Macchiato

Section: Hot: Espresso Family · espresso · dairy · build · low calorie · under 60 s

Setup

Glass: Demitasse 75 ml

Serve volume: 46 ml

Ingredients (as the source specifies)

Double espresso 36 ml
Whole milk 10 ml steamed to microfoam

Operating procedure

Applies to: espresso macchiato — a single or double espresso marked with a small ~10–15 ml dollop of milk foam, served in a demitasse.

Target: under 60 seconds from shot start to service.

Pre-warm the demitasse so the small volume holds heat.
Use cold fresh milk in a small, clean, cold pitcher — only a little is needed.
Purge and wipe the steam wand before texturing.
Confirm the order is single or double so the shot and cup match.

Pull the single or double espresso into the warm demitasse.
Single ~9 g in / ~18 g out; double 18 g in / ~36 g out; 25–30 s either way.
Steam a small amount of milk to a dense, dry foam, adding a touch more air than for latte art.
Final milk temperature 60–65°C; you only need enough foam for one small dollop.
Spoon a small ~10–15 ml dollop of foam onto the centre of the crema.
The foam should mark the shot as a distinct spot — not blanket the surface.
Serve immediately while the crema and foam mark are both intact.
Guest sees espresso crema with a small white foam mark on top — the classic look.

A single small ~10–15 ml foam dollop marks the shot without covering the crema.
The drink tastes espresso-forward, with milk only softening the very first sip.
Foam is dense enough to sit as a distinct mark, not sink or spread thin.

Macchiato means marked or stained: the point is a strong espresso lightly touched by foam, so keep the milk to a small dollop and never let it become a mini cortado.

Technique

The procedures this drink is built with. They are the technique, not this drink's own method.

Energy, derived from the ingredient list

Computed line by line against the source's own coefficient table. Nothing here is typed in.

Espresso · 36 × 0.03 = 1.08 kcal
Whole milk 3.5% · 10 × 0.64 = 6.4 kcal

Derived total: ≈ 5 kcal

Caffeine, derived from the ingredient list

Computed line by line at the source's own reference doses. Nothing here is typed in.

Double espresso 36 ml · 130 mg (double espresso reference: 18 g dose = 130 mg)

Derived total: ≈ 130 mg

Recommended adult daily maximum: 400 mg

Allergens, as the source states them: `MILK`

Holding and food safety

These figures are the published guidance, not a house rule. Each carries its source.

Chilled components: hold at or below 5 °C. The legal maximum is 8 °C.
Once a chilled component is out of the fridge, it has 4 hours before it must be discarded.

Your local authority sets the requirement. Confirm these against it before service.

Source: GOV.UK — Food hygiene for businesses (FSA guidance) — retrieved 2026-08-20