what is a flat white

What is a flat white? Coffee types explained

What is a Flat White?

A flat white is sometimes easiest to remember as a cappuccino without the stiff foam on top. It therefore has an espresso with hot milk on top. This milk is textured with plenty of micro foam. The milk to look at is thick and silky.

A flat white has a balance of milk and coffee and for people who are looking for a milk-based coffee that has a good strong coffee flavour.

A single or double shot of espresso is extracted and the textured milk with micro foam is poured in a way to retain the brown colour of the coffee. It’s called a flat white because it has less foam than a cappuccino. It’s a coffee with milk and hence the name, flat white.

Australia and New Zealand have been pioneers of the speciality coffee wave that has now spread around the world. There is a row between the two countries on who created or named the Flat White.

In some coffee shops, if you don’t find a Flat White, you can try a Cortado instead. For some purists, a flat white should be a ristretto with textured milk. But with no specific standards, the interpretation is down to the place where you have it.

Read our 20 types of coffee to know some more types of this popular caffeine drink. You may also want to read how to make coffee with a variety of coffee makers.