How does a flat white differ from a latte in milk foam and cup size?

A flat white uses thinner microfoam, a higher coffee-to-milk ratio and a smaller cup than a latte, so the coffee taste comes through more strongly. It grew out of New Zealand coffee culture and Australian café habits in the 1980s, when drinkers wanted a milk coffee with a bolder espresso flavor and only a thin layer of foam.

Latte and cappuccino differ mainly in foam volume and milk proportion, which is the same set of factors behind the flat white. The thin top layer keeps each sip close to the coffee liquid, making the drink a good fit for single-origin espresso. An iced version is possible, though a Dirty is often chosen for a cold, rich milk coffee.

Beyond the latte and cappuccino, the Flat White has long become a staple in cafés worldwide, and in China it is often called 醇艺白, 澳瑞白, 小白, or 澳白. It originates from Australian and New Zealand coffee culture, highlighting the true taste of coffee with thinner microfoam, a higher coffee ratio, and a smaller cup size. This article sorts out the differences between the Flat White and the latte in milk foam thickness, cup size, and extraction method, explains why it better showcases the regional flavors of SOE, and shares the parameters and flavor performance of Front Street Coffee using the "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend" to make a Flat White. It also answers common questions such as whether to choose an Aussie White or a latte during weight loss, whether a Flat White can be served iced, and that those craving an iced rich milk coffee can switch to a Dirty.

Beyond the latte and cappuccino, there is another specialty coffee becoming increasingly common in cafés worldwide — the Flat White, pronounced fù ruì bái in Chinese. In China, it is also translated as 醇艺白, 澳瑞白, 小白, 平白, and 澳白. After Starbucks added it to its menu in 2015, this coffee gradually became known to more Chinese consumers.

The roots of the Flat White lie in Australia

When craving a milk coffee, in Italy people usually order a latte, while in Australia the barista often serves a Flat White — locally, this type of milk coffee is simply called a Flat White. In the 1980s, Italians who emigrated to Australia brought espresso machines to New Zealand, Australia, and Melbourne. At the time, the mainstream specialty coffees were mainly lattes and cappuccinos, but Australians preferred a style with a stronger coffee taste and thinner milk foam, and thus the Flat White was born. Not long after, it entered the regular menus of countries in Europe and America, becoming a fixed offering in many cafés.

When the milk foam on the surface of a milk coffee becomes flatter and flatter, eventually leaving only a thin layer, with the whole drink almost level with the rim of the cup, the name Flat White emerges. Flat means "level," and White refers to the white coffee with milk added. The Flat White relies on milk to complement the coffee flavor; coffee is the main body, and milk plays only a supporting role, so its coffee taste is fuller and richer. The thin layer of foam on top allows every sip of the strong coffee liquid to carry velvety fine bubbles; a moderate temperature and a smaller cup size also let one finish it quickly before the foam separates.

New Zealand baristas habitually serve Flat Whites in small cups: the amount of coffee stays the same, the milk is reduced, the coffee proportion increases, and the taste is naturally stronger. Australian baristas believe a Flat White only needs to maintain thinner foam than a latte, often using the same cup size as a latte, with foam thickness mostly controlled at 0.3–0.5 cm. Melbourne baristas also switch the base to a double ristretto using only the front and middle segments, blending it in a 150 ml cup with foam of a thickness similar to a latte.

A good Flat White means higher coffee quality

In the past, cafés mostly favored dark-roast espresso blends, pursuing a rich, balanced caramel aroma that, when paired with hot milk, achieved balance: one could taste both the coffee and the sweet, mellow milk, with the two complementing each other without masking one another.

With the arrival of the specialty coffee era, people began pursuing single-origin coffees with more distinctive flavors, and increasingly used single-origin beans for espresso extraction — what is commonly called SOE (Single Origin Espresso), meaning espresso made from single-origin coffee beans. Compared with a large latte and a thick-foam cappuccino, a Flat White not only requires high-quality coffee beans and proper extraction, but also requires steaming a dense, delicate thin layer of microfoam, making it more suitable for showcasing the regional flavors of the coffee beans themselves. Front Street believes that the growing popularity of the Flat White shows that everyone's demands for coffee quality are constantly rising.

Rather than agonizing over the differences between the Flat White and other specialty coffees, Front Street believes the key is to present it by combining the characteristics of one's own coffee beans with one's understanding of the Flat White. The espresso blend used by Front Street is the house-roasted "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend," composed of 70% Honduras Sherry coffee and 30% Yirgacheffe sun-dried Red Cherry coffee. The whisky, vanilla, and cream flavors of the Sherry, paired with the tropical fruit and fermented notes of the Red Cherry, give the cup a rich coffee aroma and a soft mouthfeel.

For the coffee base, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) chooses a double ristretto: extracting 30 grams of coffee liquid from 20 grams of coffee grounds, with an extraction time of 22–24 seconds. But Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) needs to remind you that the extraction plan for each coffee bean will have slight differences; this plan is an extraction parameter adjusted by the barista before opening each day based on the Warm Sun Blend used in the store.

Pour the extracted coffee liquid into a pre-prepared cup, then take 150 ml of milk and pour it into a milk pitcher to steam. When steaming the milk, incorporate less air than for a latte, so the foam layer is thinner and denser, and the temperature is best controlled at 55–60°C, making it easier to drink. Finally, pour the steamed milk into the coffee; latte art is optional. Because the foam is thin, the liquid surface does not come level with the rim of the coffee cup, giving it a rather flat appearance.

Front Street's Flat White presents aromas of vanilla, chocolate milk, and whisky-filled chocolate, along with the sweet-tartness of berries; it is smooth, fragrant, and mellow on the palate, with a very lingering finish.

Can a Flat White be served iced?

Usually, when drinking a latte, you can choose iced or hot, while a Flat White is only served hot. This is because baristas want people to feel, with every sip of an Aussie White, the perfect combination of milk foam and the milk coffee beneath; only when the foam is dense enough, on the thinner side, and at a temperature suitable for drinking can you taste both the foam and the rich coffee liquid in each sip, and finish it quickly before the foam separates. After adding ice cubes, the chilled milk coffee will be diluted to a certain extent, making it difficult to achieve the above effect.

If you are after an iced rich milk coffee, Front Street suggests trying the "Dirty," which has also been popular in the past two years. The extracted espresso is poured over the top of chilled fresh milk, creating a "dirty" visual effect, and the alternating hot-and-cold mouthfeel is very unique.

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