Four names on a menu, and they all look like “coffee with a little milk.” That’s not right. A macchiato and a latte macchiato even have opposite builds — with the same name in them.
Here’s the overview that lets you choose what to order in ten seconds.
The overview in one table
| Macchiato | Latte macchiato | Cortado | Café au lait | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Espresso | Steamed milk | Espresso | Filter coffee |
| Volume | 35–40 ml | 180–250 ml | 60–80 ml | ~150–200 ml |
| Coffee:milk ratio | Mostly coffee | Mostly milk | 1:1 | 1:2 to 1:3 |
| Foam | Small dollop | Visible layer | Barely any | None (not steamed) |
| Origin | Italy | Italy | Spain | France / Netherlands |
| Choose this if… | You want espresso with a small milk accent | You want a large, mild coffee with visible layers | You want espresso without the sharpness | You want a mild, large cup without an espresso machine |
Three of the four are built on espresso. One isn’t. That one drink — café au lait, known in Dutch as koffie verkeerd — is also the only one not of Italian or Spanish origin. We’ll come back to that.
Macchiato — when the coffee should take center stage
Macchiato means “stained.” An espresso with a spoonful of milk foam on top, 35 to 40 ml total. The coffee is the main point, the milk only tempers the sharpness.
The catch: there’s also a latte macchiato, and it’s almost the reverse. In cafés, “macchiato” almost always means this small, espresso-driven version.
Full explanation + FAQ: macchiato in the glossary.
Latte macchiato — same name, different drink
Here you flip the build: steamed milk, stained with espresso poured through it. Volume: 180 to 250 ml, with visible layering in the glass. Closer to a latte than to a macchiato.
The confusion is understandable. Both are called “macchiato,” both use the same verb — to stain — but with reversed ratios. Want a large, mild coffee with a nice layered effect? This is the one.
Cortado — the middle ground between espresso and cappuccino
A cortado is equal parts espresso and steamed milk, 60 to 80 ml. The name comes from Spanish: cortar, to cut. The milk cuts the intensity of the espresso — that’s all it does.
No thick foam layer like a cappuccino, no large volume like a latte. Right in between. Choose a cortado when an espresso feels too intense but a cappuccino is too big.
Full explanation + difference from a flat white: cortado in the glossary.
Café au lait (koffie verkeerd) — the odd one out
Café au lait is coffee turned around: more milk than coffee, ratio 1:2 to 1:3. The Dutch name, koffie verkeerd (“wrong coffee”), assumes that “real” coffee is black — so anything with milk in it is by definition wrong. Meant kindly, not literally.
The big difference from the other three: café au lait is traditionally built on filter coffee, not espresso. Add hot, un-steamed milk, done. No espresso machine needed.
In many cafés you now get served an espresso version. That’s technically a latte — whether you mind is a matter of taste.
Full explanation + difference from a latte: café au lait in the glossary.
Which one should you order?
Want to taste mostly coffee, with a small milk accent?
→ Macchiato (espresso macchiato)
Want a large, mild coffee with visible layers?
→ Latte macchiato
Want espresso intensity but a little softer, in a small glass?
→ Cortado
No espresso machine and want a large, mild cup?
→ Café au lait (with filter coffee)
None of the four is “better” than the others. They just do something different. The question isn’t which is the best drink — the question is what you want to taste at that moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a macchiato and a latte macchiato?
With a macchiato (espresso macchiato) the espresso takes center stage with a small dollop of milk foam on top — 35 to 40 ml. With a latte macchiato it’s the reverse: steamed milk with a shot of espresso poured through it, 180 to 250 ml. Same name, opposite build.
Is a café au lait the same as a latte?
No. A café au lait is traditionally filter coffee with hot, un-steamed milk. A latte uses espresso and steamed milk with a foam layer. Many cafés now serve an espresso version that is technically a latte — the traditional café au lait stays milder in flavor.
Which of the four has the least milk?
The macchiato. Almost entirely espresso with a small dollop of milk foam, 35 to 40 ml total. The cortado is next with its 1:1 ratio, followed by the café au lait and finally the latte macchiato with the most milk volume.
Can I make a cortado or macchiato at home without an espresso machine?
Not in the classic form — both are built on espresso. The café au lait is the only one of the four you make without an espresso machine: strong filter coffee with hot milk works fine.
In closing
Four names that look alike, four different experiences. The core is always in two things: the base (espresso or filter coffee) and the coffee-to-milk ratio.
Want to learn to make the espresso-based versions yourself — including the milk technique that goes with them? Becoming a home barista: the complete guide is the next step.
No starting point for your espresso yet? Calculate your recipe at /startpunt →
See also: Macchiato (glossary) · Cortado (glossary) · Café au lait (glossary)
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