Lovers of Americano and espresso coffee appreciate them for their aftertaste and pleasant, rich aroma. And they unmistakably determine the type of drink. But even experienced coffee drinkers are confused by the dramatic changes in taste and aroma. Professional baristas surprise customers with additives: toppings, spices, alcohol. They change the usual coffee notes beyond recognition. But coffee makers use classic recipes and serving methods as a basis, which help to recognize your favorite coffee.
Americano and latte
Latte - coffee with hot milk and a cap of milk foam on top - a drink that is not much more difficult to prepare than an Americano.
But the serving methods for latte and Americano are different, and the very presence of milk in latte makes this drink unusually delicate in taste, with a pleasant velvety creamy aroma. Despite this obvious difference, lattes and Americanos are excellent options for those coffee lovers who equally love black coffee and coffee with milk, and at the same time prefer large portions of the drink.
How is Americano prepared?
To prepare Americano, you will need one more additional operation - adding water to the freshly brewed drink. This action is performed after standard preparation of espresso using a coffee machine. According to classical technology, water should only be hot, without additives. But the use of ice or very chilled liquid is allowed. Dilution proportions – one part coffee to 2-3 parts water. You can drink Americano warm or cold, including through a straw. This diluted drink has no foam at all.
Reference. Americano was invented in America. Residents of this country found a cup of espresso not enough, and baristas, at the request of customers, began adding water to it to increase the volume and soften the taste.
After the drink became known outside the United States, it began to be prepared in several ways. So in Sweden, not 50, but all 150 ml of hot water is passed through coffee beans at once. As a result, a pleasant foam remains on the surface of the coffee, and the aroma becomes more intense. In some coffee shops, customers are served a cup of espresso and a glass of warm water to dilute the drink to their liking.
Features of Americano coffee
Americano, or American-style coffee, originated in Italy during World War II. It was created for Americans whose usual everyday drink was filter coffee (“regular”), the volume of one serving being 200 ml or more.
Unlike traditional American coffee, which is prepared by pouring water through a paper or fabric filter filled with medium or medium-coarse coffee, Americano is prepared using an espresso machine.
Cooking methods and best recipes
1. Classic Americano: caffè americano in Italian
The traditional and most common method of preparation is Italian. Italian-style Americano is prepared from one shot of espresso, doppio, or, less commonly, lungo, and then the required amount of hot water is added (from 40 to 400 ml).
The variability of the classic recipe depends on taste and coffee habits and sometimes on the characteristics of the coffee blend used to prepare Americano.
Why should you not spill large amounts of water on your coffee machine?
Hot water, passing under a pressure of 15–20 bar through ground coffee, should not spill for a long time - all espresso connoisseurs agree on this opinion. Already with a serving of 80–100 ml, you can encounter the effect of a “burnt” drink: coffee acquires an unpleasant bitter taste, in most cases the bouquet becomes inexpressive, the aroma is weak, and the aftertaste is unmemorable and short.
2. Americano: Swedish way
Americano, prepared by a Scandinavian barista, differs from the classic one in the sequence of actions: a portion of espresso is added in a thin stream to a portion of hot water.
This method allows you to almost completely preserve not only the flavor and aroma bouquet, but also the cream, which means Swedish Americano looks very impressive.
3. European Americano, “disassembled” Americano
Nowadays there is a new trend of naturalness and simplicity, which has affected the rules for serving Americano in a growing number of coffee shops.
The client is brought a portion of espresso or doppio and hot water in a separate coffee pot. This way, a visitor to a coffee establishment can “assemble” for himself the ideal drink in terms of volume and method of preparation.
4. Long black
When preparing long black coffee, a sequence similar to Swedish Americano is used: a double portion of espresso (doppio) is added to hot water. Traditionally, long black does not require such a careful approach as Swedish coffee, but as a rule, the foam of the cream in long black is practically not destroyed and has a dense texture and a recognizable golden or cinnamon hue.
Long black is popular among residents of Australia and New Zealand.
5. Red eye
This strong North American drink appeared at the intersection of two traditions: classic New England filter coffee and Italian espresso. It’s easy to prepare: just add a shot of espresso or doppio to your regular coffee.
The drink is popular in North America, and the volume of coffee filtered varies depending on the area in which it is prepared (in different US states - from 150 to 400 ml).
How is espresso made?
To make espresso, you only need a coffee machine. Freshly ground coffee beans are loaded into a machine where hot water (about 50 ml) passes through them under a pressure of 9-15 atmospheres. The result is a drink with a pronounced aroma and taste, with a soft brown foam on the surface. It is impossible to prepare proper espresso without using a coffee machine.
The drink should only be consumed hot immediately after preparation; the cup for it should also be preheated.
Classic Americano recipe
Americano is made by adding hot water to espresso. It can be poured from a kettle or from a special tap in a coffee machine.
This coffee may come out with little or no foam. Baristas note that the drink with light foam has a softer and more pleasant taste.
Read the espresso recipe below.
What to choose: Americano or espresso?
For those who prefer a light coffee taste without bitterness, or who like milk and sugar in the composition, Americano is better suited. If you want richness and tart aroma, use espresso.
The choice depends not only on personal preferences for taste and strength, but also on the situation of its use. Large volume is more convenient for long conversations or leisurely walks. A small cup can be grabbed on the run, at breakfast or during a short business meeting.
Espresso and Americano are two equally tasty drinks based on natural coffee. They vary in strength and volume. The choice between them is up to connoisseurs, and identifying the differences is not difficult; all you have to do is try both cooking options at least once.
What are the main differences?
Here we come to the main part of our article. If you read it carefully, you will have already noticed the differences in these two types of coffee. Let's summarize a little.
- Americano is a coffee drink in which the water content is greater than or equal to coffee concentrate. The aroma of the drink is less intense. To serve it, use large cups or plastic cups.
- Espresso is a rich, thick coffee drink of small volume (see espresso cups). Characteristic features: foam, rich aroma, strength. To serve this type of coffee, special small cups are used.
Which drink do you like best? Share your opinion in the comments!
Key differences between drinks
Espresso and Americano are the basic coffee drinks from which other varieties are created. The two main and constant differences between them are serving size and strength.
Selection of coffee beans
In both cases, the coffee beans are ground to a fine grain that resembles fine salt. Only fresh grinding is suitable for preparation, which is prepared individually for each serving.
For espresso, a blend of Arabica and Robusta is created (about 20%). The first gives a rich and tart aroma, the second gives strength and bitterness. The grains are first subjected to heavy roasting: French or Italian.
For Americano you will need less robusta - up to 10%. With a higher content, a pronounced bitterness appears. You can completely avoid adding these grains, but then the drink will turn out less dense and strong, without foam. Hungarian and, less commonly, French roasting is used.
Taste and strength
Due to the absence of excess water, espresso is more concentrated in taste and stronger in caffeine content. Lovers describe it as having a “dense body,” with distinct acidity and bitterness. All tastes are in harmony with each other and are self-sufficient, so adding sugar or milk is not required.
Note! To better reveal the flavor accents of espresso, you should first drink a few sips of cold water.
Americano is softer and more neutral. To enrich its bouquet, additional ingredients are often used: milk, chocolate or cognac. There is no pronounced bitterness in it or only acid can be traced from afar.
In both cases, 9 g of ground coffee is used for preparation. It dissolves in 30-50 or 150 ml of liquid, respectively. A full serving of drinks contains the same amount of caffeine, but in terms of 100 ml, espresso is in the lead. There is 4 times more caffeine than its competitor, diluted with water.
Calorie content
If you follow standard technology and prepare drinks without additives, then they will both fit in a calorie content of about 2.5 kcal per 100 ml.
However, Americano is almost always supplemented with milk and sugar. In this case, the energy value increases to 50 kcal per 100 ml.
Coffee volume and delivery
A standard serving of espresso contains 30-50 ml of drink, a double serving – up to 100 ml. Served in a thick-walled heated cup of small volume, only hot. The container should be slightly larger than the volume of coffee, allowing for foam on its surface. No extras in the form of sweets, candies or snacks are served. It is often drunk right at the bar, in a few sips, on the way to work.
A serving of Americano contains from 140 to 170 ml of drink. Rarely, its size can reach 350-400 ml. It is served either already mixed in a large cup, or separately: a small cup of espresso and a glass of hot (or cold) water. Can be supplemented with ice cubes. Americano is prepared to-go, so a common way to drink it is in a paper cup with a lid and straw. You can complement your coffee with dark chocolate slices, a slice of cheese or fresh donuts. Americano is suitable for both a quick snack and cozy friendly meetings.
Bright taste
Let's figure out what espresso is. This is a classic - rich, strong coffee, served on its own or used as a base for coffee drinks. Baristas prepare it using special technology in coffee machines. To make it thick and aromatic, compressed ground grain is used. Water is passed through it under pressure at 95 degrees.
Other distinctive qualities:
- drink hot, but with a glass of cold water;
- volume - no more than 35 milliliters;
- served in thick-walled cups that are preheated.
The more essential oils in the grains, the brighter the aroma and richer the taste. Find out more in the article “Espresso Coffee: What It Really Is.”
Filter coffee recipes
It would seem that preparing filter coffee implies obtaining the same type of drink. But the preparation of such coffee also has its own recipe.
With cold water
A portion of coffee is prepared in a coffee maker, but served together with a glass of cool water. If you take each sip of coffee with a sip of cool water, you can get an interesting contrast in taste and temperature. This reduces the load on the heart.
Incomplete filter
Drip coffee makers are equipped with a mesh for installing a paper filter. If the filter is not filled completely, you may end up with weak coffee. The strength directly depends on the amount of coffee poured and water poured.
Softness of taste
Americano has a classic base, but is diluted with water. Served hot, but drunk cold - the taste does not change. Other types of coffee are also prepared on its basis. The taste and smell depend on the degree of roasting of the beans and the grind size.
To make the taste softer, coffee lovers use coarse grinding and grind the beans 5-10 minutes before brewing and only for one serving. The flavor is enhanced or shaded with the help of additives that add additional piquancy.
Read the details in the article “What is Americano coffee.”
