Impress your guests with a freshly prepared cortado. This hot beverage is a delicious combination of espresso and milk.

Enjoy a cortado as a quick pick-me-up in the afternoon. It’s a tasty drink that can easily be prepared at home.
What’s A Cortado?
A cortado is an espresso drink that’s made with equal parts espresso and steamed milk, typically one doubleshot of espresso and two ounces of milk. Cortado is the Spanish word for cut. In the case of the drink, the espresso is cut with the milk.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- espresso
- steamed milk
- Cortado glass
(Note: Full recipe is at the bottom of the post)
How to Make Cortado
- Make the espresso.
- Steam the milk with an espresso machine, stretching the milk to 20 to 25% in height, or froth the milk with a frother, a French press, or a whisk. Use ½ cup of milk for this process. Use the leftover milk for something else or make two cortados.
- Pour 2 ounces of espresso into the cortado glass. Top with the steamed milk and enjoy!
Best Milk for a Cortado
Cortados are typically made with whole milk but any type of milk can be used.
Cortado Vs Latte
Both beverages are made with espresso and milk but the key differences are the size of the drinks and the amount of espresso versus milk. Cortados contain little to no foam and are made with equal amounts of espresso and steamed milk. Lattes are made with much more steamed milk and typically include a solid layer of foam.
Cortado Vs Flat White
If you prefer a milder and milkier drink, consider a flat white. It’s made with one part espresso and two parts milk. The milk in a flat white is micro-foamed which results in a slightly heavier and silkier mouth feel.
Is A Cortado The Same As An Espresso?
No, an espresso is a small amount of concentrated coffee that’s typically brewed from different varieties of roasts. A cortado is equal amounts of espresso and steamed milk, making it less acidic than an espresso.
Easy Cortado Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz espresso
- 2 oz steamed milk
Instructions
- Make the espresso.
- Steam the milk with an espresso machine, stretching the milk to 20 to 25% in height, or froth the milk with a frother, a French press, or a whisk. Use ½ cup of milk for this process. Use the leftover milk for something else or make two cortados.
- Pour 2 ounces of espresso into the cortado glass. Top with the steamed milk and enjoy!
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