Flat White: Espresso & Milk

by haikuhouse



I can remember the first time I made espresso myself one night working on a watercolor rendering for a theater project.

It was with the Cafe Roma machine my beloved grandfather gave me for Christmas 5 or so years ago.

The first cup I made had the crema on top & I stayed up all night until the renderings were done.

Espresso is definitely part of my creative process.

So when I tried the Flat White at Starbucks I absolutely loved it.

The other day I made it myself & nailed it. I couldn’t stand paying $4 for a little drink.

Normally, after packing the espresso very tightly, I count 23 seconds as soon as it starts streaming down into the cup. Then I add 2% milk and some coconut sugar.

For the Flat White, which is a ristretto shot, I only count 10 seconds (sometimes 12).

I still use my Breville Cafe Roma machine but the mechanism to froth the milk is out of order…so I just heat up no more than 1/3 cup of milk in the microwave. You’d never know…



Main points here are:

Get an espresso machine & stop paying $4.

Pressure is key with the ground espresso. Pack it tightly.

Let it brew 10-12 seconds.

Don’t use too much milk. This isn’t a latte.

If made correctly, you shouldn’t even need to add sugar or sweetener. The ristretto shot it sweet enough! My opinion only though…

Have a great weekend!!

-HH