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What Is a Flat White? How It Differs From a Latte
What is a flat white? A double espresso with silky microfoam. Learn how it differs from a latte, plus how to make one at home.
- By Sarah Chen
- 6 min read
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Quick answer
A flat white is a 6–7 oz drink: a double espresso with steamed milk textured into microfoam and mixed through the cup rather than sitting on top. At home, the thing that matters is a steam wand that textures milk finely.
What makes a flat white different?
The microfoam, mixed through the whole cup instead of sitting on top.
The surface stays level rather than domed, hence "flat". Microfoam is milk steamed with very little air, finished like glossy wet paint with no visible bubbles.
Flat white vs latte, cappuccino and cortado: what is the difference?
The difference is milk volume and where the foam sits.
| Drink | Milk | Foam and texture |
|---|---|---|
| Flat white | 4–5 oz | Microfoam throughout |
| Latte | 6–10 oz | 5–10 mm layer on top |
| Cappuccino | About 2 oz plus thick foam | Distinct dome |
| Cortado | 2 oz | Minimal microfoam |
Size: traditionally 6 oz (2 oz espresso, 4 oz milk). Many US cafés serve 7 oz; a 10–12 oz "flat white" is a latte. Foam is a thin 2–3 mm layer.
Head-to-heads: flat white vs cappuccino vs cortado, latte vs cortado, what is a cortado and what is a cappuccino.
What does a flat white taste like?
Silky first, then espresso, with a clean, gently sweet finish.
Origin notes are present but softer than in a cortado. Many cafés pull a shorter, ristretto-style shot, which adds sweetness so the milk does not overwhelm the espresso.
How do you make a flat white at home?
Five steps with a fine-texturing steam wand, a small ceramic cup and cold whole milk.
Warm. A 5.5–7 oz cup with hot water, then discard it.
Pull. A double shot into the cup (ristretto style: about 18g in, 28g out, 22–26 seconds).22–26 seconds
Steam. 120 ml (4 oz) of milk: wand tip at the surface for only 2–3 seconds, then submerge and finish at 60–63°C (140–145°F).2–3 seconds
Swirl. The pitcher to remove bubbles and get a uniform glossy texture.
Pour. Low with the spout close to the cup, firmly into the center, then finish with a simple heart.
What cup does a flat white come in?
A small ceramic cup, typically 5.5–7 oz.
The tulip shape, narrower at the base than the rim, is common in Australia and New Zealand and makes latte art easier than a wide bucket cup. Ceramic holds heat longer than paper.
Where does the flat white come from?
Australia and New Zealand, and both claim it.
Sydney credits Bar Coluzzi in the early 1980s and Auckland credits DKD from the same era; neither has definitive documentation. It began as a reaction against the cappuccino's thick, dry foam.
What makes the milk in a flat white different?
Thin microfoam and a stronger espresso base.
A flat white uses velvety microfoam, with less air than a cappuccino. Steam is applied briefly so the milk stretches only slightly, then spun into a whirlpool for a glossy, paint-like texture. This blends with the espresso rather than sitting on top of it.
The drink is served in a smaller cup, 5-6 oz, and uses a double shot, sometimes a ristretto, so the coffee flavour is stronger than in a latte. Australia and New Zealand both claim its origin.
Modern fixes and current best practice
Equipment and technique for a better home flat white.
- Use a double basket and a scale, and see how to dial in espresso.
- Steam with the tip near the surface for only a few seconds, then lower for the whirlpool.
- Use a 12 oz pitcher and whole milk for easy texture, or barista oat milk.
- Pre-infusion and PID temperature control help the shot hold up in milk.
- Pour with a low, close spout and swirl the pitcher before pouring to blend foam.
What is the standard flat white recipe?
A small cup, a double shot and very thin microfoam.
| Element | Typical choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cup size | About 150–180 ml (5–6 oz) | Keeps the espresso flavour strong |
| Espresso | Double shot, often ristretto | More body and sweetness through the milk |
| Milk texture | Velvety microfoam, about 0.5 cm on top | Blends fully with the espresso |
| Milk temperature | About 55–60°C (130–140°F) | Slightly cooler than a latte, for sweetness |
| Finish | Simple latte art | The thin foam suits fine patterns |
The ratio of coffee to milk is what makes a flat white different. With a double shot in a small cup, roughly a third of the drink is espresso, compared with a fifth or less in a latte. That is why a flat white tastes noticeably stronger even though it is still a milk drink.
Many cafés now serve flat whites in a slightly larger cup than the traditional size, which makes them closer to a small latte. If a café's flat white tastes milky, ask for it in a smaller cup or with a ristretto base.
How do you steam milk for a flat white?
Less air than a latte, and a long, smooth swirl.
Use about 100–120 ml of cold whole milk in a small pitcher.
Stretch only briefly, a couple of seconds, so the milk grows by around 10% at most.
Lower the tip slightly and let the milk spin in a whirlpool until it is glossy and warm.
Stop at about 55–60°C, swirl the pitcher, and tap it gently to remove any large bubbles.
Pour from a little height at first to mix into the espresso, then lower the pitcher to finish with a thin white layer or simple pattern.
The goal is milk with the texture of wet paint: no visible bubbles, a shiny surface and only a thin layer of foam. If your flat whites taste like small lattes, cut the stretch time; if they taste thin, check that the milk is whole and fresh. Our how to make a latte guide covers the basic steaming technique.
Plant milks need even less stretching for a flat white, as barista oat milk foams quickly. Stop stretching earlier and keep the milk a few degrees cooler so it stays silky.
How does a flat white compare with similar drinks?
Between a cortado and a latte in size and strength.
| Drink | Size | Milk texture | Taste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cortado | About 120 ml | Warm milk, little foam | Espresso-forward |
| Flat white | About 150–180 ml | Thin, velvety microfoam | Strong but smooth |
| Cappuccino | About 150–240 ml | Thick foam | Lighter, airy |
| Latte | 240 ml and up | Silky milk, thin foam | Mild, milky |
Cortado
- Size
- About 120 ml
- Milk texture
- Warm milk, little foam
- Taste
- Espresso-forward
Flat white
- Size
- About 150–180 ml
- Milk texture
- Thin, velvety microfoam
- Taste
- Strong but smooth
Cappuccino
- Size
- About 150–240 ml
- Milk texture
- Thick foam
- Taste
- Lighter, airy
Latte
- Size
- 240 ml and up
- Milk texture
- Silky milk, thin foam
- Taste
- Mild, milky
If a latte feels too milky but a cortado too small, a flat white is the natural middle ground. Our flat white vs cappuccino vs cortado guide compares the three side by side.
Which machine should you use at home?
You need a consistent 9 bar and a wand that textures milk to microfoam.
Quick decision guide
You want the simplest route to good microfoam
Start with the Bambino Plus and its automatic steam wand.
You want one machine that grinds and tamps for you
The Barista Express Impress has a built-in grinder.
You have a machine but a weak grinder
Upgrade the grinder first: the Baratza Encore ESP covers the grind range a flat white shot needs.
REVIEWED
Breville Barista Express Impress
Built-in grinder with Impress tamping: grind, tamp and pull a flat white shot with no separate equipment.
REVIEWED
Baratza Encore ESP
Reliable entry-level espresso grinder for dialling in the fine-medium grind a flat white's ristretto or double shot needs.
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More options: best espresso machines under $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you buy.
In flavor intensity, yes, but not in caffeine.
Both typically use a double shot (about 120–150 mg); the flat white simply has less milk.
Yes.
Barista-style oat milk can be textured into microfoam, though results vary by brand and it tastes sweeter than dairy.
Keep the milk cold and aerate only briefly.
Not exactly.
A moka pot plus a handheld frother gets close to the flavor, but not the espresso body or true microfoam.
Too much air during steaming.
Keep the wand tip at the surface only briefly, then submerge it and swirl.
If steam itself is weak, see steam wand not frothing milk.
Cafés sell them, but the defining silky microfoam is lost once milk is poured over ice.
It is closer to an iced latte.
It tastes stronger because it uses the same or a bigger espresso dose in less milk.
Caffeine depends on the number of shots, so a double-shot flat white and a double-shot latte contain similar caffeine.
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