Flat white

The ingredients for a flat white and cappuccino are the same. Both contain coffee and milk. The difference lies in how they are made. Cappuccino is made with espresso and milk, whereas a traditional flat white is based on a double ristretto. Ristretto is a more concentrated espresso that is made with the same amount of coffee, but with less water. This is what gives a flat white its intense taste sensation.

A flat white can be made with an espresso machine that has a foam nozzle or with a fully automated coffee machine. First, pour a double ristretto into the cup. If you don’t like very strong coffee, use a double espresso or a single ristretto.

Then comes the milky froth that is mixed with a little air. This keeps the consistency less dense and the foam pores very fine. Another word for this is microfoam. Incidentally, the same microfroam is used for cappuccino: it is the second of the three layers and is topped by an airy cappuccino. A flat white only has two layers, it doesn’t have the stiff foam crown of a cappuccino.

Not only are cappuccino and flat white made differently, but they also have different origins. Some even claim that the flat white was the result of a failed cappuccino. Whilst it is common knowledge that cappuccino comes from Bella Italia, it is a little know fact that the flat white comes from Down Under. After the Second World War, Italians emigrated to Australia and craved after their native coffee culture.

The British, who also lived in Australia, were not that skilled in the art of making coffee. They made cappuccino unceremoniously, as they did their tea with milk. We can only assume that the Italians were at first not very happy about this coffee creation. However, the flat white was constantly refined over time. Today, the Australians are proud of their hot drink that is growing in popularity all over the world.