Flat white recipe
A flat white is a double shot of espresso with silky milk and a thin, glossy layer of foam, about 5mm. It is smaller and stronger than a latte. Pick your cup size and milk for the exact amounts.
By our numbers, a flat white is about 1 part coffee to 4.6 parts milk. A regular latte is about 1 to 7.
1 What are you making?
Popular in Perth
Café drinks
Brewed coffee
2 How much?
Milk
3 How strong?
Units
How to make a flat white
For small (8oz, 230ml), at balanced strength. Change the size or strength in the calculator above.
You need
- 18g finely ground coffee, for a double shot
- 165ml cold milk, to steam
Method
- Grind 18g of coffee into the basket, level it and tamp firmly.
- Pull the double shot and stop at 36g out. Aim for 25 to 30 seconds.
- Steam 165ml of milk to 60 to 65°C. Foam: thin, about 5mm.
- Pour the milk into the shot and serve.
How a flat white compares
Every Australian café drink side by side, at balanced strength in its usual cup. The coffee to milk ratio is espresso out against milk (or water) added, so you can see which drinks are really stronger.
| Drink | Cup | Espresso | Added | Foam | Coffee to milk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short black | Double, 18g basket | 18g in, 36g out | None | None | Coffee only |
| Short mac | Demitasse, about 90ml | Single (9g in, 18g out) | 15ml milk | A small dollop | 1 : 0.8 |
| Piccolo | Glass, about 100ml | Single (9g in, 14g out) | 74ml milk | Thin, about 5mm | 1 : 5.3 |
| Long mac | Glass, about 120ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 20ml milk | A small dollop | 1 : 0.6 |
| Long mac topped up | Glass, about 180ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 122ml milk | Thin, about 5mm | 1 : 3.4 |
| Flat white | Small, 8oz, 230ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 165ml milk | Thin, about 5mm | 1 : 4.6 |
| Cappuccino | Small, 8oz, 230ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 126ml milk | About 1.5cm, chocolate on top | 1 : 3.5 |
| Latte | Regular, 12oz, 350ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 251ml milk | About 1cm | 1 : 7 |
| Long black | Small, 8oz, 230ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 102ml hot water | None | 1 : 2.8 |
| Iced latte | Tall glass, about 350ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 188ml cold milk | None, served over ice | 1 : 5.2 |
Flat white quick answers
| Size | Recipe |
|---|---|
| Small 8oz, 230ml | Double shot, 165ml full cream |
| Regular 12oz, 350ml | Double shot, 267ml full cream |
| Large 16oz, 470ml | Double shot, 369ml full cream |
These are starting points. Every bean is different, so taste and adjust.
New to this? Read how to make a flat white, step by step.
