A lot of us still get flustered and overwhelmed when we read the coffee menu at our local coffee shops. After all, most coffee drinks are pretty similar and only have subtle ratio differences.
However, knowing exactly what is in each coffee drink can help you decide which ones actually suit your palate. Today, let’s dive into the differences between a macchiato and a latte.
What Is A Latte?
Latte is short for Cafe Latte, which is Italian for “coffee milk”. Even though there is no definite standard way to make lattes, it is generally made from a shot or two of espresso, a lot of steamed full milk, and a little bit of milk foam on top.
The abundant amount of milk makes this drink really creamy and perfect for those with a sweet tooth. Coffee shops also often give their own twists to the traditional latte, adding things such as chocolate or caramel while substituting the full milk for alternatives like almond and oat milk.
How Do You Make A Delicious Latte?
- Grind roasted coffee beans using a grinder or purchase ground coffee from coffee shops.
- Brew your coffee ground into a single shot of espresso and pour it into your latte cup.
- Steam your preferred milk of choice and pour it on top of the espresso. Make sure the espresso to steamed milk ratio is 1:2.
- Foam or froth a little bit of milk and add a thin layer on top of your steamed milk to add creaminess.
- If you want to, you can add other ingredients such as sugar, vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, or chocolate to further elevate the coffee’s flavour.
What’s In A Latte?
Lattes pack a decent amount of caffeine in them. A 475 ml serving usually contains around 173 mg of caffeine. They also tend to contain more protein, carbs, total fat, and calories than macchiatos due to their high dairy content.
What Is A Macchiato?
Macchiatos tend to have a bolder and stronger flavour than lattes, along with retaining more of the coffee beans’ characteristics, since they are made with a shot of espresso and just a small touch of milk. It is also traditionally served in smaller espresso cups, compared to the larger latte cups.
Similar to lattes, there are many recipe variations for the macchiato. For example, you can pour a shot of espresso into a glass of hot milk to make a latte macchiato, or you can add caramel syrup to create a caramel macchiato. All in all, the possibilities are endless for you to customise both macchiato and latte drinks.
How Do You Make A Perfect Macchiato?
- Similar to lattes, you start by grinding your coffee beans and brew a shot of espresso.
- Steam a small amount of milk and pour it into your cup.
- Pour the espresso on top of your steamed milk with a coffee to milk ratio of 5:1.
- Add further ingredients and additives according to your preferences.
What’s In A Macchiato?
Compared to lattes, a macchiato is generally healthier since it contains less milk and sugar. They also have a larger caffeine content per millilitres, around 85 mg for every 60 ml serving, making them a better choice for a midday caffeine boost than lattes.
