How does a flat white vs latte differ in milk foam?

A flat white uses a thin layer of finely textured milk poured to sit just under the crema, while a latte carries a thicker foam layer and more milk, which makes latte art easier. Latte art on a flat white is optional rather than standard; a plain white dot is a normal finish for the drink.

The inconsistency comes from competing definitions. New Zealand and Australia both claim the flat white, and practitioners such as Fraser McInnes in Wellington and Sydney barista Alan Preston are cited on each side, so shops vary cup size, pour technique and foam thickness. The cappuccino name, by contrast, traces to its color resemblance to Capuchin monk habits.

In today's world where specialty coffee culture is increasingly popular, Flat White has attracted the attention of many coffee enthusiasts with its unique taste and minimalist style. However, opinions vary endlessly on whether a Flat White needs latte art and how exactly it differs from a Latte and a Cappuccino. This article will start from the historical origins of the Flat White, sort out the dispute over its origin between New Zealand and Australia, explain why the standards for making a Flat White vary greatly from one coffee shop to another, and analyze in depth the impact of milk foam thickness on the difficulty of latte art and the texture of the coffee. At the same time, we will also discuss the practical considerations behind coffee shops choosing not to make latte art on a Flat White, helping you know more clearly what kind of milk coffee you want when ordering at a Front Street Coffee store or any café.

The minimalist surface with just a small white dot on the right side of the image below is a Flat White without latte art. After years of subtle influence, the idea that "latte art is standard for milk coffee" has taken root in people's minds. So when many friends drink coffee at Front Street Coffee stores, they often discuss the topic of "why some coffee shops do not make latte art on a Flat White."

In fact, it is not just latte art. The Flat Whites made by each coffee shop also differ in cup size and preparation method. The fundamental reason for this situation is that every barista and every shop has a different understanding of the Flat White. What mainly gives rise to this phenomenon is that Flat White itself has multiple different "definitions." As is well known, there are two countries that have long been competing over where the Flat White belongs, namely New Zealand and Australia, and both insist that they are the birthplace of the Flat White. New Zealander Fraser McInnes claims that the Flat White was accidentally created when he was working at a coffee shop in Wellington called Cafe Bodega. Because he accidentally made the milk foam for a Cappuccino too thin, he gave it such a name. (Although in fact, as early as 1984 there was already such a rich milk coffee with thin milk foam being served, because information was not well developed at the time, his experience was written into some coffee origin textbooks.)

Australian barista Alan Preston retorts that the Flat White was developed by him at a café called Moors Espresso Bar that he opened in Sydney, and that it was already on the menu as early as 1985. When they serve a Flat White, they use the same cup size as a Latte, and the main difference is that the milk foam of a Flat White is thinner. To this day, the dispute over the original creator of the Flat White still has not been settled, and this is why each shop's standard for making a Flat White differs from that of other coffees, with very large variation, including whether or not to make latte art. But it is not only that.

From the introduction above, we can learn that although the standards for Flat White differ among countries, whether in New Zealand or Australia, the Flat White coffee they each developed shares one common characteristic--the milk foam is very thin. And this is also the main signature feature that distinguishes a Flat White from a Latte and a Cappuccino. Front Street Coffee has previously shared that milk foam of different thicknesses gives coffee a different texture, because different thicknesses change the amount of coffee liquid we take in with one sip, and the mouthfeel also differs (for details, you can look through previous Front Street Coffee articles; we will not elaborate too much here). And because a Flat White "carries" very thin milk foam, even with a small sip, we can easily drink the coffee liquid hiding beneath the foam. This can make the coffee taste velvety smooth and delicate.

But thin milk foam brings an operational problem, which is--it is not very easy to make latte art. The thickness of the milk foam not only changes the texture of the coffee but also affects the difficulty of making latte art, because the thickness of the milk foam determines the level of fluidity during latte art. When the milk foam is thicker, the fluidity during latte art is lower; when the milk foam is thinner, the fluidity during latte art is higher. Milk foam that is too thick or too thin is not suitable for latte art. The former is because the fluidity is too low to make overly complex and delicate patterns, while the latter is because the fluidity is too high and greatly tests the barista's latte art skills. When proficiency in latte art is not high enough, excessively high fluidity can easily cause the pattern to shift or deform during the "drawing" process. Therefore, a Latte is the most suitable milk coffee for making latte art, because its milk foam thickness is moderate. It not only has the ability to draw delicate and complex patterns, but its fluidity is also not too high, making it easy to control. (The "sawtooth" pattern that thin milk foam easily produces.)

The milk foam thickness of a Flat White is only 0.3 cm to 0.5 cm. Making patterns with such thin milk foam, as Front Street Coffee has said, makes it very easy to fail. So some coffee shops may directly choose not to make latte art on a Flat White in order to reduce the risk of failure. Of course, this reason accounts for only a very small proportion. After all, latte art is not that difficult; after several days of repeated practice, one can use extremely thin milk foam to draw exquisite patterns. The reason many coffee shops do not make latte art on a Flat White is more about shortening service time or focusing the consumer's attention on the coffee itself. When the distracting latte art pattern is removed, consumers can better focus on the taste of the coffee itself.

In summary! Whether a coffee shop makes latte art on a Flat White depends on multiple factors, and this is directly related to the shop's positioning and the barista's understanding. But whether or not latte art is made, the ultimate goal is to give consumers a better experience. So as long as the coffee tastes good, whether there is latte art or not actually does not matter much. After all, whether latte art exists or not does not affect whether a cup of coffee tastes good. Unless you ordered the coffee specifically for taking photos and checking in, then be sure to communicate with the barista before ordering to prevent the Flat White from differing from what you expected~

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