Flat White
A double espresso with steamed milk textured to a thin microfoam, served in a small cup. It is stronger and less foamy than a latte and smoother than a cappuccino.
Espresso and milkServed hotFrom Australia
- Volume
- 165ml5.6 US fl oz
- Espresso
- 2shots
- Caffeine
- 127mgderived, USDA FDC
- Coffee to milk
- 1:1.8
The build
Watch it made, step by step- Espresso60 ml36%
- Milk100 ml61%
- Foam5 ml3%
- Volume
- 165ml
- Caffeine
- 127mg
- Espresso
- 2shots
Scales every component together, so the ratio holds; caffeine scales with the coffee.
A double shot in a 150-180 ml cup with milk textured to a thin, glossy microfoam. Versus a latte: smaller cup, higher coffee-to-milk ratio, and far less foam; versus a cappuccino: no thick foam cap.
Caffeine
Derivedin a 165 ml flat white
USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy caffeine per 100 g scaled to the coffee volume in components, assuming 1 g per ml. FDC 171891 (Beverages, coffee, brewed, espresso, restaurant-prepared) 212.0 mg/100 g x 60 ml.
USDA FoodData Central record 171891 · read 2026-10-26
A derived figure: the reference food's caffeine per 100 g scaled to the coffee in this build. Real cups vary with the coffee, the dose and the shot.
Variants by country
3| Name | Country | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| flat white | New Zealand | New Zealand claims the drink originated in Wellington or Auckland in the 1980s. |
| flat white | United Kingdom | Became the signature drink of London's antipodean-run cafés in the 2000s. |
| flat white | United States | US chains added it in the mid-2010s with ristretto shots. |
History
Wikidata records Australia and New Zealand as countries of origin and espresso and microfoam as its parts. Competing 1980s origin stories from Sydney and Wellington are a matter of national pride and are not verified here.
Australia and New Zealand both claim it; Wikidata lists both.
Related drinks
Espresso with steamed milk and a cap of dense foam in a small cup. In Italy it is a morning drink of about 150 ml; abroad it has grown into a larger latte-like beverage.
Espresso and milk Wiener Melange 150 ml · 64 mgVienna's milk coffee: a long espresso with hot milk and foam in a large cup. The gentle heart of the Viennese coffee-house menu.
Espresso and milk Caffè Latte 240 ml · 64 mgEspresso with a large volume of steamed milk and a little foam, usually in a tall glass or wide bowl cup. It is the mildest and milkiest of the core espresso drinks.
Espresso and milk Latte Macchiato 250 ml · 64 mgSteamed milk in a tall glass with espresso poured through the foam, producing three layers. It is the inverse of the caffè macchiato: milk marked with coffee.
Espresso and milk Caffè Mocha 260 ml · 64 mgA latte with chocolate added, usually as syrup mixed with the espresso before the milk goes in. Toppings of whipped cream or cocoa are common.
Espresso and milk Cappuccino (US size) 355 ml · 127 mgThe American-sized cappuccino: a double shot under a large volume of steamed milk and foam in a 12 oz cup. The distinction from a latte is mostly the thicker foam layer.