Espresso vs Drip Coffee: What's the Difference? How to Drink Drip Coffee? Can You Brew Drip Coffee with Espresso Beans?

Americano coffee is one of the most common coffee beverages in daily life. Generally, Americano coffee is divided into two types: one is made by coffee shops, and the other is made by American drip coffee machines. FrontStreet Coffee will now explain the differences between these two Americano coffee preparation methods.

Coffee Shop Americano

The Americano coffee from coffee shops actually belongs to the espresso coffee system. The story goes something like this: Americans mainly drink light drip coffee, while Italians drink strong espresso. After World War II, when Italian immigrants came to America, they catered to American tastes by diluting espresso with water to create light coffee that suited American preferences. This method became the mainstream way coffee shops make Americano coffee.

This method requires an espresso machine, which coffee shops typically have, but households rarely have because they are too expensive. The advantage of this method is that the preparation time is very short, allowing for quick service. Taking FrontStreet Coffee's approach as an example, FrontStreet Coffee uses 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 40 grams of espresso liquid, then dilutes it with 200ml of water in a 1:5 ratio. This way, it maintains both flavor and mouthfeel without being too strong to cause discomfort.

FrontStreet Coffee stores use their own roasted FrontStreet Coffee Sunflower Warm Blend coffee beans. The resulting Americano coffee has flavors of vanilla cream, brown sugar, and whiskey.

American Drip Coffee Machine

The working principle of American drip coffee machines is somewhat similar to pour-over coffee, as both use drip extraction. However, there are some differences: American drip machines operate according to manufacturer-set programs with limited adjustability. For friends who don't know how to make coffee, this is a good coffee appliance; but for friends who enjoy making coffee, American machines might seem somewhat dispensable.

American coffee machines are typically used in offices, homes, or some Western breakfast restaurants. The usage method of American drip pots is very simple. For a fair comparison, we'll also use the Sunflower Warm Blend coffee beans. The grind level is the same as pour-over: 80% pass-through rate on a #20 standard sieve. American drip machines generally have metal filter containers for coffee grounds. To improve cleanliness, you can place a trapezoidal filter paper inside.

Following the general American machine standard of 5g coffee grounds per 100ml water, we're using 20g coffee grounds, so we add 400ml of water. Place the bottom pot inside the coffee machine, put on the machine lid, pour in 20g coffee grounds, and add 400ml hot water to the water tank. Then close the lid and press the start button, and the American drip machine will begin extracting the coffee.

Water flows from the tank down into the U-shaped heating tube, heats to 100°C, and then through water pressure and temperature pressure, the hot water at the front is pushed into the outlet pipe, then sprayed out through the outlet. When hot water drips onto the coffee grounds in the filter, after sufficient soaking and extraction, it flows into the bottom pot. After about 5-8 minutes, a pot of American drip coffee is ready.

Coffee made with American drip pots tends to be somewhat lighter in taste, and the mouthfeel perfectly matches that very light American style with just a hint of coffee flavor. It's suitable for breakfast pairing and afternoon refreshment.

The advantage of American drip coffee machines lies in their simple operation - you can make a decent cup of coffee without learning much coffee knowledge. American drip machines can also accommodate different coffee beans, resulting in different flavor profiles. For example, if you prefer more prominent sour and fruity flavors, you can choose coffee beans from Ethiopia, Kenya, or Panama. If you prefer bitter, mellow flavors, you can select coffee beans from Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, or Jamaica.

Important Notice :

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