Flat white vs cappuccino vs latte: the real difference

Every milk coffee on our board starts in the same place: a shot of illy and a jug of steamed milk. What changes is how much milk goes in, how much air is in it, and so how much of the coffee you actually taste. Here is the short version.

Flat white: the most coffee

Ours is a double ristretto under a thin, glossy layer of steamed milk. A ristretto is a short shot, pulled with less water than a normal espresso, which makes it sweeter and more concentrated. The milk is steamed with very little air, so it stays silky rather than foamy, and there is not much of it.

The result is a small, smooth drink where the coffee leads. If you like to taste the espresso but do not want it on its own, start here.

Cappuccino: the most texture

The classic is one third espresso, one third steamed milk and one third foam. That thick cap of foam is the point: the first sip is light and airy, and the coffee comes through underneath. It is a smaller drink than a latte, and in Italy it is strictly a morning one. We will happily make you one at four in the afternoon.

Latte: the most milk

A latte is long, soft and milky: an espresso topped up with plenty of steamed milk and finished with a thin layer of foam. It is the gentlest of the three, and the one that works best with a syrup if you take one. We have caramel, pistachio, vanilla, sugar-free vanilla and hazelnut.

The quick way to choose

• Coffee first: flat white.
• Light and frothy: cappuccino.
• Mild, creamy, maybe with a syrup: latte.
• Something sweeter: a mocha, which is espresso, chocolate and steamed milk.

What about the milk?

Every one of these comes with almond, oat, coconut or soya milk at no extra charge. Oat steams closest to whole milk, so if you are switching for the first time, that is the one we would suggest for a flat white. Every coffee also comes in a regular or a large.

Prices for all of them are on the menu, and if a milk coffee is your daily habit, have a look at what the club costs.