MAKE THE PERFECT FLAT WHITE
It’s your go-to coffee order. The Flat White. It tastes great when your favourite barista makes it but why not learn how to make it at home. Your family and friends will love you for it.
There are three essentials to making the perfect flat white. These are:
- The machine
- The coffee
- The milk
The Machine
A good quality espresso machine is your first step to perfecting your favourite coffee. If the machine isn’t right, there is nothing you can do to make the coffee better. The Breville Barista Express makes barista grade coffee easy. The Breville Café Venezia is a more compact machine with just as much punch.
The Coffee
Fresh grind your favourite coffee beans to a fine espresso grind.
Barista Express Tip: Aim for a grind setting of between 1 and 7
Tamp down evenly. Ideally you want a smooth flat surface with no gaps.
Run your espresso immediately. The ideal espresso will have a beautiful crema on top.
The Milk
The secret to a perfect flat white is in the milk steaming stage. Your milk should be steamed to increase volume by 25% with a consistent texture throughout.
You can achieve this consistent texture by keeping the steaming wand slightly lower into the milk than usual so as not to break the surface of the milk at all. Aim to keep any air out of your milk.
There shouldn’t be any foam on top.
Pull your espresso shot in the later stages of your milk preparation or immediately after.
Bang the bottom of your milk jug onto a cloth on your kitchen countertop just before pouring to break any bubbles in the milk and then swirl the pitcher a couple of times.
Gently pour the milk into your espresso so that the crema of the espresso floats to the top.
Take time to admire your work before taking your first, delicious sip.