As the concentrated espresso is diluted more and more, its famed body, texture and intense flavours becomes less and less obvious to the coffee drinker, as milk flavours will crowd it out somewhat. Much like diluting with hot or cold water, espresso coffee’s flavours can be diluted by milk, either hot or cold.

Here, the traditional coffee to milk ratio is altered drastically which dilutes the richness of the drink. The flat white served in large-scale chain coffee shops is usually deemed to be non-traditional as its size can sometimes be around 10oz. It traditionally comes in a small size only (5oz-6oz), much smaller than typical cappuccinos and lattes. Air bubbles should be barely visible to the coffee drinker when perfectly made. This results in silky, textured milk containing tiny air bubbles. This microfoam is made up of steamed milk which is gently infused with air.

The flat white coffee is an espresso-based coffee drink accompanied with steamed milk and microfoam. Originating from Australia or New Zealand, depending on who you talk to, it is now filling menus in coffee shops around the world – but what makes a flat white a flat white?! What is a flat white coffee?

The flat white is the new kid on the block when it comes to coffee.

Flat white