Cortado vs. flat white is a common café question, especially if you like small, espresso-based drinks. Both start with espresso and add milk, but they feel and taste different. A cortado is equal parts espresso and steamed milk, with little to no foam. It drinks clean and direct. A flat white uses a double shot and silky microfoam, poured to a smooth, “flat” top. It feels creamier and a touch sweeter.
If you want clarity and a short, balanced cup, choose the cortado. If you want a richer body and a velvety texture, go flat white. In this guide, we’ll explain the key differences in plain terms, cover what each drink is, point to similar options, and help you pick the right cup for your taste.
Cortado vs. flat white coffee
A flat white is larger, usually 5–6 oz. It uses a double shot and silky microfoam. The milk ratio sits around 1 part espresso to 2–3 parts milk. A cortado is smaller, about 3.5–4.5 oz. It is equal parts espresso and steamed milk with little to no foam.
The flat white feels creamy and velvety. It tastes espresso-forward but slightly sweeter because of the microfoam. The cortado drinks clean and direct. It shows the shot clearly, with a smooth but lighter texture.
Caffeine is often higher in a flat white because it uses a double shot. A cortado can be single or double depending on the café, but it is usually lower than a flat white.
A flat white is commonly served in a ceramic cup. A cortado comes in a small glass. The flat white has Australian and New Zealand roots. The cortado comes from Spain.
Choose a flat white if you want a small, rich milk drink with a silky finish. Pick a cortado if you want a tight, balanced cup with clear espresso flavor and minimal foam.
What is flat white
A flat white is a small espresso-and-milk drink known for its silky microfoam. It’s typically 5–6 oz, built on a double espresso (often a double ristretto) and finished with a thin, flat layer of fine foam. The texture is velvety, not airy, so the coffee flavor stays front and center with a creamy finish.
Most cafés steam milk to around 55–60°C (130–140°F) for gentle sweetness and a glossy pour. The espresso-to-milk ratio lands near 1:2 to 1:3, tighter than a latte. Origin stories point to Australia and New Zealand, where the style became a staple before spreading worldwide. If you want a compact cup with rich body and smooth texture, flat white coffee fits the brief.
What is cortado
A cortado is an espresso cut with an equal amount of steamed milk, usually 3.5–4.5 oz in total. It has little to no foam, so the shot’s character stays clear and balanced. The texture is smooth but lighter than a flat white, with milk added to soften acidity without turning the drink creamy.
Traditionally Spanish, the cortado is often served in a small glass; in some cafés (especially in the U.S.) you’ll see it called a Gibraltar when poured into a 4.5 oz rocks-style glass. Some shops use a single shot, others a double, but the guiding idea is the same: equal parts espresso and milk, warm, steady, and direct. If you want espresso clarity with just enough milk to round the edges, choose a cortado.
Other types of coffee that are similar
If cortado vs. flat white leaves you on the fence, these related drinks can help you fine-tune your order and find the texture you like.
Gibraltar
In many U.S. cafés, a gibraltar is essentially a cortado served in a 4.5 oz rocks-style glass. It is usually equal parts espresso and steamed milk with minimal foam. Expect a clean, balanced cup that highlights the shot.
Cortadito
A Cuban take on the cortado. It mixes espresso with a small amount of milk and sugar (often whipped into espumita). It is sweet, strong, and small, giving you cortado-level intensity with a dessert-like finish.
Piccolo latte
Think of this as a mini latte. It’s a single ristretto topped with steamed milk in a 3–4 oz glass, finished with fine microfoam. The texture is close to a flat white but smaller and a touch more espresso-forward.
Macchiato
A traditional macchiato is an espresso “stained” with a spoon of foam or a splash of milk. It is tiny and intense. If you want the clarity of espresso with just a hint of softness, this sits near the cortado but with less milk.
Cappuccino
A cappuccino is larger (often 6–8 oz) and foam-centered, with a dry, airy cap. It shares the espresso-and-milk base with a flat white, but the feel is completely different, light and frothy rather than silky and dense.
Latte
A latte is bigger (8–12 oz) and milk-forward, topped with a thicker microfoam layer. It’s the softer, gentler cousin to a flat white. If you want a longer, creamier drink with milder coffee flavor, choose the latte.
Wrapping up
Cortado vs. flat white comes down to texture, size, and how much of the espresso you want to taste. The cortado is equal parts espresso and milk with little to no foam, served small and direct. The flat white builds on a double shot with silky microfoam, poured to a smooth, “flat” top for a creamier feel.
Choose the cortado when you want clarity and a tight, balanced cup. Pick the flat white when you’re after a richer body and velvety comfort in a compact size. If you’re ordering, ask your café how many shots they use and what cup size they serve. Those details decide both flavor and caffeine. If you’re making it at home, keep it simple: equal parts for a cortado, or a double shot with fine microfoam for a flat white.
Either way, you can’t go wrong. Try both, note what you enjoy about the texture and strength, and let cortado vs. flat white be a choice you make by mood, not guesswork.
FAQs
Which roast profile suits cortado vs. flat white?
Light to medium roasts shine in a cortado because the equal milk ratio keeps flavors clear. You’ll taste bright acidity, fruit, and floral notes without losing balance. A flat white often pairs best with medium roasts, think caramel, chocolate, and nutty tones. Because silky microfoam amplifies sweetness and body.
Dark roasts can work in both, but they may read smoky or bitter in a cortado; in a flat white, the milk softens the edge. If you’re choosing beans for cortado vs. flat white, go lighter for clarity, medium for comfort and sweetness.
Which is easier to make at home?
A cortado is simpler. Pull a single or double espresso and add the same amount of steamed milk, keeping foam minimal. You don’t need perfect microfoam, just warm, smooth milk. A flat white demands tighter technique.
Microfoam with tiny bubbles, a glossy finish, and a controlled pour that blends with the shot. If you’re new to steaming, start with cortado; once you can consistently make fine-textured foam, step up to flat white. A handheld frother or French press can help you get close to microfoam without a café machine.
Which non-dairy milk works best?
For a flat white, barista oat milk is the most reliable. It creates fine microfoam and a creamy body that mimics dairy. Soy can be good, but watch for curdling with very acidic espresso. Keep temperatures moderate and pour promptly.
Almond is thinner and won’t feel as velvety. For a cortado, foam isn’t the focus, so more plant milks work: oat for balance, soy for protein and structure, and pea-based options for neutral flavor. If you’re choosing non-dairy for cortado vs. flat white, pick oat for texture-driven drinks and soy or pea for a clean, rounded cup.
