“After whether to have a cat or a dog, the second most tough decision in life is whether to have a flat white or macchiato coffee.” I sometimes find myself staring at the cafe’s wall for an hour to make such a decision. Does that happen to you?
Macchiato coffee and flat white both offer their unique taste and flavor. Especially, the flat white comes with four parts milk and a precise micro foam layer, while the macchiato comes with two parts espresso and one part milk.
In today’s article, we will try to help you out in finding the difference between a flat and a macchiato coffee. Also, when and where to have which.
The Process of Making a Flat White Coffee
Remember, the perfect flat white starts with a shot of a ristretto espresso. Here the espresso pulls the shot by utilizing half the normal amount of water, which gives you a richer coffee flavor. You may go for one or two shots.
Haul the ristretto shot.
Steam the whole milk as long as it doesn’t reach around 65 degrees Celsius and becomes creamy, velvet consistency.
Then pour the milk on the surface of your shot so that it spreads decoratively into the drink.
Serve in a beautiful ceramic mug.
To get the best result, get a coffee bean grinder and use cold also, fresh milk.
The Process of Making Macchiato Coffee
Well, this procedure requires quite a bit of science. In order to make classic macchiato, you are also going to need just two elements; one is espresso and the other milk.
You got to steam the milk; foam milk then layers with care.
Just brew one or two espresso shots and pour them into a small-sized glass.
Now, you need to steam a couple of ml of milk until it reaches at least 65 degrees Celsius of temperature.
Foam the milk until it reaches a sweet lathery equilibrium.
Blob a spoon full of espresso or as much as you need.
It depends on how mild you want the macchiato to be; you can try adding more steamed milk and sugar for extra taste.
Comparison between a Macchiato and Flat White
Yeah, I understand it could get really puzzling when it comes to choosing between two different flavors of coffee where both taste delicious. Well, come on, it’s not as complicated as people tend to make. Let us solve the puzzle for you.
First of all, you should know more about the type of coffee drinks it will help you understand the difference between a Macchiato and Flat White coffee.
Macchiato and flat white both present a prominent contrast. And the way they are displayed, the way they taste like, feel, and yeah, the most important taste is worlds apart. In traditional macchiato, you will see them in a glass where the layers are clearly visible.
Usually, the espressos layer is found right at the bottom, followed by a blob of frothed milk. In modern times you will find something different for instance, in latte macchiato, the milk is found in the bottom.
Different type of coffee in picture
In flat white, you are going to have more of a cappuccino or latte. Also, you may see a smooth, light caramel blend of espresso and milk. But if the real layers, you may or may not be able to make it look stylish.
Now, there is no doubt if you love coffee, then you will find both pretty alluring. However, the espresso milk proportion gives both of them a strong contrast.
If we compare them using espresso at one end and straight milk at the opposite when the macchiato leans a bit toward the espresso end, a flat white will lean a bit toward the milk.
Flat white turns out to be a bit stronger when compared to a latte. On the other hand, a macchiato gives a strong flavor of espresso, which is alleviated slightly by velvety steamed milk.
What are the Origins and History of Flat White Coffee?
It is true that many people think the concept of flat white came from Italy, but I hate to say this; it’s entirely wrong. Originally, it emerged from a coffee shop situated in Sydney. In the year 1985, a shop manager named Alan came up with a drink that almost mirrored the latte.
Well, excluding its characteristic, you know it has a flat film of micro-foam on the surface; and therefore, the name is flat white. The microfoam is just a dense version of foamed milk.
What are the Origins and History of Macchiato?
A typical macchiato is just a normal-espresso drink that was stained by milk. In Italy people, used to drink macchiato as a gateway to enter espresso mid-day. The Europeans adore the classic flavor. But most of the people in the North American part are into latte macchiato.
Is a Macchiato better than Flat White?
Well, it entirely depends on your preference. It would not be rational to put them in a competition. However, both of these drinks have their time and place where they will taste best.
If you are someone just making an entry into the world of espresso, then go for a flat white. Because it is a mushier, milkier drink compare to a macchiato. On the other hand, if you are looking for a rich-hint containing a limited amount of milk and foam, then you would want to take your pick for a macchiato.
When I need a good head start in the afternoon, then I go for macchiato often. And except that I go for flat white when I need to give way to authority. It just seems quite unfair to have a luxuriously sweet latte most of the time.
Final Words
Coffee has been here for a long-long time. Without any doubt, we all can agree that it is the world’s most popular drink after tea. Now, when it comes to knowing the difference between a flat white and a macchiato coffee, the comparison is quite tough. Because they both have their base of fans also time and place to enjoy.
Well, coffee is just coffee. If you truly fancy it, then you must love all of its flavors. As David Lynch once said, “But even a bad cup of coffee is better than no coffee at all.”