Piccolo Latte Recipe

Before you start

A piccolo latte is a miniature latte: one ristretto shot in a glass of about 90 to 100 ml, filled with steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam. It is closely associated with Australian specialty cafés, where baristas use it to taste a coffee with milk without the big volume of a full latte. The result is stronger and sweeter than a latte, but softer than a cortado.

The hard part is steaming such a small amount of milk well. A full-size pitcher will not let you build a whirlpool with only 70 ml, so use the smallest pitcher you have and steam a little extra. The ristretto base is also important: its shorter, more concentrated extraction brings sweetness and body that stand up to milk at this ratio.

Ingredients

• 18 g espresso coffee — ground finer than for a normal shot
• 18 to 25 ml (about ¾ oz) ristretto — one short shot from the basket
• 100 ml (3½ oz) cold whole milk — you will pour about 70 ml

Method

1. Warm the small glass with hot water, then dry it.
2. Dose 18 g of finely ground coffee, level and tamp. Lock in the portafilter and start the shot.
3. Stop the shot at about 18 to 25 g of liquid, roughly 20 to 25 seconds. If it reaches that weight too fast, grind finer for the next one. Use the shot that goes into the glass, or split a double between two piccolos.
4. Pour 100 ml of cold milk into the small pitcher. Purge the wand, then stretch briefly for 1 to 2 seconds with the tip at the surface.
5. Lower the tip slightly and roll the milk until the pitcher feels hot to hold, around 60°C (140°F). Keep the foam thin; a piccolo should have only about 5 mm on top.
6. Swirl the milk until it shines, then pour into the ristretto from close range to fill the glass. Finish with a small heart or dot if you like, and serve at once.

Tips for success

• Steam slightly more milk than you need. Very small volumes heat in seconds and are easy to overshoot.
• Use a glass rather than a cup if you can. It lets you see the layer of crema and milk and makes the size obvious.
• Taste a sip of the ristretto alone the first time. If it is sour, a piccolo will be too, so adjust the grind before adding milk.

Substitutions

Ristretto

A regular single espresso of about 30 ml makes a slightly milder, less syrupy piccolo. Moka pot coffee is too thin for this format.

Whole milk

Barista oat or soy milk steams well in small amounts and keeps the drink rich. Skim milk foams easily but makes the piccolo taste thin.

Glass size

A 120 ml cup works, but fill it only partway or the milk will drown the short shot.

Variations

Iced piccolo

Pour the ristretto over two ice cubes in the glass and top with 60 ml of cold milk.

Double-ristretto piccolo

Use both short shots from a double basket in a 150 ml glass for a stronger, slightly larger drink.

Troubleshooting

The milk is foamy and stiff

You stretched too long. In a tiny volume, one or two seconds of air is enough before submerging the tip.

The drink tastes weak

The glass is too big or the shot too small. Keep the glass around 90 to 100 ml and use a full ristretto.

The milk overheats before it is silky

Start with very cold milk and a cold pitcher, and lower the steam pressure slightly if your machine allows it.

Storage

A piccolo is made to drink right away; the small volume cools in a few minutes. Return unused milk to the fridge quickly, and do not re-steam milk that has already been steamed.