Why is Flat White not served iced? Why can't the Australian White coffee be made iced?

Those who have visited FrontStreet Coffee know that Flat White and Dirty are not on the menu, but if you can mention these hidden items to FrontStreet Coffee's barista, they will still make them for you.

FrontStreet Coffee does this for two reasons: first, they consider these special latte coffees that those who know will order without looking at the menu, while for others, they would just add to the confusion of options; second, it helps avoid some strange ordering requests. However, strange requests still appeared...

"Do you have Flat White here?"

"Yes, we do!"

"Please give me a cup!"

"Okay, please wait!" "I want it iced!"

"???"

Actually, Flat White is not served iced. Traditionally, Flat White is only made hot.

What is Flat White?

Flat White is actually Australian latte coffee, abbreviated as "Aobai" (where "bai" means milk coffee). Compared to the latte coffee we're familiar with, Flat White's main characteristics are smaller serving size, less milk, and more emphasis on the sweet and aromatic flavors of coffee. In Australian coffee shops, both latte and Flat White are available, and they position these two coffees differently. Latte coffee maintains the classic Italian style, using blended Italian beans. For Flat White, they use formula beans or single-origin beans with prominent flavor characteristics to highlight the coffee's flavors.

Therefore, while Flat White appears to be a milk coffee, it actually uses a reasonable combination of milk to highlight the sweeter flavors of coffee. Typically, a Flat White serving is between 180-200ml. The small serving size means customers should enjoy it quickly before it cools down. The espresso extraction will use a more concentrated Ristretto, enhancing the coffee's acidic and roasted flavors, making the entire cup more intense.

Milk Frothing Technique

In terms of milk frothing, Flat White's milk foam is very thin, and the milk temperature must be well controlled. The ideal serving temperature is around 50°C, as this is when the human sensory perception of sweetness is most prominent. In Flat White, milk acts more like a supporting character, making the coffee protagonist stand out more.

Why No Iced Flat White?

After all this explanation, why is there no iced version of Flat White? The main reason is that Australians never invented an iced Flat White. Looking at the entire espresso system, only two coffees can be served both hot and iced: Americano (black coffee) and latte (white coffee). Other derivatives simply add various syrups and chocolate, then replace milk with coconut milk, soy milk, or oat milk.

Therefore, when FrontStreet Coffee encounters customers who want to drink iced Flat White, they first explain that there is no such thing as iced Flat White, then suggest they choose iced latte or Dirty instead.

Some enthusiastic coffee shops will help Australians create an iced version of Flat White, maintaining the characteristics of small serving size and prominent coffee flavor. Like making iced latte, they add equal proportions of milk and ice, then drizzle Double Ristretto on top. So if you see some coffee shops selling iced Flat White, don't be surprised!

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473