What Is Flat White Coffee And How To Make A Cup Of Flat White Coffee?

What is flat white coffee?

A flat white coffee is often mistaken with a café latte due to it rich milk consistency. The difference between the two is that the flat white contains more coffee than milk and is served in smaller quantity, unlike the café latte which is usually served in a rather large glass. Steamed milk is added to one or two shots of espresso, but the foam at the top of the vessel is retained in favor to the more liquid part. The resulting mixture is called a “flat white” and it is originally served as a small (approximately 150ml) drink, having a creamy, uniform composition. It is a type of coffee that originated in Australia and New Zealand and gained popularity in the early 80’s.

It has earned the name “flat white” due to the uniform, thin layer of milk foam at the top, which cannot be separated since it blends together with the coffee. It is known for its rather sweet taste, which is obtained by steaming the milk at medium heat, thus preserving its properties. This is a different recipe from that of café latte, which is prepared with milk steamed and frothed at a higher temperature. The espresso beans used for the preparation of a flat white are also different from other Italian coffee beverages. The beans are roasted less, thus resulting in a flavored but not bitter taste in the flat white.

The increasing popularity of the flat white coffee earned a place in the menus of cafes and bars all over the world, especially in big cities like London, Berlin or New York, where drinking coffee has become a trend. Coffee shops like the famous Starbucks have also incorporated the flat white into their list of coffee specialties, although the original recipe for preparing it is not entirely preserved.

How to make a cup of flat white coffee?

The flat white is prepared following a simple recipe and it is a type of coffee that can also be made at home in your kitchen. The first thing you need to do is buy some fat milk (2% will be the minimum) and let it chill for about a quarter of an hour. The heavier the milk, the better the taste of the coffee will be, since the fat will add softness to the overall taste. After chilling the milk, start heating it on the stove while continuously whisking.

You don’t want to stop whisking until the milk is steamed, because this will prevent the milk from foaming. After the milk is ready, pour it over one or two shots of espresso (depending on your taste). The whole mixture should be made in a small cup (approx. 150ml) to help preserve the intense aroma of the drink, as suggested by the original recipe. It is also essential that the cup in which the drink is served to be made from ceramics, since this type of material has certain properties, adding a special flavor to the final taste of the flat white.