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

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The Origins of Flat White

The origin of Flat White (also known as Fu Rui Bai/Ao Rui Bai) has been debated for a long time between coffee professionals in Australia and New Zealand. The creation of a coffee beverage simply reflects different people's requirements for coffee, and when enough people share these requirements, it naturally becomes a standard coffee product.

It's quite normal for people in different regions to have similar requirements. After all, Flat White is an espresso-based milk coffee—simply a mixture of milk and espresso. With varying amounts of milk and foam, or different coffee concentrations, it can become many different products with different names.

Regional Differences in Flat White Preparation

Many people first encountered this coffee at Starbucks, where it was directly transliterated, hence the name "Fu Rui Bai." Starbucks makes Flat White using Ristretto + milk + 0.5cm foam, which is more aligned with the New Zealand approach.

In Australia, however, Flat White is made with more regular espresso and less milk than a latte, also with 0.5cm foam. FrontStreet Coffee's stores use the New Zealand approach because extracting regular espresso is more stable than Ristretto, ensuring consistent quality for every cup.

What is Regular Espresso? What is Ristretto?

Both types of espresso are extracted by forcing pressurized water through finely ground coffee particles to create highly concentrated coffee liquid. The difference is that Ristretto is more concentrated than regular espresso.

Regular espresso is also known as Espresso. FrontStreet Coffee's stores use Espresso with 20g of coffee grounds extracted at a 1:2 ratio to produce 40g of coffee liquid, with an extraction time of 25-30 seconds.

Ristretto is essentially espresso with a smaller extraction ratio. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee uses the same grind size and dose as regular espresso but extracts less coffee liquid, with a shorter extraction time. The typical powder-to-liquid ratio is around 1:1.6, with a shorter extraction time.

FrontStreet Coffee doesn't use the New Zealand approach mainly because making good Ristretto isn't as simple as using the same dose as regular espresso with less extraction time—it requires parameter adjustments.

The concentration in Ristretto doesn't mean more intense coffee flavor, but rather the overall taste (sour, sweet, bitter) of the coffee liquid. When too concentrated, it can easily exhibit sharp acidity or burnt bitterness. Therefore, when making Ristretto, it's sometimes necessary to adjust the dose and extraction time.

Espresso Bean Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's stores typically use "Frontsteet - Sunflower Warm Sunshine Espresso Blend" for espresso extraction. This blend consists of 70% Honduras Sherry coffee beans + 30% Ethiopia Natural Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee beans, offering rich fermented wine aroma, vanilla cream, roasted nuts, and caramel-like flavors.

For those who don't prefer fermented flavors, you can also try "Frontsteet - Specialty Blend." This blend consists of 70% Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon coffee beans + 30% Colombia Huila Caturra coffee beans, offering nutty, dark chocolate, and caramel flavors.

How to Make Flat White

Every coffee machine and grinder has different performance. Whether it's pressure or grind setting, there will be certain differences, so there's no precise reference for grind settings or coarseness parameters.

If you're just starting, FrontStreet Coffee recommends a medium extraction parameter that you can adjust based on the coffee's flavor profile: Use 20g of coffee grounds at a 1:2 ratio & 9bar pressure to extract 40g of coffee liquid in 25-30 seconds. Make corresponding adjustments based on the actual flavor after extraction.

FrontStreet Coffee's stores adjust their espresso extraction parameters daily. They typically use 19.5-20g of coffee grounds to extract 35-40g of double espresso, then pour it into a 200ml cup. Next, heat the appropriate amount of milk and create a thin layer of foam (0.5cm thick), finally blending it evenly.

Important Notice :

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