Coffee lovers would know how they feel with the tongue to taste a new flavour from the coffee. You may hesitate after seeing the “Piccolo Latte” on the menu list, even at the coffee shop. It is hard to decide whether or not to try it because you are unsure about its taste.
But coffee drinkers would know the most basic and strongest beverage is espresso. It is a dark roast coffee served in 1 to 2 ounces of portions, and an American is an espresso that has been added hot water to. But if you prefer a light brew, you will enjoy a piccolo latte made with steamed milk and espresso.
While Italian people like a light brew, Americans prefer espresso. Regarding Cappuccino, it has an espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk ratio of 1:1:1. The Macchiato, is a cappuccino with a small amount of milk, is the classic North America mix.
At first, the information would sound too much for you. On the other hand, as a coffee lover, it is better to know some basic info about caffeine drinks to enjoy them the most.
Before getting to know what Piccolo is, let’s understand the ristretto shot first. Ristretto, in the simplest terms, means “restricted”. Ristretto is a short espresso made from finely ground coffee beans, which produces less than 15-20ml of liquid. Because in the finely ground, less water is pushed, giving you a richer and more concentrated taste. In addition, the coffee is sweeter and has a lower bitter taste thanks to the fast extraction time.
So next time when you see people order a ristretto shot, it does not mean they need less caffeine, and instead, they tell the barista to limit the quantity of espresso in their coffee drinks. Here, it is about quality over quantity.
What Is Piccolo Latte?
You may wonder what this Piccolo Latte is if you have never tried this drink before. In the last decade, the variety has had many supporters from the culture of Sydney Coffee, and it is very popular after that. With a simple explanation, Piccolo Latte comes along with a 15 to 20ml ristretto shot and has silky, warm milk on the top.
Caffe Piccolo is also known as small latte glass or demitasse due to a general serve of a 100ml glass. Many people get shocked with this tiny size at the first impression, but you will enjoy this drink after taking a sip to know how flavorful and rich the Piccolo Latte is. In case someone asks you what this beverage is, you can give them the 2 most significant features, including the shot and the serving style.
This latte drink has gained popularity because of its size itself. In this industry, drinking a full-sized cup of coffee every time is not possible. However, a small but fulfilling shot of Piccolo Latte is ideal for giving you a fresh milk coffee to reduce the feeling of being bloated.
Piccolo Latte and Cortado Difference
Most people get confused with these two, and they usually ask this question repeatedly to get the correct answer. The Piccolo Latte and Cortado are prepared in the same way with similar ingredients, so the difference is the shot lineage only.
The Piccolo Latte is created from a ristretto shot that has warm milk at the top. It is served in a miniature latte with the steamed milk and has little to no foam.
On the other hand, Cortado is made with the same steamed milk and has little to no foam, but Cortado is used as a regular espresso shot, so it has a high shot length.
All in all, the difference between these two is about the shot length itself.
How To Make Piccolo Latte?
Making a delicious cup of Piccolo Latte is easy and straightforward without a mess once you know the correct way to do it. We would suggest you make more than one cup, which means you can enjoy a cup for yourself, and other cups for your friends so that they can give you feedback. We will show you how to make this delicious drink in a rich flavour with simple steps.
The Needed Ingredient
To make a Piccolo Latte, you need to have the right ingredients first. As for 3 cups of this beverage, you need the amount of the serving ingredients as follows: Espresso (3 fl. oz.) and Whole Milk (6 fl. oz.).
The Recipe
After having the basic ingredient set, you can start to test and brew a delicious Piccolo Latte on your way.
Step 1: Get The Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans
Firstly, to create any tasty coffee beverage, the first essential step is to have the right coffee beans. Regarding the Piccolo Latte, you need to have freshly roasted coffee beans. In other words, select the beans that have been roasted for 4 days to 3 weeks, depending on the day you consume them in the drink.
Please don’t use the coffee beans that have been more than 3 weeks as the best flavour sourced from the first 2 weeks, and then it will start to decline in taste. Here, there is no packaging or technology to reserve the flavour over the mentioned time.
Step 2: Get Ready With Your Espresso
The next important step is to prepare the espresso. It takes 18 to 21 ground coffee to make a standard double shot. Specifically, it requires about 60 grams of finely ground coffee. Normally, it takes 30 to 40 seconds to get espresso ready; then should be gathered in a heated glass.
There are a few things you should know to get the right espresso:
- The most crucial part of making a great espresso is grinding the coffee beans correctly. Most brews that come along with powdery consistency benefit from a fine grind, also known as an espresso grind.
- The quality of your espresso is only as good as the water used for making it. Any scales, impurities or sediments will make espresso unusable. So before continuing, please make sure you have good quality water here.
- In comparison to other coffees, espresso demands a finer grind. During the procedure, the beans should clump together, indicating that everything is done correctly.
- The optimum component for coffee is water that is between 195 degrees Fahrenheit and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the machine to do its work in case you’re not sure how to do it.
Step 3: Steam The Milk
The next step is to steam the milk, like with any regular latte. Steam it in a small froth/foam texture. Before steaming the milk, make sure to distort the steam with a clean, wet cloth to remove any remaining water in the sand. The milk’s surface should cover the whole wand tip.
Additionally, maintain the cleanliness of the wand by wiping it clean after each usage. Switch wand with pulse several times before steaming milk to remove any particles in the duct.
A single serving of piccolo contains just 26 calories if you make it with skimmed milk. Allow your daily cup of piccolo latte a much healthier option! Interestingly, the key to obtaining the look and texture of the latte is steaming your milk properly.
Step 4: Combine These Two
The following step entails putting the milk into the espresso-filled glass. In fact, this step is more difficult and takes a lot of concentration. When pouring the milk, make sure you pour it slowly into the glass. The jug’s tip should be resting within the glass while pouring, neither above nor too much. The froth will slip out of the jug easier, and then it will get on the top of the espresso. As a result, the latte will have a ½ inch layer of sweet texture milk.
Half the work of preparing lattes is pouring milk. Pour slowly over a high distance with a consistent speed. Allow time for espresso and milk to blend together. If you place the pouring jug at a very top area while pouring the milk, the milk may spill out a little. Please remember that you have to follow this step immediately or after a few seconds once you steam the milk. The hot milk will guarantee the espresso blends well to produce the delicious flavour of Piccolo.
Step 5: Enjoy The Taste
Finally, you are in this step. Now, it’s time to enjoy the Piccolo Latte! Taste that hot, delicious coffee, and you’ll know you’ve created the ideal piccolo latte. This beverage is served hot, so savour it for the greatest flavour and experience while it’s still hot.
Final Thoughts
We often hear, “Good things come in small packages”, and do the coffee! So, with this article, we hope you can enjoy making this new drink and become part of your menu. You can even share this new drink with your friends for any special occasion.