Avid coffee drinkers have tirelessly argued about cortado vs macchiato which are two of the lesser known espresso drinks. How is a cortado different from a macchiato? A macchiato and a cortado are both small drinks that are made by combining espresso with milk. However, that's exactly where their similarities end.
A macchiato is a shot of espresso with foamed milk that is added on top. A cortado on the other hand, is a double shot of espresso with an equal amount of steamed milk that is added to it.
A cortado is a double shot of espresso with equal amounts of steamed milk. Cortados are from Spain, and contain at least 50% of milk, sometimes even more to make a smoother and creamier drink.
A macchiato, on the other hand is a single shot of espresso with a dash of foamed milk. The small amount of milk takes the edge off the espresso without taking anything away from the flavour. Originating in Italy, macchiatos are an extremely popular early-morning beverage for most coffee drinkers.
To understand the difference between a cortado and a macchiato, you should take a look at how the two are made. While the ingredients remain the same, the quantities for both espresso drinks vary to a large extent.
Make an authentic cortado -
This Spanish espresso drink is made with equal parts coffee to milk. A double shot of espresso is added to the cup, followed by an equal amount of steamed milk or maybe more, depending on your taste. Traditionally, Spanish coffee houses use sweetened condensed milk which is steamed in order to lend a sweeter taste to their cortado.
Make an authentic macchiato -
This authentic Italian espresso drink is made with a single espresso shot. A macchiato has the highest flavoured coffee to milk ratio than any other coffee beverage. A single espresso is prepared and added to the cup, and here comes the biggest difference between the two. Instead of steamed milk, frothed milk is added to the espresso. Only one or two teaspoons of foamed milk are added to the top of the espresso which is also called the "mark of milk".
You can easily make your own cortados and macchiatos at home if you know how to make an espresso.
