What Is a Flat White? (And How It Differs from a Latte and Cappuccino)

A small espresso-based drink with a fine layer of steamed milk microfoam on the surface, representing the core characteristic of a flat white: a drink in which the ratio of coffee to milk is higher than a latte, the milk texture is fine and velvety rather than thick and foamy, and the total volume is smaller (approximately 150 to 160ml compared to 220 to 300ml for a standard latte) — The flat white is distinguished from a latte primarily by two factors: the espresso base is typically a double ristretto (a shorter, more concentrated pull that is sweeter and less bitter than a standard double espresso) and the total volume is approximately 150 to 160ml versus 220 to 300ml for a latte. The result is a drink where the coffee flavour is more prominent relative to the milk, making it particularly suitable for high-quality single-origin espresso where the coffee character is worth tasting clearly. (CC / Wikimedia Commons)

The flat white appeared on UK café menus in significant numbers from around 2010 to 2012, introduced primarily by Australian and New Zealand specialty coffee shops (Flat White in Soho, Lantana in Fitzrovia, Kaffeine in Fitzrovia) that opened in London and brought southern hemisphere coffee culture with them. By 2015, Starbucks had added the flat white to its UK menu, and by 2020 it was the third most ordered coffee drink in the UK behind the latte and cappuccino. The defining characteristics are small volume (approximately 150ml), high espresso-to-milk ratio, and velvet-fine microfoam rather than the thick foam layer of a cappuccino.

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The Three Drinks Compared

Drink	Espresso base	Total volume	Milk texture	Coffee intensity
Flat white	Double ristretto (30 to 36ml)	150 to 160ml	Very fine microfoam, almost no visible foam layer	Strong
Latte	Double espresso (40 to 60ml)	220 to 300ml	Fine microfoam; 5 to 10mm foam layer on surface	Mild to medium
Cappuccino	Double espresso (40 to 60ml)	150 to 190ml	Thick foam, approximately equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam	Medium to strong
Cortado	Double espresso (40 to 60ml)	80 to 100ml	Minimal microfoam; small volume of steamed milk	Very strong
Macchiato (latte macchiato)	Double espresso	120 to 150ml	Small amount of foam "staining" the espresso	Strong

The Ristretto Distinction

A ristretto (Italian: "restricted") is a shorter espresso pull: the same amount of coffee (18 to 20 grams) extracted with less water to produce approximately 18 to 22ml per shot versus 36 to 40ml for a standard espresso. The ristretto extracts more of the sweeter, fruit acid compounds from the coffee and less of the bitter, dry compounds extracted in the later stages of a standard pull. The result is a sweeter, more concentrated shot with a lower total volume.

Using a double ristretto as the flat white base (producing approximately 36 to 44ml total) means the coffee component is concentrated relative to the milk even in a small 150ml drink. The espresso-to-milk ratio in a flat white is approximately 1:3 (by volume); in a latte it is approximately 1:5 to 1:6. The higher ratio makes the flat white more sensitive to the quality of the espresso: a mediocre espresso in a latte is masked by milk dilution; in a flat white it is more apparent.

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Where Did the Flat White Come From?

The origin of the flat white is contested between Australia and New Zealand, both of which claim invention. The earliest documented use of the term appears in Australian cafés in the 1980s. The New Zealand claim (associated with the Wellington café scene of the 1980s and 1990s) centres on the drink's fine microfoam texture, which became central to the style of flat white associated with New Zealand's specialty café culture. The practical distinction from the Australian café tradition of "a small latte with less foam" is real but has been magnified by national competitive interest in the claim.

The flat white's spread to the UK occurred in two phases: independently operated specialty coffee shops (2009 to 2013) brought the format as part of a broader specialty coffee wave, followed by Starbucks UK (2010) and Costa UK (2012) adding it to mass-market menus. The Starbucks flat white uses a "Ristretto" espresso base and a smaller cup than their standard latte, making it relatively faithful to the original concept compared to the way other drinks have been scaled up for mass-market servings.

How to Make a Flat White at Home

Requirements: an espresso machine with a steam wand, whole milk (full-fat steams best), and freshly ground coffee. The method:

Grind 18 to 20 grams of coffee slightly finer than your standard espresso grind. Extract a double ristretto by running the extraction for approximately 20 to 22 seconds (shorter than a standard double espresso's 25 to 30 seconds), targeting a yield of approximately 30 to 36ml total volume.
Steam approximately 150 to 160ml of whole milk (the final volume of the drink will be around 150ml, including the espresso). Steam to a final temperature of 60 to 65°C, incorporating less air than for a cappuccino (only 2 to 3 seconds of "stretching" phase with the steam tip near the surface before submerging for the texturing vortex phase). The milk should be silky and fluid, not thick and foamy.
Pour the steamed milk into the espresso, holding back any excess foam with a spoon if necessary. The drink should have an almost flat surface of fine microfoam with no visible foam layer above the milk level.