Updated on December 8, 2022
Spanish-born cortados are a barista favorite; the term translates to “slashed” since steamed milk is frequently used to dilute the espresso. This harmonious beverage tastes well with a morning croissant or as a pick-me-up in the afternoon. What distinguishes a cortado from other beverages like lattes, cappuccinos, or macchiatos that also contain milk and espresso? The ratio is the key. Here’s what you need to know if you want to get a cortado at the coffee shop when you go there next.
What is a Cortado Coffee?
The Spanish term cortado means “to dilute or cut.” It is a beverage composed with espresso combined in a ratio of 1:2 with hot milk to give it a distinctive flavor and less acidity. The Cortado is a popular beverage in Spain and Portugal, but it is also available in cafés all over the world, particularly in Latin America. Due to the fact that a Cortado is intended to be hot and sipped slowly, coffee shops normally offer them without adding any sugar or flavoring.
The only components in a typical cortado are espresso and steaming milk, the latter of which adds a little sweetness from the milk sugars (some non-dairy milks are sweetened, while regular milk has natural sugars). Teoh proposes the Cortadito, a cortado variant from Cuba that is sweetened with either condensed milk or a small amount of sugar if you prefer a sweeter beverage. She describes it as the ideal beverage for someone who desires the ideal harmony of milk and espresso with added sweetness.
How To Make Cortado Coffee?
Traditionally, cortados are produced with an espresso maker. Teoh employs an easy technique: “Pull a shot of espresso first. You pull a double shot, which weighs about two ounces, in the majority of coffee shops. After that, you steam two ounces of the milk of your choice (dairy or non-dairy), which incorporates air. Simply add that to the two ounces of espresso.”
Cortados are frequently served in tiny glasses that are completely filled with the beverage. A common choice among baristas is the gibraltar glass, which has a medium lip and short ridges. Some coffee shops (like Blue Bottle) will just call a cortado a gibraltar because they frequently serve cortados in these specific glasses. Although it’s customary to make a cortado with dairy milk, many non-dairy milks—in particular, oat and almond milk—steam well and can be used to create versions without dairy.
Can You Make a Cortado Without a Coffee Machine?
Even without an espresso machine at home, you may still enjoy a cortado like you would at a coffee shop. Use the same quantity of milk as espresso if you have a Nespresso or Keurig machine programmed to brew espresso (the one-to-one ratio is key to the drink). Teoh advises using a handheld frother to aerate the milk and achieve the ideal texture when steaming milk at home without a steam wand. Warm the milk in the stove or microwave until it reaches a temperature of 130 to 150°F for optimal results. Before adding the milk to the espresso, aerate it using the frother.
Use speciality brand instant crystalline coffee, which you can buy online or from your favorite store, if you don’t have a Keurig or Nespresso machine. Don’t adhere to the directions on the package, which are intended to produce a beverage that resembles drip coffee. Instead, incorporate a small amount of water to approximate the consistency and strength of espresso. After that, stir in your steaming milk in a one-to-one ratio and enjoy. Using cold milk and ice, you can use this technique to produce an iced cortado.
The cortado’s appeal comes from the way the milk balances out the espresso’s bitterness while still letting the flavors shine. Make a cortado the next time you want to treat yourself at your favorite café. It might end up being your new go-to order.