The Differences Between Flat White and Macchiato: How to Order Starbucks Macchiato Coffee - Is It Sweet?

Understanding Flat White: Luckin's Australian White vs. Starbucks' Flat White

Luckin's "Australian White" and Starbucks' "Flat White" are, in fact, the same drink: the Flat White. An Australian invention composed of espresso and milk, it goes by "Australian White" in most coffee shops.

Milk Coffee Varieties: What Sets Them Apart?

Some might ask: isn't this the same as a latte or a Dirty? All three are milk coffees with similar ingredients, but their recipes differ — and so do their personalities.

A latte is 1/3 espresso + 2/3 milk, with hot lattes crowned by about 1cm of milk foam. The texture is smooth and creamy — an Italian milk coffee where milk takes the lead.

An Australian White flips the ratio: 2/3 espresso + 1/3 milk + 0.5cm of foam (or 1/2 higher-concentration ristretto + 1/2 milk + 0.5cm of foam). Served hot with a silky texture, it's the milk coffee where coffee leads.

A Dirty is made by pouring 1/3 espresso directly over 2/3 cold milk, served cold only. Its charm lies in the layering of coffee over milk: don't stir it — drink it in one go and ride the gradual transition from concentrated espresso to the sweetness of cold milk's lactose.

Which Coffee Beans for Italian Milk Coffee?

FrontStreet Coffee uses blended beans for its daily espresso-based drinks. A blend lets roasters combine beans from different origins in specific proportions, tailored for pressure extraction.

The goal is to mute the off-flavors and instability that individual single-origin beans can show when ground extremely fine and extracted under pressure. A blend guarantees more consistent flavor and quality in every shot.

It also costs considerably less than straight single-origin beans — which matters for pricing. To serve different shops' price and flavor requirements, FrontStreet Coffee offers 4 medium-dark roast espresso blends, all shipped within 5 days of roasting to ensure freshness.

FrontStreet Coffee's Italian Blend Collection

"Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans" - suitable for home/office and specialty coffee shops. Ethiopian natural processed red cherry coffee beans (30%) + Honduras sherry barrel coffee beans (70%), featuring rich wine aroma, vanilla cream, berry sweet and sour, and roasted nut flavors.

"Specialty Blend Coffee Beans" - suitable for home/office and specialty coffee shops. Colombian washed coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian natural processed coffee beans (70%), featuring nut, dark chocolate, and caramel flavors.

"Commercial Blend Coffee Beans" - suitable for all types of coffee shops. Bosta washed coffee beans (10%) + Colombian washed coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian natural processed coffee (60%), featuring nut, cocoa, and caramel flavors.

"Basic Blend Coffee Beans" - suitable for all types of coffee shops, bakeries, and beverage shops. Yunnan washed small bean coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian natural processed coffee beans (70%), featuring gentle fruit acidity, caramel, and nut flavors.

How to Extract Espresso for a Flat White?

There are two mainstream ways to build a Flat White: with a double espresso or a double ristretto. Both are made by grinding the beans extremely fine, tamping them into the portafilter, and extracting under high pressure and speed in a sealed environment to produce highly concentrated coffee.

The difference lies in the ratio. For a standard double espresso, FrontStreet Coffee's stores use 20g of finely ground coffee to extract 40g of liquid at 1:2, in 25-30 seconds.

A ristretto, however, runs a ratio of around 1:1.6. Important note: a more concentrated ristretto doesn't necessarily mean more intense flavor — it raises the overall intensity of the taste (sweet, sour, bitter). Push concentration too far and sharp acidity or burnt bitterness emerges, so dose and extraction time sometimes need adjusting.

For its daily Flat White, FrontStreet Coffee uses the Sunflower Warm Sun Blend to pull a double ristretto: a 200ml cup, 35g of double ristretto, then hot milk with thin foam poured from the center without disturbing the crema. The flavor unfolds in stages — the first sip brings the espresso's rich fermented wine aroma, the second reveals a strawberry milkshake character as coffee and milk fuse, and the third offers roasted nuts over the smaller remaining share of coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Want to pour a proper Flat White at home? FrontStreet Coffee has two bean picks from its own lineup. For buttery, cheesy richness with low acidity and full, fine crema, go with the FrontStreet Classic Blend — its mellow body delivers an outstandingly dense mouthfeel with milk. For floral-fruity character with barely any bitterness, choose the FrontStreet Strawberry Candy espresso blend, whose extraction carries full grape and blueberry flavors and turns into a strawberry milkshake against fresh milk — a cup you'll remember. For the build, FrontStreet Coffee's own Flat White uses the Specialty Blend: pull a ristretto base from the front-middle of the shot (20g of coffee extracting 32g of liquid in 22-25 seconds), pair it with 160ml of chilled fresh milk, and stretch the milk with just 1-2 seconds of air intake until it reaches 50-55°C, finishing at a uniform 0.3cm of foam. Pour gently into the coffee, then push through with a firm white line — and your Flat White is ready.