Espresso vs Americano Coffee Machine: Which Coffee Beans Are Best for Americano and Our Recommendations

Americano Coffee Machines

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Americano coffee machines typically consist of two layers. During use, pre-ground coffee powder is placed in the upper funnel-shaped container equipped with filter paper or a metal filter, while the lower layer is a glass or ceramic coffee pot. Cold water is poured into a separate compartment. When activated, the cold water is heated to about 90 degrees Celsius and gradually introduced into the funnel-shaped container, allowing hot water to pass through the coffee powder and flow into the coffee pot below.

In addition to brewing coffee, this type of coffee machine can also be used to brew tea.

Americano: Atmospheric Pressure Extraction

Americano coffee is typically brewed using an American drip pot. Similar to espresso machines, American drip coffee also works by having hot water pass through a coffee powder compartment to extract coffee. However, the difference lies in that the hot water is at atmospheric pressure.

Espresso Coffee Machines

Espresso machines usually have a boiler that generates hot water. The water is pressurized to about 9 atmospheres and then flows through the metal filter containing coffee powder to brew coffee. This coffee brewed with pressurized hot water is richer than regular coffee and has emulsified oils, commonly known as espresso or concentrated coffee.

There are many types of espresso machines. For general commercial use, the most common is the single boiler, followed by double boilers and multi-boilers, with prices becoming increasingly expensive accordingly. Besides general electronic control switches, there are also lever-style espresso machines, each with their own unique features. Commercial machines range from forty to fifty thousand to four to five hundred thousand yuan, with countless varieties available.

Espresso: High-Pressure Extraction

Espresso machines use high-pressure hot water passing through the coffee powder compartment to extract coffee. Because modern espresso machines use air pumps to increase the pressure inside the boiler to achieve the pressure needed for extracting crema, they are also called pump coffee machines. Older espresso machines required manually pushing a lever to pressurize the boiler, also known as lever coffee machines. Today, the value of lever coffee machines lies mainly in their aesthetic appeal, as they cannot match pump coffee machines in terms of convenience and coffee flavor.

Other Differences

1. Americano coffee machines operate without pressure and can only produce black coffee, which is Americano coffee. They cannot make other specialty coffee drinks.

2. Espresso machines operate with a certain amount of pressure and can use this pressure to produce espresso coffee with a thick crema. Some pure espresso shots can be paired with milk to make lattes, or with milk foam to make cappuccinos, as well as other specialty coffee drinks.

3. Price-wise: A good quality Americano coffee machine can be found for around 200 yuan. Espresso machines range from 700 to over 100,000 yuan.

Historical Notes

PS: Americano coffee was born after World War II when American soldiers came to Southern Europe. They couldn't drink espresso, so they diluted it with warm water. This was the only concentration they could accept, so people named it Americano coffee. Therefore, while you can make a proper Americano coffee with an Americano coffee machine, it doesn't mean that coffee made with an espresso machine isn't Americano coffee. Americano coffee has now become a type of coffee beverage, so you can also make a proper Americano coffee with an espresso machine!

PS: In fact, the beans required for espresso and Americano coffee brewing are also different. Espresso requires coffee beans with a finer grind and darker roast to produce rich and mellow coffee when pressed, so it's often better to choose commercial blends or espresso blends. Americano coffee uses American drip machines, which extract with hot water drip filtration, better highlighting the original flavor and aroma of coffee beans. The grind is also coarser than that required for espresso. In this case, we can choose some single-origin specialty coffee beans to better experience different regional characteristics!

Americano Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee, a coffee roasting brand located in Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, offers freshly roasted espresso blend coffee beans with guaranteed quality in both brand and product. They are suitable for both espresso machines and Americano coffee machines, as well as for making specialty coffee and Americano coffee. More importantly, they offer extremely high value for money. Take their commercial-grade recommended product - commercial blend coffee beans - as an example: a one-pound (454g) package costs only about 60 yuan. Calculating based on 10g of powder per single espresso shot, one package can make 45 cups of coffee, with each cup costing less than 1.5 yuan. Even if using double shots for each espresso at 20g per serving, the cost of one double espresso doesn't exceed 3 yuan. Compared to certain well-known brands that often charge over 100 yuan per package, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online store services: https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473