What piccolo coffee ratio gives a balanced small latte?

A piccolo uses a single Ristretto of about 15ml as its base, mixed with roughly 75ml of steamed milk and thin foam, a ratio near 1:5. It is served in a 90ml cup, so the drink finishes in a few sips. Milk is steamed to 55-60°C with about 0.3cm of foam for a creamy texture.

The piccolo originated in Australia alongside the Flat White, which is served at 150-200ml, often with a double shot and 150ml of hot milk. Baristas first made smaller milk drinks to taste espresso without waste, and the format stayed. The word piccolo refers to a small instrument in English but simply means small in Italian.

Piccolo coffee is as famous as Flat White in Australia, yet it rarely appears in domestic cafes. Its cup size is mini, using a single Ristretto as the base, mixed with thin milk foam at a 1:5 ratio, and can be finished in a few sips. This article explains in detail the differences between Piccolo and Flat White, production techniques, including the Sunflower Warm Sun blend beans used by Front Street, 90-100ml small cups, 0.3cm milk foam thickness, and 55-60°C steaming temperature and other key parameters, and analyzes the reasons for its unpopularity in China. Whether you are a barista or an enthusiast, you can master the key points for producing a full and creamy Piccolo.

There is a milk coffee drink that rarely appears on the menus of domestic cafes, but in Australia it is as popular as Flat White, and that is the Piccolo coffee, known as the "small latte."

Differences Between Piccolo Coffee and Flat White

Piccolo coffee originates from Australia. The "piccolo" in "piccolo latte" refers to the piccolo instrument in English, but in Italian it means small. It and Flat White coffee are often called "small lattes."

The emergence of Piccolo was because coffee roasters and baristas, during debugging, would taste coffee by drinking espresso alone and by adding milk to see if it was qualified. Since a regular latte has a large cup size, after two sips it would basically be poured out. Baristas did not want to waste it, so they reduced the proportion of milk. Later, it gradually evolved into a mini version of latte coffee, a good choice for people who do not want to take in too much caffeine or feel obviously full.

Although both Piccolo and Flat White are smaller than latte, in terms of cup size, Piccolo is obviously much more mini. Australian baristas use a 90ml (about 3 ounces) cup, using a single Ristretto (about 15ml) as the base, mixed with 75ml of steamed warm milk with thin milk foam. A cup of Flat White coffee is produced at about 150-200ml. For example, Front Street uses a double shot as the base and adds 150ml of hot milk with dense, thin foam. So a cup of Piccolo can usually be finished in a few sips, while a Flat White is more "long-lasting."

Production Techniques for Piccolo Coffee

In the past, baristas made Piccolo to avoid waste, but now, Piccolo in coffee shops is more about highlighting the flavor characteristics of the coffee beans used. It is precisely because the Piccolo cup is small that you can not only taste the smooth, silky texture of the coffee liquid blended with milk, but also better feel the aroma of the coffee. However, with such a small cup for Piccolo, it is not so simple to add latte art on top. To make an authentic and delicious Piccolo, baristas need to ensure high-quality espresso, milk quality, dense milk foam, and even blending, which also greatly tests the barista's skills.

Front Street uses a small cup of about 90-100ml to make Piccolo, with a coffee-to-milk ratio of 1:5, preheating in advance as much as possible to ensure the drinking taste of the coffee. The flavor of the coffee comes from the coffee beans used. The espresso drinks produced by Front Street stores all use espresso extracted from Front Street's own roasted "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans," composed of 70% Honduras Sherry coffee and 30% Yirgacheffe sun-dried Red Cherry coffee. Sherry's whiskey, vanilla, and cream flavors combine with Red Cherry's tropical fruit and fermented notes, making the coffee in the cup rich and soft.

Here, Piccolo uses a single Ristretto as the base. Ristretto, in Italian, means "restricted," also called espresso extra-concentrated coffee. It usually only takes the front and middle sections of Espresso, so it tastes stronger and has a more concentrated flavor. Front Street uses 20 grams of coffee powder, extracting 28 grams of coffee liquid in 20-25 seconds. A single Ristretto is 14 grams, poured into the cup first.

The milk steaming part is more particular. You should know that the less milk there is, the harder it is to steam. Front Street chooses a 350ml milk pitcher and pours in 100ml of milk. Piccolo latte has thinner milk foam than Flat White coffee, so less air is introduced and the time is shorter, with a thickness of about 0.3cm. The milk steaming temperature is controlled between 55°C and 60°C, which can ensure it will not burn the mouth when drinking. Blend as evenly as possible with the Ristretto, begin pouring latte art when seven-tenths full, and the freshly made Piccolo is best when drunk immediately.

The Piccolo coffee made by Front Street presents aromas of vanilla, cream, chocolate milk, and whiskey-filled chocolate, as well as the sweet and sour notes of berries. The coffee flavor is full, the milk is creamy and fragrant, and the aftertaste is very long-lasting.

Why Is Piccolo So Unpopular in China?

Although it is also a popular drink in Australia, Piccolo did not have the same opportunity as Flat White coffee to be known by the public through the "big brand" Starbucks. Many people's impression of this milk coffee still remains at "unpopular coffee." In addition, in regions with a strong coffee culture such as Europe and Australia, most people go for coffee drinks, ordering a Piccolo in the shop and leaving after finishing it. Domestic cafes, however, are more focused on leisure, chatting and savoring slowly, so Piccolo is not suitable.

With the increasingly vigorous development of the specialty coffee industry, many domestic coffee shops now pay more attention to the regional flavor of single-origin coffee beans, so they introduce mini milk coffees like Piccolo to highlight the aroma of coffee. But after all, the cup size is small, and at the same price as a latte, as a consumer, of course you would choose a coffee that gives you more to drink~

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.