Cortado vs. flat white: What’s the difference?

A cortado and a flat white are great espresso beverages for a morning coffee or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. The Spanish cortado offers a balanced flavor that is not too bold but has a noticeable espresso flavor. Meanwhile, a flat white, a drink which is thought to have originated in Australia, has a creamier and milder taste than its Spanish counterpart. Although I find both espresso beverages undeniably tasty, each has notable flavor, preparation, size, and texture differences. Join me as we explore the differences between a cortado vs. flat white, which hopefully will help make deciding your next coffee shop order easier.

What is a cortado?

A cortado is one of my favorite coffees (even more so since Starbucks added it to its menu). A cortado is made using a one-to-one ratio of milk to espresso, leaving it with a balanced taste and texture. Cortados are tiny coffee drinks (at least compared to larger drinks like lattes) that are typically served in small, 4 to 5-ounce servings. The equal ratio of milk to espresso used in a cortado leaves it with a rich, smooth, and creamy taste. It’s the perfect drink if you still want to taste the flavor of espresso but don’t want something quite as strong as a macchiato.

What is a flat white?

A flat white is made with two shots of espresso, steamed milk, and a light foam layer on the microfoam top. This espresso beverage uses two parts milk to one part espresso, leaving the taste and texture of the drink slightly less creamy than a latte, which contains a higher volume of milk. What makes a flat white unique is its texture, which is foamier than that of a latte or a cappuccino.

Although you can find a flat white in many U.S. coffee shops, it seems forgotten compared to other countries like New Zealand and Australia. Like cortados, flat whites are generally served in small cups, ranging from 5 to 6 ounces. Usually, a flat white will be just slightly larger than a cortado.

Cortado vs. flat white

As A2B Productions describes in a YouTube video, one of the primary differences between a cortado and vs. flat white is the texture of the milk used in the drinks. A flat white is a more miniature drink than a latte, for example, due to the consistency of the foam and the volume of milk used in this drink.

As described in the video, many coffee enthusiasts believe the differences between a cortado and a flat white have much to do with where the coffee originated. Given that the flat white is considered an Australian coffee, it is said to have more of an Italian heritage to their coffee (which means they enjoy coffee drinks with foamy milk). The Spanish cortado (which comes from the word “to cut”) refers to the milk’s ability to “cut” through the bitter taste of the espresso. Compared to a flat white, a cortado uses warmed, steamed milk with minimal foam (sometimes none).

The milk texture of a cortado and a flat white is very different; each drink uses a distinct volume of milk. A cortado uses equal espresso and milk, whereas a flat white is made with more milk than espresso. This changes the preparation of each drink slightly. In terms of size, both drinks are smaller than many other espresso drinks (such as an americano or a latte) and are a good choice when you want something you can drink quickly.

Preparing a cortado vs. flat white

Once you understand these key differences between a cortado vs. a flat white, it’s easy to adjust your technique to make both drinks at home. A2B Productions uses the Nespresso Aeroccino in its video, a helpful tool for making these beverages at home. If making a cortado, he recommends removing the interior spring to avoid making your milk too foamy. As they show in their video, removing the spring will leave you with minimal milk foam, which is ideal when making a cortado.

Many electric milk frothers and steamers can make foamed or steamed milk. If you frequently make cortados or flat whites at home, you’ll want to invest in one of these coffee bar must-haves.

If making a flat white, you’ll want to leave the spring in place. If using a handheld milk frother, you must warm the milk separately. The key difference is that you’ll want to use only steamed milk in a cortado, whereas you’ll want steamed and frothed milk in a flat white. Regarding espresso preparation, both drinks typically use two shots of espresso, which can be brewed using a single-serve pod system like the Nespresso or a traditional espresso machine.