Espresso Macchiato Recipe

5 min read JUN 14, 2022

The smell of the brewed aromatic beans and the sip that starts your day off with a euphoric high – coffee. Many of us rely on the dark roast to get us up in the morning and give us that extra boost of energy and a spring in our step.

Honestly, the smell alone is enough to get us out of our slump and put a smile on our faces. Most of us don’t know exactly where we would be without coffee, but we know it won’t be a very happy or productive place. 

As coffee lovers, we love to experiment with new flavors and new aromatic combinations that enhance their taste. Sometimes we have even combined unique flavors of different coffees into one very tasty brew.

Common coffee flavor combinations include the cinnamon almond milk macchiato and the creme brulee macchiato. A more popular variation is the wonderfully tasty espresso macchiato, which has a rich and bold taste. The following article will detail what an espresso macchiato is and how to make it from scratch in the comfort of your home.

What This Article Covers:



What Is an Espresso Macchiato


Coffee comes in all forms and it's sometimes difficult to distinguish between different macchiato types, especially if you’re new to the world of caffeine. Not to worry, we will explain exactly what an espresso macchiato is before you get to make one.

double espresso macchiato

Firstly, let's break up the drink into its two components, an espresso, and a macchiato. Espresso is the concentrated bit of all coffees and serves as the base for many caffeinated drinks.

A macchiato translated to English is ‘stained coffee’ and it is essentially an espresso with a small dash of milk. The staining refers to the way the milk is placed on top of the dark espresso.

An espresso macchiato is a single or doubled espresso finished with a dollop of heated, formed milk served in a small mug. Italians also refer to an espresso macchiato as a Caffe macchiato. It has a very strong taste of coffee due to its main flavor being espresso.

It’s a strong caffeinated drink with small hints of sweetness. It is a go-to for many coffee lovers, especially if you like the bolder pure taste of coffee to come through in your drinks.

What You Need


The first thing you will need is an espresso machine or a portafilter. Freshly ground coffee beans will result in the best tasting espresso and Lifeboost has some great, premium coffee beans for espresso lovers.

how to make espresso macchiato

Secondly, you need whole coffee beans. You need a strong flavor coffee bean since you'll be making an espresso macchiato. You can get a wide range of flavored coffee beans from Lifeboost coffee. The fantastic thing is that we sell our beans as whole or ground, making it easier and more convenient when making your coffees.

The last thing on the list is about 4 ounces of milk. Ultimately, any milk will do but it is recommended to use whole milk or 2% milk. Your milk must be cold when making an espresso macchiato.

If you want to add a little bit of a sweeter taste to your espresso macchiato, then you can incorporate white caster sugar and chocolate flakes into your cup of coffee.  

Once you have all these ingredients, you’re ready to start putting it all together.

How to Make an Espresso Macchiato


Step 1:


If you’re using a portafilter, then the first thing you will need to do is grind your coffee beans directly into the filter to ensure that you get the freshest tasting coffee.

Step 2:


The next thing you need to do is tamp the beans. If you’re a veteran in the coffee industry, then you will know what a tamper is used for. However, if you’re a newbie you may not know what we are talking about so we will explain it.

A tamper is a sort of like a stamp. It’s used to press your ground coffee beans into an even disc and expand its surface area. Be careful not to push too hard onto the disc because this might damage it.

Step 3:


Before placing the disc into your coffee machine and locking it in place, you will need to warm up an espresso mug by pouring some hot water into it.

how to make an espresso macchiato

Step 4:


While it’s warming up you can lock your ground-up disc into the machine. Pour the hot water out of your espresso mug and place it underneath the portafilter. Turn on your machine and let the coffee steam into the mug.

If you’re using a machine with a built-in grinder, then you will skip the step of the portafilter. All you would have to do is add your beans and everything will be done for you.

Step 5:


The last step is to steam the milk and add it to your freshly brewed espresso. You can either heat the milk using a saucepan and use a handheld frother or you can use your machine's built-in frothing pitcher. Make sure that your milk is warm to the touch and has a generous amount of foam.

Remember you are not using the warm milk but rather the form itself. You will need to pour the hot milk into a separate glass so that you’re only left with the foam. Once you only have the foam left, pour it over the espresso and serve it immediately.

Once you have done that you can go and enjoy your freshly brewed cup of espresso macchiato. If you want to add a little bit more sweetness, then you can add a few flakes of chocolate onto the top of the foam.

double espresso macchiato recipe

Conclusion


An espresso macchiato is a strong caffeinated drink with a hint of sweetness created by foamy milk.

The drink is incredibly easy to make, and the taste is all worth it. You can experiment with its flavor by adding more foam or using caster sugar. Additionally, you could go for a sweeter macchiato like the hazelnut macchiato.

It is time to head to the kitchen, take out your coffee machine, put your barista skills to the test, and start making your espresso macchiato to enjoy from the comfort of your home.

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