Is Authentic American Hot Coffee Bitter? The Correct Way to Make Traditional American Black Coffee and Can You Add Sugar and Milk?

Americano coffee, a beverage sold in every coffee shop and a must-order for coffee enthusiasts. Due to its quick preparation, excellent flavor, and smooth taste, Americano coffee is often chosen by busy professionals who need to save time while staying alert during their workday. In the scorching summer of Guangzhou, customers visiting FrontStreet Coffee who don't know what to drink but want to avoid milk-based options typically order an iced Americano. But do you know the true origin of Americano coffee?

History of Americano Coffee

One theory suggests that Americano coffee originated from American soldiers in Italy during World War II. Unable to adapt to the intense strength of Italian espresso, they added hot water to dilute it. This practice was somewhat looked down upon by Italians, who dubbed it "Americano" – the American's coffee.

Of course, there's another theory: after Howard Schultz introduced espresso to Seattle's Starbucks, he added hot water to dilute it to suit the milder taste preferences of Americans. As Starbucks expanded globally, this preparation method gained widespread acceptance.

Americano coffee is a type of espresso-based coffee, typically made with medium-dark to dark roast blended coffee beans. Hot water is forced through ground coffee powder under pressure from an espresso machine to extract espresso. Generally, a cup of Americano consists of one to two shots of espresso diluted with hot water, resulting in a smooth, mellow flavor with caramelized notes. However, some may find its slightly bitter profile challenging; FrontStreet Coffee suggests adding a small amount of sugar to make it more palatable.

What Are the Benefits of Drinking Americano Coffee?

1. Coffee contains certain nutritional components. The niacin in coffee contains vitamin B, with higher content found in roasted coffee beans. It also includes free fatty acids, caffeine, tannic acid, and other compounds.

2. Coffee is beneficial for the skin. Coffee can promote metabolic function and stimulate digestive organs, making it highly effective for constipation. Taking baths with coffee grounds is a thermotherapy treatment that has weight loss effects.

3. Coffee has functions that help with alcohol recovery. Drinking coffee after alcohol consumption helps rapidly oxidize acetaldehyde (a byproduct of alcohol metabolism), breaking it down into water and carbon dioxide for elimination from the body.

4. Coffee can eliminate fatigue. To combat fatigue, one must supplement nutrition, rest and sleep, and promote metabolic function – coffee possesses all these capabilities.

5. Coffee can help with weight loss. Coffee contains magnesium and potassium, which help the body use insulin, regulate blood sugar levels, and reduce cravings for sweets and snacks. Caffeine helps fat cells break down body fat and use it as fuel during exercise.

Why is Drinking Americano Coffee Considered Healthier?

Americano coffee not only promotes digestion and has diuretic functions that accelerate metabolism, but it can also reduce oral odor. When chatting with friends after a meal, a cup of Americano helps create a more relaxed and harmonious atmosphere between people.

Americano coffee has the lowest calorie count of all coffee drinks, without exception – so low that it's practically negligible. Even a large Americano at Starbucks contains very few calories, which is why many celebrities love drinking Americano. It satisfies their cravings while allowing them to avoid excessive calorie intake.

How to Make a Cup of Americano Coffee?

After discussing so many benefits of Americano coffee, do you know how it's made? Simply put, it's espresso plus water. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share our method for making Americano coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's espresso extraction parameters are: 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 35 grams of coffee liquid, taking 28-29 seconds.

FrontStreet Coffee uses our house-blend Frontsteet Sunflower Warm Sunshine Espresso Blend, which contains 70% Frontsteet Honduras Sherry and 30% Frontsteet Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry. The 70% Frontsteet Honduras Sherry provides whiskey and vanilla cream notes, while the 30% Frontsteet Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry contributes berry-like acidity. FrontStreet Coffee's design concept for this blend is that it can be used for both espresso and pour-over. When used for espresso extraction, it emits distinct fermented wine aromas. Upon tasting, citrus and berry acidity immediately emerge, accompanied by whiskey fragrance, with a dark chocolate aftertaste.

Frontsteet Sunflower Warm Sunshine Espresso Blend

Origin: Ethiopia & Honduras
Varieties: Caturra, Catuai, Heirloom
Processing: Natural & Whiskey Barrel Fermentation

After the espresso extraction is complete, the remaining steps are even simpler. Simply pour the extracted espresso into water, and a cup of Americano coffee is ready.

Does Americano Coffee Taste Bad?

When this question is raised, it's usually because people worry about bitterness. The reasons Americano coffee might taste bitter generally fall into two categories: ① the inherent flavor of the coffee beans themselves; ② over-extraction.

The Flavor of the Coffee Beans Themselves

Americano coffee consists only of water and coffee, so the inherent flavor of the coffee beans most significantly impacts the entire cup's taste. Therefore, the first reason Americano might taste bitter could be that the coffee beans used for making espresso inherently have rich and intense flavors.

The rich flavors of espresso beans come from their distinct regional characteristics and deeper roast levels. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's Frontsteet Specialty Blend contains 30% Colombian coffee beans mixed with 70% Brazilian coffee beans. The Colombian beans provide a dark chocolate base tone for this Frontsteet Specialty Blend, while the Brazilian beans contribute nutty notes and higher body. FrontStreet Coffee's roasters have roasted this Frontsteet Specialty Blend to a medium-dark level, creating a wonderful balance with medium-low acidity and medium bitterness.

Over-Extraction

Besides bean selection, the bitterness in Americano coffee can also come from extraction mistakes, such as channel effects causing uneven extraction, or grinding too fine leading to over-extraction.

FrontStreet Coffee often shares that, calculated by coffee bean weight, only about 30% of coffee beans can be extracted. However, more extraction isn't necessarily better. According to the Gold Cup Standard's recommended range, extraction between 18% to 22% is most suitable. Below 18% is what we call under-extraction, with symptoms including sharp acidity and weak flavor. Extraction above 22% is what we call over-extraction (commonly referred to as "over-extracted"), and the symptoms typically include intense bitterness and astringency.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473