Flat White Coffee Advantages and Disadvantages
Hey! Heard you staring at your menu in the local coffee shop, being totally overwhelmed by the number of options on there. And there it is, all these amazing drinks with their weird and wonderful names but one simple decision – Flat white or something new. Well, don’t worry, you are most definitely not the only one and it’s actually quite simple to compare a flat white, latte and cappuccino as even those who love their morning caffeine fix. It all looks pretty similar to the eye of the common coffee drinker, but it’s not. Sometimes you might get a friend in who doesn’t seem quite himself and you can’t seem to work out why. But, you don’t need to be a barista to know the answer, just look at the mixture of the cup size, milk, froth and coffee to see how they all work together to make a flat white, a latte or a cappuccino.
First, Let’s Bust a Myth:
Let’s get into the flat white, caffè latte and cappuccino. As we said, they’re not quite as different as you think – the whole thing is built on the same shots of espresso. The difference is in the milk and how it’s used, which is kind of a big deal! It’s similar to making a cuppa tea: one person might just pop the tea in their mug and add a splash of milk, while the other might pour the milk into the pot and make tea that way.
What Is a Flat White coffee?
And if you ever do find yourself in Australia, the choice is clear: It’s a flat white! A staple of hipster and professional go-getters heading to work, it’s all about simple, smooth espresso. So what’s in a flat white? Double shot of espresso with microfoam (that’s steamed milk, made to a foamy consistency). It’s not a completely milky drink like a typical frothy cappuccino, but instead, the milk and espresso are blended together smoothly. A good flat white has a punchy flavor of coffee complemented by the comforting sweetness of the milk, with a consistency that should be silky, rather than watery or foamy. If you’re happy with just a single shot of espresso but still want the nice, latte-like touch of milk, then a flat white is for you! Just keep in mind that even the flat white varies from barista to barista – you might end up with a double shot, depending on cup size or your caffeine needs.
What Is a Latte Coffee?
If you like something a bit more mild then a caffè latte could be the one. Both the flat white and the latte will use espresso shots and steamed milk, the differences between them are their ratios. While a flat white contains the milk-espresso blend in a similar proportion, the more common caffè latte contains more milk, with a layer of very lightly microfoam at the top of the drink. What does that mean? Well, you end up with an ultra-smooth cup of milk with a lovely subtle hit of espresso which isn’t in your face and is quite mild and a lot less intense than a flat white. If you want to taste some espresso flavor in your milk and don’t like pure black coffee then a caffè latte is a perfect choice for you! It is also a lot more fun with added flavored syrups! Why choose a caffè latte? If you are a milk lover and you love to be overpowered by the taste of milk, maybe you’re new to coffee, you want a larger size of coffee, you find black coffee a bit too intense and too strong, or simply you love to taste milk in your coffee then the caffè latte is your best friend. Is a latte weaker than a flat white? Not really. Both lattes and flat whites could be made with the same amount of espresso shots, so caffeine-wise the difference isn’t much. However, because there is more milk in a caffè latte then, the powerful taste of espresso will be less obvious.
What Is a Cappuccino Coffee?
Now here’s where it gets a bit more fun, but still remains quite tasty! Cappuccino is the easiest of the three to recognize. An Aussie style cappuccino boasts a copious amount of milk foam. An Australian-style cappuccino is often served with a layer of espresso, followed by a layer of steamed milk, and a layer of even thicker foam (this is thicker than a flat white or caffè latte). Some coffee shops might add a dusting of chocolate powder on top, but that’s not a requirement. So what’s a cappuccino like? It’s quite an odd one, as it boasts a thick foam layer. The top layer is a thick foam and then you’ll taste that thick, bubbly milk layer. Then the espresso and liquid milk are below this layer. It’s a lighter drink, but you still get your coffee hit, just in a different way, and if there’s chocolate powder dusted in there, then you’re getting a bit of chocolatey flavor too! Who should go for this one? If you love a foamy cappuccino style coffee with a lot of foam, love the foam/coffee contrast, enjoy the dusting of chocolate powder, want that good Aussie café taste, and want to be able to enjoy a spoon of chocolate dust, then this is for you!
Breathe in. Sit back and relax! However, you should go about it, sip by sip and have a blast on your coffee adventure!