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The Flat White Preparation

April 16, 2023

For many people, the Flat White looks like a classic cappuccino - it is prepared with espresso and frothed milk, and a good barista usually adds latte art decorations to it, and it also tastes similar to the well-known cappuccino.

We would like to show you the differences between a flat white and a cappuccino, how to prepare a good flat white and of course a bit about the history of this hip hot drink.

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The Flat White Preparation

Flat White - that means "flat white" in English. So no thick layer of milk foam, no milk cap, but a double espresso with fine-pored and perfectly foamed milk poured up to the rim of the cup. This is usually where the artistic design, known as latte art, takes place, and thus refines the delicious coffee experience. In comparison to the cappuccino, this is almost entirely in the foreground with the flat white - while a cappuccino consists mainly of milk and milk foam, the flat white focuses more on the coffee and espresso flavor - we'll show you what this looks like in detail in the preparation.

At the end of the 80s, the Flat White reached Europe after a long journey. The Flat White, now almost a standard drink in many cafes, originally came to us from Australia and New Zealand.

FLAT WHITE VS CAPPUCCINO

As already described, the focus when preparing the Flat White is on the coffee and espresso flavor. A double espresso and fine-pored, foamed milk are used, with only a thin layer of milk foam forming up to the edge of the cup.

With a cappuccino, the focus is clearly on the milk - a very big difference, and not just in terms of taste! During preparation, the milk is frothed extra vigorously in order to pour a thick layer of milk foam, usually over the rim of the cup.

Latte art can basically be used in both preparation methods, but looks much more elegant with a flat white, as it is much easier to pour with a thinner layer of milk foam.

Dark espresso roasts are usually used for a cappuccino so that a good and strong coffee taste remains recognizable despite the high milk content - classic Italian. Medium to dark espresso roasts are suitable for a flat white - especially nowadays, fruity notes can also be recognized in the flat white profile.

Flat White preparation - here's how!

The Flat White usually consists of a double espresso combined with finely frothed milk. The basic preparation is the same as for a cappuccino, but we would like to give you some of our tips and tricks to ensure that your Flat White preparation turns out well:

1. Prepare a double espresso

- Since the taste of the coffee is the main focus of the Flat White, it is recommended to try fruitier espressos and espressos with very special aromas. Medium to dark espresso roasts can definitely be used.

2. Froth the milk

- When making a flat white, make sure you choose milk with a high protein content. This makes it particularly creamy to froth and complements the double espresso perfectly.

- When preparing the milk, you should also make sure that you do not froth it too much. It should be frothed until it is creamy, fine-pored and slightly shiny.

3. Pouring the milk

- Of course, making a latte art on top of the double espresso is not a must - but it looks better! It is more important, however, that you make sure that no excessive milk foam gets into the cup when pouring the milk. A flat white only has a thin layer of milk foam, which should always move when the cup is moved and should be flush with the rim of the cup.

REVIEW - THE HISTORY OF CAPPUCCINO

There are many stories about the origin of the cappuccino - whether in Venice around 1720 or in Vienna in 1870. Cappuccino means "little cap", which developed from the milk cap that used to protrude well over the edge of the cup (see pictures below). Especially today, this milk cap is almost completely disappearing - because the focus these days is clearly on latte art.