a single or double espresso shot.
- Top with a small spoonful of foamed milk.
Equipment
Related drinks
- milk based version of Espresso
Milk that suits it
How each behaves when steamed — foaming, stability and splitting risk. No health comparisons.