What is a flat white?
A flat white is espresso with steamed milk poured over it, finished with a thin layer of velvety microfoam rather than a thick foam cap. The result is a smaller, stronger, silkier drink than a latte or cappuccino, one where the coffee flavour stays front and centre. So you're getting a milky coffee but with good coffee taste still.
The flat white is a relatively recent invention, with roots in Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s (the two countries still argue over who invented it first). Baristas at the time wanted a reaction to overly milky, overly foamed coffees, a drink where you could still properly taste the espresso. That idea is exactly why the flat white has become a favourite at specialty coffee shops like Orsa: it's built to let good beans do the talking.
The ingredients you'll need for a flat white
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Freshly ground espresso beans: Good beans matter more here than in any other milk drink, since there's less milk to hide behind. We recommend beans like Rocket Flower from Colombia as your starting point.
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Milk: Whole milk steams into the silkiest microfoam, but oat milk is a solid alternative if you want something plant-based.
That's genuinely it. Part of what makes a flat white so good is how few ingredients it needs.
How to make a flat white (step-by-step)
Step 1: Brew your espresso
Pull a double shot of espresso straight into the cup you'll serve in. At Orsa, we always use a double shot; for a home setup, that's roughly 18g of coffee in, 42g of espresso out, over 23–25 seconds. This is your flavour base, so don't rush it.
Step 2: Steam your milk
Pour cold milk into your steaming jug, about 130ml for one flat white, and steam it to a smooth, glossy microfoam. You're aiming for very fine bubbles, not the airy foam you'd want for a cappuccino, and a temperature around 55–60°C. Any hotter and you'll scald the milk and lose its natural sweetness.
Step 3: Swirl the milk jug
Once you're done steaming, give the jug a swirl. This integrates any remaining bubbles into the milk and gives you that thick, paint-like texture that pours smoothly and holds latte art.
Step 4: Pour the milk into the espresso
Pour steadily and with intent, starting from a bit higher up and lowering the jug as the cup fills. You're looking for a thin, even layer of microfoam on top, no separate foam cap, just a smooth, glossy finish. Get the pour right and you'll have enough control to free-pour a simple heart or something more advanced. Do not stress about proper latte art, the taste of your coffee is way more important.
The best espresso beans for a flat white
Because a flat white uses less milk than a latte or cappuccino, the espresso does most of the talking, so bean choice matters. Naturally sweet, well-balanced beans tend to work best here, since they hold up under milk without turning flat or bitter.
Explore Orsa's coffee beans and pick a roast that matches what you're after: something rich and chocolatey for a classic (Rocket Flower - Colombia) comforting cup, or something brighter and fruitier (Ethiopia) if you want the coffee character to really cut through the milk.
Tips for the best homemade flat white
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Use fresh beans: Coffee is at its best within a few weeks of roasting; check the roast date, not just the best-before date.
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Don't overheat the milk: Steamed milk should feel warm on your hand through the jug, never too hot to touch. Overheated milk loses its natural sweetness and can taste burnt.
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Dial in your grind: If your espresso pulls too fast (under 23 seconds), grind finer. Too slow, grind coarser.
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Warm your cup: A cold cup cools your espresso down fast, which flattens the flavour before the milk even goes in.
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Practice your pour: A good flat white pour is a skill; the more you do it, the better your control over texture and latte art will get.
FAQ about flat whites
What is the difference between a flat White and a latte?
A latte uses more steamed milk and a thicker layer of foam, which makes it a bigger, milder, more milk-forward drink. A flat white uses less milk and a much thinner layer of microfoam, so it's smaller, stronger, and lets the espresso flavour come through more clearly.
What is an iced flat white?
An iced flat white is the same drink served cold: espresso poured over chilled milk and ice, without steaming. You lose the microfoam texture, but you keep the same strong, milk-forward flavour, just refreshing instead of warming.
How much milk goes in a flat white?
Roughly 130ml of steamed milk for a double shot of espresso (about 50ml), topped with a thin, 5mm layer of microfoam. That's why a flat white is usually served in a smaller cup than a latte, around 150–180ml. You might experience different sizes across different coffee shops; the Orsa one has a proportion of 1:3 espresso vs milk, around 165ml final cup.
Is a flat white sweet?
Not sweetened, no; there's no sugar or syrup by default. But properly steamed milk brings out a natural sweetness on its own, which is part of what makes a flat white feel smooth and balanced rather than sharp.
How much caffeine is in a flat white?
A flat white is built on a double espresso shot, so it packs roughly the same caffeine as any other double-shot drink, typically around 130–150mg, depending on the beans and roast. It's not stronger than a latte or cappuccino in caffeine, just stronger in flavour.
What is the difference between a flat white and a cappuccino?
A cappuccino has a thicker, spoonable layer of foam on top and splits fairly evenly between espresso, milk, and foam. A flat white skips the separate foam cap entirely, using more steamed milk and just a thin layer of microfoam blended through, which gives it a silkier texture and a more upfront coffee flavour. Curious about the details? We've broken it down further in our flat white vs. cappuccino guide.
Come try a flat white at Orsa
Or skip the steaming jug altogether and let us make it for you. Come try a flat white at one of our two Orsa locations in Copenhagen. Check out the addresses and opening times here, and swing by.
