How Does a Flat White Differ From an Italian Cafe Latte?

A Flat White and a latte are both espresso with steamed milk, but the balance differs. A Flat White pairs fine, light microfoam with one espresso or a double Ristretto, so the coffee flavor stays prominent. A latte carries a higher proportion of milk, which makes the milk flavor dominate and the drink feel softer and lighter overall.

The same drink appears under several names: Starbucks uses Fu Rui Bai, many independent cafes in China say Ao Bai, and some brands write Chun Yi Bai. Australia and New Zealand both claim its origin, though most coffee lovers lean toward the Australian claim. Australians favored Italian cafe latte style drinks, and the Flat White filled the gap between straight espresso and a milk-heavy latte.

When ordering at a café, the Flat White often appears under multiple names—Starbucks calls it 馥芮白, most independent coffee shops in China call it 澳白, and some brands write it as 醇艺白. Are they actually the same drink? How does the flavor differ from a latte? And what are the differences between the Australian and New Zealand methods? This article will sort out the core points of this thin-microfoam, rich milk coffee from the angles of definition, espresso base, milk foam texture, and serving size, explain the extraction differences between regular Espresso and Ristretto, and finally include flavor introductions of Front Street Coffee's four espresso blend beans for reference when making a flat white.

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Starbucks calls this coffee "馥芮白 (Flat White)," pronounced fù ruì bái. When many people first encounter this name, they unconsciously equate it with white coffee, and the name itself also conveys an impression of rich aroma and mellow body.

In terms of taste experience, Flat White is indeed somewhat similar to a latte, but upon closer tasting the difference is clear: Flat White has a more prominent coffee flavor, while a latte is dominated by milk flavor, so the former is overall richer and more substantial than the latter.

In many independent cafés and domestic chain coffee brands, this drink is also called 澳白 coffee. This name easily makes people think of Australia. Indeed, although both Australia and New Zealand claim to have invented the flat white, most coffee lovers tend to support the Australian claim.

The reason is that Australians particularly love Italian-style milk coffee, and everyone has their own preference for milk coffee. Drinking espresso directly is too strong for many people, while a latte has too high a proportion of milk, so the flat white exactly fills the gap between the two.

Definition of Flat White

The method for a flat white is to combine fine, light milk foam with one espresso or a double Ristretto. The reason the two places argue endlessly is that both make a milk coffee with thin foam and a strong taste, but there are differences in the specific operation.

The Australian method is to take 1 to 2 shots (20-40g) of regular espresso, add 60-80ml of hot milk with thin milk foam, and stir evenly to obtain a rich milk coffee of about 100-200ml.

The New Zealand method uses a double Ristretto (35g), paired with 160-170ml of hot milk with thin milk foam, and after mixing the final product is about 200ml, also a rich-style milk coffee.

When producing drinks in its stores, Front Street Coffee chooses the Australian route, because the extraction of regular espresso is more stable than that of Ristretto, which ensures consistent quality in every cup.

The difference between regular espresso and Ristretto

Regular espresso is usually extracted under 9-10 bar of pressure, with a dry coffee-to-liquid ratio of about 1:2. Generally speaking, a single espresso uses 9-11g of coffee grounds to extract 15-25g of coffee liquid, while a double espresso uses 18-20g of coffee grounds to extract 35-45g of coffee liquid. The less coffee liquid extracted, the higher the concentration.

Ristretto is essentially espresso with a smaller extraction ratio. Front Street Coffee uses the same grind size and dose as espresso, but extracts less coffee liquid, with the extraction time correspondingly extended, and the dry coffee-to-liquid ratio controlled at about 1:1.6.

So, can Ristretto be obtained simply by shortening the extraction time of Espresso and reducing the liquid volume? Not exactly. The "strength" of Ristretto does not mean a more concentrated flavor, but rather a higher overall intensity of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness in the coffee liquid. When the concentration is too high, sharp acidity or burnt bitterness easily appears. Therefore, when making Ristretto, it is still necessary to adjust the dose and extraction time when needed.

Recommended coffee beans for making Flat White

Making a flat white requires extracting espresso, so Front Street Coffee recommends choosing blend beans specifically designed for espresso. Compared with single-origin beans, blend beans can better maintain the consistent quality of every espresso.

In order to meet the diverse price and flavor needs of different types of coffee shops, Front Street Coffee has launched 4 espresso blend coffee beans. The most critical point in making espresso is to use freshly roasted beans. All shipments from Front Street Coffee are completed within 5 days after roasting.

"Sunny Blend Coffee Beans" is composed of Ethiopian natural Red Cherry coffee beans (30%) and Honduran Sherry Barrel coffee beans (70%), presenting flavors of rich wine aroma, vanilla cream, berry acidity and sweetness, and roasted nuts.

"Specialty Blend Coffee Beans" is composed of Colombian washed coffee beans (30%) and Brazilian semi-washed coffee beans (70%), with flavor notes of nuts, dark chocolate, and caramel.

"Commercial Blend Coffee Beans" is composed of washed Robusta coffee beans (10%), washed Colombian coffee beans (30%), and Brazilian semi-washed coffee (60%), presenting flavors of nuts, cocoa, and caramel.

"The espresso beans recommended by many baristas—Front Street Black Cocoa Blend Coffee Beans" is composed of Yunnan washed small-bean coffee (30%) and Brazilian semi-washed coffee beans (70%), with flavor notes of soft fruit acidity, caramel, and nuts.

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