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Flat white vs latte: what's the difference?

A flat white is smaller and stronger-tasting than a latte. Both are espresso with steamed milk, but a flat white has about half the milk and only a thin, flat layer of foam, while a latte is a tall cup with a centimetre of foam on top.

The differences

Size: a flat white is usually 150–180 ml; a latte is 240–350 ml.
Milk: about 120 ml in a flat white against 200 ml or more in a latte, so the coffee comes through much more in a flat white.
Foam: a flat white has a thin layer of microfoam, about 5 mm; a latte has about 1 cm.
Shot: both usually take a double shot. Some cafés use a double ristretto in a flat white for extra sweetness.

A flat white

Flat white

Less milk and a thinner layer of foam than a latte. Many Melbourne cafés use a double ristretto; here that makes a magic.

How the café in Cuppology builds it

Start with a hot cup.
Pour in the espresso: 30 ml.
Pour in the silky microfoam: 110 ml.

What the café accepts as a flat white

Shot: ristretto or espresso or lungo
Coffee 18–90 ml
Milk 80–170 ml
Foam under 16 mm
Milk 40–75 °C

A latte

Latte

The milkiest of the three: lots of steamed milk and about a centimetre of foam, often served in a glass.

How the café in Cuppology builds it

Start with a hot cup.
Pour in the espresso: 30 ml.
Pour in the silky microfoam: 200 ml.

What the café accepts as a latte

Shot: ristretto or espresso or lungo
Coffee 18–90 ml
Milk 170–320 ml
Foam under 16 mm
Milk 40–75 °C

Which should you order?

Pick a flat white if you like tasting the coffee with a smooth, silky texture. Pick a latte if you want something milder and longer to sip.

Make both in Cuppology →

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