The flat white is a short milk drink: a double shot in a small cup, steamed milk poured through it, and a thin layer of microfoam on top. Less milk than a latte, less foam than a cappuccino, and more coffee flavour than either. It is our default order and the drink we use to judge how a new coffee behaves against milk.
What you need
- 18g of coffee, ground fine
- A 36g double espresso
- 130ml of milk
- A 150–180ml cup, warmed
- A 350ml jug
The method
- Warm the cup. Cold ceramic takes the heat out of a small drink in seconds.
- Pull the double shot into the cup.
- Fill the jug to just below the spout and set the wand tip barely under the surface.
- Introduce air for about three seconds — a steady, quiet hiss — then drop the tip deeper and let the milk spin.
- Stop when the jug is too warm to hold comfortably. That is around 60°C.
- Knock the jug once on the bench and swirl until it looks like wet paint.
- Pour from height to break the crema, then bring the spout close and let the foam come through at the end.
On the milk
Sixty degrees, and no higher. Past that the sweetness goes and a scalded note takes its place, and no amount of good coffee will cover it. If you are using oat, buy the barista formulation — the extra fat and protein are what hold the foam together.
Getting the texture flat
The name is a description. You want a millimetre or two of foam, glossy and folded into the milk rather than sitting on it. Air goes in first and only briefly; everything after that is spinning the milk to work that air through. Visible bubbles mean you aired too long or spun too little.
Which coffee
Milk mutes acidity and flatters sugars, so this is where a round, sweet cup earns its place. Darago holds its ground here — caramel and toasted almond stay clear, and the milk chocolate note doubles rather than disappears.