What Is a Flat White? How to Make a Flat White Coffee
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Mar 11, 2024 • 2 min read
Learn how to make a flat white, one of the most popular coffee drinks in Australia and New Zealand.
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What Is a Flat White Coffee?
A flat white is an Australian coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. It differs from Italian espresso drinks like the cappuccino in that the milk is much less frothy; the flat white instead involves espresso topped with a layer of velvety microfoam. Ideal for showing off a barista's latte art, the top layer of foam is flat and far less foamy than an Italian cappuccino, macchiato, or latte. Likely developed sometime around the 1960s, the flat white became very popular in third-wave American specialty coffee shops due to its velvety texture.
Flat White vs. Latte: What’s the Difference?
There are a few differences between these similar-looking coffee drinks.
- Amount of milk: Much like a cortado, a flat white is made with less milk than a caffè latte. Its proportions of warm milk and espresso are typically similar to a cappuccino, although the amount of coffee and milk can vary between coffee shops.
- How it’s served: A flat white is typically served in a small ceramic cup. New Zealanders serve their flat whites in tulip cups, which are also smaller than those used for lattes.
- Type of froth: At first glance, a flat white may look like a small latte, but the distinctive feature of the flat white is its flat, thin layer of microfoam. Because the foam bubbles are small, the milk foam can blend easily with the crema of the espresso, making for a rich, velvety mouthfeel.
Simple Flat White Coffee Recipe
makes
prep time
10 mintotal time
12 mincook time
2 minIngredients
- 1
Fill a stainless steel frothing pitcher half full of milk.
- 2
Warm up a cappuccino cup or small ceramic mug by filling it with boiling water.
- 3
Grind the coffee beans using a burr grinder and tamp them down into the portafilter. Place the portafilter in the espresso machine.
- 4
Pour the hot water out of the cappuccino cup and set it under the portafilter. Pull a double shot of espresso into the cappuccino cup.
- 5
Steam the milk. Release a tiny bit of steam into a rag or sponge to clear the wand of any residue. Insert the steam wand into the center of the frothing pitcher. Keeping the wand submerged, steam until the temperature of the milk is about 150 degrees Fahrenheit or the outside of the pitcher is warm to the touch.
- 6
When you are done steaming, tap the pitcher on the counter and swirl it until the foam bubbles look small and shiny.
- 7
Slowly pour the milk on top of the espresso. (You will likely have leftover milk.) Serve immediately.
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