Cortado
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Timeline
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Behind every step
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1Pull the shot
Nine bars of pressure force water through the puck in seconds, which is why espresso is so unforgiving. Watch the stream — it starts dark and syrupy and turns pale as extraction tails off; that blonding is your cue to stop.
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2Steam milk
Steaming does two jobs: it heats the milk and it folds in air as microscopic bubbles. Keep the wand tip just under the surface for the first few seconds to stretch, then sink it to roll the milk into glossy, wet-paint microfoam — big bubbles mean the tip stayed too high. Stop around 60–65 °C; past 70 °C the milk sugars scald and the sweetness is gone.
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3Pour milk
Cortado means 'cut': the warm milk takes the edge off the espresso without hiding it. Keep the ratio near 1:1 — more milk and it becomes a small latte.
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4Enjoy
Coffee keeps changing as it cools: aromatics fade, acidity sharpens and sweetness comes forward. Drink it soon after brewing, and taste it as it drops in temperature — that's how you learn what to adjust next time.