How Many Types of Milk-Based Espresso Drinks Exist? How to Differentiate the Preparation Methods of Latte, Flat White, and Cappuccino?

In the world of coffee, even simply combining two ingredients can create different variations, sometimes making it difficult for outsiders to distinguish between them. For example, two frequently encountered black coffees—Americano and Long Black—are often compared side by side due to their similar appearance (interested readers can check out the article shared by FrontStreet Coffee).

As the universally recognized best-selling beverage in all cafés, milk coffee has evolved into even more varieties with industry development. Take FrontStreet Coffee's favorite "three musketeers"—Latte, Flat White, and Cappuccino. Although all are made from espresso mixed with milk with nearly identical preparation methods, these three always appear individually on the menu. So what aspects differentiate them from one another?

Latte

As a household name among Italian milk coffees, latte can be considered the most well-known among regular coffee varieties, and its simple preparation method has made it beloved by many enthusiasts.

Although there are no detailed records of its origin, we can determine that latte appeared much earlier than espresso. At least since the 17th century, mixing milk into coffee has been a practice in Europe, though the brewing methods were quite primitive—either boiling whole pots of coffee and filtering through cloth bags, or extracting with old-fashioned moka pots. With the invention of espresso machines, steam wands became standard equipment for milk coffee. Baristas could easily heat milk, and modern latte gradually took shape, spreading worldwide with the trend of latte art.

Cappuccino

From the name, we can tell that "Cappuccino" was likely named by Italians. According to FrontStreet Coffee's research, it originated from "Kapuziner," meaning "monk" in German. Legend has it that this drink originated in 18th-century Viennese cafés, where coffee was consumed grounds and all. To make it more palatable, a Pole used a cloth to filter the grounds, then served it in a glass cup with honey, spices, and cream. This not only made the coffee taste better but also gave it a special reddish-brown color, visually resembling the robe color of Capuchin friars, hence the name "Kapuziner."

Later, it spread to Italy, and with the development of pressure-driven coffee machine technology, Italians began using espresso, replacing cream with milk frothed into dense foam, then using a spoon to shape the milk foam on the coffee surface into a pointed cap shape. Gradually, it acquired its Italian name—the "Cappuccino" we're familiar with today.

Flat White

Compared to these two "old timers," the Flat White, born in the second half of the 20th century, appears much younger. Last century, Italians brought espresso machines to regions like Australia and New Zealand. Since neither cappuccino nor latte appealed to local tastes, people began finding ways to improve these milk coffees.

To better experience the coffee flavor, they frothed the milk thinner and integrated it into the coffee, making the surface increasingly flat until it became a thin layer completely level with the cup rim—thus giving us today's Flat White. "Flat" means "level," and "White" refers to white milk coffee. Since the 1980s, Flat White has appeared on regular menus in many places across Australia and soon spread to cafés in European and American countries, becoming popular worldwide.

1. Espresso Extraction Amount: Latte = Cappuccino > Flat White

As two classic milk coffees, latte and cappuccino typically use regular espresso as their base, as they don't emphasize excessive espresso extraction but rather showcase the amount and usage of milk.

The greatest characteristic of Flat White is being able to directly taste the rich aroma carried by the crema and experience the perfect fusion of hot milk and coffee, so espresso extraction cannot be neglected in the slightest. For the Flat White base, FrontStreet Coffee uses double ristretto espresso, taking only the front and middle segments—extracting 30g of coffee liquid from 20g of coffee grounds in 22-25 seconds. This creates a milk coffee that is fuller in both aroma and mouthfeel.

2. Milk Proportion: Latte > Flat White > Cappuccino

I believe everyone has heard that "latte" comes from the Italian word "Latte," meaning milk. As the name suggests, in "Caffe Latte," milk is the protagonist. Compared to other milk coffees, latte has the highest milk proportion, making it noticeably sweeter. For example, FrontStreet Coffee uses double espresso (about 40g) as base and adds 240ml of fresh milk for hot latte. At the same time, because latte has higher flavor compatibility, we can also add different flavored ingredients during preparation to create more layered coffee.

In comparison, Flat White uses milk to highlight the coffee flavor—coffee is the protagonist, milk is just auxiliary, so the proportion cannot be too large. When FrontStreet Coffee uses a 200ml coffee cup for preparation, after accounting for 27-30g of double ristretto espresso, the remaining space is filled with 160ml of warm fresh milk.

As for the other "veteran" cappuccino, there's a widely circulated saying that the ratio of coffee, milk, and foam should be 1:1:1. However, because the foam thickness made this way is about 2.5cm, the first few sips are almost all foam, and the coffee underneath is not only strong but particularly bitter, so baristas make appropriate adjustments. FrontStreet Coffee still uses 200ml straight-walled ceramic cups for cappuccino. To leave some space for foam, we add 140-150g of frothed fresh milk to 40g of double espresso.

3. Foam Thickness: Cappuccino > Latte > Flat White

Considering that cappuccino needs to have the "hamburger" characteristic, our first action when frothing is to incorporate a lot of air—both to give the coffee a rich foam layer and ensure enough time to make it dense. To present the rounded shape where foam rises above the cup rim, FrontStreet Coffee creates at least 1.5cm thickness for cappuccino. However, because foam in this state has poor fluidity, we don't create overly complex patterns but simply push out a large white heart or circle to finish.

Thanks to the large proportion of milk, latte is typically served in wide-mouthed ceramic coffee cups. Therefore, when we control the foam thickness to a smooth state of 0.5-1cm, it not only helps with even integration with coffee but also allows for better creation of various exquisite patterns due to the larger space. (PS: The piccolo latte, known as "small latte," also maintains foam thickness within the 0.5-1cm range.)

As for Flat White, because the drinker should finish it while the coffee is in its most perfect state, it cannot be too hot, too thick, but must be dense. If cappuccino and latte seek the "softness" brought by strong airiness, then Flat White pursues a silky "smoothness."

FrontStreet Coffee wants customers to experience a Flat White that is cream-smooth without being too "watery." We retain a 0.3cm foam layer to integrate with the espresso for latte art and control the temperature between 50-55°C, making it easier to drink.

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