A Beginner’s Guide how to make Espresso Macchiato

If we were to ask you to come up with a name and the total number of coffee types you can recall, how many types of coffee names can you come up right now? Don’t procrastinate. Think of it as a flash round in a game. So, how many can you recall? Is it 4? Or is it more than 10?

Some of you might be a real coffee connoisseur and might know exactly how many coffee types are in existence today but there are others like us who are only aware of the major types of coffee, coffee types that we can count on our 10 fingers.

This post is for those of us who are new and are still learning about coffee. We’ll learn all about Espresso Macchiato in this post.

What Is Espresso Macchiato?

Let’s get to know the Espresso Macchiato meaning by its composition. Espresso Macchiato is a drink that is made of espresso and milk foam. It is a cup of espresso shot topped by the milk foam.

We won’t get deep into the history of espresso which is considered to be one of the most popular coffee drinks but we’ll see where the name the name Espresso Macchiato originated from.

If you google the meaning of “Macchiato” you’ll shouldn’t have any problem coming to the right conclusion. So, when you do google it you’ll find that the Italian word “macchiato” means marked or stained. The topping of milk foam is the mark in this equation.  Espresso macchiato is a strong drink that has a pinch of sweetness to it.

Even though we know the composition of espresso macchiato we are not aware of the ingredients used to prepare it.

Well, it’s not rocket science so you won’t need much of time to pick up the ingredients but let us help you with this guide for dummies and make it the simplest coffee drink to be ever made.

Espresso macchiato recipe:

Requirements:

An espresso machine, a puck, tamper, portafilter, steaming wand, cold milk, metal pitcher, coffee bean grinder.

Process:

●     Espresso Shot:

To prepare an espresso shot you have to follow the steps below.

Step 1: Start the espresso machine 10-15 minutes before you start making an espresso shot.

Step 2: You’ll need finely grounded coffee beans to prepare espresso. The second step is to grind the coffee beans into a fine powder. You have to make sure that the powder is just right it shouldn’t be coarse and it shouldn’t be too fine. If the grounded coffee beans are coarse the espresso will lack flavor and if it’s too fine it will turn out bitter.

Step 3: Now, put the grounded beans into the portafilter and create a puck by using a tamp. A puck like its namesake is just what you can imagine you have to apply pressure using the tamper and create a neat little puck of grounded coffee beans.

Step 4: Now, attach the portafilter to the espresso machine. Take a cup or shot glass and pull out an espresso shot.

●     Milk Foam:

Step 1: First, you are going to need a metal pitcher. Pour the cold milk into the metal pitcher.

Step 2: Now the steam wand comes into the picture. Turn it on and then insert it in the metal pitcher in the center. You have to move the steam wand around the cup in the following order. Start from the center and then move outwards and rotate it.

Step 3: As the foam/forth is created you’ll have to insert the steam wand deeper to get most of the milk. Other coffee types need steamed milk. Espresso macchiato just needs the milk froth we created with the steaming wand.

Step 4: Now, use a spoon to scoop the milk froth and top your espresso with it.

That’s how you make an espresso macchiato.

Macchiato vs Latte

We have already seen what a macchiato means and how to make it. Now, let’s understand what a Macchiato latte is and how it is different from a simple Latte.

While most of the other types of coffee drinks are about the layers that go into making them a latte is more about the balance of all the ingredients and the flavor that the balance brings out.

A simple latte is made from espresso shot and steamed milk. We have already seen how to create milk foam. The milk that is left below in the metal pitcher is your steamed milk. So, for a simple latte first, you have to prepare an espresso shot and then evenly pour the steamed milk into the cup or mug containing the espresso shot so that the espresso incorporates the steamed milk and you feel the rich flavor it has to offer you.

Now that we have the understanding of a simple latte let’s get into what a macchiato latte is.

The components are similar to various other drinks. It has steamed milk, but we need whole milk for macchiato latte. Another ingredient is espresso which is poured last. An espresso macchiato is an espresso marked with milk foam whereas a macchiato latte is steamed whole milk marked with espresso. Hence the name macchiato remains even after the change in the process and the taste of the drink.

That is all you need to learn about espresso macchiato, for now, try it and come back later for more.