How to Make a Flat White Coffee

A cappuccino is renowned and loved for its dense layer of dry or microfoam on the surface of the beverage but has a layer of more liquid steamed milk beneath.

The milk for a flat white is steamed to 130° Fahrenheit so the milk contains a natural sweetness that can function to temper the taste of the espresso and produce a very delicious and easy to consume cup. A cappuccino is served with hotter milk, steamed to 140° Fahrenheit.

To prepare a truly fantastic flat white espresso beverage, or any other steamed-milk-based coffee beverage, two factors come into play: top-quality espresso and silken microfoam. Since flat whites were created as a technique to genuinely taste the flavor of the espresso (the milk is a delicately sweet addition that merges with the espresso but doesn’t overwhelm it), select a top-quality espresso that you know and enjoy, and you’re already halfway to a delightful beverage.

So once you have the necessary ingredients, you now need to collect the required tools. To make the espresso, any machine you have will work just fine. You need one double shot of espresso for one flat white, which generally requires about 15 grams of espresso and 60 ml water. While the shots are being poured by your coffee/espresso brewer of your choice, you should steam the milk.

At-home milk steaming is slightly more complex than at-home espresso brewing. If you have an espresso machine with a steam wand, then you’re set: Make sure to purge the wand by allowing some steam to pass through it briefly, then insert the wand at a 15-degree angle about 1 inch below the surface of the milk, and steam until it hits about 130°F (or until the pitcher is too hot to touch). Carefully swirl and tap it several times on the counter, and it’s ready to pour.

If you don’t have a machine with a steam wand, it will be enormously problematic to achieve the microfoam you need for a ideal flat white, but you can nonetheless use the following techniques to steam milk and prepare a comparable, frothy beverage.

• • Use an electric milk frother or steamer, or warm the milk to 130°F on the stove top or in the microwave, then
  • Foam it up in a blender
  • Use a frothing wand
  • Whisk in a bowl with an electric hand blender with beaters
  • Use a pump (manual) frother
  • Use a French press as you would a pump frother

How To Pour the “Art”

The toughest aspect of preparing a flat white at home that even slightly compares to that of a coffee shop, is the aspect of creating beautiful images out of the steamed milk. This is generally referred to as “latte art.”

If latte art is not something you are interested in, just pour the microfoam or steamed milk into your espresso and you’re good to go. If you wish to generate some art in your cup, try this:

1. 1. Slant your espresso filled cup slightly towards you with your non-dominant hand, the pitcher of steamed milk should be in your dominant hand.
   2. Gradually pour some milk into the middle of the espresso, then bring the rim of the pitcher directly to contact the cup and begin pouring quicker.
   3. As you pour quicker, lightly shimmy the pitcher back and forth (left and right) to make a pattern in your cup.
   4. Once the cup is almost full, slant it back so the surface is flat, elevate your pitcher up so it’s no longer touching the cup, and use the remaining milk to drizzle a straight line through from the bottom to the top of the cup (from nearest to you to furthest from you).

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it the first time, it requires training, and viewing a video is extremely valuable to assist you in visualizing the motions.