Piccolo Latte
Piccolo Latte
The Piccolo Latte is the smaller more ferocious sibling of the Cortado, a little Tasmanian devil that will spin your head around.
Why? Because this little beauty uses the bolder more expressed heaviness of a Ristretto shot rather than a Doppio.
In this guide, were going to demonstrate and help you make the notoriously rare but scrumptiously concentrated legend of a coffee recipe that is the Piccolo Latte.
We’ve given this recipe a difficulty rating of 2.5 because it requires some patience and some milk frothing expertise to assemble, just remember not to stir your coffee unless adding sugar, just let the steamed milk envelope your brew gently by itself.
Whatever coffee you end up using ensure its been medium to finely ground and remember to extract your coffee first and then top with that aerated silky smooth milk goodness.
The main aim of a Piccolo Latte is to gracefully combine the concentrated finesse of a Ristretto and a silky dash of milk, to allow the espresso flavours to shine through with little compromise and do not use coffee or blends that are fruitier in nature.
Equipment Recommended
Espresso Machine
Nespresso Machine
Best Cup For The Win
Although technically speaking you can use any cup, it’s best to keep it authentic and pour your brew into a nicely shaped glass gibraltar cup. However it will look just as appealing in any 4-6 ounce double walled glass coffee cup. The important thing is to keep it classy and glassy.
The Piccolo Latte needs the following considerations, we’re still going to utilise a 14g dose of medium to finely ground espresso with a total volume of 25-30ml that’s delicately topped by an equal 30-40ml part of steamed milk for a total volume of no more than 75-80ml.
Machine Espresso
Equipment & Things Needed
step by step Guide
Step 1
For this demonstration, we will be using our Delonghi EC260.
Ensure there’s enough water in the water tank. Switch on your espresso machine and wait for confirmation your espresso machine is ready.
Grab your coffee portafilter (handle with coffee basket), place the double espresso basket instead of the single espresso basket and unseal your deliciously fresh coffee bag of La Bella Figura, and slowly place 24g of coffee into the coffee basket.
Using either the shaft of your coffee scoop or the shaft of a spoon. Slide it across the top of the coffee heap (start at the rim of your portafilter, to ensure that your coffee is aligned and uniform.
Then tamp down the coffee grinds held in the portafilter with minimal down-force pressure.
Lastly, place your portafilter into the locking chamber of your espresso machine, tighten it by turning the handle counter clockwise until it locks fully.
Now begin the preparation for the steamy textured milk
Purge your steam wand by releasing some steam.
Pour cold milk of your choice into the milk jug, up to the bottom of the spout.
Place the steam wand about a ½ inch/1.5cm into the milk.
Open the steam valve and lower the jug to introduce air to the surface of the milk.
Aim for a temperature of around 60-65°C. For non-dairy, try not to go over 55°C, as the milk can start to separate or curdle.
Look for a velvety, silky-smooth texture.
Step 2
Position your gibralatar cup directly underneath the spout of your locked portafilter. Sometimes depending on how cold it is, we like to warm up our cups with some warm water or steam before commencing with the espresso pour.
Press the double espresso button or turn the dial to a double-shot depending on your espresso machine.
Once your espresso machine has finished extraction, remove your espresso cup.
Start pouring your steamed milk slowly and close to the cup and aim for the centre and top the cup with the remaining foam.
