Is a latte bitter, and how does a flat white differ?

A flat white is an Italian-style milk coffee, known as Aussie White, Flat White, or Velvet White depending on the brand; Luckin, Starbucks, and Costa all sell the same drink under different names. It differs from a latte in espresso extraction, milk foam thickness, and cup size, and it is traditionally served hot only, though iced versions now exist.

Whether a latte tastes bitter comes down to the shot, not the milk. A flat white uses a shorter, more concentrated extraction, often a ristretto, with a thinner layer of finely textured foam, so the coffee flavor reads stronger and can seem more bitter than a latte's larger, milkier build. The Australia versus New Zealand origin debate remains unsettled.

When you walk into a café to order, do the names Aussie White, Flat White, and Velvet White confuse you? They actually all point to the same Italian-style milk coffee—Flat White—just called differently by various brands. Whether this drink originated in Australia or New Zealand is still debated, but the domestic coffee scene prefers to call it Aussie White. It differs clearly from a latte in espresso extraction, milk foam thickness, and cup size. Traditionally it is only served hot, though iced versions have appeared to cater to the market. This article starts from Front Street Coffee's production parameters to break down the origins, recipe logic, and the key differences between espresso and ristretto, helping you find the cup that suits your taste.

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Luckin's Aussie White, Starbucks' Flat White, and Costa's Velvet White—what exactly is the difference between them? Simply put, all three use the same coffee, it's just that each chain brand gives this Italian-style milk coffee a different Chinese name. In most independent cafés, people prefer to call it Aussie White.

Although the name contains the word "white," it is completely different from the white coffee of Southeast Asia. Today Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will guide you through what kind of coffee Aussie White really is.

The Mystery of Aussie White Coffee's Origins

The debate over the origin of Aussie White coffee has never stopped. According to traditional understanding, Australia is regarded as the birthplace of Flat White—after Italian coffee was introduced to Australia by Italian immigrants, locals were not used to it, and with a developed local dairy industry, Australians kept experimenting with various Italian-style milk coffees.

But New Zealanders disagree; they insist Flat White was invented by them. New Zealand claims that this coffee first came from Derek Townsend, who made the first cup at DKF café in 1984.

Australians retort that the true founder is Fraser McInnes. In 1989, he used the term Flat White at Café Bodega to describe a cappuccino whose milk foam had not been frothed properly—that coffee was characterized by thick, dense milk foam.

Which country it truly belongs to remains unsettled. However, most domestic baristas lean toward the Australian origin theory, which is also why the translation "Aussie White" is more widely used.

So what exactly is Aussie White coffee?

Simply put, Aussie White is hot milk with thin milk foam poured into a single or double espresso and blended, creating a velvety, smooth milk coffee. In principle, it can only be made hot.

Later, some chain brands launched cold versions of Aussie White to cater to consumer demand. If you want to experience the characteristics Aussie White should have, Front Street recommends choosing the hot version.

Although the method is somewhat similar to a latte, the coffee strength and milk quantity are completely different. A latte is mainly milk-flavored, while Aussie White is mainly coffee-flavored.

When Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) makes a latte, it uses two shots of espresso extracted at a 1:2 coffee-to-liquid ratio, then adds hot milk frothed to 1cm foam at a 1:8.5 coffee-to-milk ratio, stirring evenly. The final product is about 300ml.

When making Aussie White, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) instead uses two shots of ristretto extracted at a 1:1.6 coffee-to-liquid ratio, then pours in hot milk frothed to 0.5cm foam at a 1:6 coffee-to-milk ratio, blending evenly. The final product is about 180ml.

The Difference Between Espresso and Ristretto

The biggest difference between Espresso and Ristretto is that the latter is more concentrated with more focused flavors. When made into Aussie White, the coffee's layering is clearer, and the effect of blending with sweet milk is more unique.

The Italian-style coffee served at Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) stores uses Sunflower Warm Sun coffee beans, a blend of 30% sun-dried Yirgacheffe and 70% Honduras Sherry. Confirmed by Front Street's cupping, this blend exhibits fermented wine aroma, berry sweetness and acidity, roasted nut aroma, and caramel sweetness.

Espresso is usually extracted at 9-10 bar pressure with a 1:2 coffee-to-liquid ratio. For a double espresso, Front Street uses 19-20g of coffee grounds to extract 35-45g of coffee liquid, taking about 27-31 seconds.

Ristretto uses the same dose but changes the coffee-to-liquid ratio to 1:1.6. For a double ristretto, Front Street uses 19-20g of coffee grounds to extract 30-32g of coffee liquid, taking about 23-27 seconds.

It should be noted that the concentration of ristretto does not equal fuller flavor, but rather the acidity, sweetness, and bitterness are all amplified. When too concentrated, it is easy to taste sharp acidity or burnt bitterness, so when making Ristretto, it may be necessary to adjust the dose and extraction time.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.