Now when you walk into a specialty coffee shop, you'll always see flat white (Flat White), latte, cappuccino, and other milk coffees on the espresso menu. Some places even offer dirty, or the more nichepiccolo. Among these dazzling choices, the difference between flat white and latte, and between flat white and dirty, has become a dilemma for many people~ In this article, Front Street Coffee will explain whatflat whiteis, what a latte is, and what a dirty coffee is! And what are the differences between them?
What is a latte?
The "latte" in latte coffee is transliterated from the Italian "latte," meaning "milk." Literally translated, latte coffee can be understood as "milk coffee." Because of the high milk content, the milk flavor will be more prominent than the coffee flavor, and the small amount of milk foam gives latte coffee a delicate and smooth mouthfeel.
The moderately thick milk foam of a hot latte brings a silky feel to the overall texture, and! You can also see a handsome guy or a pretty girl doing latte art, which is simply a double enjoyment for both the palate and the eyes.
What isflat white?
Flat whiteis a coffee beverage originating from Australia, though some argue that flat white actually originated in New Zealand. Apart from the dispute over its origin, the methods of making flat white also vary. Flat white is a milk coffee drink with a stronger coffee flavor, less milk, and thinner milk foam. Regarding the espresso base, New Zealanders prefer to use a double ristretto to make flat white, while Australian baristas prefer to use a single espresso.
In Australia, people only make flat white hot, because once you add ice cubes, it becomes a flat white that has lost its soul, as the ice cubes will dilute the overall concentration. We can understand it as: a cold flat white is just a latte~.
What is Dirty Coffee?
The vessel chosen for Dirty Coffee is often a glass cup that can showcase the beautiful liquid, and no ice is added. What matters is the espresso flowing into the pure white milk, slowly penetrating, slowly blending, forming a beautiful layered effect. As time passes, the pure white milk is gradually "polluted" by the rich Espresso. Looking through the glass cup, this drink appears dirty.
Dirty coffee can only be made iced~ because Dirty's greatest feature is its ice-and-fire tasting experience!
So from the brief introduction above about latte, flat white, and Dirty coffee, Front Street Coffee has roughly summarized a ranking of their milk content, coffee content, and overall richness:
Milk content: Latte > Flat White > Dirty
Coffee content: Dirty > Flat White > Latte
Overall richness: Dirty > Flat White > Latte
After reading the rankings, I believe everyone has a preliminary understanding of these three coffees. So how are they different in the making process? Front Street Coffee will now teach everyone how to make latte, flat white, and Dirty coffee~.
How is latte coffee made?
To make a qualified latte, you first need to extract a qualified espresso, with normal flow rate, no flavor defects, and so on. In the espresso extraction part, the number of espresso shots used varies from cafe to cafe. Most cafes choose to use a double shot to serve latte, while some use a single shot. For example, Front Street Coffee uses a single shot to serve latte.
Next is steaming the milk. Whether perfect milk can be steamed is one of the factors for judging whether a barista's skill is qualified. The milk foam of a latte is relatively thin, and it tastes smooth and delicate. Therefore, when steaming milk for a latte, it should not be too thick. The steamed milk should have a glossy surface, with no obvious large bubbles or small bubbles, and should be delicate and beautiful overall. Once the espresso is extracted and the milk is steamed, you can blend them to complete the latte.
Blending is also a very important part of making a latte. Good blending can make the latte taste smooth and comfortable, with no miscellaneous sensations. Only when the milk foam thickness is moderate and the coffee and milk are well blended can you pour an overall comfortable and clean milk foam pattern~
How is flat white made?
First is flat white. From Front Street Coffee's earlier introduction, we can know that flat white is a coffee that highlights the coffee flavor, while latte is a coffee drink with a large amount of milk added. The biggest feature of flat white is that when milk is poured into the coffee, it is not blended with the coffee by swirling, but poured in a thin stream from the center, ensuring that the crema on the surface of the espresso is not broken apart when the milk is poured, thus forming a small white circle in the center.
The amount of espresso used in a flat white is greater than in a latte. When Front Street Coffee makes flat white, it also uses a double shot of espresso, but the amount of milk poured is 100ml less than in a latte. In terms of steaming milk, the milk foam is also thinner than that of a latte, so that on your first sip you can take in all the milk foam and the unbroken espresso crema.
How is Dirty coffee made?
For Dirty coffee, the milk used is best to be full-fat fresh milk, ensuring a full flavor while also ensuring that the milk has enough protein to "hold up" the espresso poured in afterward. Second, the milk temperature must be low, because no ice is added to avoid diluting the milk's concentration, so the milk must be kept at a low temperature, otherwise it will lose the soulful mouthfeel of ice and fire.
The ratio Front Street Coffee uses to make Dirty is 150 grams of milk and 40 grams of espresso. First, take out the pre-chilled glass cup, making sure there is no water in the glass, and pour in the iced milk. Then lock on the tamped portafilter and place the glass with iced milk below the spout (for a bottomless portafilter, place it directly below the outlet). The outlet should not be too far from the liquid surface. If it is too far, the coffee's own gravity will give it stronger penetrating power and it will easily "blend" in. A distance of about 1cm is recommended. Qualified espresso will flow evenly and slowly onto the surface of the milk, "float" on the liquid surface, and slowly sink, forming that dirty look.
Before drinking Dirty coffee, Front Street Coffee suggests: down it in one gulp!The prepared Dirty does not need to be stirred. Just drink it in one gulp, and you will find that the hot espresso on top has not yet been cooled by the ice, and the milk below has not yet been "polluted." That transformation from a rich chocolate-flavored hot coffee into a milky, icy, light coffee is simply wonderful.
After reading Front Street Coffee's introduction to the differences between latte, flat white, and Dirty coffee, has everyone learned how to choose the milk coffee they want to drink?
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
