If you haven’t had much experience with drinking coffee, the choices available at a cafe can be overwhelming. If you’re unsure of the different kinds of coffee drinks, you may want to just ask for a plain black coffee to avoid feeling embarrassed when speaking with the barista. One might ponder what the dissimilarity is between flat white and latte.
Baristas generally enjoy giving out advice and teaching people to enjoy coffee. Two staples often seen on café menus are lattes and flat whites. Exploring the nuances of both milk and espresso mixed together can be helpful for figuring out which beverage suits you best.
What is a latte?
A latte, which has its roots in Italy, is sometimes referred to as a caffé latte. This beverage is a well-known one in the coffee industry, and pretty much any cafe around the globe stocks it.
Be mindful to differentiate between a latte and a café au lait made with brewed coffee. Café au lait is not as strong as lattes and flat whites since it does not include espresso.
A latte consists of espresso mingled with steamy milk and has a layer of velvety foam on top. This beverage can be prepared either as a warm beverage or an icy drink in a tall glass, based on your choice. At least two-thirds of a latte will be steamed milk, with the remaining one-third being espresso. A latte can be large and made with substantial amounts of milk, thus influencing its strength unless the customer requests an additional espresso shot.
The amount of foam in a latte is subject to individual preference. Some people prefer their lattes to be silky, while others enjoy the thick foam on top. Even though there are differences between each latte, it typically contains more foam than a flat white and less than a traditional Italian cappuccino.
A latte is suitable for making free pour latte art, namely the pleasurable swirly pattern seen on the surface of the beverage. Experienced baristas create pictures in coffee beverages by pouring warm, frothed milk in multiple layers and connecting the lines using a spoon or rod. There are classic designs like hearts and flowers that typically appear in latte art, but the abilities of the barista preparing the coffee can create a vast range of potential designs.
What is a flat white?
A beverage made up of espresso that first appeared in Australian and New Zealand coffee stores is referred to as a flat white. Thanks to Starbucks, it has gained more international recognition.
A flat white could easily be confused with a small latte, however they are not one and the same. Flat whites are brewed with espresso rather than the drip-style coffee used for other drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. A flat white typically contains two shots of espresso, while lattes usually just have one unless you request a double.
The most distinct distinction between a flat white and a latte is the proportion of coffee to milk. A flat white has the same amount of steamed milk atop it as a latte does, but the beverage has a darker and more intense color since a reduced amount of milk was added in. The most it should be is two parts milk for every one part espresso. A flat white is served in a small cup of roughly six ounces (180 milliliters) that holds a smaller amount of liquid.
A flat white is known for its strong, robust flavor, as it is made with a double portion of espresso and only a minimal amount of milk. Compared to a latte, its taste is more powerful. At Starbucks, the flat white is made with ristretto shots, which are more concentrated than normal espresso shots.
The surface of a flat white is not frothy, hence its name. Instead of dividing the milk and froth, the espresso is mixed with a combination of the milk and microfoam prior to being poured. It permits a small amount of crema to go up to the top.
Flat White Recipe
The flat white recipe is a beverage in between a latte and a cappuccino, and to prepare it you need:
- 1/3 espresso typically one shot of a normale espresso, or two shots of ristretto
- 2/3 microfoam steamed milk
The texture of the milk is key here, the milk is steamed in such way that there is no dry foam
Since the milk in a flat white is carefully aerated and not topped with a thick layer of foam like a cappuccino, the process of making art on a coffee is achievable. This may account for why people mix up the flat white and the latte.
Flat white vs. latte: which is better?
Many see lattes as just a hot drink comprised of milk and coffee, so it would be the optimal choice for anyone who greatly enjoys warm milk. A latte typically contains either whole or 2% milk and has a visible partition between the liquid and foamy components. Your barista may be willing to accommodate you if you request a non dairy alternative like soy milk or almond milk, however, the final product won’t be as satisfactory.
Alternatively, a flat white requires semi-skimmed milk that is heated and frothed, before stirring to create a velvety consistency and eliminating large air pockets. The consequence of the drink being made is that it has a velvety consistency and a creamy feel, but only a light coating of microfoam.
If you don’t really care for dairy, you may prefer a flat white to a latte. Replacing Dairy Milk with Non-Dairy Milk is preferable since there is only a need for a small amount of foam for a flat white.
If you don’t want to have dairy, apart from choosing between flat white and latte, you may want to consider ordering an Americano with no milk. A macchiato, according to its Italian roots, is signified by the phrase “marked” due to the small splash of steamed milk it contains. It is made with less milk than what is used to make a flat white. Nevertheless, Starbucks has taken the macchiato in a different direction.
An aspect that must be taken into account when contrasting the flat white and latte is their respective sizes. An ordinary latte will contain 12 or more ounces (360 milliliters) of fluid in total, while a typical flat white has a total of between 6 to 8 ounces (180 to 240 milliliters) of liquid. The precise volume of each beverage is subject to the discretion of your barista, taking into account the amount of froth they add before giving it to you.
What is the Difference between Latte, Cappuccino, Flat white and Mocha?
The primary distinction between latte, cappuccino and flat white lies in the amount of espresso added to the milk, as well as the kind of frothy milk added.
Baristas often joke about how you can produce an array of drinks just with milk and espresso. It can be stated that the combination of various proportions of the two elements plus diverse methods of frothing the milk are the components that influence the flavor and sensation of the resulting drinks.
Types of Textured Milk
The four varieties of textured milk are foamy milk, vaporized milk, microbubble milk, and boiled milk.
- Frothed milk is foamy, and contains mostly air.
- Steamed milk is heated with the steaming wand, but the purpose is just to get warm milk, and not to texturize it.
- Microfoam milk is steamed but with the purpose to incorporate air in it in a way that keeps it fluid enough.
- Scalded milk is just heated milk.
Be aware that there is often confusion between frothed milk and steam-heated milk, even among baristas.
Why Are Espresso Drinks Popular?
Espresso and drinks which contain milk can be beneficial for those with a delicate digestive system as the milk reduces the strength of the coffee. Drinks that contain caffeine, like latte, mocha, and cappuccino, are a great way to mix up the normal daily coffee routine or to serve at special events.
Some coffee drinkers may find the strong taste of an espresso overwhelming, so they may mix in some milk to make it more enjoyable.
Cappuccino vs Flat White, vs Latte vs Mocha
Here are the major differences between latte, cappuccino, flat white and mocha:
| Drink | Recipe | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino | 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 foamed milk | The espresso is toned down with milk, but the coffee taste is still featured. |
| Latte | 1/6 espresso, 4/6 steamed milk, 1/6 foamed milk | This is a milk-based drink with just a little coffee. |
| Mocha | 2/5 espresso, 2/5 chocolate, 1/5 steamed milk | A strong coffee with a chocolate flavor. |
| Flat White | 1/3 espresso, 2/3 frothed milk | Very similar to a cappuccino, but the milk is micro-foamed and it doesn’t have the dry foam top. |
Can You Make Latte and Cappuccino at Home?
An ESPRESSO MACHINE is the classic way to prepare espressos. This is what you will be purchasing from a café. If you’d like to eliminate your need for a barista, you can make a latte in your own home with less expensive apparatus. But know that the taste will be different. We have a post outlining the specifics of what an espresso is, as well as another post that demonstrates the distinctions between espresso and regular coffee.
Do We Need an Espresso Machine?
An espresso machine is used to make lattes and cappuccinos. Different preparations are employed for lattes because the quantity of milk can sometimes overpower the taste of coffee. Genuine espresso is the optimal selection for a genuine cappuccino. Pump-driven espresso machines are the only way to achieve an authentic espresso flavor.
The steam wand of an espresso machine is the right tool to froth the milk correctly. The steam wand pumps air into the milk while it is being heated, so the amount of air mixed in will affect the texture and, in turn, the flavour of your finished espresso beverage.
You need to have the appropriate devices if you desire to acquire the genuine flavor. Even if you are on a tight budget, you can still acquire a budget-friendly espresso maker. These devices feature a device to steam milk and a nine bar pressure pump, and they offer an acceptable level of dependability.
What Is Cappuccino
Cappuccino is an Italian-style beverage that is composed of 1/3 espresso, 1/3 heated milk, and 1/3 wet and frothy milk. The distinction between a latte and a cappuccino is the quantity of milk used. A latte has a higher milk content than a cappuccino, which is a more robust coffee. The amount of coffee to the amount of milk in a cappuccino is usually about 1 to 1.5; since frothed milk is increased in quantity when compared to heated milk. Cappuccino has a flavorful and intense flavor similar to that of espresso, but the addition of steamed milk helps to mellow it out.
A cappuccino is a much more potent beverage than a latte. You can detect the espresso flavors since the amount of milk and espresso is almost equal. (The milk froth is negligible as quantity.)
Cappuccino Recipe
A standard cappuccino should contain:
- 1 shot of espresso, (cannot be instant or drip coffee).
Cappuccino is not drenched in milk so that the espresso is the featured taste. - 1 oz steamed milk
- 1 oz microfoamed milk
To make a cappuccino, combine the same amount of hot espresso and milk that has been steamed and frothed.
A dry cappuccino is one that has an abundant amount of dry foam, and less of the heated milk. An interesting variation is the bone dry cappuccino. A wet cappuccino is one where all the frothy milk is changed out with heated milk.
Mocha Cafe
Mocha coffee consists of a combination of two parts espresso, two parts hot chocolate, and one part steamed milk, giving it a robust and rich chocolatey taste. Mocha breve is a combination of one part espresso, one part hot chocolate, and one part half & half cream.
Mocha coffee can generally be a powerful drink, with minimal amounts of milk. We can compare it to a flat white and a cappuccino from this point of view. From a flavor standpoint, mocha is a delightful combination of coffee and chocolate. A flavor so luxurious that it evokes the sweetness of a dessert without any added sugar.
Mocha Coffee Recipe
Mocha is a type of coffee bean that has a natural cocoa-like taste. These coffee beans originate in Mocha – Yemen. To increase the chocolate flavor, baristas have incorporated a dash of chocolate into their mocha recipe. Comparing latte and mocha, latte is a delicate beverage, with relatively few coffee grounds per ounce of milk, unlike mocha, which is more powerful than a cappuccino.