CS Knowledge Base

Latte macchiato (Italian: [ˈlatte makˈkjaːto]) is a coffee beverage. The name is Italian for 'stained milk', referring to the way the drink is prepared, by pouring a shot of espresso into steamed milk. It is a play on caffè macchiato, an older drink consisting of espresso marked with a dollop or two of milk or cream.

Latte macchiato differs from caffè latte in several ways. First, in a latte macchiato, espresso is added to milk, rather than milk to espresso. Second, a latte macchiato features more foam rather than simply hot milk. A latte macchiato often uses only half an espresso shot or less. Finally, a latte macchiato is often a layered drink, rather than being mixed.

In a caffè latte the emphasis is on the coffee, while in a latte macchiato it is on the milk.

The macchia (lit. 'spot') is a small stain of brown espresso foam, known as crema, left on top of the milk showing where the espresso shot was poured. Its presence visually distinguishes the latte macchiato from a caffè latte, as in a caffè latte the espresso is added to the cup first before the milk is mixed in.

Another similarly named beverage, caffè macchiato (also known as espresso macchiato), is actually a shot of espresso "stained" with a small amount of milk.

A latte macchiato may be prepared simply by frothing milk, generally producing generous foam, pouring it into a glass, and adding espresso. The frothing is generally extensive, yielding significant light, "dry" foam, with a layer of liquid milk underneath, rather than the "wet" microfoam used in latte art.

Alternatively, it may be prepared as a layered drink, with the espresso "gently" poured (most gently out of a small espresso brew pitcher, over the back of a spoon) so that it forms a layer between the denser liquid milk below and the lighter foam above. In this case a glass is essential for the layers to be visible.

The espresso may be brewed into a standard espresso cup or shot glass and then swiftly dumped in, or may be brewed into a specialized espresso brew pitcher, which makes pouring easier, particularly for layering.^[1]

• List of coffee drinks
• Caffè macchiato
• Steamer (or "babycino") – steamed milk only

• Latte macchiato in detail (in Italian)