Piccolo | Macchiato Recipe
Make Piccolo | Macchiato Recipe in just 8m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Espresso
Milk
Garnish / optional
Method
Espresso
Preheat and prepare machine
Turn on your espresso machine and allow it to reach proper brew and steam temperature (usually 15–30 minutes). Ensure the portafilter and cup are preheated by running a blank shot or rinsing with hot water into the serving glass.
Dose and tamp
Weigh 18 g of freshly roasted espresso beans, grind to a fine espresso grind consistent with your machine. Distribute grounds evenly in the portafilter and tamp with firm, level pressure (about 20–30 lbs).
Pull ristretto/espresso
Lock the portafilter in and start extraction. Aim for about 40 ml of liquid espresso in approximately 25–30 seconds (adjust grind and dose to hit this yield/time). For a piccolo macchiato you can pull a slightly shorter, concentrated ristretto if desired — target 25–30 ml for a more syrupy result.
Milk
Prepare milk pitcher and thermometer
Pour 60 ml of cold whole milk into a small metal steaming pitcher (the typical piccolo uses a 90–120 ml glass, so milk will be a small amount). Position the pitcher, and have a steaming thermometer or thermometer-free technique ready.
Purge steam wand and texture milk
Purge the steam wand briefly to remove condensation. Submerge the tip just below the milk surface and begin steaming. Stretch the milk gently to create microfoam for about 3–6 seconds until it reaches a silky texture, then submerge the wand slightly deeper to heat the milk to 55–60°C (130–140°F). The goal is a glossy, velvety microfoam with very small bubbles.
Settle milk
Tap the pitcher on the counter and swirl to break any larger bubbles and integrate foam. Spoon or pour so that you have roughly 1–2 tablespoons of dense microfoam on top of the milk.
Assembly & garnish
Combine espresso and milk
Pour the freshly extracted espresso into a pre-warmed piccolo or demitasse glass (approx 90–120 ml capacity). Gently pour the textured milk into the center of the espresso so the liquid milk blends in and the microfoam 'marks' the top — for a macchiato, place a small dollop (a 'stain') of milk foam on the espresso, rather than fully filling the cup like a latte. The finished volume should be small and concentrated.
Clean steam wand: purge and wipe the steam wand with the 10 ml of reserved milk or a damp cloth to remove milk residue.