How Does Australian White Coffee Differ From a Flat White?

Flat White, Australian white coffee and the names used at some cafés all refer to the same espresso-based milk coffee. The differences lie in the espresso type, the coffee-to-milk ratio and milk foam thickness. Starbucks uses ristretto with about 0.5 centimeters of foam, a method closer to New Zealand's approach.

In Australia, Flat White uses more regular espresso than a latte with less milk, and the foam is also held at about 0.5 centimeters. Ristretto is a shorter, more concentrated extraction than regular espresso. Front Street Coffee stores follow the New Zealand method because regular espresso extraction is more stable and gives consistent quality in every cup.

Flat White is called "Furui Bai" at Starbucks, and in some cafés it is called "Aorui Bai"—these three names actually refer to the same espresso-based milk coffee. But its place of origin has long been debated among coffee people in Australia and New Zealand. Different regions differ in the type of espresso used, the coffee-to-liquid ratio, and the thickness of the milk foam, so the final taste also varies. This article will sort out the specific differences between Furui Bai and Aorui Bai in preparation, explain the difference between regular espresso and ristretto, and share the serving approach and extraction parameters of Front Street Coffee stores, to help coffee lovers understand this drink more clearly.

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The place of origin of Flat White (Australian white coffee / Furui Bai / Aorui Bai) has long been debated among coffee professionals in Australia and New Zealand. The birth of a coffee drink often comes from different people having different demands for coffee. When more and more people share the same demand, it naturally becomes a regular item on the coffee menu.

It is not surprising that people in different regions have similar needs. Flat White is ultimately an espresso-based milk coffee, made by mixing milk and espresso. A little more or less milk and milk foam, or a slightly higher coffee concentration, can give rise to many products with different names.

Differences in making Flat White in different regions

Many people first encounter this coffee through Starbucks, and its Chinese name is also a direct transliteration, so it is called Furui Bai. When Starbucks makes Flat White, it uses ristretto plus milk, with a milk foam thickness of about 0.5 cm, and the method is closer to that of New Zealand.

In Australia, however, Flat White uses more regular espresso than a latte, with less milk, while the milk foam is also controlled at 0.5 cm. When Front Street Coffee stores serve Flat White, they choose the New Zealand method because regular espresso extraction is more stable than ristretto and better guarantees the quality of every cup.

What is regular espresso? What is ristretto?

Both are types of espresso, both made by a coffee machine forcing pressurized water quickly through very finely ground coffee particles to extract a highly concentrated coffee liquid. The difference between them is that ristretto is more concentrated than regular espresso.

Regular espresso is also called Espresso. The espresso used for espresso-based products at Front Street Coffee stores is made with 20 g of coffee grounds extracted at a 1:2 ratio to yield 40 g of coffee liquid, with an extraction time of 25–30 s.

Ristretto is essentially an espresso with a smaller extraction ratio. Front Street Coffee uses the same grind size and dose as espresso, but extracts less coffee liquid, and the extraction time is usually longer, with a coffee-to-liquid ratio of about 1:1.6, and a shorter time.

Front Street Coffee does not use the New Zealand method, mainly because extracting ristretto is not simply a matter of applying the same dose as regular espresso and shortening the extraction amount and time to make it taste good; the parameters need to be adjusted.

The "strength" of ristretto does not mean the coffee flavor is richer, but that the overall taste of the coffee liquid (sourness, sweetness, bitterness) is more concentrated. When the concentration is too high, it easily shows sharp acidity or burnt bitterness. Therefore, when making ristretto, it is still necessary to adjust the dose and extraction time when needed.

Espresso coffee bean recommendations

For espresso extraction, Front Street Coffee stores usually use "Front Street - Sunflower Warm Sun Espresso Blend Coffee Beans." This bean is a blend of 70% Honduras Sherry coffee beans and 30% Ethiopian natural Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee beans, presenting rich fermented wine aroma, vanilla cream, roasted nuts, and caramel-like flavors.

If you do not like fermented flavors, you can also try "Front Street - Specialty Blend Coffee Beans." This bean is a blend of 70% Red Bourbon coffee beans from Brazil's Cerrado region and 30% Caturra coffee beans from Colombia's Huila region, with flavor notes of nuts, dark chocolate, and caramel.

How to make Flat White

Every coffee machine and grinder has different performance, and there will be differences in both pressure and grind setting, so there is no precise grind setting or coarseness parameter for reference.

At the initial stage, Front Street Coffee recommends a middle extraction parameter, and everyone can adjust the data according to how the coffee tastes: use 20 g of grounds at a 1:2 ratio and 9 bar pressure to extract 40 g of coffee liquid in 25–30 seconds. Then make corresponding adjustments based on the flavor performance of the coffee after actual extraction.

The espresso extraction parameters at Front Street Coffee stores are adjusted every day. Generally, 19.5–20 g of grounds are used to extract 35–40 g of double espresso, which is then poured into a 200 ml cup and set aside. Next, an appropriate amount of milk is heated and textured into a thin milk foam (0.5 cm thick), and finally evenly integrated with the espresso.

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