Cortado

A cortado is espresso softened with a small amount of warm, steamed milk. The milk cuts the espresso’s intensity without burying its coffee flavour under a thick layer of foam.

Pull a shot of espresso into a small glass, then add roughly the same volume of steamed milk. Steam the milk to a smooth, glossy texture with just a little fine foam, rather than the deep foam used for a cappuccino.

A macchiato is espresso marked with a small spoonful of milk or milk foam; a cortado has enough steamed milk to soften the espresso more noticeably. If you want the coffee to remain especially prominent, choose the macchiato.

A cortado is smaller and has much less foam. A cappuccino has a larger portion of milk and a substantial, airy foam layer, so it tastes softer and milkier.

Yes. Barista-style oat milk steams into a smoother microfoam than many ordinary oat drinks; heat it gently and stop before it boils, then pour it in roughly equal volume to the espresso.

It is best made and drunk straight away: the espresso’s crema fades and the steamed milk loses its smooth texture as it stands. Avoid reheating it, which can make the milk taste cooked.

Cortado comes from the Spanish verb cortar, meaning “to cut”: the milk cuts the intensity of the espresso. The name is used for this small espresso-and-milk drink, though the exact ratio can differ between cafés.