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This is a bit of a strange argument from the author because they start by saying people are ordering flat whites because they’re “too afraid to admit” they want a latte, but later they claim that actually many people have no clue about coffee and don’t even know what they’re ordering. The latte is the most popular order by far in my experience, way more popular than both the flat white and the cappuccino. We are well beyond the point of people feeling embarrassed about ordering one. The second point about many people not knowing what they want /not knowing anything about coffee is much more accurate.
Useless anecdote… I’d never heard of a flat white until I went abroad… Ordered it because I didn’t want a latte and didn’t know what the other options were either… Kept ordering flat whites because it was good. Haven’t seen or heard of it since this post. (I also don’t visit coffee shops)
Again this is just in my experience, but it’s definitely an older generation (like Gen X and up) order. A lot of these people didn’t grow up with espresso coffee and they still drink garbage instant coffee + hot water and some milk at home. That’s what coffee is to them, so when they go out they get a flat white because it’s the closest thing to what they drink at home. If they want something fancier they’ll order a cappuccino and if they’re not a milk drinker they’ll get a long black. Because they drink coffee at home in the same way as they drink tea (add boiling water and sip over a very long period) they often ask for their flat white to be “extra hot”, which usually means absolutely scalding. This completely ruins the milk but they don’t care as long as they can sit there and sip it for like 2 hours while chatting. The concept of coffee as something to be enjoyed immediately upon serving and in a short amount of time is completely foreign to them.
I always order a ‘Large’ flatwhite with the asumption that I am getting a doubleshot of coffee. I accept that in a take away cup I am essentually ordering a Latte but I’m subconciously programmed to say Flat White. I am evolving to drinking long blacks anyways.
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At the shop I go to it’s 2 shots for regular, 3 shots for large. But I normally ask for an extra.
I guess I always assumed the ratio of water/milk/coffee was roughly uniformly proportional to the number of shots/cup size. I could get by in the US ordering lattes with extra shot, but it was definitely milkier tasting than a LFW at home.
What’s the solution for me? “Long mac topped up”? I don’t know if I can bring myself to actually order that
I am glad someone finally had the courage to stand up and say this.
