How To Make A Cortado With Your Nespresso Machine

Originating from Spain, a cortado is the name for an espresso topped with steamed milk. The potency of the espresso lends this diminutive cup of coffee a kick, while the milk deftly cuts through its intensity and acidity, creating a hot beverage that's petite but powerful. Better yet, a cortado is a breeze to prepare with your Nespresso coffee machine. All you need to do is make an espresso while you're milk heats up in your Aeroccino frother before combining each element.

One of the key differences between a flat white and a cortado is the texture of the milk. A flat white has a touch of aerated froth on top to lend it a thicker texture and richer mouthfeel, whereas a cortado has very little foam and is smoother on the tongue. The best way to make steamed milk without excess foam is to detach the removable coil on the whisk attachment sitting at the base of your Nespresso Aeroccino frother (simply clip it onto the lid to keep it safe). This move prevents air bubbles from being whisked into the milk, resulting in a smoother textured liquid. Once you've added in your milk, press the button on the front and you should have hot milk in 70-80 seconds. While the milk warms up, make a double espresso in your Nespresso coffee machine. Finally, pour the hot milk into your espresso, along with the small amount of foam that follows behind it, to create your cortado. 

A classic cortado is one part espresso to one part milk. However, there aren't any hard and fast rules about ratios so feel free to use more milk if you prefer a milkier finish that's more akin to the mini coffee known as a piccolo. Having said that, if you go the other way and increase the ratio of espresso to milk, you'll be heading into macchiato territory, producing a variety of coffee that has a bitter, punchier character. Using steamed milk, rather than a full-on froth is one thing that sets a cortado apart from lattes and cappuccinos. It's this untextured (or micro-foamed) milk that imbues it with a light, palatable consistency. If the milk is aerated, it's viscosity changes and it becomes almost thicker and creamier, which produces a coffee with a richer texture and heavier feel.

As a cortado doesn't require a layer of foamy milk, you can make it with virtually any variety of non-dairy or plant based milk, such as soy, almond, coconut, or oat milk. The only milks to avoid are those that have been pre-sweetened with sugar or syrups as the added ingredients can caramelize and burn, cause unwanted odors, and damage the delicate base of a frother by leaving behind a stubborn residue.