Alternative Methods for Americano Coffee Beans_How Many Coffee Beans for One Americano_How to Drink Americano Coffee Beans

The Soul of Americano - Espresso

Many people trying an Americano for the first time are surprised that simply diluting espresso with water creates a beverage sold as Americano coffee. In fact, espresso was invented and developed in Italy, beginning in the early 20th century. Until the mid-1940s, however, it was a beverage made solely through steam pressure. Only after the invention of commercial coffee machines did espresso transform into the drink we know today. A Double Espresso involves the machine extracting 45-60ml of coffee liquid with high-temperature, high-pressure water within 20-30 seconds.

It is this intense liquid that tests both the beans and the barista's extraction skills. Within a few dozen seconds of extraction, if the shot is stopped too early the espresso turns sour and astringent, undrinkable; a few seconds too late, and it becomes watery, even developing burnt and smoky off-flavors. Only perfect timing produces an espresso that is rich yet balanced - mellow, bright, or deep depending on the beans. Different varieties and roast levels bring different mouthfeel characteristics. Even when a barista crafts an espresso they are proud of, some customers still will not order it - understandable, since many people cannot accept the intensity of espresso but cannot resist the temptation of coffee. So they choose the Americano: after dilution with water, the sour, sweet, and bitter notes of espresso are softened, making it more pleasant and giving you a longer, truly delightful drinking experience.

Long Black and Lungo

These two "siblings" of the Americano are both mixtures of espresso and water - so what is the difference?

Differences in Preparation and Flavor

Because the various flavor components in coffee dissolve at different rates, shortening or extending the extraction time of the espresso changes which flavor compounds end up in the cup. These drinks therefore differ in more than just "light" versus "strong."

An Americano is made by adding the espresso first, then water. The crema on an Americano gets dispersed by the hot water.

A Long Black, however, is made by adding water first, then extracting the espresso on top. Since the crema is added last in a Long Black, you will see more crema on the surface, and it lasts longer because it has not been disturbed. The non-water-soluble substances in crema are the result of emulsification under pressure. Crema also contains carbon dioxide along with many flavor and aromatic compounds. Because of its non-water-soluble components, this layer of crema forms a film on the tongue when you drink, delivering a lasting aftertaste while reducing sensitivity to bitterness. An Americano is therefore slightly more bitter than a Long Black.

What is Lungo Coffee?

Lungo is made by adjusting the grinder to speed up the espresso flow, without adding any extra water.

Lungo is Italian, corresponding to "long" in English and "cafe allonge" in French. It refers to "a coffee beverage made on an espresso machine with double the normal amount of water." A Lungo is essentially a "stretched espresso"; in effect, it could be called an "Italian long coffee." Lungo is very popular in Italy. A single serving is about 60-85ml, a double 120-170ml. The larger water volume yields a mouthfeel richer than an Americano. A regular espresso takes 18-30 seconds to extract, with a volume of 25-30ml; extending the extraction to about one minute draws out about 50-60ml of coffee liquid, and this beverage is the lungo.

Lungo is therefore not the Americano we commonly know, nor is it a Long Black. Americano and Long Black are easy to tell apart: the former is "espresso + water," the latter "water + espresso" - only the order differs. Lungo, however, nearly doubles the extraction time of espresso, with the extracted volume increasing by roughly double as well.

If the extraction time of espresso is cut nearly in half, the resulting beverage is a Ristretto. If the extraction time of a lungo is doubled again, with the coffee liquid volume nearly doubling again, this "longer" beverage is called Caffe Crema, which is relatively rare. Yet visiting many coffee shops, you will rarely find Lungo or Ristretto on the menu - largely because making them properly requires a dedicated grinder, adding considerable complexity. By adjusting parameters and extending the extraction time, we found that Lungo's crema is the most stable of the three. The mouthfeel is lighter than espresso but slightly more bitter, and compared to an Americano it is richer.

Americano Coffee Bean Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's popular Americano coffee beans include Yirgacheffe, Golden Mandheling, and Brazil coffee, all with solid guarantees in both brand and quality - and excellent value for money. For those new to making Americanos at home, the FrontStreet Classic Blend is a traditional Italian-style recipe built from Indonesian Mandheling, Brazil Red Bourbon, and Vietnam washed coffee, combining the low acidity, full body, and herbal-woody character of Asian coffees with the balanced smoothness and creamy texture of the Americas, yielding aromas of butter, nuts, spices, and dark chocolate with wildly rich crema.

The value-focused FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend pairs Yunnan arabica with Brazil Cerrado, giving an Americano with nut, chocolate, and cream aromas plus the gentle acidity of ripe plums - soft on the palate and equally suited to a home machine or a cafe. And if you have grown tired of dark-roasted espresso, the medium-roasted FrontStreet Strawberry Candy espresso blend brings together washed, natural, and honey-processed arabicas from Colombia, Costa Rica, and Ethiopia: an Americano or latte with grape, dried blueberry, sweet orange, and fruit-candy notes, low bitterness, and a distinctive almond finish.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a single-origin Americano with a difference, try a SOE - an espresso made from a single-origin coffee. The FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui SOE comes from a champion natural lot processed at the Buku Abel station in the Hambera district of Sidamo; as a pour-over it shows cream-strawberry, guava, dried mango, black tea, and citrus, and as an SOE Americano it is completely non-bitter, bright and sweet-tart with rich tropical fruit aroma. The FrontStreet Ethiopia Genlana Estate Geisha SOE offers natural yellow florals, bright bergamot, and fresh strawberry sweetness, making an Americano with fresh lime character and the fermented sweetness of dark grapes at medium body.

FrontStreet ships all beans within 5 days of roasting, so whichever blend or single origin you choose, your Americano starts from coffee at peak freshness.