ESPRESSO + MILK FAMILY
Cortado
A cortado is a small espresso drink cut with an equal measure of warm steamed milk, served in a short glass. The milk softens the espresso's sharp edge without burying it, so the coffee stays front and center.
- Cup size
- 4-4.5 oz
- Served
- Hot
- Strength
- 4 / 5 (concentration, not caffeine)
- Caffeine
- ~126 mg typical
The caffeine comes from the 2 oz of espresso, not the milk or the cup size, so a bigger serving with the same espresso carries about the same amount.
WHERE IT SITS
- Cortado
- Flat White
- Latte
In the cup
What's in a Cortado
The cortado belongs to the family of espresso-and-milk drinks, but it sits at the strong, concentrated end of that group. Where a latte or a flat white stretches the same shot through a tall pour of milk, a cortado keeps the milk short and roughly matched to the espresso. The result is a drink that still tastes distinctly of coffee, rounded out rather than watered down.
The milk is steamed to a thin, glossy texture with little or no foam, then poured to cut the espresso rather than to layer over it. That is where the name comes from: cortar is Spanish for to cut. Because the pour is small, a cortado is usually served in a squat glass rather than a large mug, and it is meant to be drunk fairly quickly while it is hot.
If you like the flavor of espresso but find a straight shot a little too intense, a cortado is the easy step up. It adds just enough milk to smooth the coffee out without tipping it into the mild, milky territory of a latte, which is why it has become a quiet favorite among people who take their coffee seriously.
- START HERECortado
- Flat White
- Latte
How it's built
- 2 oz espresso
- + 2 oz steamed milk
- Cortado4-4.5 oz
Ordering a Cortado
At the counter
Ask for a cortado and you get a short drink in a small glass, not a mug: a shot cut with an equal splash of steamed milk and almost no foam. It comes hot, and it is meant to be drunk fairly quickly. There is not much to customize here; the whole point is the tight balance of coffee and milk, so most people take it as it comes.
- Cup size
- 4-4.5 oz
- Served
- Hot
Make it at home
Making a Cortado at home
- Pull a short, strong shot of espresso.
- Warm an equal measure of milk to a thin, glossy texture, with barely any foam.
- Pour it straight into the coffee and drink it while it is hot; a cortado is meant to be quick.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a Cortado?
A cortado is an espresso softened with an equal amount of steamed milk, served short in a small glass. It keeps the bold flavor of the espresso while taking off the sharpest edge, and it carries far less milk than a latte or a cappuccino.
What's in a Cortado / what's the ratio?
A Cortado is 2 oz espresso, 2 oz steamed milk in a 4-4.5 oz cup - roughly equal parts espresso and milk, with little to no foam.
Is a Cortado strong?
On our concentration scale, a Cortado rates 4/5. Strength here means how concentrated the coffee tastes - not how much caffeine is in the cup. The short milk pour is what keeps it tasting closer to straight espresso than a latte does.
How is a Cortado different from a Flat White?
The two are close cousins, but a flat white is the larger and milkier of the pair. A flat white stretches its espresso through more steamed milk in a bigger cup with a thin layer of microfoam, so it drinks smoother and longer. A cortado keeps the milk short and roughly equal to the coffee, which makes it taste stronger and more concentrated.
Is a Cortado hot or iced?
Traditionally hot. A Cortado is served warm, not over ice.
How much caffeine is in a Cortado?
Around 126 mg is typical for a Cortado, scaled from USDA's measured figure for espresso rather than measured in the cup. It is approximate - the real amount shifts with the beans, the roast, and the pour.