Latte macchiato glasses

A full latte macchiato is a three-centilitre espresso with around twenty centilitres of milk, plus foam. So count on at least 34 cl of capacity, otherwise the glass overflows as soon as the milk expands. Most places pour into 36 to 38 cl. If you want a generous version or room for whipped cream, you end up at 45 to 49 cl.

The ratio between height and width counts for more than the capacity itself. A glass twice as tall as it is wide gives sharp dividing lines. Make it wider and the layers run into each other. Then choose between single-walled and double-walled. A double-walled glass has a layer of air between two glass walls, which keeps the outside cool so you can hold it without a handle, and keeps the drink hot longer. Single-walled glass is thicker, sturdier and better able to handle daily pressure in a busy cafe. If the glass has no handle, check that it is tempered and can therefore take the temperature shock of hot milk.

Start with the milk, not the coffee. Foam about twenty centilitres of whole milk into a fine, glossy microfoam without large bubbles, pour it into the glass and let it rest for half a minute so that foam and liquid separate. Only then pull the espresso.

Pour the shot slowly into the middle, preferably over the back of a spoon or along the wall. Pour too fast and the coffee punches through the milk, leaving one brown colour instead of three layers. Warm the glass in advance with hot water, certainly in winter, because a cold glass draws the heat straight out of the milk and that costs you the top layer. Serve with a long spoon, since an ordinary teaspoon will not reach the bottom. The same technique works for an espresso tonic, only with ice and tonic instead of milk.

Hot milk in a cold glass is the main cause of cracking. Tempered glass, of the kind Duralex makes, stands up to it considerably better than ordinary glass and breaks into blunt granules rather than shards. For a business pouring all day long, that is the sensible material.

Double-walled glasses ask for a little more attention. The seam between the two walls is the weak point, and condensation can get trapped in between if the glass has a hairline crack. Wash them by hand if possible, or on a short programme, and let them drain fully with the opening downwards. Milk residue dries quickly into a dull film, so give them a quick rinse with cold water before putting them away, because warm water actually bakes milk protein on.

If you want a glass that holds the heat and stays cool on the outside, the double-walled glasses are gathered together. The full coffee range can be found under the coffee glasses, and for the smaller size with foam go to the cappuccino glasses. If you drink tea more often than coffee, take a look at the tea glasses. If you want to use the same tall model for cold drinks, they are in effect long drink glasses. For coffee with a dash of something, the recipes for the espresso tonic and the irish coffee are ready and waiting.