Short answer
A cortado is a small drink of espresso cut with about an equal amount of warm milk, while a flat white is larger, with more steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam. The cortado tastes stronger and the flat white softer and creamier.
A cortado is a small espresso drink made with roughly equal parts espresso and warm milk, while a flat white is a larger cup with more steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam on top. In the cortado vs flat white comparison, the cortado is stronger and sharper, and the flat white is smoother and creamier.
What is a cortado?
A cortado is a Spanish-style coffee made by cutting espresso with a small amount of warm milk. The name comes from the Spanish verb cortar, “to cut”, because the milk cuts the sharpness of the espresso.
The ratio is close to one part espresso to one part milk, served in a small glass of about 100 to 120 ml. The milk is steamed with little or no foam, so the drink looks dark and the surface is flat. In Portugal a similar drink is called a garoto, and in Gibraltar a version of the cortado is served in a short glass with a larger share of milk.
What is a flat white?
A flat white is an espresso drink topped with steamed milk that has a fine, velvety texture called microfoam. It is served in a small ceramic cup of about 160 to 180 ml, with a thin, smooth surface and often a latte art heart.
Most cafes make a flat white with a double shot of espresso and enough milk to fill the cup. The foam layer is only a few millimetres thick, which is where the name comes from: the surface is flat rather than domed like a cappuccino. Australia and New Zealand both claim to have invented it, and the dispute has never been settled.
Cortado vs flat white: what is the difference?
The main differences are the amount of milk, the cup size and how strong the coffee tastes. A cortado has about as much milk as espresso, and a flat white has two to three times as much.
| Feature | Cortado | Flat white |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Spain, Basque Country and Madrid are often named | Australia or New Zealand, disputed |
| Typical size | 100 to 120 ml | 160 to 180 ml |
| Espresso to milk | About 1 to 1 | About 1 to 2 or 1 to 3 |
| Milk texture | Warm, little or no foam | Steamed microfoam, thin layer |
| Usual vessel | Small glass | Small ceramic cup |
| Taste | Strong, sharp, slightly sweet | Smooth, creamy, coffee-forward |
Both drinks are built on espresso, so the choice comes down to how much milk you like in your cup. Names also vary: some cafes use “cortado” for a drink that another cafe would call a piccolo or a small flat white.
Which is stronger: a cortado or a flat white?
A cortado tastes stronger, because the same amount of espresso is diluted with much less milk. The caffeine content depends on the number of espresso shots, not on the drink name.
If both drinks use a double shot, their caffeine content is roughly the same. A flat white simply spreads that coffee through more milk, so the flavour is gentler. Some cafes make a flat white with a single shot and a cortado with a double, so it is worth asking how many shots a drink holds.
How is a cortado made?
A cortado is made by pulling a shot of espresso and adding an equal volume of steamed milk with almost no foam. It takes about two minutes.
- Pull a double espresso of about 60 ml into a small glass.
- Steam about 60 ml of milk to roughly 60 to 65 °C, keeping the texture thin and glossy.
- Pour the milk into the espresso in one steady stream.
- Serve straight away, before the layers settle.
At home, a moka pot gives a concentrated coffee that works well. Warm the milk in a small pan and whisk it briefly for a little body.
How is a flat white made?
A flat white is made by pouring steamed microfoam milk over a double espresso so the two blend into a smooth, even drink.
- Pull a double espresso of about 60 ml into a warm cup.
- Steam about 120 ml of milk, introducing only a little air so the foam stays fine and glossy.
- Swirl the milk jug to blend the texture and tap it on the bench to knock out large bubbles.
- Pour from a low height, then lift the jug at the end to draw a heart or a simple dot.
The skill is in the milk. Too much air gives a stiff foam like a cappuccino, and too little gives a drink with no creaminess at all.
What do a cortado and a flat white taste like?
A cortado tastes of espresso first: bittersweet, with a little caramel and a short, clean finish. A flat white tastes of coffee wrapped in sweet, creamy milk, with the espresso still easy to pick out.
The milk in both drinks is sweetened slightly by steaming, because heat makes the natural milk sugar taste stronger. A dark roast gives a bolder, chocolatey cup in either drink, and a lighter roast gives more fruit and acidity, which shows up more clearly in a cortado because there is less milk to soften it.
How do you order each one in a cafe?
Ask for a cortado if you want a small, strong milk coffee, and ask for a flat white if you want a smoother cup with more milk. Most cafes in Scotland and the rest of the UK serve both.
Some tips: say whether you want plant milk, since oat and soy milks behave differently when steamed, and ask for a double shot if you like a stronger flat white. If a cafe lists neither, a small latte or a macchiato will be the nearest alternative.
Are cortados and flat whites on the menu at Kuna Cafe & Bakery?
The recorded menu for Kuna Cafe & Bakery, a corner cafe on Elm Row in Edinburgh, lists coffee, cappuccino and speciality tea, and does not name a cortado or a flat white. This independent guide checked the public listings in November 2026, and no prices are published.
The cafe’s coffee is described by one hotel guide as barista quality, so a cafe of this kind may well make either drink, but that is not confirmed. Ask at the counter what milk coffees are available on the day. For the recorded items see the menu page, and for opening times see the hours and location page.
Common questions
Which is stronger, a cortado or a flat white?
A cortado tastes stronger because the espresso is mixed with only about the same amount of milk. A flat white usually has the same or a slightly larger espresso base but far more milk, so the coffee flavour is softer.
Can I make a cortado at home?
Yes. Make a double espresso or use a small moka pot, then add roughly the same volume of hot, gently frothed milk. Serve it in a small glass. A milk frother or a whisk is enough for the milk.
Is a cortado the same as a macchiato?
No. A macchiato is espresso marked with a spoonful of foam, so it holds very little milk. A cortado contains about equal parts espresso and warm milk, which makes it noticeably milder and smoother.
What size cup is used for a flat white?
Most cafes serve a flat white in a small ceramic cup of about 160 to 180 ml, though sizes vary from place to place. A cortado is usually served in a small glass of about 100 to 120 ml.
Looking for the basics? Kuna Cafe & Bakery address and opening hours are on the home page.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Kuna Cafe & Bakery itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.