A flat white is defined by its texture as much as its size.
The build
A double ristretto — 18 g in, around 27 g out.
Around 130 ml of milk, textured with a thin, glossy microfoam.
A 150 to 175 ml cup.
Why a ristretto
At roughly 1:3 coffee to milk, a normale at 36 g would be noticeably diluted. A ristretto at 27 g is more concentrated and holds its own.
That is why a flat white made outside Australasia often tastes of warm milk — the base was too long.
The milk texture
Two to three seconds of stretch, no more. Then submerge and spin thoroughly.
You want the foam folded through the milk, not sitting on top of it. A flat white with a centimetre of foam is a small cappuccino.
The surface should be glossy and flat, which is where the name comes from.
Versus a latte
A latte is 1:5 or wider in a larger cup. Same texture principle, much more milk, and the coffee recedes.
Versus a cappuccino
A cappuccino has a distinct foam layer as part of the drink. A flat white does not.
Why it exposes bad espresso
Concentrated coffee, small volume, little foam to hide behind. A flat white shows a channelled or stale shot in a way a latte does not.
Steaming for one
130 ml of milk wants a 350 ml jug — around a third full.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026