Image by Jeremy Yap

A macchiato is an espresso with a dollop of frothed milk on top. The word “macchiato” in Italian means spotted, and that’s what you want to do when you make this; gently spot the espresso with some foam and, like the Italians would say, “piano, piano” (gently, gently).

Note: Some cafes tend to add syrups to a coffee and call it macchiato, but we’re sticking to the classic.

Ingredients

  • One shot of espresso
  • Fresh, cold milk, either dairy or plant-based. Whole-fat dairy milk, soy or oat milk will froth best.

Equipment

Recipe

  1. Make the shot of espresso directly into the small glass
  2. Fill the milk jug to the minimum amount. Steam the milk to 130 – 150F. You can use a thermometer to get a feel for how hot this feels in your hand. This is called stretching the milk.
  3. With a spoon, scoop out dry foam, which has a light and fluffy texture, gently place it on top of the espresso. It should sit on top like an island.
  4. Enjoy!