The Difference Between Starbucks Flat White and Latte Coffee - Characteristics and Flavor Profile of Australian White Coffee

Regular espresso coffee enthusiasts know that there are many types of espresso coffee. For example, at FrontStreet Coffee, we offer lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, as well as hidden menu items like flat whites and dirty coffees. Their recipes all consist of espresso plus milk, but with different mixing ratios. While common options like lattes and mochas are familiar to everyone, what exactly is a flat white? What's its connection to flat whites, and literally speaking, is it Australian-style white coffee? Next, FrontStreet Coffee will answer all these questions for you through this article!

What is Flat White Coffee?

Actually, both the flat white and Australian-style white coffee mentioned above by FrontStreet Coffee are names for flat white coffee—they just have different names but refer to the same type of espresso coffee.

Flat White is a coffee beverage that originated in Australia, hence it's also known as Australian white coffee, though some argue that flat white coffee actually originated in New Zealand. Beyond the origin dispute, the preparation methods for flat white coffee also vary. Flat white coffee is a milk coffee beverage with a stronger coffee flavor/less milk and thinner foam. In terms of espresso base selection, New Zealanders prefer to use double ristretto to make flat white coffee, while Australian baristas prefer to use single espresso.

Additionally, according to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, in Australia, people only make flat white coffee hot because adding ice would result in a flat white that has lost its soul, as ice would dilute the overall concentration. Therefore, it can also be understood that making a flat white cold essentially makes it a latte.

How to Make Flat White Coffee?

Because different coffee shops use different models of espresso machines, extraction parameters need to be readjusted. So FrontStreet Coffee will use our in-house parameter standards to introduce how to make flat white coffee.

Specific Production Process:

FrontStreet Coffee uses commercial coffee machines when making espresso, with extraction parameters as follows:

• Pressure: 9 bar
• Temperature: 90.5~96°C
• Time: 20~30 seconds
• Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:1.7~1:2
• Dose: 12g (single espresso), 20g (double espresso)
• Extraction yield: 20ml (single), 40ml (double)

Milk and Coffee Ratio Recommendations for Flat White:

• Milk: Whole fresh milk (FrontStreet Coffee uses Kowloon Dairy fresh milk)
• Steamed milk temperature: 50-60°C (too low won't bring out the milk's lactose flavor, too high will damage the milk's proteins, resulting in a gritty texture)
• Foam thickness: 5mm (1cm foam is for latte, 1.5cm thick foam is for cappuccino)
• Espresso content: 40ml
• Milk content: 140ml

The above is FrontStreet Coffee's process explanation for making flat white coffee. However, according to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, many coffee enthusiasts accidentally make flat white coffee into latte coffee when they can't control it properly. So how can you distinguish between flat white coffee and latte coffee?

How to Distinguish Between Flat White Coffee and Latte Coffee?

This depends on their espresso ratios, because actually every coffee shop's flat white and latte ratios will vary. Taking FrontStreet Coffee's latte as an example:

FrontStreet Coffee's latte coffee standard: Uses a 300ml ceramic coffee cup, with 40g espresso base, and 260ml milk plus foam. Foam thickness is about 1cm (foam texture: 5 parts full milk steamed to 7 parts full foam).

FrontStreet Coffee's flat white coffee standard: Uses a 220ml glass cup, with 30g ristretto espresso, and 190ml milk plus foam. Foam thickness is about 0.5cm (foam texture: 5 parts full milk steamed to 5.5-6 parts full foam).

The Differences:

Looking at cup size, latte coffee is larger than flat white coffee. In appearance, latte coffee has slightly thicker foam with a slight bulge, while flat white coffee has thinner foam, appearing flat. In terms of flavor, latte coffee has a richer milk taste, while flat white coffee has a more prominent coffee flavor. Therefore, Australians jokingly say that latte is coffee-flavored milk (meaning essentially milk), while flat white is milk-flavored coffee (meaning essentially coffee).

From this, we can see that flat white coffee and latte coffee can still be distinguished by foam thickness. Therefore, when making latte coffee and flat white coffee at home, the main things to focus on are foam thickness and the ratio of espresso to milk.

The above is the knowledge about flat white coffee compiled by FrontStreet Coffee. We hope it helps coffee enthusiasts who want to understand flat white coffee, so they can make satisfying flat white coffee at home in the future.

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

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