What is a Piccolo Coffee?
They say that good things come in small packages – and that couldn’t be truer for a piccolo coffee. Essentially a miniature version of the iconiccafé latte, a piccolo latte perfectly blends the strength of a ristretto shot with the smoothness of milk for when you don’t have as much time – or just want a bit more punch.
Small yet mighty, the piccolo drink may be Italian in name but its roots actually lie in New Zealand. Supposedly created by baristas wanting to test flavours throughout the day without consuming too much milk, the piccolo recipe is now a mainstay all over the world. To learn how to make a piccolo that takes the prize spot in your home coffee offerings, read on.
Piccolo vs Latte vs Macchiato
Coffee types are ever expanding, and it can be easy to confuse similarly sized cups. What is a piccolo coffee compared to say a macchiato or latte? A macchiato is also served in a smaller vessel and typically with a single shot, but its main difference lies in the treatment of milk. Where a macchiato calls for a ‘stain’ of milk added at the end without being blended into espresso, a piccolo coffee combines steamed milk in the same way you would for a latte. Although very similar, one notable difference between the latte and piccolo latte is that the piccolo has a higher proportional espresso count, resulting in a stronger flavour.
What is the Best Coffee for a Piccolo?
You can use anyNespressocapsule in your piccolo drink, but this coffee is typically only made with a single shot of espresso or ristretto. ‘Ristretto’ means a restricted shot of coffee, where about half the amount of water is used. For how to make a piccolo in the classic style, we’d recommend opting for a dark or medium roast coffee. This will enhance the richness of your piccolo – we suggestRistretto ClassicoorArpeggio, which yield a rich dark roasted coffee flavour that’s designed to be paired with milk in shorter vessels.
How to Make a Piccolo Latte
For your piccolo latte, you’ll need a few things: your chosen capsule, an espresso machine like theCreatista Pro, a milk frother or steam wand, milk, and a short vessel – typically a 90ml glass cup. The Creatista Pro comes with an automatic steam wand built in – otherwise, a milk frother like theAeroccino3 Black Milk Frotheralso delivers barista-style, latte art ready milk.
Here’s how to make a piccolo coffee: start by extracting your shot of espresso (the aim is to get a fairly concentrated shot). Next,steam your milk, and once you’ve reached your preferred temperature, add it into your cup. Do this slowly, and if creating latte art tilt your cup at an angle as you pour.
