Long Macchiato vs Short Macchiato: Shot Size and Milk

The difference between a long macchiato and a short macchiato is the espresso, not the milk. A short macchiato is one shot marked with milk; a long macchiato is two shots marked with roughly the same small amount of milk. That one change doubles the coffee volume and the caffeine.

Short Macchiato vs Long Macchiato at a Glance

Espresso Shot Size in a Short Macchiato and a Long Macchiato

Vittoria Coffee defines the traditional short macchiato as a single shot of espresso with a splash of textured milk and the traditional long macchiato as a double shot with a dash of textured milk. L'OR puts a single espresso at typically 30 ml with approximately 63 mg of caffeine and says a double uses twice the coffee, with 120 to 150 mg of caffeine. Doubling the 30 ml single gives a rough 60 ml for the double shot. Applied to macchiatos, a long macchiato holds about twice the espresso volume and twice the caffeine of a short macchiato.

Caffeine in any espresso shot varies with the bean, dose, and extraction, so the macchiato caffeine figures are estimates. Our single vs double shot guide covers the dose and basket differences behind the two shot sizes.

Milk in a Short Macchiato and a Long Macchiato

Neither traditional macchiato is a milk drink. Nespresso Australia describes the short macchiato as a single shot of espresso, a small splash of milk, a delicate foam top, served in a demitasse glass, and its recipes use 15 ml of milk for the short macchiato and 20 ml for the long macchiato. By ratio, 30 ml of espresso to 15 ml of milk is 2:1 in the short macchiato, while roughly 60 ml of espresso to 20 ml of milk is 3:1 in the long macchiato, so the long macchiato carries proportionally less milk. Nespresso also notes that the term long macchiato can mean either a double shot or extra milk depending on the cafe; this guide uses the traditional double-shot meaning, where the difference is the espresso, not the milk.

Milk only becomes the larger part of either drink when a cafe tops it up. Vittoria Coffee notes that a short macchiato topped up keeps the single shot but fills the cup with textured milk, and that Perth cafes typically fill the long macchiato glass with textured milk as well. In Melbourne, Vittoria Coffee says a long macchiato glass is often half-filled with water before a dash of milk is added.

Visual Proportions of a Short Macchiato and a Long Macchiato

These bars show the approximate espresso and milk volumes for each traditional macchiato, using a 30 ml single, a roughly 60 ml double (twice the single), and the Nespresso milk amounts above.

Which to Choose: Short Macchiato or Long Macchiato

• Choose a short macchiato for a two- or three-sip espresso with the edge softened, or when a double shot of caffeine is too much.
• Choose a long macchiato for a longer-lasting espresso drink with roughly double the caffeine and the same light touch of milk.
• Choose either one topped up when you want a small, strong milk coffee; a cortado or flat white goes further in the milk direction.

Recipes for both long macchiato styles live in the long macchiato guide, and the single-shot version is in our main macchiato guide.

Long vs Short Macchiato FAQ

Sources for This Long vs Short Macchiato Comparison

This comparison was researched from roaster and manufacturer publications:

• Vittoria Coffee: Solving the Macchiato Mystery
• Nespresso Australia: Your Ultimate Macchiato Guide
• L'OR: How Much Caffeine in an Espresso?