How much caffeine is in a flat white? Usually about 126 mg, because a flat white is typically made with a double shot of espresso at about 63 mg per shot. A tall (12 oz) Starbucks Flat White has 130 mg, according to Starbucks. The milk adds no caffeine.
So a flat white packs the caffeine of a two-shot latte into a smaller cup. To see what yours leaves in you at bedtime, use the caffeine calculator.
Free toolCaffeine Cutoff CalculatorHow much caffeine is still in you at bedtime, and your latest cup.How much caffeine is in a flat white?
Count the shots and multiply by about 63 mg, and assume two shots unless you're told otherwise. USDA FoodData Central lists restaurant espresso at 212 mg of caffeine per 100 grams, about 63 mg in a 1 oz shot. A flat white is espresso with a thin layer of velvety steamed milk, less milk than a latte.
| Flat white | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Single-shot flat white | about 63 mg |
| Double-shot flat white (the usual build) | about 126 mg (estimate) |
| Triple-shot flat white | about 189 mg |
| Starbucks Flat White, tall (12 oz) | 130 mg |
| For comparison: brewed coffee, 8 oz | about 95 mg |
The 126 mg figure is an estimate built on the site's 63 mg average shot. Real shots vary: when researchers measured 104 coffee-shop espressos in Scotland, Italy and Spain, caffeine ranged from 48 to 317 mg per serving. The espresso guide explains why.
How much caffeine is in a Starbucks flat white?
A tall (12 oz) Starbucks Flat White has 130 mg of caffeine, according to Starbucks' nutrition information. Starbucks shows the tall for this drink, so that's the size we give. For a grande or venti, ask how many shots go in and count about 63 mg each as a rough guide.
Notice that 130 mg is in a 12 oz cup. A grande (16 oz) Starbucks latte has 150 mg, so the flat white is a smaller drink with nearly as much caffeine.
Flat white vs latte: which has more caffeine?
With the same number of shots, they have the same caffeine. The difference is the milk: a flat white has less of it and a thinner, silkier layer of microfoam, so it tastes stronger. A latte has more steamed milk in a bigger cup.
Where the flat white wins is caffeine per ounce. A small flat white is usually made with two shots, while a small latte at some shops gets only one. In that case, ordering "a small" of each, the flat white has about twice the caffeine. Our latte guide and cappuccino guide cover those drinks.
Does a flat white have more caffeine than coffee?
Usually yes, against an 8 oz cup: about 126 mg vs about 95 mg. An 8 oz cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg, based on USDA data.
| Drink | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Brewed coffee, 8 oz | about 95 mg |
| Flat white, double shot | about 126 mg |
| Starbucks Flat White, tall (12 oz) | 130 mg |
| Brewed coffee, 16 oz | about 190 mg |
| Starbucks Caffè Americano, grande | 225 mg |
A big mug of drip coffee still has more in total. Ounce for ounce, the flat white is the stronger drink.
What is a flat white coffee?
It's an espresso drink, not a type of brewed coffee. "Flat white coffee" just means the drink: espresso, usually two shots, with a small amount of finely textured steamed milk and very little foam on top.
How much caffeine is in a flat white in the UK, Costa or New Zealand?
We don't have verified caffeine figures for Costa or other UK, Australian or New Zealand chains, so we don't give one here. Flat whites are typically built on a double shot, which works out to about 126 mg by the site's 63 mg per shot average. Treat that as an estimate.
Some shops use stronger or larger shots, or ristretto shots pulled with less water. If the menu or app lists caffeine, use that number in the calculator instead.
What's the latest time to drink a flat white before bed?
For an 11 PM bedtime, finish a double-shot flat white by about 11:19 AM and a tall Starbucks Flat White by about 11:06 AM. These are the times each drink falls below 25 mg by bedtime, using the site's average 5-hour caffeine half-life.
| Flat white | Caffeine | Hours before bed | Bedtime 10 PM | Bedtime 11 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single shot | 63 mg | 6 h 40 min | 3:19 PM | 4:19 PM |
| Double shot (estimate) | 126 mg | 11 h 40 min | 10:19 AM | 11:19 AM |
| Starbucks tall | 130 mg | 11 h 54 min | 10:06 AM | 11:06 AM |
| Triple shot | 189 mg | 14 h 36 min | 7:24 AM | 8:24 AM |
| For comparison: coffee, 8 oz | 95 mg | 9 h 38 min | 12:22 PM | 1:22 PM |
The lunchtime flat white is the one that catches people out. Here's what it leaves at 11 PM:
| Flat white at | Single (63 mg) | Double (126 mg) | Starbucks tall (130 mg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 9 mg | 18 mg | 19 mg |
| 11 AM | 12 mg | 24 mg | 25 mg |
| 1 PM | 16 mg | 32 mg | 33 mg |
| 3 PM | 21 mg | 42 mg | 43 mg |
| 5 PM | 27 mg | 55 mg | 57 mg |
The 25 mg line is this site's rule of thumb, not an official limit. People clear caffeine at very different speeds. And falling asleep fine doesn't mean it had no effect: in an at-home study, a large dose of caffeine taken 6 hours before bed cut total sleep by more than an hour.
How to drink a flat white without losing sleep
- Ask for a single shot or decaf after lunch. The texture is the same.
- Count shots across the day. Two double-shot flat whites are about 252 mg. The caffeine limit calculator shows how that fits under the 400 mg a day the FDA cites for healthy adults.
- Check your own times with the caffeine calculator.