You do not need an espresso machine to drink something that feels like a flat white.
A moka pot or strong plunger brew, plus a saucepan and a whisk, will get you surprisingly close.
This guide walks through simple stovetop milk drinks you can repeat without special gear.
What you need
For the coffee base:
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- Moka pot or plunger
- Fresh coffee, ideally Swift or another espresso style roast from Grace and Taylor
- Grinder suited to your chosen brewer
- Kettle and scales
For the milk:
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- Small saucepan or milk jug
- Whisk or French press, or a handheld milk frother if you have one
- Cold milk, dairy or alternative
- Thermometer if you have one, not essential
Coffee base: how strong to brew
You want coffee that is stronger than your usual black cup, since you are about to dilute it with milk.
If you are using a moka pot
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- Brew as in the previous moka guide
- Use a 3 cup moka pot to make coffee for one larger milk drink, or split it into two smaller ones
- Aim to stop the brew slightly early so it stays sweet, then stir the top chamber to mix
If you are using a plunger
For one mug sized milk drink:
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- Dose: 20 g coffee
- Water: 220 g water
- Time: 4 minutes
- Grind slightly finer than your usual plunger recipe so the cup is a bit more concentrated
Think of it like this: you are trying to make a strong, sweet base that can stand up to milk, not a delicate filter.
Milk temperature in normal language
Perfect milk is about more than foam.
You are aiming for:
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- Hot, but not screaming
- Somewhere between 60 and 65 °C if you have a thermometer
- If you do not: warm until the jug or pan feels hot to the touch, but you can still hold it at the base for a few seconds
If the milk is boiling or loudly bubbling, it is too hot and will taste flat and a bit eggy.
Option 1: stovetop flat white style
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- Brew your coffee
Make your moka or strong plunger first.
Aim for about 60 to 70 ml of moka coffee or 80 to 100 ml of strong plunger per drink.
Pour it into your cup. - Heat the milk gently
Pour cold milk into a small saucepan or heatproof jug.
Place it on low to medium heat.
Warm slowly, stirring occasionally so it does not catch.
Take it off the heat once it reaches that hot but not screaming point. -
Texture the milk without a steam wand
Choose one of these:-
Whisk method:
Pour the hot milk into a jug or keep it in the saucepan.
Whisk vigorously in small circles, breaking up big bubbles as you go, for 10 to 20 seconds.
Tap the base on the bench to pop surface bubbles, then swirl. -
French press method:
Pour hot milk into a clean French press.
Pump the plunger up and down about 10 to 15 times, not all the way to the bottom.
Remove the lid and swirl to settle the foam.
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- Pour and enjoy
Swirl the milk so it looks glossy and smooth.
Pour over your coffee in a steady stream.
You are not chasing latte art, just an even mix with a thin layer of foam on top.
- Brew your coffee
Option 2: simple stovetop mocha
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Make a quick chocolate base
In your mug, mix:-
1 to 2 teaspoons of good drinking chocolate or cocoa
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A splash of hot water
Stir to form a smooth paste.
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- Brew your coffee
Add your moka or strong plunger coffee to the chocolate paste and stir.
Taste. If it is very intense, you can add a little hot water. - Heat and texture the milk
Follow the same gentle heating and whisking or French press steps as above. -
Combine
Pour textured milk over the chocolate coffee base.
Dust with a tiny bit of cocoa if you like, but keep it light so it does not go dusty.
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Make a quick chocolate base
If it tastes like X, try Y
Use this table as your quick adjustment guide.
| If it tastes like | What it likely means | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| Weak or too milky | Coffee base is not strong enough, or there is too much milk. |
• Brew your coffee base stronger. • For moka: use a slightly finer grind, or a smaller cup size and more coffee per person. • For plunger: increase the dose by 2 to 4 g for the same water. • Reduce the amount of milk slightly. |
| Bitter or harsh | Coffee is over extracted, or the milk is too hot. |
• For moka: check you are not using too fine a grind or cooking it on high heat until it hisses loudly. • For plunger: try a slightly coarser grind or a shorter brew time, for example 3:30 instead of 4:00. • Use cooler milk, closer to 60 °C, very hot milk makes bitterness stand out. |
| Milk tastes flat or eggy | Milk has been overheated. |
• Take the milk off the heat earlier, and never let it boil. • If you see big bubbles, give it a whisk to break them up instead of cranking the heat higher. |
| Foam is big and bubbly | Milk is over aerated, or has cooled while you were foaming. |
• Whisk or pump more gently and for a shorter time. • Aim to create a small amount of fine foam, then swirl and tap the jug. • If the milk has cooled while you were foaming, rewarm it briefly with gentle stirring. |
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Which coffees to use
For stovetop milk drinks, you want coffees with natural sweetness.
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Swift is your go to for flat whites and mochas, with chocolate, nuts and caramel notes that cut through milk.
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Graceland can be lovely if you want a fruitier, more playful cup, especially for mochas or longer, lighter milk drinks.
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Swift is your go to for flat whites and mochas, with chocolate, nuts and caramel notes that cut through milk.
The way Grace and Taylor roasts, aiming for sweetness rather than dark roast bite, means your stovetop drinks will tend to taste round and balanced as long as you avoid burning the coffee or the milk.
Quick stovetop checklist
A few habits that make a big difference.
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Brew your coffee base stronger than normal black coffee
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Heat milk gently and stop before it boils
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Use a whisk, French press or frother to create light texture, not a huge foam cap
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Taste and adjust coffee strength or milk volume before blaming the beans
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Clean pans, jugs and plungers properly so old milk and coffee oils do not creep into the next cup
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Brew your coffee base stronger than normal black coffee
With these basics in place, your moka pot and plunger become more than backup brewers. They turn into a simple home flat white and mocha kit that actually does your coffee justice.
