A flat white is a small drink with nowhere to hide: strong coffee, silky milk and a thin layer of microfoam. Here is how to recreate it in your own kitchen.

Start with the shot

Aim for eighteen grams of coffee in and thirty-six out in about thirty seconds. Taste it; adjust the grind, not the recipe.

Photo: Shyamanta Baruah via Unsplash
Photo: Shyamanta Baruah via Unsplash

Steam the milk gently

Introduce a little air for two or three seconds, then lower the nozzle and roll the milk until it feels like wet paint.

  • Use cold, fresh milk.
  • Warm the cup first.
  • Clean the wand immediately after steaming.

Pour low and close

Bring the jug to the surface of the espresso and finish with a short wiggle. The taste matters more than the pattern.

Good coffee is not complicated. It is just consistent.

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