Luckin Coffee Flat White: Milk Ratio, Flavor Profile and Preparation Method

The Origins of Flat White Coffee

Compared with other coffee drinks, the Flat White is a relative newcomer, appearing around the 1980s to 1990s. Its origin has always been contested, with both Australia and New Zealand claiming to be the inventor, and the two have argued the point at length.

Australia claims the Flat White was first invented by Derek Townsend in 1984 at the DKF café. Because many customers wanted a milk coffee with a strong coffee flavor, some cafés offered a very small serve, creating a milk coffee with a coffee-to-milk ratio of about 1:1 that produced a fresh-milk espresso of only about 3oz.

New Zealanders counter that the true inventor was Fraser McInnes, who coined the term "Flat White" in 1989 at the Bodega Café to describe a cappuccino made with abnormal foam.

The dispute exists because during World War II Italians emigrated to both New Zealand and Australia, bringing their coffee culture with them. Because Italian coffee was so strong, local people wanted to make those intense drinks acceptable to everyone. Both countries also produced milk in abundance, so different combinations of Italian milk-coffee products began to emerge, and different names might be used depending on coffee concentration, the amount of milk added, and the thickness of the foam.

Characteristics of Flat White Coffee

But regardless of which country invented it, both countries clearly discovered this new coffee at almost the same time. What they share is this: in every version, a Flat White is a milk espresso with a strong coffee flavor.

Compared with a latte, a Flat White has a stronger coffee flavor; compared with a cappuccino, it has thinner foam. A Flat White is a coffee of rich flavor, where the light foam gives the cup a velvety texture.

Authentic Flat White coffee is not served iced.

Lattes can be made hot or iced, but there is no such thing as an iced Flat White. If you want something similar, a Dirty coffee might satisfy a craving for the taste of an iced Flat White.

Most chain coffee brands, however, have launched cold versions to meet different consumer demands. Compared with the hot version, the cold version is relatively lighter. If you want a rich Flat White, FrontStreet Coffee recommends the hot version.

Is Flat White Coffee the Same as Flat White?

When Flat White coffee entered the European and American market years ago, Starbucks added the product to its menu, naming it "Flat White" in China and building it on a richer Ristretto, also known as concentrated espresso, mixed with milk. Although it looks similar to a latte, it is stronger than a latte. Different milk-coffee enthusiasts exclaimed after drinking it that they would only drink Flat White from then on, wanting to shout "Flat White is the best" in public.

Because "Flat White" was registered as a trademark by Starbucks, other coffee brands and cafés can only use the name Flat White. Chain coffee shops such as Luckin and Manner, and other specialty coffees, therefore call this rich milk coffee Flat White coffee.

In fact, they are the same kind of coffee. As long as you recognize the famous name "Flat White," no matter how fancy the nickname, it is definitely it. A good Flat White should have fine, minimal foam on top while still showing the espresso crema, so that the throat-feel is rich with milk aroma while the coffee aroma from the crema is distinct and pleasant.

How Flat White Coffee is Made

- Flat White has a smaller cup size

If you often drink lattes and one day decide to try a Flat White, and the staff hands you a smaller cup, do not mistake it for the shop being stingy, because Flat White cups are smaller than latte cups. Taking FrontStreet Coffee as an example, the standard latte cup is 300ml, while the standard Flat White cup is 200ml.

- Flat White has a stronger coffee base

Lattes use standard espresso as the base, while a Flat White uses Ristretto, which is stronger than espresso, as the base.

Ristretto can be seen as extracting only the middle and front portions of the espresso. The coffee liquid obtained this way is richer, and extracting only the middle and front portions also enhances the acidic and roasted flavors while reducing the extraction of high-molecular-weight carbohydrates. Put simply, it improves the sensory flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee makes its Flat White with a double ristretto of 35g, pouring hot milk with thin foam from the middle without dispersing the espresso. This creates a gradient flavor presentation. The first sip reveals the rich fermented-wine aroma of the espresso, the second a strawberry-milkshake flavor from the fusion of espresso and milk, and the third a roasted-nut flavor from the fusion of a small amount of coffee and milk.

- Flat White's foam is thinner and finer

The thickness of the foam is the most easily distinguishable characteristic between the two. A Flat White's foam is thinner and finer than a latte's.

The "Flat" in Flat White expresses the finished state of the drink. "Flat" means level, because a Flat White's foam is so thin that its tension is not enough to make the foam rise; it can only sit level with the rim of the cup, hence "Flat." A latte's foam is about 1cm thick, while a Flat White's is about 0.5cm.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Every café has its own "house Flat White secret," but however it varies, three points usually remain: less milk, thinner foam, and a stronger coffee flavor. Making it well starts with the right beans and matching milk. Because a Flat White emphasizes the character of the espresso, FrontStreet suggests choosing beans with a strong flavor memory. For home preparation, the FrontStreet Classic Blend is the butter-and-cheese option, mellow and low-acid with a full, fine crema that gives an outstandingly rich drink with milk. For those who prefer floral and fruity notes, the FrontStreet Strawberry Candy espresso blend, which is very low in bitterness, brings a full grape and blueberry flavor during extraction; a Flat White made with fresh milk tastes like a strawberry milkshake and leaves a lasting impression. FrontStreet measures the pour so the foam consistently reaches 0.3cm, using a 20g dose of the FrontStreet Specialty Blend extracted to 32g of Ristretto in 22-25 seconds, then pairing it with 160ml of fresh milk, steaming for only 1-2 seconds before submerging the steam wand and finishing at 50-55°C. Choose chilled fresh milk, which brings out more milk aroma and sweetness when steamed and makes an excellent partner for espresso.