Short answer
A flat white is a small milk coffee made with a double shot of espresso and steamed milk with a thin layer of silky microfoam. It is stronger and less foamy than a latte, and smaller than most cafe lattes.
A flat white is a small espresso-based drink made with a double shot of espresso and steamed milk that has been textured into thin, glossy microfoam. The result is smooth and strong, with a flat top instead of a tall foam cap. This guide explains what a flat white is, how it is made and how it compares with a latte.
What is a flat white?
A flat white is a coffee made from a double espresso and steamed milk with a thin layer of velvety microfoam, served in a small ceramic cup. The name comes from the flat, even surface of the milk, which has no mound of foam on top.
The drink is built so that the coffee still tastes of coffee. There is enough milk to soften the espresso, but not so much that the flavour disappears. Many people order it as a middle point between a macchiato and a latte.
Where does the flat white come from?
The flat white came out of Australian and New Zealand cafe culture, and both countries claim to have invented it. Accounts usually place its beginnings in the 1980s, and nobody has produced proof that settles the argument.
Whatever its origin, the drink spread worldwide through specialty coffee shops in the 2000s and 2010s. In Britain it moved from a few independent cafes to the menu of almost every coffee shop, and it now sits beside the latte and cappuccino as a standard order.
What is in a flat white?
A flat white contains two things: espresso and steamed milk. The usual build is a double shot of espresso with around 100 to 130 ml of milk, finished with a thin layer of foam about a centimetre deep or less.
- Espresso: typically a double shot, sometimes a ristretto double for a sweeter, more concentrated taste.
- Milk: usually whole milk, heated to about 60 to 65 °C so it is sweet but not scalded.
- Microfoam: milk with very fine bubbles, whisked in only briefly during steaming, which gives the glossy, paint-like texture.
Sizes vary between cafes, so the numbers above describe the common pattern rather than a rule. A flat white is almost always served in a cup of about 150 to 180 ml.
How is a flat white made?
A barista makes a flat white by pulling a double espresso, steaming milk so it holds a fine, glossy texture, and pouring the milk into the espresso in one smooth motion. The pour is what creates the thin layer of foam and often a small pattern on the surface.
- Grind and tamp the coffee, then pull a double shot of espresso into a warmed cup.
- Pour cold milk into a jug and place the steam wand just under the surface for a few seconds to add air.
- Lower the jug so the wand sits deeper and swirl the milk until it reaches roughly 60 to 65 °C.
- Tap the jug on the counter and swirl it to knock out large bubbles and keep the milk glossy.
- Pour the milk into the centre of the espresso, starting high and bringing the jug close to the cup to finish.
Most of the skill is in step 2. Too much air at the start gives a latte-style foam; too little leaves the milk thin and flat in the wrong way.
Flat white vs latte: what is the difference?
The difference between a flat white and a latte is the amount of milk and foam. A flat white is smaller with less milk and a thin layer of microfoam, while a latte is larger with more milk and a deeper, softer layer of foam.
| Feature | Flat white | Latte | Cappuccino |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical size | 150 to 180 ml | 240 to 350 ml | 150 to 180 ml |
| Espresso | Double shot | One or two shots | One or two shots |
| Milk | Steamed, a little | Steamed, a lot | Steamed, about a third |
| Foam | Thin microfoam | Light layer, about 1 cm | Thick, about a third of the cup |
| Taste | Strong, smooth | Mild, milky | Balanced, airy |
The practical difference is strength of flavour. Because the espresso is mixed with less milk, a flat white tastes more strongly of coffee than a latte of the same style, even when both contain the same number of shots.
How does a flat white compare with a cortado and a cappuccino?
A flat white has more milk than a cortado and less foam than a cappuccino. A cortado is a small cup of espresso cut with about an equal amount of warm milk, while a cappuccino carries a thick cap of foam.
Think of the three as steps on a ladder. A cortado is the smallest and strongest, a flat white sits in the middle, and a cappuccino is airier with a firmer foam. The cafe latte is at the milky end.
Why is it called a flat white?
The name describes the surface of the drink. Where a cappuccino has a raised dome of foam, a flat white has a flat, even layer of white microfoam across the top.
Some accounts also suggest the name separated the drink from the foamy, dry cappuccinos common in Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s, where the foam was stiff and the milk was often over-heated. The thin, wet microfoam of the flat white was the alternative. Reports differ on the details.
Can you make a flat white at home?
You can make a close version at home with strong coffee and well-textured milk. A flat white needs concentrated coffee, so an espresso machine is ideal, but a moka pot or an AeroPress brewed strong also works.
- Strong coffee: brew about 60 ml of strong coffee, similar to a double espresso.
- Milk: heat about 120 ml of whole milk to just under steaming hot, around 60 to 65 °C.
- Texture: use a handheld frother for a few seconds only, or shake the warm milk in a jar, until it looks glossy with tiny bubbles.
- Pour: tilt the cup and pour in a steady stream, finishing with the jug close to the surface.
The texture will not be exactly the same as a cafe version, but a small, strong cup with thin foam is the right target.
What does a flat white taste like?
A flat white tastes of espresso first, with a rounded sweetness from the steamed milk and a creamy but not heavy texture. The coffee is the main flavour, and the milk smooths it rather than hiding it.
Because the microfoam is thin, you taste the drink evenly from first sip to last. In a latte or cappuccino the foam arrives first and the coffee comes later, which makes the flat white feel more consistent.
Is a flat white on the Kozi Cafe menu?
Yes. The menu compiled for this guide lists a flat white among the coffees at Kozi Cafe, alongside a latte, a cappuccino, a macchiato and a mocha. No price is recorded, because the menu on listing sites is only available as images and prices were not readable.
This guide is independent and is not the cafe’s website. For hours before you go, see the hours and location page, and for the items recorded so far, see the menu page. For anything about the drink itself, such as milk options or shot size, ask the staff at the counter.
Common questions
Is a flat white stronger than a latte?
Usually yes in taste. A flat white has about the same espresso as a latte but much less milk, so the coffee flavour is more concentrated. The caffeine in the cup depends on the number of shots, not the name.
Where was the flat white invented?
Australia and New Zealand both claim it, and the dispute has never been settled. Most accounts place its rise in the 1980s, and it reached British cafes in the 2000s before becoming a standard order.
Can you make a flat white without a machine?
You can get close. Brew very strong coffee with a moka pot or AeroPress, then heat milk and whisk or froth it until smooth and glossy with no stiff foam. The texture will be close, though not identical.
How many shots are in a flat white?
Most cafes use a double shot, which is two shots of espresso. Some use a ristretto double, which is a shorter, sweeter pull of the same coffee. Ask the barista if the shot count matters to you.
What milk is best for a flat white?
Whole milk is the usual choice because it makes smooth microfoam. Oat and soya drinks made for baristas can also steam well. Skimmed milk tends to give a stiffer, drier foam.
Before you go, check the Kozi Cafe Glasgow guide for the current hours and the menu.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Kozi Cafe itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.