Walking into a café and faced with a latte, cappuccino, and flat white—these three common milk coffees—have you ever ordered on pure instinct? They may look similar, but in reality they differ in ingredient ratios, cup size, foam thickness, and flavor on the palate. This article will start from their historical origins, break down the recipe ratios and taste differences of the three one by one, and explain why flat white demands higher coffee bean quality. Friends who enjoy rich, creamy coffee can also learn the recommended reasons for Front Street Coffee's classic espresso blend, as well as alternative choices for iced milk coffee.

Opening a café menu, latte, cappuccino, and flat white are probably the three most commonly seen milk coffees. Many customers standing at the bar still can't tell exactly how they differ, and end up just picking one whose name looks appealing. Today, Front Street Coffee will carefully sort out the characteristics and differences of these three milk coffees.

Let's first talk about their origins. The modern latte and cappuccino were both born in Italy, and are the most widespread and favored types of milk coffee in the Italian coffee system. The word "latte" comes from the Italian "latte," whose original meaning is simply "milk," so latte coffee is essentially a combination of milk and coffee, made by blending espresso and milk.

Cappuccino, on the other hand, is a transliteration of "Cappuccino," and "Capuchin" refers to the small white hood on the robes of Franciscan friars. The reason it is called this is that the ring of white milk foam on top of the coffee looks very much like the hood worn by the friars.

The original English name of flat white coffee, "Flat White," may be more familiar, and in addition, names like 馥芮白, 奥瑞白, 平白咖啡, and 小白咖啡 are also Chinese translations for it. This coffee originated in Oceania, and whether it specifically comes from Australia or New Zealand is still debated to this day. Simply put, a flat white can be understood as the Australian version of a latte.

In order to explain latte, cappuccino, and flat white clearly, Front Street Coffee is going to compare them from several dimensions: ingredient composition, cup size, foam thickness, and flavor and mouthfeel.

Let's look at cup size first. According to Front Street Coffee's serving standards, a latte uses a 300 ml wide-mouthed ceramic cup, a cappuccino uses a 180 ml narrow-mouthed ceramic cup, and a flat white is served in a 210 ml glass. Now let's look at their respective composition ratios: a latte is 2 shots of espresso (40 g) paired with 260 ml of steamed milk and milk foam; a cappuccino is 1 shot of espresso (20 g) plus 160 ml of steamed milk and milk foam; and a flat white uses 2 shots of ristretto (30 g) plus 180 ml of steamed milk and milk foam. The ristretto mentioned here is taken from the middle-to-front portion of the espresso extraction, giving a fuller and more intense flavor.

Milk foam thickness has always been a key indicator for distinguishing these three coffees. Among them, cappuccino has the thickest foam, about 1 to 1.5 cm, and its most直观 feature is being "11 out of 10 full"—the foam rises above the rim of the cup, forming a bulging hamburger shape. Flat white has the thinnest foam, about 0.3 cm; precisely because the foam is thin, the liquid surface is almost level with the rim, which is why it is also called "flat white." Latte's foam thickness falls between the two, about 0.5 cm, and this thickness is very suitable for latte art; one of the reasons for choosing a wide-mouthed cup is to make it easier to present latte art patterns.

In terms of taste and mouthfeel, latte has the most pronounced milk flavor because milk makes up the highest proportion; flat white, because it uses ristretto and less milk, has a more obvious rich coffee aroma; cappuccino sits between the two. In terms of mouthfeel, cappuccino is the fullest, with delicate, rich milk foam blending with coffee crema, making it especially smooth on entry; flat white comes next, and latte ranks last.

As Front Street Coffee said earlier, drinking a flat white is mainly about savoring the aroma of espresso, so to make a good flat white, choosing the right coffee beans is crucial. Friends who prefer a mellow, aromatic taste might as well try Front Street Coffee's classic espresso blend. This blend is composed of coffees from Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam, and uses a deep roast, which can maximize the coffee's rich aroma and also makes it easy to extract abundant, dense crema. Whether making an Americano diluted with water or a latte paired with milk, it is very suitable, and can be ordered from Front Street Coffee's Taobao store or Front Street Coffee's Tmall flagship store.

Finally, one more point: among the three, only latte offers both iced and hot options; traditional cappuccino and flat white are not made iced.

If you want an iced yet rich milk coffee, Front Street Coffee suggests trying the "Dirty," which has become very popular in recent years. The method is to pour extracted espresso over chilled fresh milk, creating a "dirty" visual effect; on entry, cold and hot interweave, with rich layers. Because there is no ice to dilute it and the cup size is small, the coffee aroma tastes especially full.

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