What is coffee in a flat white, and how does ristretto differ?

A flat white is not simply a smaller latte. It uses ristretto, a more concentrated espresso pulled with a smaller coffee-to-water ratio and higher intensity, plus less milk and thinner milk foam. Standard lattes and americanos use regular espresso. Espresso is made by grinding beans fine, tamping them into the portafilter basket, and extracting under high pressure in a sealed state.

For daily drinks, an espresso usually uses 9-10 bar pressure and a double shot at about a 1:2 coffee-to-water ratio. A single shot uses 9-11g of grounds to yield about 15-25g of liquid; a double shot uses 18-20g. Flat white's ristretto base and careful milk pouring explain its stronger coffee presence compared with a latte, and it differs from an americano ammunition coffee served with added water.

Flat White, this Italian-style milk coffee originating from the Southern Hemisphere, is now ubiquitous on coffee shop menus worldwide, with Chinese translations including "Ao Bai," "Fu Rui Bai," and "Xiao Bai Coffee." Many people assume it is just a smaller version of a latte, but the two differ significantly in espresso type, milk ratio, and milk foam thickness. Flat White uses Ristretto, a more concentrated espresso with a smaller coffee-to-water ratio and higher intensity, and the milk pouring method is also more meticulous. This article will start with the extraction differences between Espresso and Ristretto, analyze the fundamental differences between Flat White and latte, and share the specific parameters and blend bean choices used by Front Street Coffee in making Flat White, helping you fully understand the unique characteristics of this coffee.

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow the WeChat public account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)

What exactly is Flat White? This Italian-style milk coffee, originating in the Southern Hemisphere and now popular worldwide, appears on the menus of almost every major coffee shop. "Ao Bai Coffee," "Australian-style Coffee," "Fu Rui Bai Coffee," "Xiao Bai Coffee," "Chun Yi Bai," "Ao Rui Bai"... these are all different translations of it in the Chinese market.

Also a milk coffee, many people regard Flat White as a smaller version of a latte, believing the only difference lies in the ratio of milk to coffee. But in fact, Flat White uses less milk than a latte, and the espresso is more concentrated. Authentic Flat White coffee uses an espresso called Ristretto (Rui Si Cui Duo / Refined Espresso / Italian Extra Strong Espresso), while everyday lattes and Americanos use Espresso (Italian Espresso).

The method for making Espresso is: grind coffee beans into extremely fine particles, tamp them into the portafilter basket of a pressurized coffee machine, and perform high-pressure rapid extraction in a sealed state to obtain a highly concentrated coffee liquid.

When Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) produces daily drinks, the espresso usually uses 9-10 bar pressure, extracting a double shot at a coffee-to-water ratio of about 1:2. Generally, a single shot of espresso uses 9-11g of coffee grounds to extract about 15-25g of coffee liquid; a double shot uses 18-20g of coffee grounds to extract about 35-45g of coffee liquid. The less coffee liquid extracted, the higher the coffee concentration.

Ristretto is actually an espresso with a smaller extraction ratio, so it is also called Italian Extra Strong Espresso. When Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) operates, it uses the same grind size and dose as espresso, but extracts less coffee liquid and takes longer, generally controlling the coffee-to-water ratio at about 1:1.6. Of course, if you want to get Ristretto at home, you can actually achieve it by extracting a little less and for a shorter time.

The "strength" of Ristretto does not simply mean a more intense coffee flavor, but rather directs the overall taste of the coffee liquid (sourness, sweetness, bitterness) toward a solid and mellow direction. However, if the concentration is too high, it tends to exhibit sharp acidity or burnt bitterness, so not every coffee bean is suitable for making Ristretto. Therefore, in the process of making Ristretto, it is still necessary to adjust the dose and extraction time when needed.

The reason Flat White coffee uses Ristretto is actually to differentiate it from latte. A latte can be understood as coffee-flavored milk, a milk coffee where coffee and milk are fully integrated with silky milk foam. Flat White, on the other hand, focuses more on the coffee itself, with thinner milk foam than a latte. In some regions, when making this coffee, the crema in the espresso is not dispersed; instead, milk is poured through a low-flow center pour, injecting milk into the coffee while preserving the integrity of the crema as much as possible, so that people can taste the rich coffee flavor from the first sip.

This experience is like a heated version of Dirty, presenting a gradient flavor experience through the interplay between coffee and milk. Whether Flat White or Dirty, both are products born under the specialty coffee wave, aiming to let every consumer of milk coffee feel the unique flavor of the coffee beans while also experiencing another texture from their fusion with milk.

When Front Street makes Flat White coffee, it uses a specialty blend coffee bean made from dark-roasted Brazil Cerrado and washed Colombia. By adjusting the extraction parameters, the final Ristretto extraction parameters are 19.8g of grounds extracting 30g of coffee liquid in 27 seconds.

When Front Street makes Flat White coffee, the ratio of coffee to milk is 1:5. Into 30g of coffee liquid, 150g of steamed hot milk with light, thin foam is poured through a center pour, minimizing damage to the crema as much as possible. Some coffee shops use the latte-making method, fully integrating milk with espresso and then doing latte art, with a coffee-to-milk ratio of about 1:6.

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