# Coffee connoisseur **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [June 27, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-connoisseur/816845 "2018-06-27T15:58:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-connoisseur/816845/1 "2018-06-27T15:58:12Z")
A macchiato is espresso added to steamed milk. A latte is steamed milk added to espresso. Is there really an appreciable difference in the end result? ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-connoisseur/816845/2 "2018-06-27T16:11:03Z")
A macchiato has a lot less milk, just a dab. A latte is much milkier. Have you ever ordered these drinks? They’re very different. ---
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-connoisseur/816845/3 "2018-06-27T16:21:52Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > A macchiato has a lot less milk, just a dab. A latte is much milkier. > > Have you ever ordered these drinks? They’re very different. I’ve gotten a caramel macchiato and a caramel latte and they tasted pretty much the same to me. But, then again, I don’t have a “golden tongue”. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-connoisseur/816845/4 "2018-06-27T16:36:31Z")
Starbucks’ version of a macchiato bears no resemblance to an actual macchiato. Starbucks took a name they thought sounded Italian and applied it to what’s essentially a milkshake. A macchiato is a shot of espresso with a little dollop of foam on top. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-connoisseur/816845/5 "2018-06-27T16:40:50Z")
> [@StraightTalk](#): > > I’ve gotten a caramel macchiato and a caramel latte and they tasted pretty much the same to me. But, then again, I don’t have a “golden tongue”. If you’re ordering caramel macchiatos at a place like Starbucks, you’re getting something very different than what is originally meant by the term. Espresso macchiato — an espresso “marked” with a tiny bit of steamed milk Latte macchiato — a small cup of steamed milk “marked” by a little espresso Cappuccino — 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 foam Caffè latte — 1/6 espresso, 2/3 warm milk, 1/6 foam A latte will often be twice as large as a cappuccino, and all the difference in size is due to more milk. Caffè Americano — espresso diluted with hot water ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-connoisseur/816845/6 "2018-06-27T16:41:56Z")
Ohhhh, you mean STARBUCKS. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![StraightTalk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straighttalk/32/9982_2.png) [@StraightTalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StraightTalk)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-connoisseur/816845/7 "2018-06-27T18:32:32Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Starbucks’ version of a macchiato bears no resemblance to an actual macchiato. Starbucks took a name they thought sounded Italian and applied it to what’s essentially a milkshake. > > A macchiato is a shot of espresso with a little dollop of foam on top. Ah ha! That explains it. Not much of a coffee connoisseur here. Never drank coffee until recently and many would only loosely refer to what I drink (those lattes) as “coffee”. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-connoisseur/816845/8 "2018-06-27T20:32:33Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > A macchiato is a shot of espresso with a little dollop of foam on top. The word macchiato is shorthand for caffè macchiato, which means “spotted coffee.” When the Italians say caffè without any other qualifiers it almost always means espresso, so think of a macchiato as an espresso with a spot of milk (foam). ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-connoisseur/816845/9 "2018-06-27T20:33:17Z")
Thread relocated from IMHO to…well, where else?