Introduction:Are you confused about the difference between a Flat White and a Caffè Latte? Although both are combinations of espresso and milk, they actually differ significantly in terms of milk foam thickness, coffee ratio, and origin. This article delves into the history of the Flat White (also known as Flat White/Australia Flat White), compares it with the latte and cappuccino, and provides practical extraction and milk texturing parameters to help you better understand this classic coffee.
In the world of coffee, items like Flat White, Australia Flat White, latte, and cappuccino may sound similar and taste somewhat alike, but in terms of details—such as the ratio of coffee to milk, the thickness of the milk foam, and the type of espresso used—each has its own nuances. This article will start with Starbucks’ promotion of the Flat White, trace the evolution of the term, and provide a detailed comparison of the differences in cup size, milk foam, and flavor profile between the Australia Flat White, latte, and cappuccino. It also includes practical preparation parameters to help you fully grasp the intricacies of these classic coffees at once.
When you first hear the term "Flat White," many people intuitively associate it with "white coffee" or assume it’s a coffee drink with more milk and a lighter color. However, walk into a modern café today, and "Flat White" has become a common order among coffee enthusiasts. But what exactly is this popular "Australia Flat White"? And how did it make its way from the coffee tables of Australia or New Zealand into the menus of global coffee chains?
When it comes to milk-based coffee, the latte is undoubtedly one of the most well-known choices, and Starbucks has successfully built a global market foundation with this classic European-origin drink. However, when Starbucks heavily promoted the Flat White (i.e., Flat White) in China around 2015, the market response was not as expected. It wasn’t until an Australian competitor, Gloria Jean's Coffees, planned to enter the Chinese market that Starbucks intensified its marketing efforts for this product.
Interestingly, Starbucks had attempted to enter the Australian market as early as around 2000 but ultimately lost out to Gloria Jean's Coffee, which already had over 500 stores locally, and had to withdraw in disappointment. Now, the Flat White that Starbucks is actively promoting actually originated in Australia, and is therefore often referred to in the Chinese-speaking world as "Australian-style white coffee," or simply "Australia Flat White."
The term Flat White can be traced back as early as the 1960s. The 1962 British film Danger by My Side featured this term, but at the time, it did not refer to coffee; instead, it was used to describe a bland, inferior-tasting coffee. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the term gradually came to be used as the name of a specific coffee beverage. However, its true place of origin remains debated to this day: some claim it originated in Australia, while others insist it came from New Zealand.
In New Zealand, there are two main theories: one is that in 1985, the menu at the Parliament House in Canberra featured a Flat White, allegedly because the milk that season couldn’t produce a rich foam; the other is that in 1989, a New Zealand barista named Frank Mlnnes, due to using skim milk which resulted in thin foam, created this coffee with very little foam and named it Flat White. The Australian version states that by the mid-1980s, some Australian cafés had already listed this drink on their menus, and some newspapers even used the term Flat White to satirize the then-popular latte.
Many people think Starbucks’ Flat White tastes similar to a latte, except that the former has a stronger coffee flavor and a deeper aftertaste. In fact, the two do share the same origin but have developed along different paths. Especially within the Italian coffee culture of Australia and New Zealand, the Flat White gradually took shape and was adjusted according to local preferences. It’s worth noting that regions like North Queensland, Melbourne, and Sydney in Australia have strong Italian coffee cultures, and these areas were also where early Italian immigrants settled, which had a significant influence on the acceptance and innovation of espresso.
Whether originating in Australia or New Zealand, the Flat White is one of the representatives of Oceanian coffee culture. However, even under the same name of "Australia Flat White," practices vary by location: New Zealand baristas often use double ristrettos, while Australia generally uses single espressos. So, what is a ristretto? This term originating from Italy is composed of "restrict" and "narrow," meaning an espresso extracted in a short time with less water. With the same dose of coffee, ristretto has a shorter extraction time, less liquid, a more concentrated and bold flavor, lower bitterness, and a smoother, fuller mouthfeel.
The basic method for making a Flat White is to combine fine, velvety milk foam with a single (or double) ristretto, typically using a cup similar to 5 ounces (about 150mL). It is similar to a traditional cappuccino or latte, but with a higher coffee ratio, thinner and finer milk foam, achieving an excellent balance between the richness of the espresso and the sweetness of the milk.
Compared to the latte and cappuccino, the differences among these three types of coffee mainly lie in the coffee-to-milk ratio and the thickness of the milk foam. The following diagram can help you visually understand the distinctions:
In practice, a latte usually uses a wide-mouth ceramic cup of 300 milliliters, a cappuccino a narrow-mouth cup of 180 milliliters, while the Flat White is often served in a glass cup of 210 milliliters. In terms of milk proportion, the latte has the most prominent milky flavor, while the Flat White emphasizes the flavor of the coffee itself. The simplest way to distinguish the three is by observing the milk foam thickness: the cappuccino has the thickest foam, the latte is next, and the Flat White has the thinnest and finest foam.
If you want to try making a Flat White at home, here are some practical reference parameters: using a double shot of espresso as the base, it is recommended to use 20 grams of coffee powder to extract 40 grams of espresso, with an extraction time controlled at around 28 seconds. When texturing the milk, special attention should be paid to controlling the amount of air injected. It is suggested to let the milk rotate first, then add a slight amount of air, followed by the stretching phase to create fine and smooth microfoam. Since the milk foam is extremely thin, simple patterns are recommended for latte art, such as a small dot formed by centering the pour, or drawing a heart shape.
Finally, a high-quality Flat White depends not only on the ratio and technique, but also crucially on the choice of coffee beans. A suitable blend can bring out notes of wine, vanilla, and cream, with the aftertaste adding the richness of dark chocolate, making the overall flavor more complete and captivating.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
