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Tea recipe · Coffee

Flat White at Home

A proper flat white at home: a strong instant-coffee shot under silky, lightly frothed milk, smoother and less foamy than a cappuccino.

  • Prep 6 min
  • Serves 1
  • Easy
Coffee · recipe card
At a glance Updated 26 May 2026
Costa Smooth Medium Roast Coffee, 100g, Coffee, Costa Limited. Sold by Teas.co.uk.
6Steps
6Ingredients
£4.80The tea
25In this section
Made withCosta Smooth Medium Roast Coffee, 100g
The recipe

Exact quantities, then the method.

A flat white is all about the milk: less foam than a cappuccino, just a thin, silky microfoam poured over a strong Coffee. With instant coffee the trick is to make it double-strength in a little water, so it holds up under the milk rather than washing out.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Flat White at Home recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/coffee/flat-white-at-home/

Stretch the milk gently, pour it close to the surface, and you get a smooth, glossy cup with barely any foam. Makes one.

⏱ 6 min 🍽 Serves 1 📊 Easy 📚 Coffee Recipes

You'll need

  • 2 heaped teaspoons of Costa Smooth Medium Roast Coffee granules (about 4g)
  • 60ml freshly drawn water, brought to a rolling boil then left for 1 minute to drop to about 90C
  • 180ml whole milk
  • 1 warmed 250ml glass cup
  • 1 small saucepan
  • 1 small handheld milk frother

Method

  1. Warm a cup or small glass with hot water and tip it out.
  2. Dissolve two heaped teaspoons of coffee in 60ml of hot water (around 90C) to make a strong shot.
  3. Warm the milk in a small pan until it just steams.
  4. Froth it only briefly, around ten seconds, so you get a thin, silky microfoam rather than the thick foam of a cappuccino.
  5. Pour the milk slowly, keeping the jug close to the surface, so the coffee stays below and a small white dot forms on top.
  6. Aim for silk, not peaks; a flat white wants a glossy microfoam, not stiff bubbles.
What you'll end up with: A smooth, glossy flat white with a strong coffee base and just a thin veil of milk foam on top. Less airy than a cappuccino, with the coffee leading.

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