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Compact espresso and silky milk

How to make a flat white.

A flat white uses less milk and less added air than a latte. The target is a concentrated coffee flavour with glossy, pourable microfoam.

Starting ratio36 g espresso + about 120 g textured milk
Serve in150–180 ml cup
Latte art and small black coffees served together on a café table
Real café drinks; the measured recipe below is the reproducible starting point.Photo: Fatma Gül on Pexels ↗
Ingredients

Measure the drink before adjusting it.

  • One 36 g double espresso
  • About 140 g cold milk before steaming
Method

One repeatable sequence.

  1. 01

    Brew a balanced double espresso into a warmed cup.

  2. 02

    Steam cold milk, adding only a small amount of air early.

  3. 03

    Continue texturing in a whirlpool until the milk is glossy and fluid.

  4. 04

    Swirl the jug, then pour promptly so milk and foam remain integrated.

What changes the result

Use less foam than a cappuccino

Do not let milk residue dry on the wand

Adjust milk quantity to the cup

Choose the workflow

Use a recipe to test the machine—not only the spec sheet.

See how an indexed machine handles the heat-up, espresso, milk and cleaning steps behind this drink.

View a suitable machine →Browse every recipe
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