- Coffee
- 18 g
Cold milk, plenty of ice and a double espresso poured slowly so it trickles down in ribbons. The most popular summer coffee, with syrup if you like it sweet.
By Equipo Cocinoa
What you need
Tap each piece to see its catalogue entry.
- EssentialEspresso coffee makerWater to 9 bars of pressure through fine and pressed coffee. Here are the machine types, from the lever to the double boiler.€150–3500approx.View on Amazon
- RecommendedEspresso grinderElectric grinder with very fine adjustment, designed for espresso. It matters more than the machine itself.€150–700approx.View on Amazon
- Optional0,1 g baseA scale with precision of 0,1 g and timer. Weighing coffee and water is the easiest way to repeat a good cup.€15–250approx.View on Amazon
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No Espresso coffee maker? This works too
- Portable espresso€130–350Hand and compact equipment, type Picopresso or Flair, that reach the pressure of the espresso without electricity. To travel or to begin.
- Italian coffee maker (moka)€20–60The life-long stove coffee maker: the steam pushes the water through the coffee. Intense, with body and very cheap.
- AeroPress€35–55A plastic cylinder with plunger: immersion and a soft pressure. Versatile, resistant and almost unbreakable. Ideal for travel.
Method
If you like it sweet, put the syrup in the bottom of a tall glass of about 350 ml.
Fill the glass to the top with ice.
Pour in 180 ml of well-chilled milk, leaving about 3 cm of space.
Make a 36–40 ml double espresso (see the ‘Espresso’ recipe) in a small jug with a spout.
Pour the espresso slowly over the ice, not straight onto the milk: it will sit on top and trickle down in ribbons.
Serve it like this to show off the layers and stir before drinking.
Tips and warnings
It is the cold version of the ‘Caffè latte’ and one of the most ordered summer coffees around the world. Cold milk is denser than hot coffee, so the espresso stays on top if you pour it gently; the syrup, denser still, sinks to the bottom.
- Pour the espresso as soon as it is made: left waiting in the cup, it loses aroma and crema.
- Too little ice is the most common mistake: it melts quickly and the coffee ends up watery.
- Oat or soya drinks work too; choose the ‘barista’ versions, which separate less.
- No machine? A short coffee from a moka pot or about 60 ml of undiluted ‘Cold brew’.
One last thing
Ice, milk and an espresso trickling down in ribbons. While you stir, fancy a ko‑fi?