What is Americano Coffee? Why Do People Get Addicted to Iced Americano? How to Drink Espresso

When it comes to Americano coffee, everyone is familiar with it. Regular customers at FrontStreet Coffee know that Americano is made by adding a proper proportion of water to espresso extracted from a coffee machine. Americano has basically become a standard menu item in coffee shops, and friends who have visited FrontStreet Coffee's stores are amazed by how special our Americano tastes, different from the usual shops. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will share knowledge about the correct way to drink Americano and espresso.

The Origin of Americano Coffee

The literal meaning of Americano coffee is "American" in Spanish or Italian. The coffee's name is directly related to its creation, as many believe Americans invented the beverage behind it.

According to legend, the origin of Americano dates back to when Americans, after the end of European operations, sent many soldiers to Southern Europe. They couldn't accept drinking straight espresso, so they diluted it with warm water. Only at this concentration could they accept it, showing that espresso wasn't naturally loved by everyone. Because this drinking method was mainly used by American soldiers, people named it "Americano."

What is Americano Coffee?

First, what exactly is Americano coffee? As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, Americano is simply espresso diluted with drinking water. Is it really that simple? In fact, it is that simple; however, to enjoy a purely delicious Americano, you must use high-quality, tasty espresso as the base. So what makes a good espresso base?

What is Espresso?

FrontStreet Coffee also mentioned above that espresso refers to concentrated coffee, which is coffee extracted quickly under high pressure in an espresso machine. The most obvious characteristic of an espresso machine is that it amplifies the original flavors of coffee beans. For example, Yirgacheffe coffee beans are characterized by citrus and lemon acidity. When extracted with an espresso machine, the flavors of Yirgacheffe beans are amplified. Similarly, Indonesian Mandheling coffee beans extracted with an espresso machine will have their bitter flavors amplified. Therefore, espresso generally isn't made with single-origin coffee beans but instead uses blended beans from multiple origins to achieve balanced flavors.

This shows that the extraction parameters for making espresso greatly affect the flavor of a cup of coffee. Slight deviations can multiply the flavor differences in espresso. A traditional single shot of espresso has a capacity of about one ounce. So how exactly should its water-to-coffee ratio be calculated?

How is the Espresso Coffee Grounds to Water Ratio Distributed?

First, FrontStreet Coffee understands that the amount of coffee grounds is determined by the capacity of the espresso machine's portafilter. Some coffee machine manufacturers provide double portafilter capacities of 16 g, 18 g, 20 g, 22 g, and other specifications. These are suggested capacities with a maximum filling error of less than 1 g. For example, using an 18 g portafilter, the reasonable coffee ground range would be 17-19 g.

Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee doesn't recommend using significantly less or more coffee grounds than the portafilter capacity, because the amount of coffee grounds affects the density of the coffee puck. Under the same tamping pressure, too little coffee will be relatively loose, leading to faster flow rates and consequently under-extraction. Conversely, the density will be more compact, flow rates will be slower, and it may even be difficult to extract coffee liquid.

Characteristics of the Espresso Grounds-to-Liquid Ratio

Espresso uses the ratio of coffee grounds to espresso liquid. FrontStreet Coffee has learned through practice that this doesn't allow calculation of how much water was used for extraction. However, some newer coffee machines now install a meter at the water inlet to display water volume. The original extraction ratio was the single-shot standard, where generally 7-8 g of coffee grounds can extract 25-30 ml of espresso liquid. The former is a weight unit, while the latter is a volume unit. They are only equal when density is consistent, but coffee enthusiasts know that extracted espresso comes with golden crema, and the thickness of this layer depends on the coffee's roast level and freshness. Therefore, using this measurement method can cause inconsistent results.

This is why the ratio of coffee grounds weight to liquid weight emerged. It is generally between 1:1.5 and 1:2.5, with 1:2 being more commonly used, such as extracting 40 g of coffee liquid from 20 g of coffee grounds. The ratio is influenced by two factors: the amount of coffee grounds and the amount of water. A lower ratio makes the coffee taste very rich and thick, easily bringing bitterness from over-extraction. Conversely, a higher ratio makes it taste bland and watery, bringing sharp acidity from under-extraction.

How to Define a Qualified Espresso?

So how do we define a qualified espresso? FrontStreet Coffee believes it requires an espresso blend with stable flavors. FrontStreet Coffee uses the "Warm Sun Blend," which combines Ethiopian natural red cherry with Honduras sherry coffee beans. The coffee extracted from these beans has a rich whiskey aroma, soft berry acidity, and a nutty aftertaste.

In addition to having stable espresso beans, baristas need to pay attention to parameter details when extracting espresso. Making espresso seems to involve only a few simple steps, but there are many details to watch. For example, during extraction it's important to monitor each parameter: the exact amount of coffee grounds weighed, the amount of coffee liquid extracted, extraction time, and the coffee machine's pressure during extraction. These are all areas that baristas need to constantly monitor.

What's the Difference Between Espresso and Americano?

Traditionally, Americano was generally brewed using an American drip pot, while Italian coffee is the cream obtained through high-temperature extraction from an espresso machine, called espresso. However, currently most coffee shops use espresso machines to make espresso and then dilute it with water to create Americano.

The above is FrontStreet Coffee's compiled information about the differences and flavor characteristics between espresso and Americano coffee. We hope this helps coffee enthusiasts who want to understand related knowledge so they can choose coffee beans that suit their flavor preferences.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A great Americano starts with a great espresso base, and FrontStreet Coffee's Americano-focused beans are built around that idea. Beginners can start with the FrontStreet Classic Blend, a traditional Italian-style recipe of Indonesian Mandheling, Brazil Red Bourbon, and washed Vietnam that combines Asian low-acid body and herbal-woody notes with the smooth, balanced, creamy character of the Americas, pouring butter, nut, spice, and dark chocolate with thick crema whether you make an Americano or a latte. For value, the FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend pairs Yunnan smallholder beans with Brazil Cerrado for nut, chocolate, and cream notes and a ripe plum acidity at a friendly price. If you want a lighter, fruitier Americano, the FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Espresso blends washed, natural, and honey-processed Arabica from Colombia, Costa Rica, and Ethiopia for rose, grape, blueberry, sweet orange, and an almond finish.