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Breville Bambino Plus
Auto steam wand textures milk to flat-white-ready microfoam. ThermoJet heats in 3 seconds, which is strong value for milk drinks.
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What Is a Flat White? Ratio, Milk & Taste
What is a flat white? A double espresso with silky microfoam. Learn how it differs from a latte, plus how to make one at home.
- By Sarah Chen
- 6 min read
Quick answer
A flat white is a 5–6 oz drink: a double espresso with steamed milk textured into microfoam and mixed through the cup rather than sitting on top. At home, the thing that matters is a steam wand that textures milk finely.
What makes a flat white different?
The microfoam, mixed through the whole cup instead of sitting on top.
The surface stays level rather than domed, hence "flat". Microfoam is milk steamed with very little air, finished like glossy wet paint with no visible bubbles.
The drink is served in a smaller cup, 5–6 oz, and uses a double shot, sometimes a ristretto, so the coffee flavour is stronger than in a latte.
What does a flat white taste like?
Silky first, then espresso, with a clean, gently sweet finish.
Origin notes are present but softer than in a cortado. Many cafés pull a shorter, ristretto-style shot, which adds sweetness so the milk does not overwhelm the espresso.
How does a flat white differ from a latte, cappuccino and cortado?
Between a cortado and a latte in size and strength, with thinner foam than a cappuccino.
| Drink | Size | Milk | Foam and texture | Taste |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortado | About 120 ml (4 oz) | About 60 ml (2 oz) | Warm milk, little foam | Espresso-forward |
| Flat white | About 150–180 ml (5–6 oz) | About 100–120 ml (3–4 oz) | Thin, velvety microfoam (about 0.5 cm) | Strong but smooth |
| Cappuccino | About 150–180 ml (5–6 oz) | Steamed milk plus a thick foam cap | Distinct dome of foam | Lighter, airy |
| Latte | 240 ml (8 oz) and up | 6–10 oz | Silky milk, 0.5–1 cm foam on top | Mild, milky |
Cortado
- Size
- About 120 ml (4 oz)
- Milk
- About 60 ml (2 oz)
- Foam and texture
- Warm milk, little foam
- Taste
- Espresso-forward
Flat white
- Size
- About 150–180 ml (5–6 oz)
- Milk
- About 100–120 ml (3–4 oz)
- Foam and texture
- Thin, velvety microfoam (about 0.5 cm)
- Taste
- Strong but smooth
Cappuccino
- Size
- About 150–180 ml (5–6 oz)
- Milk
- Steamed milk plus a thick foam cap
- Foam and texture
- Distinct dome of foam
- Taste
- Lighter, airy
Latte
- Size
- 240 ml (8 oz) and up
- Milk
- 6–10 oz
- Foam and texture
- Silky milk, 0.5–1 cm foam on top
- Taste
- Mild, milky
Some US cafés serve a 7 oz flat white; a 10–12 oz "flat white" is really a latte.
Head-to-heads: flat white vs cappuccino vs cortado, latte vs cortado, what is a cortado and what is a cappuccino.
Is a flat white stronger than a latte?
It tastes stronger, but the caffeine depends on the shots.
A flat white usually tastes stronger than a latte because it has less milk around the same espresso. A typical flat white is a double shot in a 5–6 oz cup; a latte is often a double in a 12 oz cup or larger. The same coffee is spread through less milk, so you taste more of it.
Caffeine is a different question. Milk adds none, so a flat white and a latte made with the same double shot contain about the same caffeine. A large café latte with an extra shot will have more. Count the shots rather than judging by size or taste.
If lattes taste too milky but a cortado feels too intense, the flat white sits in between. Our flat white vs cappuccino vs cortado guide compares the three side by side, and what is a doppio explains the double shot most flat whites start from.
What cup does a flat white come in?
A small ceramic cup, typically 5–6 oz.
The tulip shape, narrower at the base than the rim, is common in Australia and New Zealand and makes latte art easier than a wide bucket cup. Ceramic holds heat longer than paper.
Where does the flat white come from?
Australia and New Zealand both claim it.
The most often cited claims are Alan Preston, who says he served it at Moors Espresso Bar in Sydney in the mid-1980s, and Fraser McInnes at Cafe Bodega in Wellington in the late 1980s. Neither claim has definitive documentation, so treat the origin as disputed.
What ratio of espresso to milk makes a flat white?
A small cup, a double shot and very thin microfoam.
| Element | Typical choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cup size | About 150–180 ml (5–6 oz) | Keeps the espresso flavour strong |
| Espresso | Double shot, often ristretto | More body and sweetness through the milk |
| Milk texture | Velvety microfoam, about 0.5 cm on top | Blends fully with the espresso |
| Milk temperature | About 55–60°C (130–140°F) | Slightly cooler than a latte, for sweetness |
| Finish | Simple latte art | The thin foam suits fine patterns |
Cup size
- Typical choice
- About 150–180 ml (5–6 oz)
- Why
- Keeps the espresso flavour strong
Espresso
- Typical choice
- Double shot, often ristretto
- Why
- More body and sweetness through the milk
Milk texture
- Typical choice
- Velvety microfoam, about 0.5 cm on top
- Why
- Blends fully with the espresso
Milk temperature
- Typical choice
- About 55–60°C (130–140°F)
- Why
- Slightly cooler than a latte, for sweetness
Finish
- Typical choice
- Simple latte art
- Why
- The thin foam suits fine patterns
The ratio of coffee to milk is what makes a flat white different. With a double shot in a small cup, roughly a quarter to a third of the drink is espresso, compared with a fifth or less in a latte. That is why a flat white tastes noticeably stronger even though it is still a milk drink.
Many cafés now serve flat whites in a slightly larger cup than the traditional size, which makes them closer to a small latte. If a café's flat white tastes milky, ask for it in a smaller cup or with a ristretto base.
How do you make a flat white at home?
Five steps with a fine-texturing steam wand, a small ceramic cup and cold whole milk.
Warm. A 5–6 oz cup with hot water, then discard it.
Pull. A double shot into the cup (ristretto style: about 18g in, 28g out, 22–26 seconds).22–26 seconds
Steam. 100–120 ml of cold whole milk to about 55–60°C (130–140°F) with only a brief stretch (method below).
Swirl. The pitcher to remove bubbles and get a uniform glossy texture.
Pour. Low with the spout close to the cup, firmly into the center, then finish with a simple heart.
How do you steam milk for a flat white?
Less air than a latte, and a long, smooth swirl.
Use about 100–120 ml of cold whole milk in a small pitcher.
Stretch only briefly, 2–3 seconds with the tip at the surface, so the milk grows by around 10% at most.2–3 seconds
Lower the tip slightly and let the milk spin in a whirlpool until it is glossy and warm.
Stop at about 55–60°C, swirl the pitcher, and tap it gently to remove any large bubbles.
Pour from a little height at first to mix into the espresso, then lower the pitcher to finish with a thin white layer or simple pattern.
The goal is milk with the texture of wet paint: no visible bubbles, a shiny surface and only a thin layer of foam. If your flat whites taste like small lattes, cut the stretch time; if they taste thin, check that the milk is whole and fresh. Our how to make a latte guide covers the basic steaming technique.
Plant milks need even less stretching for a flat white, as barista oat milk foams quickly. Stop stretching earlier and keep the milk a few degrees cooler so it stays silky.
Which machine should you use at home?
You need a consistent 9 bar and a wand that textures milk to microfoam.
Quick decision guide
You want the simplest route to good microfoam
Start with the Bambino Plus and its automatic steam wand.
You want one machine that grinds and tamps for you
The Barista Express Impress has a built-in grinder.
You have a machine but a weak grinder
Upgrade the grinder first: the Baratza Encore ESP covers the grind range a flat white shot needs.
REVIEWED
Breville Barista Express Impress
Built-in grinder with Impress tamping: grind, tamp and pull a flat white shot with no separate equipment.
REVIEWED
Baratza Encore ESP
Reliable entry-level espresso grinder for dialling in the fine-medium grind a flat white's ristretto or double shot needs.
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More options: espresso machine picks under $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you buy.
Does a flat white have more caffeine than a latte?
No, not when both use the same shots.
Both typically use a double shot (about 120–150 mg); the flat white simply has less milk, so it tastes stronger without containing more caffeine.
Can you make a flat white with oat milk?
Yes.
Barista-style oat milk can be textured into microfoam, though results vary by brand and it tastes sweeter than dairy.
Keep the milk cold and aerate only briefly.
Can you make a flat white without an espresso machine?
Not exactly.
A moka pot plus a handheld frother gets close to the flavor, but not the espresso body or true microfoam.
Why is my flat white bubbly instead of silky?
Too much air during steaming.
Keep the wand tip at the surface only briefly, then submerge it and swirl.
If steam itself is weak, see steam wand not frothing milk.
Is there such a thing as an iced flat white?
Cafés sell them, but the defining silky microfoam is lost once milk is poured over ice.
It is closer to an iced latte.
How many shots are in a flat white?
Usually two.
A flat white is built on a double espresso (or a double ristretto in many specialty cafés), which is why it tastes stronger than a larger latte.
See what a doppio is.
Related Guides
Keep reading: more guides on the same topic.
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Flat white vs cappuccino vs cortado: milk ratio, foam, size and taste compared, plus which to order or make at home.
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Latte vs cortado: same espresso, different strength. Compare milk ratio, size and flavor, then pick one to order or make.
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What is a cappuccino? The 1:1:1 ratio, dry vs wet styles, how it differs from a latte, and how to order or make a proper one.
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