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☕ Coffee Drinks · 2026

What Is a Macchiato? The Traditional Drink vs What the Menu Says

A macchiato is an espresso 'marked' with a small spoonful of milk foam — nearly all coffee, barely any milk. What the traditional drink is, how a latte macchiato reverses it, and why the coffee-chain version is a different drink entirely.

Written and reviewed by the CoffeeLabAdvisor editorial team · Published 1 September 2026

5 facts, each with a source below 5 questions answered 6 reviewed machines that make it

A traditional macchiato (in full, espresso macchiato) is a shot of espresso marked with a small spoonful of milk foam — macchiato is Italian for “stained” or “marked”. It is nearly all coffee: the foam tempers the first sip, it does not dilute the drink. If you were expecting a tall, sweet, caramel-striped drink, that is a coffee-chain invention that borrowed the name — a different drink covered below.

Base1 shot of espresso (single or double)
MilkA small spoonful of milk foam on top — not a filled cup
CupEspresso cup; the drink stays under ~60 ml
NameItalian macchiato = “stained / marked”
NeedsAn espresso machine with any way to foam milk

The traditional espresso macchiato

The drink is defined by its proportions, and they are the reverse of every milk drink on the menu: espresso first, and just enough foamed milk to mark the surface — commonly described as a teaspoon or two. The point of the milk is functional. It softens the first, most intense sip of the shot without turning the drink into a milk beverage, which is why the macchiato sits between a straight espresso and a cappuccino on any traditional menu.

Because the milk is a garnish rather than an ingredient, the macchiato rises and falls entirely on the espresso underneath it. There is nowhere for a sour or bitter shot to hide.

Latte macchiato: the same word, the opposite drink

A latte macchiato reverses the recipe: it is a glass of steamed milk marked by a shot of espresso poured into it — Italian for “stained milk” rather than stained coffee. The espresso enters last, layering through the milk. Order “a macchiato” in a café that takes the Italian names seriously and you get the small espresso drink; order it somewhere that doesn't and you may get the tall milk one. The word alone does not tell you which is coming — the size of the cup does.

The coffee-chain “macchiato”

The caramel macchiato popularised by large chains is a flavoured latte — milk, syrup, espresso and sauce in a tall cup. It borrowed the name from the layering idea (the espresso marks the top of the milk) and is closer to a dessert latte than to either traditional drink. This is not a judgement, just a taxonomy: if that is the drink you want, it is a latte variant, and any machine that makes lattes makes it.

Making one at home

A macchiato needs exactly two things: a shot of espresso and a small amount of foamed milk. Pull the shot as you normally would — our shot size guide covers what a single and double actually are — then spoon a dollop of foam on top. Any machine with a steam wand can produce the foam; machines with automatic milk systems will make far more foam than the drink needs, so spoon from the jug rather than pouring.

Machines that make it, from our reviews

A macchiato needs espresso plus a little foam, so any machine below works — each has a published review, and the steam system is named on its card.

Jura Z10
🏆 2026 Best Bean-to-Cup Machine winner

Jura Z10

Bean-to-Cup · Automatic milk · Plant milk 5/5

$4,199.00Live Amazon price · as of 09/11/2026 5:46 PM
Buy on Amazon →

Frequently asked questions

What is in a macchiato?

A shot of espresso and a small spoonful of milk foam — that is the whole traditional drink. It contains far less milk than a latte, cappuccino or cortado, and no syrup or sauce unless a menu has renamed a flavoured latte.

What does macchiato mean?

It is Italian for “stained” or “marked”. An espresso macchiato is espresso marked with milk foam; a latte macchiato is milk marked with espresso. The two drinks share a word and reverse the recipe.

Is a macchiato stronger than a latte?

It tastes far more of the espresso, because a traditional macchiato is nearly all espresso while a latte is mostly steamed milk. The espresso in the cup can be identical; what changes is how much milk surrounds it.

Macchiato vs cortado — what is the difference?

Both are small espresso-and-milk drinks. The traditional macchiato takes only a spoonful of foam; a cortado takes roughly equal espresso and steamed milk. If you want milk to be an ingredient rather than a garnish, the cortado is the closer drink.

Why is the Starbucks macchiato so different?

The chain drink is a flavoured latte that borrowed the name for its layering — espresso poured over milk. The traditional espresso macchiato is a small, strong drink served in an espresso cup. Both exist; they are simply different drinks with one name.

Sources for this page: Definition and etymology (“stained/marked”; espresso marked with milk foam): Trade Coffee's espresso drinks glossary, MasterClass's macchiato-vs-latte explainer, and L'OR's macchiato guide, read 2026-09-01 · Latte macchiato as “stained milk”, espresso poured into milk: Wikipedia's Latte macchiato entry, corroborated by the same glossaries, read 2026-09-01 We have not measured drinks in a lab; where volumes differ between authorities, the page names each authority rather than averaging them, and machine capabilities come from our own published review records.

More coffee drinks

Cortado →A cortado is espresso cut with a roughly equal amount of steamed milk — around 4 oz in tot… Cappuccino →A cappuccino is espresso with steamed milk and a deep foam layer — the certified Italian d… Espresso shot sizes →A single espresso shot is about 1 oz (25–30 ml) and a double about 2 oz (50–60 ml). The fu… All coffee types & flavors →The full map this drink belongs to. All guides →The complete directory, grouped by what you are doing.