Why is a caffe latte served in a glass?

mattyj

so when I finally get to visit pioneer, i can't ask for a flat white? :-[

Lukey

[quote]so when I finally get to visit pioneer, i can't ask for a flat white?

askthecoffeeguy

leave the flat whites, mugacino's, babycino, long machiatto's, long blacks far away from the espresso machine and the aussie coffe culture will be a better place for it.

Really? I used to think the same thing about 12oz and 16oz take away coffees, and about chai, and syrup based coffees / hot chocolates etc., but these type of drinks have added an entirely new dimension to my business, contributed to my 50-plus kg a week coffee turnover (not bad for a kiosk), and given me a competitive edge in the market place that sets my business aside from many others in the area. Also, much of my return patronage comes from the consistency of serving a flat white (or espresso / ristretto etc.) exactly the same way every time. Surely, if you are going to be in business, and remain competitive for more than a blink of an eye, then part of that competitiveness is about listening to your customers, and responding to their needs. Otherwise, you might as well trade on the moon. ACG

nzroaster

[quote] Really?

flatwhite

I've gotta say, of the large qty of cafes I visit, most of which for takeaway and being nowhere near the city most of the time therefore not expecting fantastic coffee's, just something to get me by.....I work on the following assumption. Cappuccino means bubblebath style froth with dusting. Latte means bubblebath style froth, no dusting - served in a glass Flat White means not much froth (hopefully), no dusting. What I constantly find is that to the outer-suburb takeaway coffee market 'Flat White' just means "dont put dusting on my cappuccino"

DoubleRistretto

Hey FW - just wondered if you have an opinion on Admin's question - 'flatwhite invented where' under the Trade page section! dR 🙂

askthecoffeeguy

I think an aspect that hasn't been fully explored in this issue is the ability of the barista to visually profile their trade by serving a coffee in a glass. After all, you can hide i lot of mistakes (except taste) under a lid, or even in a ceramic cup - but the glass don't lie! First you eat with your eyes, then you eat with your hands - so goes a Japanese proverb. And I guess that the same is true for coffee, the drink has to first appeal to the sense of sight and smell, before it appeals to the sense of taste. It's all part of the sensory experience. ACG

mattyj

Hence Latte Art. But if I grab a glass with no handle, and it feels too hot to hold (because there's no handle), then I burn my fingers, and leave the coffee for the cup to cool down a bit. As I wait, the microfoam starts to turn bubbly (it happends as the tight microfoam starts to dissipate), it doesn't look as good, and begins to not taste as good either. Nothing can beat the mouthfeel or settling milk froth though. Drinking your latte/cappa/fw/whatever as the guiness effect is going strong is an amazing feeling. Glimpse of heaven!

takeaim

Hence Latte Art. But if I grab a glass with no handle, and it feels too hot to hold (because there's no handle), then I burn my fingers, and leave the coffee for the cup to cool down a bit.

If it's too hot to hold I probably wouldn't bother drinking it

tommy

i remember many years ago before i knew what an espresso was, lattes were distinguished from flat whites by the factor that a latte was served in a glass at billion degrees and served with a napkin to hold the glass with... so that you dont burn your fingers - you just burn your tastebuds instead. go figure?

askthecoffeeguy

I'm so old that I remember before the late was even invented (well... commercially available, actually) - and the choice was black or white (from a peculator, of course)! ACG

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