How to make the perfect latte macchiato

This blog post was created in collaboration with our friends from the Rauwolf coffee roastery in Vienna. Roast master and founder Michael knows exactly what is important for the perfect latte macchiato, and therefore gives you a few tips and tricks.

But first, some fun facts about the latte macchiato! If you want to skip to the preparation right away, click here.

Before we go into more detail on how to make a delicious latte macchiato at home, we would like to give you some interesting facts about the beverage.

Anyone who knows at least a few words of Italian can figure out what is meant by “latte macchiato”. Latte on the one hand means milk, while macchiato is translated as stained. So in English it would be called “stained milk”. Hm, we'd rather stick with the Italian original.

According to origin stories, the three-layer coffee beverage was actually meant for children (back when it was somehow okay to give children coffee). Since the high caffeine content of an espresso was too strong and unhealthy for them, they were only given a shot of coffee instead, which was weakened with a lot of milk.

Nowadays, latte macchiato is fortunately an adult beverage. It scores not only with its taste, but also with its optics and there's a large variety of art you can produce on the foam using cinnamon or cocoa powder. Even selfies have already been printed on the latte macchiato.

By the way, you should also know the difference to the similar-sounding Caffè Latte. This is a single shot espresso with a similar amount of milk as a latte macchiato. However, the milk is not foamed. It's something like a cappuccino with more milk.

There is also a risk of confusion with espresso macchiato. The espresso macchiato however consists only of an espresso with a tablespoon of foam with no milk added.

In this visualization you will find a great comparison of the different coffee specialties and how exactly they differ from each other!

In the following, we will explain to you in just a few steps how to get a latte macchiato with perfectly separated 3 layers. First of all, it is good to know what you will need for the preparation. We have created a list for you:

・Espresso machine with steam nozzle and a small jug for frothing (if not available, a milk frother will also do it)

・Tall, narrow glass that holds at least 250 ml (the double-walled glas mug SEEV 380 ml is ideal for this)

・25-30 ml espresso made from high quality coffee beans

・Approx. 200 ml milk (of course you can also use your favorite milk alternative here)

Step 1: Froth the milk

Of course, a tasty latte macchiato needs a lot of foamed milk. The first step is to froth the milk. The coffee itself will be prepared later, because it must be hot enough when the different areas are mixed together. Pour around 200 ml of milk into the jug and froth it using a steam nozzle - or alternatively a milk frother. It doesn't matter which milk is used here. Various brands offer milk alternatives as so-called "barista editions". These are meant to foam better.

Tip: Milk with a high fat content (3.5% and upwards) creates a creamy foam and has a more intense taste.

Step 2: Separate the hot milk from the milk foam

The next step is to divide the frothed milk into one part hot milk and one part milk foam. The milk will do it automatically though. Simply fill the glass with the milk and let it stand for about 1 minute.

Tip: To achieve a better layering, add a sip of cold milk first and then slowly pour the milk foam over the edge.

Step 3: Prepare coffee

Now that the milk has been prepared, it's time to prepare the espresso. For the classic espresso, choose a type of bean that is as intense and aromatic as possible. Also, make sure that you use high-quality coffee beans that are fair trade and sustainably grown. This lets you enjoy your tasty coffee without a guilty conscience.

Step 4: Pour espresso into the glass

And already we have come to the last step: adding the espresso. It is important here that the espresso has a higher temperature than the milk. This way the espresso will have a lower density than the milk, which means that it does not mix with the milk but will literally "swim" on it.

Tip: It's best to pour the espresso very slowly at the edge of the glass. That way the milk foam will stay untouched. If you've done everything right, you will now be rewarded for your work with a perfect latte macchiato. The espresso will have formed clear lines between the hot milk and the milk froth.

BODDELS and Rauwolf coffee roastery wish you lots of fun trying our recipe!