How to make a flat white
The flat white is an Australian café favourite: a double shot of espresso with silky milk and a thin, glossy layer of foam. It is smaller and stronger than a latte, and the coffee comes through clearly.
The quick recipe
For a small cup (230ml):
- Espresso: a double shot, 18g in and 36g out
- Shot time: 25 to 30 seconds
- Milk: about 165ml of cold milk, steamed to 60 to 65°C
- Foam: thin, about 5mm
Making a regular or large? The flat white calculator works out the milk for any cup size.
Flat white or latte?
- Flat white: thin, glossy foam (about 5mm), usually a smaller cup, so it tastes stronger.
- Latte: a little more foam (about 1cm), often a bigger cup or a glass, so it is milkier and milder.
Step by step
- Warm the cup. Rinse it with hot water.
- Pull a double shot. 18g of coffee in, about 36g out, in 25 to 30 seconds.
- Steam the milk. Stretch it only briefly, then spin it so it turns silky and glossy. Our milk steaming guide shows you how.
- Swirl, then pour. Swirl the jug until the milk looks like wet paint. Pour into the centre of the shot from a little height, then bring the jug close to finish.
How strong should it be?
For a small cup (230ml):
| Strength | Recipe |
|---|---|
| Mild | Single shot, 180ml full cream |
| Balanced | Double shot, 165ml full cream |
| Strong | Triple shot, 150ml full cream |
Fixing a flat white that is not right
- Too much foam: you stretched the milk for too long. Stretch for less time and spin for longer.
- Big bubbles on top: tap the jug and swirl before you pour.
- Tastes weak: go up a strength, or use a smaller cup.
- Sour or bitter shot: see the dial-in helper in Barista mode on the flat white calculator.