How to Make a Cortado at Home: The 1:1 Espresso Drink You're Missing
What Makes a Cortado a Cortado
The cortado (from the Spanish cortar, to cut) is a double espresso with an equal volume of warm steamed milk -- typically 60-70ml of each for a total drink size of 120-140ml. The milk is steamed to around 55-60C (slightly cooler than a latte) and is smooth but not heavily foamed. The purpose of the milk in a cortado is not to sweeten or dilute -- it is to cut the acidity and temperature of the espresso while keeping its intensity fully forward. A cortado should taste like espresso plus milk, not like a milky espresso drink. Our SUMMIT Espresso Blend is the ideal cortado base -- its bold chocolate and caramel character holds its identity even with 1:1 milk addition.
The Recipe
- Espresso: 18g in / 36-38g yield / 28-30 seconds at 92C
- Milk: 60-70ml whole milk steamed to 55-60C -- smooth with minimal foam
- Glass: A 4oz glass or Gibraltar glass (straight-sided rocks glass)
- Method: Pull espresso into the glass. Steam milk to microfoam with minimal air incorporation. Pour milk directly over espresso in one steady stream. No spooning foam. The result should be an integrated, glossy, caramel-colored drink.
Cortado vs. Flat White vs. Latte
These three drinks are frequently confused. The cortado is 120-140ml total, 1:1 espresso to milk ratio -- the most espresso-forward of the three. The flat white is 150-200ml, roughly 1:2 to 1:3 ratio -- more milk but still espresso-dominant, served with velvety microfoam. The latte is 240-360ml, 1:4 to 1:6 ratio -- the most milk-forward and the mildest. If you want to actually taste the espresso through the milk, order or make a cortado. If you want a balanced daily drink, make a flat white. If you want something gentle and comforting, make a latte. Browse our coffee glassware for proper cortado glasses that serve the drink the way it was designed to be consumed.
Iced Cortado: The Summer Version
An iced cortado is pulled espresso over a single large ice cube with an equal volume of cold whole milk poured over. Do not shake -- just pour and drink immediately. The large single ice cube chills without diluting as rapidly as crushed ice. The result is a bold, cold, intensely flavored drink that is one of the most refreshing ways to consume quality espresso in warm months. This format highlights Brazil Dark Roast beautifully -- try our Brazil Dark Roast as an iced cortado concentrate for a chocolate-forward cold drink that takes under 3 minutes to make.
The cortado is coffee minimalism. Two ingredients, one ratio, zero compromise. When the espresso is great, the cortado is great. There is nowhere to hide. -- PURE EARTH COFFEE
Key Takeaways
- Cortado = 1:1 espresso to steamed milk, 120-140ml total, served in a 4oz glass
- Steam milk to 55-60C with minimal foam -- the goal is smooth integration, not froth texture
- SUMMIT Espresso Blend holds its bold character at 1:1 milk ratio -- perfect cortado base
- Cortado vs flat white vs latte: cortado is most espresso-forward, latte is most milk-forward
- Iced cortado over one large ice cube is one of the best ways to drink quality espresso in summer
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