What Is White Coffee / Milk Coffee?
White coffee is any coffee drink that does contain milk.
Milk coffee = coffee + milk
Latte, Cappuccino, Flat White, and Mocha are all milk coffee drinks. The confusing part is that they have different names, but the basic idea is still coffee + milk.
What is Foam
Before we go further, let’s talk about foam first.
Foam is the milk foam on top of the coffee. It can make the drink feel smoother and change the mouthfeel.
For beginners, you can understand it simply like this: more foam usually means the drink feels thicker and stronger. Less foam usually means the drink feels smoother and more milky.
Latte
Latte is like the most standard “kopi susu” in café style.
It usually tastes balanced, smooth, and easy to drink. Some baristas may explain that latte has the thinnest foam, and that is true.
But in simple words, because latte has less foam and more milk, it usually tastes more milky and softer.
Cappuccino
Cappuccino usually tastes bolder than latte.
Many people say cappuccino is about thicker foam, and yes, that is part of it. But the deeper reason is also because it has less milk compared with latte.
So the coffee taste feels stronger, and the foam makes the drink smell and feel richer.
If you want a stronger milk coffee, cappuccino is a good choice.
Flat White
Flat White is somewhere between latte and cappuccino.
It is not as milky as latte, but also not as foamy as cappuccino. The coffee taste is usually clearer, but the drink still feels smooth.
If you do not like something too milky or too bold, flat white can be a good middle choice.
Piccolo
Piccolo is like a smaller milk coffee, usually served in a small cup.
It is made with espresso and a small amount of steamed milk. Because there is less milk, the coffee taste feels stronger than a latte.
If latte feels too milky for you, but cappuccino feels too foamy, piccolo can be an interesting one to try.
Macchiato
Macchiato is usually espresso with a small amount of milk or milk foam.
It is not as milky as latte or cappuccino. The coffee taste is still strong, but the little bit of milk makes it slightly softer.
If you want a strong coffee taste with just a small touch of milk, macchiato is the one to try.
Mocha
Mocha is like kopi susu with chocolate.
Baristas usually add chocolate syrup, chocolate powder, or chocolate sauce into the drink, so it tastes sweeter and more chocolatey.
If you like chocolate, mocha is usually an easy one to enjoy.
A Small Reminder Before You Order
These are some of the most common milk coffee drinks you will see on a café menu. Of course, there are still other milk coffee drinks, but not every café will have them.
Also, every café may make them slightly differently. The beans, milk, machine, barista style, and recipe can all change the taste. So if one cappuccino tastes lighter than another, or the same drink tastes slightly different in another café, that is normal.
Coffee is not always exactly the same everywhere. The best way is still to try, compare, and slowly find what you enjoy.