Flat White

Section: Hot: Espresso Family · espresso · dairy · build · under 60 s

Setup

Glass: Warmed 200 ml ceramic

Serve volume: 170 ml

Ingredients (as the source specifies)

Double espresso 36 ml
Whole milk 130 ml, steamed

Operating procedure

Applies to: flat white built on a double ristretto or double espresso in a 150–180 ml cup, thin glossy microfoam with a latte-art finish.

Target: under 90 seconds from shot start to service.

Pre-warm the 150–180 ml cup for a stable serving temperature.
Use cold fresh milk in a clean, cold pitcher matched to the small volume.
Purge and wipe the steam wand before texturing.
Dial the grinder for a double ristretto or a standard double, whichever the bar spec calls for.

Pull a double ristretto or double espresso into the warm cup for a concentrated, syrupy base.
Ristretto: ~18 g in / ~27–30 g out; standard double: ~18 g in / ~36 g out, 25–30 s.
Steam ~120–130 ml of milk to a tight, glossy microfoam with only a thin layer of air.
Final milk temperature 60–65°C; foam layer stays very thin, around 0.5 cm.
Swirl the pitcher hard to fold foam and liquid into one glossy, uniform texture.
Surface should look like wet paint with no separated foam sitting on top.
Pour from a low height to fill, then raise and finish with a small latte-art figure.
Thin ~0.5 cm foam surface — the art sits flush, not raised on a foam dome.
Serve immediately; the finish should be flat, shiny and even to the rim.
A clean art contrast against a mirror-glossy surface signals correct texture.

Surface is glossy and flat with only a ~0.5 cm foam layer, art clearly defined.
Concentrated base gives a strong coffee flavour that reads through the small milk volume.
Milk is silky and hot to 60–65°C, never bubbly or scalded.

The flat white differs from a small latte by its higher coffee-to-milk ratio and thinner microfoam; keep the milk silky and integrated rather than foamy so the concentrated shot stays in front.

Technique

The procedures this drink is built with. They are the technique, not this drink's own method.

Energy, derived from the ingredient list

Computed line by line against the source's own coefficient table. Nothing here is typed in.

Espresso · 36 × 0.03 = 1.08 kcal
Whole milk 3.5% · 130 × 0.64 = 83.2 kcal

Derived total: ≈ 85 kcal

Caffeine, derived from the ingredient list

Computed line by line at the source's own reference doses. Nothing here is typed in.

Double espresso 36 ml · 130 mg (double espresso reference: 18 g dose = 130 mg)

Derived total: ≈ 130 mg

Recommended adult daily maximum: 400 mg

Allergens, as the source states them: `MILK`

Holding and food safety

These figures are the published guidance, not a house rule. Each carries its source.

Chilled components: hold at or below 5 °C. The legal maximum is 8 °C.
Once a chilled component is out of the fridge, it has 4 hours before it must be discarded.

Your local authority sets the requirement. Confirm these against it before service.

Source: GOV.UK — Food hygiene for businesses (FSA guidance) — retrieved 2026-08-20