How much caffeine is in Caramel Macchiato?

Each 16 oz (473 ml), double shot serving contains approximately 150 mg of caffeine. For comparison, a standard 8 oz cup of brewed drip coffee contains around 95 mg. Actual content varies with dose, water temperature, and contact time.

What temperature should I use for Caramel Macchiato?

Target 93°C (199°F). Below this range the cup tends toward sourness and thinness from under-extraction; above it, bitterness rises faster than sweetness.

How long should Caramel Macchiato be extracted?

Extract for 0:25-0:30 extraction using Espresso Machine, at a ratio of 18g in, 36g out, over 300ml vanilla milk, prepared at Fine (espresso). Time and ratio move together: a heavier dose generally wants a shorter contact time.

Why does my Caramel Macchiato taste bitter?

Bitterness almost always indicates over-extraction. Shorten the contact time, lower the water temperature slightly, or grind coarser. Change one variable at a time so you can tell which one was responsible.

Who should avoid Caramel Macchiato?

High in added sugar: the syrup and sauce, not the coffee, account for most of it. Contains dairy unless made with a plant alternative. A large size is usually a double shot — check before adding another coffee later in the day. This is general educational information, not medical advice — consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own circumstances.

Reviewed Aug 2026

Specialty Coffee · United States, 1996

Caramel Macchiato

Name: How to Brew Caramel Macchiato
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 30 s
Total time: 30 s
Yield: 16 oz (473 ml), double shot
Cuisine: United States, 1996
Ingredients: 18g in, 36g out, over 300ml vanilla milk of Caramel Macchiato; Filtered water heated to 93°C (199°F)

Vanilla milk marked with espresso, finished with caramel — built upside down.

Vanilla syrup and steamed milk in the cup first, espresso poured through the top so it marks the surface, then a caramel drizzle. The layering is the point: it is served unstirred so the first mouthful is sweeter and the last is stronger.

Sensory profile

Comparative scale

sweetnessVery high

acidityLow

bitternessLow

bodyHigh

aromaHigh

You should taste

How it unfolds

Aroma → Palate → Finish

AromaBefore and as you sip

Steamed Milk

clear aroma

PalateWhile it is in the mouth

pronounced sweetness

FinishAfter you swallow

No distinct note recorded here — the finish reads as clear rather than carrying a nameable character of its own.

clear body

Where it sits

Stronger than 340 of the 345 other drinks in the catalogue, and weaker than 3.

That is 150 mg in a 16 oz (473 ml), double shot serving — a concentration of 31.7 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.

CupCura editorial estimate. No public food database has measured this preparation, so this figure is our own and is not independently sourced.

What people say

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Gear for this drink

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2

Direct-drive motor with 64mm stainless steel flat burrs engineered specifically for pour-over, drip, and cold brew clarity.

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Caramel Macchiato

Sensory profile

You should taste

How it unfolds

Where it sits

What people say

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2

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