Americano, Long Black, Lungo: Differences & Americano Brewing Process Parameters

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The Correct Way to Drink Americano Coffee | What's the Difference Between Black Coffee Americano, Long Black, and Lungo?

"Americano" (English: Americano, Italian: Caffè Americano) is black coffee made using a drip coffee maker. Because the general extraction time is relatively long (about four to five minutes), the caffeine content is higher. Americano coffee is simple to make, emphasizing convenience and freedom. Compared to espresso, Americano has a relatively cleaner taste and better restores the original flavor of coffee beans.

Espresso with Hot Water - Americano Coffee:

Americano coffee, which can be found everywhere in convenience stores, is actually made by adding hot water to dilute espresso. Americano originated during World War II when American soldiers in Italy couldn't get used to Espresso, so they added large amounts of hot water to dilute the taste. Later, this way of drinking was called "Americano." However, some Europeans don't approve of this practice. The French even call Americano "jus de chaussette," which means "sock juice."

Taste Characteristics:

The coffee extracted from Americano is mainly bitter, and this black coffee has the highest purity. If you want to taste the flavors of different types of coffee beans, Americano is an excellent choice.

Preparation Method:

Having an Americano coffee machine, making Americano coffee will be simpler than you imagine: add 1 scale of water - pour 1 level spoon of coffee powder - start - in about two minutes, a cup of fragrant Americano coffee is ready.

Several Ways to Make Americano Coffee:

Americano, Long Black & Lungo

Here we can introduce its other two "brothers." Americano is made by adding hot water to Espresso, while Long Black is the opposite - adding Espresso to hot water. The different order results in slightly different tastes. It's more popular in Australia and New Zealand and is now becoming popular in London, UK.

What about Lungo? It's quite special. It's obtained by changing the grinder setting to speed up the flow rate that would normally extract espresso. In terms of capacity, Americano holds more than Long Black (250ml vs 150ml), while Lungo has the least, only about 60ml. Usually, Lungo is ground coarser to speed up extraction and shorten the time. The coffee from Lungo has the richest crema among the three.

【Ristretto】is the opposite of 【lungo】. It's an Espresso made with half the normal coffee-to-water ratio, with the only difference being the grind size of the coffee powder.

Since coffee extraction is first concentrated then diluted, the flavor of Ristretto is stronger than Espresso per unit time.

Drip Coffee Maker

Having a drip coffee maker, making Americano coffee will be simpler than you imagine: add 1 scale of water - pour 1 level spoon of coffee powder - start - in about two minutes, a cup of fragrant Americano coffee is ready.

Benefits of Drinking Americano Coffee:

Naturally neutral coffee, its popularity is basically consistent between male and female customers.

This is not only because of Americano's approachable taste. As pure coffee, its coffee concentration (which most consumers can simply understand as bitterness) suits public taste, while retaining the unique deep-roasted aroma and bitter-sweet taste of espresso, making it refreshing and comfortable. Having an Americano after a heavy meal can serve as a palate cleanser.

On the other hand, and also very importantly, Americano coffee has extremely high cost-effectiveness. Usually, Americano has a larger volume, while the price is only slightly higher than espresso, or similar to the price of a cappuccino.

FrontStreet Coffee's Americano Preparation Method:

Single shot dose is 13-14 grams, time controlled within 25-30 seconds, while double shot dose is about 20 grams, with the same time control, then add hot water to 9/10 full.

Iced Americano:

Put 5-6 ice cubes in the glass, then add espresso, and add ice water to 9/10 full; another method is to fill the glass with ice cubes, add espresso, and wait for the ice cubes to dissolve. As the ice melts, the espresso flavor becomes lighter, and the taste is much more refreshing.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473