Cortado: Espresso Cut with Warm Milk
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
A double espresso cut with roughly the same amount of gently steamed milk in a small glass, topped with just a thin line of foam.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Pull the shot. Pull a double espresso, 18 g in and about 40 ml out, directly into the glass tumbler.
- 2
Steam gently. Let in air for only 1-2 s, then heat the milk with the tip deep in the jug to 55-60 °C. Slightly cooler milk tastes sweeter, so the small drink can be sipped straight away.
- 3
Settle. Tap the jug and swirl until the milk is smooth, with only a thin layer of foam.
- 4
Cut. Pour about 45 ml of the milk into the espresso, close to equal parts, letting a thin pale line of foam settle on top.
Storage
Serve immediately. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Source of protein: 4.7 g protein per 100 kcal, about 19% of energy (needs ≥ 12%)
- Low fat: 1.3 g fat per 100 ml (limit ≤ 1.5 g)
- Low sugars: 1.8 g sugars per 100 ml (limit ≤ 2.5 g)
- Low salt: 0.05 g salt per 100 ml (limit ≤ 0.3 g)
Per 100 ml of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 125 ml a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Caffeine · Free sugars
- Per serving: about 85 mg caffeine (serving: 1 cortado (double espresso, 40 ml)). Source: 40 ml espresso × USDA FDC SR Legacy #171891 (espresso, 212 mg/100 g).
- Scaling: making more servings does not change the caffeine in each serving; what counts is how many servings you drink in a day. 1 serving: 85 mg · 2 servings: 170 mg · 3 servings: 255 mg (above EFSA 200 mg at once) · 4 servings: 340 mg (above EFSA 200 mg at once).
- General guideline: EFSA Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine (2015): for healthy adults, up to 200 mg in a single dose and up to 400 mg per day do not raise safety concerns. 1 serving = 21 % of 400 mg. EFSA
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- espresso machine with steam wand
- burr grinder
- digital scale
- tamper
- timer
- small milk jug (350 ml)
- thermometer (optional)
- small glass tumbler (about 135 ml)
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 32 kcal |
| Protein | 1.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 2.9 g |
| of which sugars | 2.3 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 1.6 g |
| of which saturates | 0.9 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Salt | 0.06 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
4.7 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
