Coffee Classics: Flat White (Australia/New Zealand)

The flat white was born somewhere between Australia and New Zealand — a friendly rivalry neither side ever intends to resolve. Both claim the drink began as a rebellion against overly foamy cappuccinos in the 1980s. Baristas wanted something truer to espresso, truer to the bean, and truer to the clean café culture emerging in the region.

Thus came the flat white — a drink where the espresso leads and the milk follows. No mounds of foam, no theatrics, just silky microfoam merging seamlessly into a double shot. It became the drink of early surfers, young artists, and morning commuters drifting through sunlit cafés.

A flat white tastes like the coast at dawn: warm, soft, gently powerful.
It asks for no attention, yet you remember it long after the cup is empty.

Ingredients

• 18–20 g espresso (double shot)

• 120 ml cold milk

Equipment Needed

• Espresso machine

• Milk pitcher

• Burr grinder

• Tamper

• Flat white cup (150–165 ml)

Method

1. Pull a double shot of espresso into a preheated cup.

2. Steam cold milk until barely stretched — less foam than a latte, more silk than a cappuccino.

3. Swirl the pitcher to integrate microfoam.

4. Pour steadily into the centre of the espresso, allowing the crema to rise to the surface.

5. Serve immediately.

Notes

• A flat white should feel denser than a latte, lighter than a cortado.

• The hallmark is the velvety microfoam — creamy, not airy.

• Best with medium or medium-light espresso roasts that preserve clarity.