The Espresso Macchiato - a small cup full of coffee enjoyment! But many people don't actually know how to prepare it properly, nor the difference between a Latte Macchiato and a Cappuccino. Many participants in our barista seminars keep asking us what the difference is between an Espresso Macchiato and a Latte Macchiato. But don't worry - we'll explain!
Espresso Macchiato - the tainted one
The history of the Espresso Macchiato naturally begins in Italy, as the Espresso Macchiato is considered to be the creation of Italian baristas. On particularly busy days, they would put several espressos on the counter and then simply decorate them with a touch of frothed milk if desired. "Macchiato" means stained or spotted.
Preparing the Espresso Macchiato
First of all, you need a delicious espresso (you can find out the difference between this and coffee here: Espresso vs coffee ). So: small espresso cup, delicious espresso. Our Espresso No 1 is perfect for this and is also used in many restaurants in Hamburg. By the way, macchiato means something like "stained" - just a small layer of foamed, delicious milk ( we show you how to make the perfect latte here: The perfect latte )
The Espresso Macchiato is the perfect alternative if you:
1) Don’t want to drink pure espresso
2) Don’t want to drink as much as a cappuccino
The right milk for your little milk cap
The fat and protein content of milk
Regardless of whether it is 1.5% or 3.5% fat, the most important thing is the protein content of the milk. This should be 3.4%. The higher the protein content, the better you can froth the milk and create a truly perfect espresso macchiato. Fat is also a good flavor carrier - so if you are primarily concerned with enjoyment, you should choose 3.5% instead of 1.5% fat.
Milk alternatives – what else is there?
If you don't like cow's milk, there are a number of milk alternatives such as oat, soy, almond or pea milk. Try and experiment to find out which milk suits you best in terms of taste but also froths well. We prefer oat milk as a milk alternative because it has the protein content and also froths well.
What is the difference - Espresso Macchiato vs Latte Macchiato vs Cappuccino!
The big difference between all espresso with milk variants here is quite clear: It is of course always the ratio of espresso & milk.
A simple espresso macchiato
This is used for a small cup. Then a simple espresso is prepared. The milk is frothed while the coffee is running. A dollop of milk is then placed on the espresso and voilà - the simple espresso macchiato is ready.
A simple cappuccino
A cup of around 150ml is used and a simple espresso is prepared. The milk is frothed again while the coffee is running. This is then poured onto the espresso and the cup is filled.
A simple latte macchiato
To see the layers of the latte macchiato, you often use a glass, about 200ml in size. The milk is then frothed so that it can cool down a little and the layers then actually appear in the profile of the cup. The milk is then poured into the glass and the espresso shot is then slowly poured onto the milk.
So you see - the ingredients remain the same, only the amount of milk changes. So that you can still enjoy different coffee flavors, feel free to vary with different espressos - you can find a small selection here: Kaffeebrewda Espressi & Landrösterei Bio-Espressi .
The Espresso Macchiato for hot summer days - our Kaffeeheimat tip:
The Espresso Macchiato freddo is particularly popular in summer. Freddo means cold in Italian. Here you prepare an espresso, add ice cubes and then top it with milk - that's how easy it is to make your perfect refreshing coffee drink in summer.
No matter how you like to drink your espresso, whether pure, as an espresso macchiato, cappuccino or latte macchiato, the basis is dark roasted, high-quality espresso beans and good milk! You can find the espresso beans here - feel free to try them!