How to Make a Cortado at Home

The cortado comes from Spain, where cortar means 'to cut'. The espresso is cut with an equal amount of warm, lightly textured milk, which softens its edges without hiding the coffee. It's small, strong and smooth, and a favourite with people who find a latte too milky.

What you need

• An espresso machine with a steam wand
• Espresso coffee, such as our Momentum Espresso
• A 350ml milk jug
• A small glass or cup, around 4 to 4.5oz

The recipe

• Double espresso (about 36g)
• About the same amount of steamed milk
• Very little foam

Step by step

1. Pull a double espresso into your glass. See our espresso guide for the recipe.
2. Steam your milk to 60 to 65°C, keeping the air to a minimum so it's silky rather than frothy.
3. Swirl the jug so the milk is glossy, then pour it gently into the espresso until the glass is full.

Tips

• Steam at least 100ml of milk, even though you'll only use some of it. It's much easier to texture.
• Don't overheat the milk. Above 70°C it loses its natural sweetness.
• A cortado is a great way to taste a new espresso, because the coffee still leads.

A cortado with semi-skimmed milk is around 30 to 40 kcal. Compare it with other drinks in our coffee calorie calculator.

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