What is a Piccolo Latte? Piccolo Coffee Volume, How to Make It, and Differences from Regular Latte

What is a Piccolo Latte?

The piccolo latte is a mysterious little milk coffee. Because of its small serving size, it is often misunderstood, which is why you rarely see it on café menus, in China or abroad.

Caffè latte is Italian for "milk coffee," while "piccolo" means "small," roughly translating to "short flute" in English. So a piccolo latte is, literally, a "small latte," typically only about 85-100ml in total.

The Difference Between Piccolo Latte and Regular Latte

Compared with a regular latte, which usually runs 250-300ml, a piccolo latte contains only about 85-114ml. Customers unfamiliar with the drink can be caught off guard by the portion size, and their unmet expectations sometimes lead to disappointment.

How to Make and Drink Piccolo Latte?

An authentic piccolo latte is built on 1 part espresso to 2 parts steamed milk (for example, 20g of espresso mixed with 40g of steamed milk). The method is similar to a regular latte: pull a shot into a small cup, steam the milk into a fine, silky microfoam, then pour in a circular motion to blend with the coffee and finish with a simple latte art pattern.

Although the FrontStreet Coffee menu doesn't list the piccolo latte as a standard item, we happily make one on request. Whether it is a piccolo or a regular latte, FrontStreet Coffee uses medium-dark roast blends for all its espresso drinks. That keeps the coffee's richness intact even after adding water or milk, and holds extraction quality steady over a long service.

FrontStreet Coffee currently pours a house-roasted blend called "Warm Sun Blend," 70% Honduras Sherry and 30% Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry. As espresso it shows flavors of whiskey, soft berry acidity, vanilla cream, and nutty caramel.

Espresso preparation: extract 40g of coffee liquid from 20g of grounds, with an extraction time between 28-32 seconds. Then steam an appropriate amount of milk, and finally mix 80g of steamed milk with the espresso.

As a piccolo latte, the flavors reveal whiskey, strawberry milkshake, and nutty caramel: sweet, fragrant, rich, and full-bodied.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Since milk drinks like the piccolo are all about the espresso base, here are FrontStreet Coffee's blends that work especially well if you are practicing latte art at home.

FrontStreet Classic Blend: A medium-dark espresso recipe built from three origins, inspired by the old-school "Mamba" pairing of Mandheling and Brazil, with a small amount of Robusta added for extra aroma and crema. Extraction releases clear notes of butter, toasted bread, and caramel biscuits: bold flavor, a solid body, fine crema, and very stable extraction. An essential house coffee for beginners.

FrontStreet Specialty Blend: Another medium-dark espresso bean, this one for lovers of nutty, aromatic profiles. It pairs washed Colombian with pulped-natural Brazilian beans, showing nuts, dark chocolate, and caramel as espresso, and bringing out soft notes of cream, almond, and cocoa in milk drinks like americanos, lattes, and flat whites. The crema rivals café output, and it is more than enough for latte art practice, ideal whether you dream of opening a café or just learning at home.

FrontStreet Commercial Blend: If the Classic and Specialty Blends are made for newcomers, FrontStreet Coffee's Commercial Blend is tailored for those about to open a shop. It is a traditional espresso recipe based on the Specialty Blend with a touch of Robusta added, producing more deep-brown fine crema and a heavier body. Americanos, lattes, and mochas all carry nuts, cocoa, and caramel, and latte art becomes effortless.