A flat white is a small espresso drink with a little steamed milk and a thin, silky foam, so the coffee tastes stronger than in a latte. Flat white coffee comes from Australia and New Zealand.
It's one of the types of coffee built on espresso and milk, with a bolder coffee taste than a latte.
What is a flat white coffee?
A flat white is a double shot of espresso with about twice as much steamed milk and a thin layer of silky microfoam, served in a small cup. With less milk than a latte, the coffee comes through more clearly. It feels smooth, and the top stays thin and glossy.
Microfoam is steamed milk with very fine bubbles, so it feels velvety and smooth. The name comes from how it was ordered. In Australia and New Zealand, coffee with milk is a "white coffee", and "flat" meant it came with steamed milk and very little foam.
Where the flat white comes from
Australia and New Zealand both claim the flat white. An Australian café owner says he first put the name on a menu in the 1980s, and a New Zealand barista says he invented it when a cappuccino didn't froth properly.
Flat white coffee recipe
For one cup:
- A double shot of espresso
- About 100 ml of milk
- A small cup, 150–200 ml
That's about one third espresso and two thirds milk, as in BBC Good Food's flat white recipe.
How to make a flat white at home
With an espresso machine:
- Pull a double shot into a small cup.
- Steam about 100 ml of cold milk until it's hot, about 60°C, letting in only a little air so the foam stays fine and thin.
- Tap the jug on the counter and swirl it until the milk looks glossy.
- Pour steadily into the middle of the cup, finishing close to the surface, so a thin layer of foam sits on top.
Without a machine, use strong moka pot coffee, or 2 tsp of instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp of hot water. Heat the milk and froth it only briefly, in a French press, a shaken jar or with a handheld frother, so it stays silky. It's hard to get true microfoam without a steam wand, so the result will be closer to a small latte. It's still a good, strong milky coffee.
Flat white vs latte vs cappuccino
In flat white vs cappuccino, the difference is mostly the foam. Here's how all three compare:
| Drink | Milk | Foam | Cup | Taste |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat white | about twice the espresso | thin microfoam | small (150–200 ml) | strongest coffee taste of the three |
| Latte | about three times the espresso | thin foam | large | mildest, creamiest |
| Cappuccino | about the same as the espresso | thick, about a third of the drink | small | strong and foamy |
If you want more milk and a gentler cup, a latte is the next step up. For how the other two compare, see cappuccino vs latte.
Flat white FAQs
Is a flat white the strongest coffee?
No. Espresso on its own is stronger. Among milk drinks, the flat white tastes strongest because it has the least milk, but its caffeine is the same as a latte made with the same shots.
Is a flat white stronger than a cappuccino?
They're similar. Both are small drinks with a double shot. The flat white has more milk and less foam, so it tastes smoother, and with the same shots neither has more caffeine. Here's more on the cappuccino.
What's the difference between a cortado and a flat white?
A cortado is espresso cut with an equal amount of steamed milk, with little or no foam. A flat white has about twice as much milk as espresso and a thin layer of microfoam.
Try one
If you like a latte but want to taste the coffee more, order a flat white next time.