Coffee Drink

What Is a Cortado? Ratio, Recipe and Flat White Comparison

Name: Cortado
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 18 g coffee beans, ground for espresso, to produce 36 g brewed espresso as a starting point; Whole milk: roughly the same volume as the brewed espresso, measured after light steaming; extra pitcher fill is separate

By Mara EllisonReviewed by Online Coffee Guide editorial teamPublished June 24, 2026Updated October 1, 20267 min read

A cortado is a small coffee made with espresso and roughly an equal volume of lightly steamed milk. It has little foam and a clear espresso flavor softened by milk.

Cortado in a small clear glass on a ceramic saucer in a sunlit café.

Drink Snapshot

Caffeine: ~75 mg referenceGeneric USDA espresso, 36 gGeneric prepared-espresso reference for this portion.
Calories: About 30–40 kcalTwo whole-milk serving examples36 g espresso plus 40 or 60 ml (1.4 or 2 US fl oz) liquid whole milk; no added sugar.

Serving, sugar and sources

Serving: 1 small cortado; milk matched to the espresso volume
Made with: 36 g espresso + roughly equal-volume steamed milk
Sugar: About 2–3 g total. Naturally present in those milk portions; no added sugar.
Preparation: About 5 minutes with equipment ready

Calories and sugar are ingredient estimates for the two stated milk portions. Caffeine uses a generic USDA espresso reference. See the full calculation or label comparison.

Key Takeaways

1The familiar 1:1 ratio means espresso to milk by volume; café recipes and sizes vary.
2Steam enough milk for your pitcher, but pour only the portion that belongs in the glass.
3Less milk makes the same espresso taste stronger without adding caffeine.

On This Page10 Sections

Cortado Size and Ratio

The infographic illustrates a separate 60 ml (2 US fl oz) espresso + 60 ml (2 US fl oz) milk example: about 120 ml, or 4 US fl oz, in a 150 ml (5 US fl oz) glass with headroom. It does not convert the home recipe’s 36 g output to 60 ml (2 US fl oz). Match milk to the espresso actually brewed rather than filling the glass to its rim.

This familiar café style is described by Methodical Coffee. Ask how the café serves its version.

Cortado size and ratio

Cortado size and ratio
What you measure	What it tells you
Dry coffee and brewed espresso, in grams	The espresso extraction recipe
Espresso and lightly steamed milk, in milliliters	The approximate cortado balance
Glass capacity	How much the glass can hold, including headroom

Cortado ratio example: 60 ml espresso plus 60 ml lightly steamed milk makes about 120 ml, leaving headroom in a 150 ml glass. — The 60 ml + 60 ml example shows volume, not the recipe’s 36 g espresso yield; 150 ml is glass capacity.

Cortado Recipe

Recipe

Cortado

Makes:: 1 small cortado; volume varies with the espresso and milk
Time:: About 5 minutes with equipment ready

Ingredients

18 g coffee beans, ground for espresso, to produce 36 g brewed espresso as a starting point
Whole milk: roughly the same volume as the brewed espresso, measured after light steaming; extra pitcher fill is separate

Equipment

Espresso machine with steam wand
grinder, tamper and scales
small milk pitcher
heatproof graduated cup
milk thermometer
150 ml (5 US fl oz) serving glass

Method

Brew and measure. Distribute 18 g ground coffee evenly in the basket, tamp level, then extract 36 g espresso. Read its approximate volume in a heatproof graduated cup after large crema bubbles settle briefly, then transfer it to the warm serving glass.
Steam lightly. Fill your pitcher to its minimum working level. Add a little air, then keep the milk circulating until glossy, with tiny bubbles. Aim for 60–65°C (140–149°F) for whole milk.
Match and pour. Swirl the milk, measure the same volume as the espresso in the now-empty graduated cup, and pour it into the glass. For 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) espresso, add 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) lightly steamed milk; for 60 ml (2 US fl oz), add 60 ml (2 US fl oz). Leave headroom and serve promptly.

Recipe notes

36 g espresso is not a fixed number of milliliters. Match the milk to the approximate espresso volume after large crema bubbles settle; do not lengthen extraction to fill the glass.

Steam enough milk for the pitcher’s minimum working level. Only the measured serving belongs in the cortado; exclude leftover milk from nutrition estimates.

For 36 g espresso with 40 or 60 ml (1.4 or 2 US fl oz) liquid whole milk consumed, ingredient estimates are about 30 or 40 kcal and 2 or 3 g total sugar. The generic USDA estimate for 36 g espresso is 75 mg caffeine.

Use the espresso brewing method for equipment setup and extraction. The espresso starting dose and yield follow Bridge Coffee Roasters; the milk-temperature target follows Origin Coffee’s steaming guidance. Adjust the shot to your beans and machine before adjusting the milk.

Lightly textured milk pouring from a pitcher into espresso in a small glass. — A little aeration and a steady pour give the cortado a smooth texture. The pitcher holds more milk than the drink needs.

Cortado vs. Flat White, Macchiato and Latte

Compared with a flat white, a cortado usually has less milk and a smaller serving. Both can use fine, smooth microfoam. The useful distinction is the milk balance, rather than insisting that one is completely foam-free.

The Moroccan order nous nous also pairs coffee and milk in equal proportions. Its name describes the two-part drink, not American half-and-half cream; glass size and coffee strength can vary.

Cortado vs flat white, macchiato and latte

Cortado vs flat white, macchiato and latte
Drink	Difference that helps you order
Flat white	Usually more silky milk around the espresso; a longer drink
Espresso macchiato	Only a small addition of milk or foam; closer to straight espresso
Latte	Usually substantially more milk; a larger, milkier drink
Cappuccino	Usually a more noticeable foam layer; an airier texture
Piccolo latte	Commonly a single small espresso or ristretto with latte-style milk; café versions overlap with cortado

With the same espresso, adding less plain milk gives a more concentrated coffee taste without adding caffeine. A milkier drink made with more espresso can still contain more caffeine. Here, macchiato means an espresso macchiato, not a large sweet caramel macchiato.

For a broader choice, compare piccolo, cortado, Gibraltar and Magic.

Which Espresso Drink Should I Order?

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Your match

Cortado

It keeps the drink small: roughly equal espresso and warm, lightly textured milk with very little foam.

Milk: About as much as espresso
Foam: Very little
Coffee taste: Prominent

Jump to the recipe steps

Café recipes and sizes vary. Coffee taste describes flavor intensity, not caffeine content.

What Does a Cortado Taste Like?

Expect a clear coffee flavor softened by a little milk sweetness, with a smooth texture and very little foam. The basic recipe contains no syrup or added sugar. Whole milk still contributes naturally occurring sugar.

I prefer a chocolatey or nutty espresso in a cortado. With a little milk, those notes remind me of cocoa or praline, while the coffee stays distinct. A citrus-led shot can leave a sharper finish than I want.

Cortado Caffeine, Calories and Sugar

How Much Caffeine Is in a Cortado?

Allow an estimated 75 mg caffeine for 36 g espresso, using the generic USDA reference.

Actual caffeine depends on beans, dose and extraction. This recipe uses one extraction from an 18 g double basket. For a café cortado, check its shot recipe and number of shots. Plain milk changes concentration, not the caffeine already in the espresso.

Estimated Calories for Two Milk Portions

These examples keep 36 g espresso constant and count only the liquid whole milk consumed, with no added sugar.

Estimated calories for two milk portions

Estimated calories for two milk portions
Whole milk in the drink	Estimated drink calories	Total sugar
40 ml (1.4 US fl oz)	About 30 kcal	About 2 g
60 ml (2 US fl oz)	About 40 kcal	About 3 g

Serving calculation and source assumptions

USDA’s restaurant-prepared espresso record, FDC 171891, lists 212 mg per 100 g. Scaling it gives 212 × 36 ÷ 100 = 76.3 mg, rounded to about 75 mg.

The calculation uses USDA whole milk, FDC 171265: 61 kcal and 5.05 g sugar per 100 g, with its household volume conversion. The 36 g espresso adds about 3 kcal and no reference sugar. The sugar shown is naturally present in milk.

Foam and leftovers: the recipe measures milk after light steaming for an approximate ratio. Air takes up space, so a foamy 60 ml (2 US fl oz) reading is not exactly 60 ml (2 US fl oz) of liquid milk. Extra pitcher milk is excluded.

Using oat milk? Multiply your carton’s values per 100 ml by 0.4 for 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) or 0.6 for 60 ml (2 US fl oz), then add about 3 kcal for the espresso. Follow the same calculation for sugar, without an espresso sugar addition. Different brands, serving sizes and sweeteners change the total.

If Your Cortado Tastes Wrong

If your cortado tastes wrong

If your cortado tastes wrong
Problem	First adjustment
Too milky	Measure what reaches the glass; stop before pouring the pitcher’s extra milk
Bitter or drying	Taste the espresso alone; if unusually slow, try a slightly coarser grind at the same dose and yield
Sharp and thin	If espresso runs unusually fast, try a finer grind at the same dose and yield
Big bubbles or a stiff cap	Add less air during steaming, keep the milk circulating, then swirl and pour promptly
Good shot but unpleasantly hot milk	Check milk temperature with a thermometer; avoid repeated reheating

Bitterness or acidity alone does not diagnose a brewing error: the coffee itself matters. The espresso brewing guide explains how to adjust one variable at a time.

Meaning, Pronunciation and Café Names

Say kor-TAH-doh, stressing the middle syllable; SpanishDictionary’s audio provides the Spanish pronunciation. The name comes from cortar, “to cut,” referring to espresso softened with milk. Its precise invention is not well documented; avoid treating one modern café recipe as the only traditional version.

Gibraltar: Blue Bottle’s own account traces its name to a 4.5 US fl oz glass used for a small espresso-and-milk drink. It is closely related to a cortado, with a specific naming story. The Gibraltar guide explains more.

Cortadito: this related Cuban coffee usually includes sweetened coffee and milk, as Ocana Coffee describes. Ask whether the coffee is presweetened if you want to control sweetness.

Starbucks cortado: the brand’s U.S. introduction describes three Blonde ristretto shots with steamed whole milk in a short cup. It is a branded version, so use the current local menu’s size, ingredients and nutrition rather than this guide’s small home-serving estimates.

Common Questions

Can You Make an Iced Cortado?

Combine the espresso with roughly the same volume of cold milk, then pour over ice. Skip steaming. For example, 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) espresso plus 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) cold milk leaves room for a few ice cubes in a 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) glass. Melting ice dilutes the drink and changes its texture.

Can You Use Oat Milk?

Choose a formulation suited to steaming, follow its heating guidance and start with the same approximate milk portion. Flavor and nutrition vary by carton. See the milk comparison guide for broader choices.

Can a Cortado Be Decaf?

Use decaffeinated espresso and keep the milk balance. Decaf can still contain a small amount of caffeine.

Can You Make It Without an Espresso Machine?

Brew a moka pot using its normal method, then combine 40–60 ml (1.4–2 US fl oz) of its coffee with roughly the same volume of gently warmed milk. Introduce only a little air with a frother. This is a cortado-style alternative with different extraction and caffeine; the moka-pot guide covers the brew itself.