What is a macchiato?

A macchiato (pronounced mah-kee-AH-toh) or caffè macchiato is an espresso with a dollop of foamed milk on top. You can usually order it as a single or a double. The word "macchiato" means "stained" or "spotted" in Italian, which refers to how the coffee is stained with a small amount of milk.

In Australia a macchiato is sometimes referred to as a mac.

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A graphic of a small coffee cup containing 60ml of espresso and 20ml of foamed milk

Out of all the coffee drinks made with milk and espresso, the macchiato contains the least amount of milk. The milk's purpose is to balance out what would otherwise be a sharp hit of espresso.

Surprisingly a caramel macchiato, latte macchiato, and espresso macchiato are completely different drinks.

Macchiato origins

Espresso, which is ground coffee brewed at high pressure, originated in Italy. So, like most simple variations on espresso and milk, the macchiato is also from Italy.

Macchiato ingredients

A macchiato has just two ingredients, espresso and steamed milk.

The espresso can come as one or two shots (30ml or 60ml).

The steamed milk should be foamy, and not more than a few tea spoons (20ml)

How to make a macchiato

Making a macchiato is simple so long as you know your way around an espresso machine.

  1. Pull one or two shots of espresso into a small coffee cup
  2. Steam a small amont of milk until it is foamy.
  3. Pour or spoon a dollop of the foamed milk on top of the espresso
  4. Serve