Drink ounces below are US fluid ounces; ingredient weights are explicitly labeled.

Seven measured coffee preparations cover espresso, chocolate, ice cream and milk foam. All quantities below are for ready-brewed coffee unless a dry dose is specified. US fluid ounces measure liquid; grams measure coffee dose or extracted yield. Most take 5 to 10 minutes with ready equipment; warming a machine takes additional time.

1. Affogato

  • 2 US cups vanilla ice cream or gelato (four 1/2-cup portions)
  • 4 US fluid ounces freshly brewed espresso (four 1-ounce shots)
  1. Put each ice-cream portion into a small heat-safe dessert bowl. Keep frozen until service.
  2. Pour one ounce espresso over each portion at the table and eat immediately.

Yield: 4 desserts. Time: 5 minutes with ready equipment.

2. Caffè Shakerato

  • 2 US fluid ounces freshly brewed espresso
  • 2 teaspoons sugar, optional
  • 1 US cup ice cubes
  1. Dissolve optional sugar in the espresso in an open heat-safe cup; allow it to cool before closing any shaker.
  2. Put cooled espresso and ice into a cocktail shaker rated for cold liquids. Close and shake 15 to 20 seconds, then strain into a chilled glass. Do not shake hot liquid in a sealed jar.

Yield: 1 drink; 2 fluid ounces coffee plus variable melted ice. Time: 5 minutes plus cooling.

3. Marocchino

  • 2 US fluid ounces espresso, divided
  • 1/2 US cup refrigerated milk for frothing
  • 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
  1. Brew the espresso. Warm milk to about 150 F (66 C) and froth with a steam wand or handheld frother in an open vessel.
  2. Divide coffee between two 4-ounce heat-safe glasses. Dust each with 1/4 teaspoon cocoa, spoon 2 tablespoons foam on each, and divide the remaining cocoa on top. Stir before drinking; reserve surplus milk separately for prompt use.

Yield: 2 small drinks; 1 ounce espresso and 2 tablespoons foam each. Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Bicerin

  • 125 ml refrigerated double or heavy cream
  • 250 ml whole milk or single cream
  • 50 g dark chocolate (about 70% cacao), chopped
  • 1 teaspoon demerara sugar, optional
  • 60 ml freshly brewed espresso, divided
  • 10 g finely chopped hazelnuts, optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon cocoa powder, optional
  1. Whip the cold cream just until softly thickened and still spoonable; refrigerate while making the chocolate.
  2. Warm milk and chocolate in a saucepan while whisking until melted; bring just to a gentle boil and reduce to a brief gentle simmer. Stir in optional sugar.
  3. Put 30 ml espresso into each of two warmed heat-safe 300-ml glasses, divide chocolate milk equally, then spoon cream on top. Divide optional hazelnuts and cocoa over the two glasses. Serve now.

Yield: 2 large layered drinks; about 218 ml input liquid each before chocolate and cream aeration. Time: about 10 minutes.

5. Cappuccino

  • 18 g espresso grounds or one compatible pod
  • 150 ml refrigerated milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon cocoa powder, optional
  1. Brew about 35 ml espresso into a warmed 200-250 ml cup using the dose appropriate to your machine. A pod may have a different dose.
  2. Steam or warm milk to about 150 F (66 C), then froth in an open jug. Pour into espresso, leaving surplus if foam approaches the rim. Dust with cocoa if desired and serve.

Yield: 1 cup; 185 ml liquid input before foam expansion. Time: 5 minutes with heated equipment.

6. Caffè Macchiato

  • 2 US fluid ounces espresso, divided
  • 1/2 US cup refrigerated milk for preparing foam
  1. Brew espresso and divide between two small heat-safe cups.
  2. Warm milk to about 150 F (66 C) and froth in an open vessel. Spoon only 1 tablespoon foam onto each espresso; do not pour the whole preparation jug into the drinks. Serve immediately and use surplus milk promptly.

Yield: 2 drinks; 1 ounce espresso plus 1 tablespoon foam each. Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

7. Ristretto

  • 18 g finely ground coffee for a compatible double espresso basket
  • Potable water in the espresso machine reservoir
  1. Dose the basket to its manufacturer guidance, distribute evenly and tamp level. Place a cup on a scale and tare.
  2. Pull in manual mode, aiming for 18 to 27 g brewed coffee from 18 g dry coffee as a starting restricted ratio of 1:1 to 1:1.5. Start with the roaster or machine extraction-time guidance and adjust grind to taste; time alone does not define ristretto.

Yield: 1 double restricted shot; 18 to 27 g liquid by weight. Time: 5 minutes with dialed-in warm machine; setup takes longer.

Equipment, Substitutions and Storage

Marocchino’s cocoa/foam proportions and shakerato’s cooled espresso/ice proportions are measured house choices. Macchiato uses a smaller foam marking than the linked comparison. A moka pot, strong brewed coffee or dissolved instant espresso can replace the measured brewed-coffee volume in the mixed drinks; prepare according to its label or device instructions first. This gives a coffee variation; true ristretto needs espresso pressure and controlled extraction. For a single ristretto use a compatible 9 g basket and aim initially for 9 to 13.5 g brewed output, not a heaping portafilter.

A handheld frother works in an open heat-safe jug; do not shake hot milk in a sealed jar. For dairy-free drinks replace milk volume with a labeled barista oat or almond beverage; foam varies. Use dairy-free ice cream for affogato. Bicerin can use 250 ml plant beverage, 125 ml cold whippable coconut cream and dairy-free chocolate as a house variant; coconut cream may not whip like dairy. Single cream replaces the 250 ml milk, not the 125 ml whipping layer.

Serve coffee drinks and thawing ice cream immediately. Keep surplus unserved milk or chocolate base refrigerated and use within 24 hours, a conservative house limit. Reheat a stored chocolate base to 165 F (74 C) while stirring, then assemble with freshly brewed coffee and fresh chilled cream. Keep fresh milk, fruit and finished drinks at 40 F (4 C) or below. Cool heated mixtures promptly in shallow heat-safe containers or an ice-water bath, then refrigerate within 2 hours; use a 1-hour limit above 90 F (32 C). Discard perishables left without temperature control beyond those limits. Follow purchased ingredient labels if shorter. A normal smell does not establish safety.

Layering depends on pour speed and foam; it is not guaranteed. Bitter coffee can reflect beans, grind, temperature or extraction, not only time. Cappuccino is not necessarily equal thirds, and there is no universal 11 am rule.

Seven Italian coffee drinks arranged on a wooden table, including layered marocchino, foamy shakerato, and affogato with melting gelato
Pour espresso over frozen ice cream at serving.
Hot espresso poured over vanilla gelato in a clear glass bowl, ice cream beginning to melt into creamy puddle
Pour espresso over frozen ice cream at serving.
Layered bicerin in a clear glass showing distinct layers of dark chocolate, espresso, and whipped cream topped with hazelnuts
Layer chocolate milk, espresso and whipped cream for bicerin.
Small espresso cup filled with concentrated ristretto shot, darker and thicker than regular espresso
Weigh espresso output to set the ristretto ratio.

Preparation References

A Couple Cooks affogato , Kane Statton, Good Food cappuccino , Vuyelo Ndlovu, Good Food bicerin , A Couple Cooks macchiato , A Couple Cooks ristretto , FDA safe buffets .

FoodSafety.gov leftover reheating endpoint .

Clive Coffee brew ratios by weight .

Affogato recipe with espresso and vanilla gelato , 9 iced coffee recipes better than the drive thru , 8 boozy hot chocolate recipes , Adaptogen coffee drinks that still taste like coffee , Best espresso machines for iced lattes at home .

FDA storing food safely .