Introduction:Flat White, the same coffee as Starbucks’ Blonde Roast and Luckin’s Aurory, is popular for its rich coffee flavor and smooth layers of milk. This article dives deep into the key differences between it and a latte—from milk foam thickness, milk volume, to the extraction details of Ristretto—to help you master the crafting logic behind this milk coffee. It also explores how the Warm Sun Blend highlights berry and chocolate notes, giving you a deeper understanding of what makes a great Flat White.

Flat White coffee, also known as Starbucks' Blonde Roast or Luckin’s Aurory, is generally served without sugar by default. The biggest charm of this coffee lies in highlighting both the intensity of the coffee itself and the silky texture of the milk. Compared to a latte, its flavor is more concentrated and richer.

First, one of the characteristics of a Flat White is its thinner milk foam.The milk foam of a typical latte is about 0.5 centimeters thick.When mixed with the coffee liquid, it forms a slightly raised surface, which is ideal for latte art. However,the milk foam of a Flat White needs to be compressed to below 0.3 centimeters.This makes the overall liquid surface flatter, closer to the rim of the cup. This thin and delicate milk foam originated when Italian immigrants brought espresso culture to Australia and New Zealand in the last century. Local consumers preferred a fresher, less heavy milk foam texture, which led to the creation of this style.

Some baristas even skip the foaming step to preserve the original aroma of the coffee crema, pouring heated milk directly into the espresso. However, some cafés choose to retain a layer of about 0.3 centimeters of milk foam, allowing the drink to remain smooth while maintaining a light texture.

In addition to milk foam thickness, a Flat White also uses relatively less milk.A typical latte usually has a volume of over 300 milliliters, with a high proportion of milk, making the coffee flavor more subtle.In contrast, a Flat White typically uses a smaller cup size. For example, the commonly used 150-milliliter cup in New Zealand compresses the amount of milk, thereby highlighting the original flavor of the coffee. In some cafés, a ceramic cup of about 200 milliliters is used, with around 150 milliliters of fresh milk poured in, based on a double Ristretto shot of espresso, creating a richer taste.

In terms of temperature control, it is recommended to heat the milk to between 55 and 60 degrees Celsius. This temperature range best balances aroma release and smoothness in the mouth. At the same time, the amount of air incorporated during milk frothing should be less than that for a latte to ensure the milk foam layer is both thin and dense.

Speaking of the rich core of a Flat White, we must mention its espresso base—Ristretto, or concentrated espresso. Many consumers are familiar with Espresso, but may be less so with Ristretto.

Ristretto means “restricted” in Italian. Essentially, it is a more concentrated version of Espresso, extracting only the first half of the shot and discarding the latter part, which contains more impurities and bitterness.This results in Ristretto having not only a smaller volume of coffee but also a higher concentration, with a more intense and brighter flavor profile.。

Taking the extraction parameters of a typical Espresso as an example, some cafés use 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 40 grams of coffee liquid, over about 28 to 30 seconds. Ristretto, on the other hand, maintains the same coffee dose and grind size but extracts only 27 grams of coffee liquid, over a shorter period of 20 to 25 seconds. This adjustment allows Ristretto to showcase a stronger berry acidity, wine-like aroma, and caramel sweetness, with caffeine content actually slightly lower than traditional Espresso.

The reason a Flat White has a richer flavor actually reflects modern consumers’ higher expectations for specialty coffee taste. Many baristas shape a more layered and distinctive Flat White flavor by reducing cup size, lowering milk foam thickness, and using Ristretto concentrated espresso.

Some cafés use a self-roasted blend called the "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend," consisting of 70% Honduran Sherry-flavored beans and 30% Yirgacheffe sundried Red Cherry beans. The Sherry beans bring intense whiskey-like aromas, vanilla, and creaminess, while the Red Cherry beans contribute tropical fruit notes and slight fermentation tones. When combined, the brewed Flat White exhibits aromas of vanilla, chocolate milk, and whiskey truffle chocolate, along with bright berry acidity and a long-lasting aftertaste. The texture is smooth and well-layered.

In summary, the key to understanding a high-quality Flat White lies in mastering the milk foam thickness, milk ratio, and choice of espresso. Whether you’re a barista or a coffee enthusiast, these details can help you better appreciate the unique charm of this classic milk coffee.

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