Flat White Coffee

What is Flat White Coffee

Flat White Coffee is an espresso-based drink that contains steamed milk.

It is an option that makes sense for those looking for a milk drink with a strong coffee flavour, made with a small portion of steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam.

For those who like to enjoy espresso, but with the creamy mouthfeel of steamed milk, flat white is a great choice. But where does it come from and what makes it different from a latte?

Origin of Flat White

There is some debate as to where flat white originated, Australia or New Zealand in the mid 1980s.

Consumers transitioning from instant coffee to espresso-based coffee were looking for something familiar instead of cappuccino, which at the time was made with lots of foam. So they asked for ‘flat‘. The drink evolved to be ‘flatter‘ than a cappuccino with a micro foam.

Defining Cappucino, Latte and Flat White

We know that flat white is an espresso with steamed milk and a little foam. Isn’t that a latte? Or a cappuccino?

The term latte came into use in English in the 1980s. But the concept of a coffee with warm milk has been around for a long time. In Italy, a caffè latte is usually a rather milky breakfast drink, made with a shot of coffee prepared in an espresso machine.

In other places, the name now usually means a shot of espresso with steamed milk over it and a layer of milk foam on top.

Cappuccino is a smaller, stronger drink. A cappuccino is made with a shot of espresso and served with a thick layer of milk foam. Traditionally, a latte is larger and has a lower proportion of coffee to milk. It is served with just a little milk foam.

Doses frequently use

Cappuccino and latte can be made with one or two shots of espresso, but a flat white traditionally has two shots.

However, even this has become optional. Some baristas use a double ristretto to produce a stronger coffee flavour.

A flat white is 148-177 ml with double shot of espresso. Very finely steamed milk… a flat milk, quite flat. Latte is 200-290 ml and has the texture of milk between that of a flat white and a cappuccino.

Cup size and the ratio of coffee to milk can vary, but the general consensus is that a flat white is smaller than a latte and generally contains more espresso.

For those who enjoy the complex flavours of specialty coffee, but want something milk-based, a flat white might be a better option than a latte. Because it has less milk, and allows a more complete experience of the bean’s sensory profiles. There are many ways to experience specialty coffee and each of us has our own personal preference.

Is a flat white stronger than a latte? It is just a more concentrated drink that will taste more like coffee than milk. It can also be stronger than a latte in terms of caffeine, as it contains two shots of espresso.

In conclusion: Flat White, Cappuccino or Latte, the important thing is to make it with specialty coffee.

Try a Flat White with Café Santa Helena!

Specialty Coffee, 100% Arabica, Organic and Fairtrade, Single Origin from Santa Helena Farm in the South of Minas Gerais, Brazil.