The undisputed favourite of the Italians is the espresso. There are many variations and variations of it, which have established themselves over time. For example the Espresso Macchiato, an espresso that is refined with a dot of milk foam. It should not be confused with cappuccino or latte macchiato, which also have an espresso as their base. To make sure that nobody gets confused in the future, we explain here what exactly an Espresso Macchiato is, how it can be prepared and how it differs from other Espresso milk specialities.

WHAT IS AN ESPRESSO MACCHIATO?
An espresso macchiato is a classic espresso prepared with the filter holder, the fully automatic machine or the ESPRESSO BOILER – the Bialetti. Before serving on the strong espresso, a small cap of frothed, warm milk is placed with a spoon. In the very figurative Italian language, this is why it is called “macchiato”, which means “stained”. Italians drink it at any time of day and on any occasion.

The mild milk foam takes away the slightly bitter taste of the espresso. Maybe that’s why it’s so popular. The “white stained espresso” is served either in the classic espresso cup or in a small glass. People often even ask whether they prefer a glass or a cup.

By the way, the Espresso Macchiato is especially appreciated by female Frahlinglovers: No wonder, because in this Italian coffee speciality the intensive aroma of the coffee and the fine creamy taste of the milk foam are combined.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LATTE MACCHIATO AND CAPPUCCINO?
Confusing espresso macchiato with the latte of the same name is out of the question – at least for true coffee connoisseurs. Because with a latte macchiato, it’s exactly the opposite: while with an espresso macchiato the espresso is refined with a little milk, with a latte macchiato the barista adds a small cup of ESPRESSO to a proper portion of milk. The resulting coffee speciality is usually served in a tall, narrow glass and – at least on the other side of the Alps – only drunk at breakfast.

The cappuccino, on the other hand, is basically an espresso macchiato with more milk foam. An espresso is poured into a larger, wider cup, which is then filled with warm frothed milk. Like the latte macchiato, cappuccino in Italy is a classic breakfast coffee that is enjoyed with cornetto, a sweet filled croissant.

HOW DO I PREPARE AN ESPRESSO MACCHIATO?
The preparation of the popular espresso is very simple, but requires a little precision. For every 30 ml of espresso, there are one or two spoonfuls of milk foam. And it goes like this:

Brew the espresso. Typically Italian would be, for example, with a strainer or a Bialetti.

Pour the espresso into a small bulbous cup or a small glass.

Froth the milk.

Now carefully pour the milk with a spoon onto the espresso.

If you like, you can finish off the espresso macchiato with a pinch of cocoa.

Under no circumstances should you put too much milk foam into the cup, as it will only stain the espresso!

VARIATIONS OF ESPRESSO MACCHIATO
The Italian coffee culture would not be what it is if there were not variations of each of its drinks. Thus in Italy there are some variations of the classic macchiato:

Those who don’t like the characteristic Italian milk foam order a “caffè macchiato caldo senza schiuma” at the bar: in this case, an espresso with a shot of warm, non-foamed milk is served.

When the temperatures between VENICE and Palermo rise to 40 degrees in the summer months, the desire for a “macchiato freddo” becomes greater: in this variant, a shot of cold, non-foamed milk is added to the espresso, so that the espresso cools down a little overall.

ESPRESSO MACCHIATO – THE MOST IMPORTANT AT A GLANCE
An Espresso Macchiato is an espresso refined with one or two teaspoons of milk foam.

Its name literally means, translated from Italian, stained espresso. The small milk cap is called the stain on the espresso, so to speak.

The Espresso Macchiato is served in the traditional espresso cup or in a small glass.

It should not be confused with the Latte Macchiato: the Latte Macchiato is served in a tall glass. About 150 ml of milk are added to the espresso. What is special about Latte Macchiato is that espresso and milk form two phases. The milk refined with espresso is exactly the opposite of an espresso macchiato. The difference with cappuccino, on the other hand, is that cappuccino is served in a wider and larger cup. The milk foam is poured onto the espresso.