FOOD NEWS
What's The Difference Between A Macchiato And Latte?
BY AUTUMN SWIERS
Both lattes and macchiatos are Italian coffee drinks consisting mostly of espresso and milk, and you can quickly tell the two apart based on their size and coffee-to-milk ratio.
Lattes are the larger of the two, made from espresso topped with chilled or steamed milk in a one-to-three ratio. They often come in varying sizes from 8 ounces up.
Its larger size and higher milk ratio give lattes a mild, slightly sweet flavor accentuated by sweeteners, making them a sippable drink to be savored over time.
Moreover, the drink often includes multiple shots of espresso, meaning it isn’t meant to be downed quickly, and unlike macchiatos, the drink can come with additional flavors.
On the other hand, a macchiato is smaller and made of a shot of espresso topped with foamed milk, in a two-to-one ratio, without any vanilla or caramel like you’d get at Starbucks.
The drink is smaller and has a lower ratio of milk to espresso because it’s designed to be savored and showcase the flavor and aroma of high-quality espresso beans.
Lastly, you may notice the foam of a macchiato is stiffer, creating a frothy cap on top of the espresso, typically made of whole milk to get the proper consistency.