What’s a Piccolo Coffee or a Piccolo Latte?

Australian Piccolo Latte

Question: A friend of mine just returned from a trip to Australia. When I was talking to him about Australian coffee culture, he mentioned that on coffee shop menus he often saw a brew with an interesting-sounding name: piccolo latte. I have never encountered this type of coffee and he didn’t know what it actually was. Can you tell me? – Ed Jackness

Darren Oliver at Clearly Coffee Replies: Piccolo latte is a coffee that is difficult to encounter outside of Australia. Although the name suggests that it is an Italian coffee, it was invented in Australia, in Melbourne, or Sydney (baristas in those cities are still arguing about where exactly it took place). It also never became as popular as another Australian drink: flat white. So what is a piccolo latte and how does it differ from other milk coffees? How does it taste and, finally, how to prepare it yourself at home? I will answer these questions in today’s article.

What Is a Piccolo Latte?

“Piccolo” is an Italian word that means “small” – so a typical piccolo latte is smaller than most of the standard milk coffees you’ll encounter in most cafes. 

There are different versions as to what kind of coffee goes into a piccolo latte: some say it’s a single shot of espresso, at about 20 grams, while others say it’s a single shot of ristretto (so also about 18-20 grams of coffee). The second version is by far the most popular. A ristretto, on the other hand, is nothing more than an espresso with slightly altered proportions. Instead of the standard ratio of 1 gram of coffee to 2 grams of water (normal espresso), the ratio is 1 gram of coffee to 1 gram of water.

My theory on the existence of the two different versions is that ristretto is relatively rare in modern cafes, as it requires a completely different grinder setting – and adjusting the grinder for each brewing is impossible for practical reasons. Since espresso is far more popular today, a large proportion of piccolo lattes in cafes today can be brewed with a single espresso base.

So let’s assume that a piccolo latte is a single espresso or ristretto (in the amount of about 20 grams) topped with foamed milk in the amount of about 60 grams. Thus, we get a relatively rare coffee-to-milk ratio: 1:3 (for cappuccino it is usually 1:5, and flat white – 1:4).

What Does a Piccolo Latte Taste Like?

You already know that a relatively large amount of coffee to milk is key in a piccolo latte. Legend has it that the reason for its creation was that Australian baristas wanted to be able to sample coffee throughout the day so as not to take in too much caffeine or dairy.

This is exactly what a piccolo latte tastes like. On the one hand, you can feel the coffee intensity, definitely more than in any milk coffee, on the other hand, the milk provides a break in the intensity and a dose of creamy sweetness. The taste of a piccolo latte can be described as something between a cortado and a flat white. It’s a milk coffee with coffee as the star – probably the best way to sum up the flavor of a piccolo latte.

How Is a Piccolo Latte Different From Other Milk Coffees?

However, if you’ve never had the opportunity to try a piccolo latte, it may be useful to compare it to other milk coffees you may have already encountered. So let’s briefly discuss the differences between piccolo and other popular milk drinks.

Latte: You could say that a latte and a piccolo latte are exact opposites. While in the former the star is the creamy milk and the coffee flavor is more of an additive, in the latter it is the coffee that dominates, being only slightly broken by the milk flavor.

Cappuccino: In addition to the obvious difference in proportions (we’ve said this before), it lies in the way the milk is foamed. In cappuccino, it’s more aerated, so it doesn’t mix with the coffee as well. In piccolo, the milk is smooth and creamy, blending perfectly with the ristretto/espresso.

Flat white: This is another brew that originated in Australia. The difference is in the amount of coffee (flat white uses double espresso) and milk (in the case of flat white, it’s about 120 milliliters). Both drinks are characterized by an intense coffee flavor, but flat white exhibits a slightly more milky, sweet taste.

Cortado: is the brew that most resembles a piccolo. The amount of the drink is the same, but the cortado uses double espresso/ristretto, giving the piccolo a softer, more subtle flavor as a result.

Espresso macchiato: This is a much more intense brew than the piccolo. This is because the milk does not mix with the coffee at all. The milk foam does not mix with the coffee (as in the case of piccolo), it only decorates the surface of the espresso, being more of an addition to the texture than the taste. 

How To Make a Piccolo Latte at Home?

I wouldn’t be surprised if, after the description of the taste of piccolo, you feel like making them at home. So how do you make them with your own hands? It’s very simple.

First, brew your ristretto – it’s very easy to do at home. Grind 20 grams of coffee a little finer than for espresso, and then brew to make 20 grams of brew, keeping the brewing time around 25 seconds.

Froth the milk: its texture should be light and creamy, and the surface should be shiny (although this is a strange comparison, think of white paint for walls). The temperature should not exceed 65 degrees Celsius (you can easily feel it with your hand – when you can’t keep your hand on the surface of the jug for more than a few seconds, the milk is ready) – this way the proteins responsible for sweetness won’t break down, and the frothed milk will be sweet and delicious.

Prepare an 80 ml cup. Pour your ristretto inside, top it off with frothed milk, and… you’ve just made your first-ever ristretto!

Try a Piccolo Latte Today!

Piccolo latte is a brew that is hard to get in a coffee shop. It’s much more common to find a flat white or cortado. However, it is a completely different brew from all of them and it is worth giving it a chance. So don’t be afraid and try to make it yourself at home. Maybe that’s how you’ll discover your new favorite coffee…?

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