Macchiato Recipe

Preheat equipment

If your espresso machine has a group head and portafilter, flush hot water through the group head and run hot water into the demitasse cup briefly to warm it. Wipe the portafilter dry.

Weigh 18 g of freshly roasted espresso beans and grind them to a fine grind appropriate for your espresso machine (slightly finer than drip, with a texture like powdered sugar but not clumping).

Dose the ground coffee into the portafilter basket to yield about 18 g. Distribute evenly, tamp firmly and level with ~30 lbs (13–15 kg) pressure to create a uniform puck.

Lock the portafilter into the group. Brew a single espresso shot aiming for 36 ml of liquid in about 25–30 seconds from the moment you start the pump. The resulting espresso should have a golden crema layer. Pour into the warmed demitasse cup.

Pour 60 ml of cold whole milk into a small milk pitcher. If you prefer more foam or are practicing, you can add an extra 30 ml, but keep total milk low — a macchiato is mainly espresso with only a dash of foam/milk.

Purge the steam wand for 1–2 seconds to remove condensate, then submerge the tip just below the milk surface and turn on full steam. Create microfoam by keeping the tip near the surface for a second or two to introduce small bubbles, then lower the pitcher so the wand is deeper to heat the milk. Aim for a velvety, glossy microfoam and a temperature of about 55–60°C (130–140°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, stop when the pitcher becomes too hot to comfortably hold for more than a couple seconds.

Tap the pitcher gently on the counter and swirl to remove larger bubbles and integrate milk and foam into a smooth texture. You want a small dollop of thick microfoam, not large airy foam.

Using a spoon (if needed), spoon or pour a small 1–2 teaspoon (about 5–10 ml) dollop of milk foam directly onto the center of the espresso to 'mark' it — macchiato means 'stained' or 'marked' — leaving the rest of the espresso mostly exposed. For a 'latte macchiato' variant, reverse the order (milk first, then espresso), but for this classic espresso macchiato, add the milk to the espresso.

Serve immediately in the warmed demitasse cup. Optionally garnish with a light dusting of cocoa or cinnamon (very small pinch) if desired, but traditional macchiato is unadorned.

Enjoy: sip the intense espresso first and then the creamy, sweetened-by-milk microfoam to experience contrast.