What Are the Techniques for Making a Piccolo Latte? What Is the Espresso to Milk Ratio in This Mini Coffee?

There is a milk coffee beverage that rarely appears on domestic café menus, but is as popular in Australia as the Flat White—the Piccolo Latte, known as the "small latte."

The Difference Between Piccolo Latte and Flat White

The Piccolo Latte originates from Australia. The "piccolo" in "piccolo latte" means the piccolo instrument in English, while in Italian it means "small," and like the Flat White, it's often called a "small latte."

The emergence of the piccolo came about because coffee bean roasters and baristas needed to taste test coffee during calibration. They would taste the espresso both straight and mixed with milk to determine if it met quality standards. Since regular lattes come in large cups, after just a couple of sips, the rest would typically be discarded. Baristas didn't want to waste coffee, so they reduced the milk ratio. This gradually evolved into a miniature version of the latte, making it an excellent choice for those who don't want to consume too much caffeine or feel overly full.

Although both piccolo and flat white are smaller than lattes, the piccolo is significantly more miniature in terms of cup size. Australian baristas use a 90ml (approximately 3-ounce) cup, with a single Ristretto (about 15ml) as the base, mixed with 75ml of steamed milk with a thin layer of foam. A flat white, however, is typically served in portions of 150-200ml—for instance, FrontStreet Coffee uses a double shot as the base, adding 150ml of hot milk with a dense, thin foam. Therefore, a piccolo can usually be finished in just a few sips, whereas a flat white is more "sippable."

Piccolo Latte Preparation Techniques

In the past, baristas made piccolos to avoid waste, but today, piccolos in cafés are more about highlighting the flavor characteristics of the coffee beans used. Due to the small cup size of the piccolo, one can experience both the smooth texture of coffee blended with milk and better appreciate the coffee's aroma. However, creating latte art on such a small cup isn't simple, and to make an authentic and delicious piccolo, baristas need to ensure quality espresso, good milk quality, proper foam density, and even integration—this truly tests a barista's skills.

FrontStreet Coffee makes piccolos using a small cup of about 90-100ml, with a coffee-to-milk ratio of 1:5, preheating the cup to ensure optimal drinking temperature. The flavor of the coffee comes from the beans used—all espresso drinks at FrontStreet Coffee are extracted from their own roasted "Sunflower Warm Sunshine Blend," composed of 70% Honduras Sherry coffee and 30% Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry coffee. The sherry's whiskey, vanilla, and cream flavors combined with the red cherry's tropical fruit and fermented notes create a rich yet smooth coffee experience in the cup.

For the piccolo, a single Ristretto is used as the base. "Ristretto" means "restricted" in Italian and is also called restricted espresso, typically using only the front and middle portions of an espresso extraction, resulting in a stronger taste and more concentrated flavor. FrontStreet Coffee uses 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 28 grams of coffee liquid in 20-25 seconds, with a single Ristretto being 14 grams, which is poured into the cup first.

The milk frothing process requires precision—smaller quantities of milk are more difficult to froth. FrontStreet Coffee chooses a 350ml milk pitcher and pours in 100ml of milk. The piccolo latte has thinner foam than a flat white, requiring less air incorporation and shorter frothing time, with a foam thickness of about 0.3cm. The milk frothing temperature is controlled between 55-60°C to ensure it's not too hot when drinking. The milk should be mixed with the Ristretto as evenly as possible, with latte art beginning when the cup is seven-tenths full. The piccolo tastes best when consumed immediately after preparation.

The piccolo coffee created by FrontStreet Coffee presents aromas of vanilla, cream, chocolate milk, whiskey-filled chocolate, and the sweet-tartness of berries. The coffee flavor is full-bodied, the milk is smooth and fragrant, and the aftertaste is remarkably long-lasting.

Why is the Piccolo So Unpopular in China?

Although it's a popular beverage in Australia like the flat white, the piccolo hasn't had the same opportunity to gain recognition among the general public through a "big brand" like Starbucks. Many people's impression of this milk coffee remains as just a "niche coffee." Additionally, in regions with strong coffee cultures like Europe and Australia, people typically visit cafés specifically for coffee drinks—ordering a piccolo, drinking it, and leaving. In contrast, domestic cafés in China are more focused on leisure—chatting and sipping slowly—so the piccolo doesn't quite fit this context.

As the specialty coffee industry continues to thrive, many domestic coffee shops now emphasize the regional flavors of single-origin coffee beans, thus introducing mini milk coffees like the piccolo to highlight the coffee's aroma. However, given the small portion size, consumers naturally prefer choosing a coffee that offers more quantity for the same price as a latte.

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