How Many Shots of Espresso in Luckin's Flat White? What's the Taste Difference Between Flat White and Latte - Which Has More Calories?

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Luckin's "Flat White Coffee" is actually the same as the "Flat White" found in many independent coffee shops. It belongs to the same category as Starbucks' "Flat White" - essentially the same type of coffee, though various brands or independent shops may have slightly different preparation parameters. Below, FrontStreet Coffee will share the standard method for making a Flat White using their own Dongshankou café as an example.

Where Does Flat White Coffee Come From?

Regarding the invention of the Flat White, Australians and New Zealanders each have their own claims, insisting that this drink originated from their country, and baristas from both countries prepare Flat White coffee using different recipes. Although we cannot definitively determine which country the Flat White actually comes from, what is certain is that this drink originated from everyone's pursuit of higher quality coffee.

Before the 1970s, Australian coffee shops primarily brewed black coffee using methods such as French press or manual drip brewing. In the early 1970s, Italians brought espresso machines to Australia, officially launching a new wave of coffee culture. Compared to traditional lattes and cappuccinos, Australians sought milk drinks with thinner foam and stronger coffee flavor. Thus, milk coffee began to be continuously "improved" in regions like Australia and New Zealand. When the foam on milk coffee became increasingly flat, until it turned into a thin layer completely level with the cup rim, it was named "Flat White." "Flat" means "level," and "White" refers to white coffee with milk added.

Starting in the 1980s, Australians began listing Flat White on their regular menus, and it soon spread to cafés in European and American countries. Flat White became a popular product in China after Starbucks introduced it in 2015, naming it "Flat White" as one of their signature drinks, which meant this milk coffee had become mainstream.

The Essence of Flat White

Returning to the drink itself, Flat White uses milk to highlight the coffee's flavor - the coffee is the protagonist, and milk is merely supporting. Therefore, in terms of taste, the coffee flavor is more abundant and richer. Additionally, the thin upper layer of foam ensures that every sip of concentrated coffee liquid carries a velvety layer of dense foam. The moderate temperature and smaller cup size allow it to be consumed quickly before the foam layers separate. Besides differences in cup size and milk foam thickness, some baristas replace the base with double Ristretto to better express the coffee beans' aroma, incorporating foam thickness similar to a latte in a 150ml cup.

Ratio Parameters for Flat White Coffee

To present a richer coffee flavor, Flat White coffee needs to address three aspects: foam, milk ratio, and espresso base.

1. Milk Foam

The "Flat" in Flat White coffee means "level" - a properly made Flat White must be thin and level with the cup rim, without the foam layer bulging. Typically, latte foam presents about 1cm of bulge, while Flat White foam can only be about 0.5cm, otherwise it's difficult to achieve the "flat" liquid surface. Regarding specific foam thickness, each coffee shop has different standards. Some baristas, to allow customers to maximize their tasting of the upper coffee crema, don't froth the milk at all, simply heating it and pouring it into the espresso.

2. Espresso Base

The espresso base used in Flat White coffee is not the common Espresso but the richer-tasting Ristretto. Australians believe the latter part of Espresso "dilutes" the coffee flavor, so they only take its early to middle sections, "restricting" the later extraction, thus calling it Ristretto. The early to middle sections of Espresso reduce the extraction of carbohydrate macromolecules, better highlighting the coffee's acidity and roasted aroma.

For example, FrontStreet Coffee uses 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 40 grams of coffee liquid for Espresso, while Ristretto uses the same 20 grams of grounds to extract 28-30 grams of coffee liquid, "discarding" the latter part of the extraction.

3. Milk Ratio

Flat White coffee, which pursues rich flavor, adds a smaller proportion of milk to the espresso, with the specific milk amount determined by the cup size used by the shop. Imagine if the same milk ratio as a latte were used - the overall taste would be more like coffee-flavored milk. For example, the ceramic cup FrontStreet Coffee uses for Flat White is 200ml, with two shots of Ristretto (30g) as the base, requiring 170g of hot milk to present a richer, fuller coffee flavor.

Making a Flat White Coffee

Now that we understand the main characteristics of Flat White coffee, FrontStreet Coffee will demonstrate how to make a Flat White following their shop's production process.

First, wipe the portafilter basket dry with a clean towel, open the grinder and grind 20 grams of coffee grounds into the basket, then gently tap to level.

Use a distribution tool to level the coffee grounds, then use a tamper to evenly compress into a firm coffee puck.

Turn on the extraction switch to run water, wetting the group head while washing away any stuck coffee grounds, then gently lock the portafilter onto the group head and begin the extraction. Monitor the weight and time of the extracted coffee liquid - when the electronic scale shows 28-30g of coffee liquid extracted in about 27-28 seconds, you can stop the extraction. Pour the two Ristretto shots into the pre-warmed Flat White cup.

Pour 170ml of fresh milk into the milk pitcher. After frothing, the dense foam should be about 5mm thick. Gently swirl the Ristretto base in the cup, then evenly and thoroughly incorporate the frothed hot milk.

The flavor profile of Flat White coffee depends on the coffee beans used by each shop. FrontStreet Coffee's espresso uses their own house-roasted "Frontsteet Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans." The extracted Espresso presents whiskey aroma, vanilla, cream, and berry-like acidity. When combined with milk, the Flat White coffee presents chocolate milk and whiskey-filled chocolate flavors, with a smooth, mellow entrance and a very persistent aftertaste.

Important Notice :

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