Macchiato vs Latte: Espresso Marked With Milk, or Milk With Espresso

Order a macchiato in two different cafés and you can end up with two drinks that share nothing but a name. That is easier to sort out from recipes than from memory, so we lined up what the recipes say. The photo above shows a latte in the tall glass, beside a flat white in the small cup. Our closest picture of the other side of the comparison is below.

The macchiato: a shot with a mark on it

Starbucks' recipe froths 60 ml of milk until thick, then spoons only about a tablespoon of the foam onto one shot. Breville's description is “a kiss of creamy foam” to soften the espresso. Either way, you are drinking the shot, so its ratio and balance stay in plain view.

See how to set the shot

The recipes side by side

These are one brand's recipes each, from different regional sites, so don't treat the numbers as definitions. We found no standards body for a macchiato or a latte. The nearest thing is INEI's cappuccino, covered in latte vs cappuccino.

How they drink

An espresso macchiato stays small, and the milk only softens the top. If you enjoy straight espresso but want the edge taken off, this is the one to try. It also leaves your shot nowhere to hide, so dial it in first.

A latte is a milk drink with coffee in it. The milk does most of the work, which makes milk texture as important as the shot. Breville's recipe asks for a thin layer of microfoam of about half an inch, and flat white vs latte shows how that compares with the next size down.

The menu versions are the catch. A latte macchiato or a caramel macchiato has much more milk than an espresso macchiato, and some are sweetened too. If you want the small drink, say “espresso macchiato.”

Which one to order

Choose the espresso macchiato if you want the shot to stay in charge. Choose the latte if you want a longer milk drink. If a menu lists only “macchiato,” ask how big it is and whether it's sweetened, since that one question sorts out all four drinks in the table.

Making each at home

Both drinks need the same two skills, in very different amounts.

For the macchiato, pull your usual shot into a small glass or cup. Steam a small amount of milk, then spoon a little foam onto the shot. Starbucks suggests a spoon so you lift the foam and no liquid. You will have milk left over, so plan on using it.

For the latte, pull the shot, steam the milk and pour. Breville's recipe has you fill the jug to the bottom of the spout. How to steam milk covers the technique, and our microfoam page explains what you are trying to make.

Which machine does this suit?

Any machine with a working steam wand can make both. A macchiato barely uses the wand. If lattes are your daily drink, wand and milk workflow start to matter more than most other specs, so see machines for lattes and cappuccino. Our guide to choosing a machine starts from what you drink.

Also weighing a cortado? Cortado vs latte covers it.