Flat White is a milk coffee beverage that has gained great popularity among coffee lovers in recent years, known for its rich coffee flavor and delicate, thin milk foam. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the origin controversy, preparation methods, and recipe differences among various schools of Flat White, while also delving into a comparison of latte, cappuccino, and Flat White in terms of cup size, milk foam thickness, and taste. Additionally, we will recommend Front Street Classic Italian Blend coffee beans suitable for making Flat White, helping you easily recreate an authentic Australian-style white coffee at home. Whether you are a beginner just getting into specialty coffee or a seasoned enthusiast pursuing the ultimate flavor, this article will provide you with practical guidance and reference.

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When it comes to rich and smooth milk coffee, many people's first thought might be Starbucks' Flat White. The internationally recognized name for this beverage is Flat White, which is Australian white coffee. It was originally not well known in China until Starbucks added it to their menu, gradually bringing it into the public eye and making it one of today's popular coffee categories.

What exactly is Flat White?

Flat White is better known by its original English name "Flat White," while names like 馥芮白, 奥瑞白, 平白咖啡, and 小白咖啡 are all different translations of "Flat White." This coffee originated in Oceania, and whether it specifically comes from Australia or New Zealand remains controversial to this day. Essentially, Flat White can be understood as the Australian version of latte. It was originally only popular locally in Australia, but later Starbucks introduced the Australian "Flat White" to the Chinese market and gave it the elegant Chinese name "馥芮白," after which it quickly became popular in China.

In addition to the controversy over its place of origin, the preparation methods for Flat White also vary. Generally speaking, Flat White is a milk coffee beverage with a stronger coffee taste, less milk, and thinner milk foam.

In terms of choosing the espresso base, New Zealand baristas prefer to use a Double Ristretto to make Flat White, while Australian baristas are more accustomed to using a Single Espresso.

When making ristretto, it is recommended to use freshly roasted Italian-style coffee beans. Here we recommend Front Street Classic Italian Blend coffee. This recipe is composed of coffee beans from three origins: Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It uses a deep roast, which can maximize the rich aroma of the coffee while allowing you to easily extract abundant, thick, and dense crema. Whether you are making an Americano diluted with water or a latte paired with milk, it is very suitable. You can place orders at the Front Street Taobao store or the Front Street Tmall flagship store.

The Origin and History of Flat White

Regarding the invention of Flat White, Australians and New Zealanders each hold their own views, both insisting that this beverage originated in their own country, and the recipes used by baristas in the two countries to make Flat White are also different. Although we cannot definitively verify which country Flat White came from, what is certain is that the birth of this beverage stemmed from people's pursuit of higher-quality coffee.

Before the 1970s, Australian cafes generally used French presses, manual pour-over, and other methods to make black coffee. In the early 1970s, Italians brought espresso machines to Australia, setting off a new wave of coffee culture. Compared with traditional lattes and cappuccinos, Australians pursued milk beverages with thinner milk foam and a stronger coffee taste. Thus, milk coffee was continuously improved in Australia, New Zealand, and other places. As the milk foam on the surface of milk coffee became thinner and thinner, until only a thin layer remained, with the liquid surface completely level with the rim of the cup, it was therefore named Flat White. Flat means "level," while White refers to white coffee with milk added.

Entering the 1980s, Australians began to include Flat White on regular menus, and before long it spread to cafes in Europe, America, and other countries. The reason Flat White became a popular product in China is thanks to Starbucks introducing it in 2015 and naming it "馥芮白" as one of its flagship beverages, which also marked that this milk coffee had entered the mainstream.

Returning to the beverage itself, Flat White highlights the flavor of coffee by adding milk. Coffee is the protagonist, and milk is merely auxiliary, so in terms of taste, the coffee flavor is fuller and richer. In addition, the thin layer of milk foam on top gives every sip of rich coffee liquid a velvety, dense foam layer. The moderate temperature and relatively small cup size allow you to finish it quickly before the milk foam separates. Besides differences in cup size and milk foam thickness, some baristas, in order to more perfectly express the aroma of the coffee beans, replace the base with a double Ristretto, incorporating milk foam of a thickness comparable to that of a latte into a 150ml cup.

Front Street teaches you to distinguish latte, cappuccino, and Flat White

In order to distinguish latte, cappuccino, and Flat White, Front Street will compare them from several aspects: ingredient composition, cup size, milk foam thickness, and flavor and mouthfeel.

First is cup size. According to Front Street's serving standards, latte uses a 300ml wide-mouth ceramic cup, cappuccino uses a 180ml narrow-mouth ceramic cup, and Flat White uses a 210ml glass cup. Next, let's look at the components of the three coffees. Latte is made up of 2 shots of espresso (40g) plus 260ml steamed milk and thin milk foam. Cappuccino is made up of 1 shot of espresso (20g) plus 160ml steamed milk and thick milk foam. Flat White is made up of 2 shots of ristretto (30g) plus 180ml steamed milk and thin milk foam. Among these, ristretto is taken from the middle-front section of the espresso extraction, giving it a richer and more intense flavor.

Latte

Milk foam thickness has always been an important characteristic distinguishing latte, cappuccino, and Flat White. Among the three, cappuccino has the thickest milk foam (about 1-1.5cm), and its most obvious feature is that cappuccino can reach an "eleven out of ten" fullness in the cup, meaning the milk foam rises above the rim in a protruding hamburger shape; Flat White has the thinnest milk foam (about 0.3cm), and because the foam is thin, the liquid surface is basically level with the cup, hence the name flat white coffee; while latte's milk foam thickness falls between the two (0.5cm), making it very suitable for latte art. One reason for choosing a wide-mouth cup is to better create latte art patterns.

Flat White

In terms of taste and mouthfeel, because latte has the most milk, it is not dominated by the espresso, and the two complement each other, balanced and mutually complementary; Flat White, because it uses ristretto plus less milk, highlights the aroma of coffee without excessive bitterness. Cappuccino, on the other hand, brings out the taste of coffee even more. In terms of mouthfeel, cappuccino is the fullest, stemming from its delicate and rich milk foam, combined with the integration of coffee crema, making it especially smooth and full. Next is Flat White, and finally latte.

Cappuccino

Finally, one more point to add: latte, cappuccino, and Flat White were all initially hot beverages, but as time passed, latte developed an iced preparation method, while cappuccino and Flat White still only come as hot drinks.

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