On Sunday morning, when people want a drink that has both milky aroma and coffee aroma, many will think of a flat white. Compared with a latte, which has plenty of milk, a flat white uses thinner microfoam and a smaller proportion of milk, handing the flavor focus of the whole cup to the espresso. Many people trying to make a flat white at home for the first time often find the result is either bland like warm water or burnt-bitter and messy. In fact, this often comes from not having a grasp of the balance between espresso strength and extraction yield.

Understanding extraction can actually be compared to simmering soup. The strength of coffee represents how much dissolved flavor material is in the espresso, directly affecting whether the first sip is rich or thin; while the extraction yield is the proportion of material brought out of the coffee grounds by water, determining whether the cup shows a pleasant sweet acidity or a dry, bitter taste. If a flat white tastes as light as water, it is most likely that the strength is not enough; if there is an astringent sensation clinging to the throat in the finish, it is often over-extraction.

If you want to adjust the same bag of beans to a smooth, easy-drinking state through fine-tuning the parameters, grind size and water temperature are two good keys. Grinding finer or raising the brewing water temperature will greatly improve the water flow extraction efficiency, and the extraction yield will naturally rise. If you find that the extracted espresso is burnt-bitter and slightly astringent, you might as well adjust the grinder setting half a step coarser, or lower the water temperature by one or two degrees, to reduce the risk of over-extraction and let the soft sweetness originally hidden deep in the beans reappear.

Besides water temperature and grind size, controlling the output volume can also change the strength and flavor of the whole flat white. With the dose unchanged, shortening the extraction time and reducing the output volume can capture the aromatic fore and mid sections of the flavor, which can both raise the strength and cleverly avoid the woody off-flavors that easily appear in the tail section. On the contrary, if you find the espresso tastes sharply sour and thin on entry, it indicates under-extraction; extending the extraction time by a few seconds can raise the extraction yield and make the sweet acidity more balanced.

When making the espresso base for a flat white at home, the parameter details should be kept stable. Load 18.5 g of coffee grounds into the portafilter, distribute evenly and tamp vertically, set the extraction water temperature to 92 degrees, and extract 37 g of espresso, with the whole process taking 26 seconds. This set of extraction parameters can allow the aromatic oils in the coffee grounds to dissolve evenly, obtaining both the rich body needed to support a milk coffee and keeping the extraction yield stable in a range where the sweetness is especially clear and comfortable.

When choosing beans, you should also consider whether the beans are more suitable for drinking strong or light. Friends who prefer a rich nutty base will find Qianjie Classic Blend very handy. This coffee has been carefully roasted, with a mellow flavor and weak acidity, and its oils are very delicate and full. Its soluble flavor substances release steadily, giving off a rich butter and cheese-like aroma at high strength. After adding fresh milk, every sip brings a thick, warm sweetness, suitable for making a strong milk coffee.

If you prefer the warm, gentle feeling of nuts, cocoa and milky aroma fitting together highly, Qianjie Specialty Blend shows a surprising balance. Under a medium-dark roast, it retains a clean caramel sweetness, and the extracted espresso is smooth and glossy. When used to make a flat white and combined with hot fresh milk, it can fully activate the subtle hazelnut and white chocolate notes within, leaving a long milk-candy aftertaste in the mouth after drinking. Even after finishing the whole cup, it will not create a heavy feeling of fullness.

For friends who usually like floral and fruity aromas, Qianjie Strawberry Candy Espresso Blend can bring a different taste bud experience. This bag of beans has extremely low bitterness and carries full grape and blueberry aromas. Because the fruit acidity is relatively lively, slightly raising the water temperature during extraction to increase the extraction yield can make the berry sweetness more prominent. The flat white made with it has coffee fruit acidity and milk lactose naturally colliding, presenting a soft, creamy texture on the tongue similar to a strawberry milkshake.

With a properly calibrated espresso, pairing it with light, delicate microfoam will complete the job. Steam chilled fresh milk with a steam wand. After taking in air for one to two seconds and hearing a slight sound, quickly sink the tip into the milk to create a vortex, keeping the temperature at around 55 degrees and the microfoam thickness at about 3 mm. Gently pour the hot milk into the coffee, mixing evenly in circular motions. Rich oils wrap around the warm milky aroma, and a cup of authentic, mellow flat white thus gently soothes the taste buds.