Flat White Recipe

Preheat and dose

Preheat your espresso cup and portafilter by running a blank shot or rinsing with hot water. Weigh 18 g of freshly ground espresso coffee (medium-fine grind for your machine) and distribute evenly in the portafilter.

Tamp and brew

Tamp the coffee with consistent pressure (about 15–20 kg) to create a level puck. Lock the portafilter into the machine and start the extraction. Aim for about 36–44 seconds for 40 ml of espresso (single or short double) depending on your grind and machine. Extract until you have roughly 40 ml of espresso in the preheated cup.

Prepare equipment

Pour 150 ml of cold whole milk into a chilled stainless-steel steaming pitcher. Purge the steam wand briefly into the drip tray and wipe with a clean cloth.

Stretch and texture milk

Submerge the steam wand tip just below the surface of the milk and begin steaming. For the first 3–5 seconds, keep the tip near the surface to introduce a small amount of air (a gentle 'hiss') to create silky microfoam. Then fully submerge the tip and continue steaming to raise temperature to 60–65°C (140–149°F). Watch for the pitcher to be too hot to touch on the lower part; if you don't have a thermometer, heat until it feels hot but not scalding (around 3–6 additional seconds after stretching). Aim for smooth, glossy milk with fine microfoam and no large bubbles.

Purge, clean, and polish

Purge the steam wand briefly into the ice water or drip tray, wipe it clean immediately, and purge again. Swirl and tap the pitcher on the counter to pop any residual large bubbles and polish the milk to a velvety texture.

Optional: practice latte art

If you plan to pour latte art, create a small whirlpool motion in the pitcher to integrate microfoam evenly and bring the thicker milk into the spout for controlled pouring.

Immediately after brewing, pour the 40 ml espresso into a prewarmed 160–180 ml cup. Let the espresso settle for a second so the crema stabilizes.

Tilt the cup slightly and begin pouring the textured milk from about 3–4 cm above the cup to incorporate the liquid milk into the espresso. As the cup fills, lower the pitcher and move it closer to the surface to allow the microfoam to come forward, creating a smooth, even layer of velvety foam about 3–6 mm thick. Aim for a 1:3 espresso-to-milk ratio by volume (about 40 ml espresso to ~150 ml milk).

Finish the pour with a steady, gentle motion. If desired, execute simple latte art (heart or rosetta) by controlled wrist movement in the final centimeters of the pour.

Serve immediately. Optionally dust with a light sprinkle of cocoa or cinnamon (about 1 tsp) if preferred.