Should You Add Sugar and Milk to Americano? | What Can You Add to Bitter Americano to Make It Less Bitter?

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The Popularity of Americano Coffee

Whenever watching Korean dramas, you'll notice that when characters go to coffee shops or treat others to coffee, Americano is like a familiar "veteran actor." Why do so many people love Americano? For many, Americano is not just a cup of coffee—beyond its refreshing effect, it serves as one of the social elements.

Americano is a black coffee made from espresso plus water. Being milk-free, sugar-free, and low-calorie has made it one of the healthy beverages highly recognized by modern young people. Choosing Americano offers both a social space provided by coffee shops and an affordable, healthy option. Whether you're drinking it yourself or treating someone, it's a low-burden choice.

If you don't know what someone likes to drink, or when you want to request or thank someone for something, you might consider bringing them an iced Americano. If you're worried they might not like black coffee, you can also bring creamer packets and sugar packets, allowing them to add according to their own preferences.

What is Americano Coffee?

The origin of Americano coffee is not actually in America, but in Italy. In 1884, Italy invented a coffee machine that uses steam pressure extraction, and in the same year, a coffee product named espresso appeared.

The characteristic of this coffee is that coffee beans are first ground into extremely fine particles, then sealed and pressurized to let hot water pass through the coffee grounds to extract a highly concentrated coffee liquid. Since it was during the industrial development era, the introduction of espresso was immediately loved by locals.

Before World War II, when American soldiers went to Italy and tasted this extremely strong and intense coffee during breaks at cafes, they found it somewhat hard to swallow (after all, making espresso wasn't as sophisticated back then, and the quality of coffee beans wasn't as good as today). So later, American soldiers would add water to dilute this coffee when drinking it.

Italians, who have always loved strong flavors, didn't quite approve of this American way of drinking coffee, so they called espresso with added water "Americano," meaning "American coffee."

Although Italians didn't approve of this way of drinking, Americans truly loved it! One reason was that it was quick and convenient to make, and another was that it could be adjusted according to personal taste. So after returning to America, some Americans introduced Italian espresso machines locally, and soon these rapid coffee extraction machines spread throughout America. Americano also became an indispensable product in coffee shops.

How to Make Americano Coffee?

The composition of Americano is espresso and water. When FrontStreet Coffee makes Americano, we use dark roasted blend coffee beans, then grind them into extremely fine coffee particles. Using 20g of coffee grounds at a 1:2 ratio and 9 bar pressure, we extract 40g of coffee liquid in 25-30 seconds, then add water at a 1:5 ratio.

However, it's important to note that every coffee grinder and espresso machine performs differently, and the roast, condition, and flavor expression of coffee beans also vary. The extraction parameters above are just FrontStreet Coffee's suggestions, providing initial reference data for everyone, with adjustments made according to the actual flavor expression of the coffee after extraction is completed.

Regarding the water ratio for Americano, the data above is also FrontStreet Coffee's reference for everyone, and it needs to be determined based on the flavor concentration of the final espresso. If you're really unsure about the ratio, it's recommended to start with 1:5. If the coffee tastes too strong, increase the water ratio; if it's too weak, reduce the water ratio.

If you want to make Americano at home but don't want to buy a coffee machine, you can choose to use a moka pot to make espresso. Although the flavor won't be as rich as an espresso machine, it's still very rich and mellow.

There are several points to note when using a moka pot: first, when adding water to the lower chamber, don't exceed the pressure relief valve position; second, the coffee grounds should also be finely ground but not so fine that they pass through the filter basket holes; third, the amount of coffee grounds added should be level with the filter basket without applying pressure. After filling, just level it off—no need to press down firmly on the coffee grounds.

After the coffee starts extracting and you notice coffee liquid beginning to emerge from the upper chamber, you can turn off the heat source and transfer it to a wet towel for rapid cooling. This temperature difference will speed up the release of coffee liquid and effectively reduce over-extraction caused by prolonged high temperatures.

Prepare a cup with a capacity of 200ml or more, pour in 180ml of warm hot water, then pour the coffee liquid extracted from the moka pot into the water, and an Americano is ready. Before drinking, stir gently. If you're not used to the mellow bitterness of black coffee, you can also add some sugar to balance the taste, or add a small amount of milk, which can balance the texture of the coffee somewhat.

What Coffee Beans to Use for Americano?

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using blend coffee beans specifically formulated for espresso. The reasons are not only that the cost will be cheaper, but the flavor expression of blended coffee beans will also be more stable than single-origin coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee currently sells 4 types of espresso blend coffee beans. You can choose the appropriate blend coffee beans according to your positioning.

"Frontsteet Sunshine Blend Coffee Beans" 78 yuan/227g, suitable for home brewing and specialty coffee shops. Made with Ethiopian natural red cherry coffee beans (30%) + Honduras sherry barrel coffee beans (70%), featuring rich wine aroma, vanilla cream, berry sweetness and acidity, and roasted nut flavors.

"Frontsteet Specialty Blend Coffee Beans" 75 yuan/454g, suitable for home brewing, specialty coffee shops, community coffee shops, and small coffee shops. Made with Colombian washed coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian semi-natural coffee beans (70%), featuring nut, dark chocolate, and caramel flavors.

"Frontsteet Commercial Blend Coffee Beans" 60 yuan/454g, suitable for specialty coffee shops, community coffee shops, small coffee shops, and takeout/takeaway coffee shops. Made with Robusta washed coffee beans (10%) + Colombian washed coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian semi-natural coffee (60%), featuring nut, cocoa, and caramel flavors.

"Frontsteet Basic Blend Coffee Beans" 50 yuan/454g, suitable for small coffee shops, milk tea shops, and takeout/takeaway coffee shops. Made with Yunnan washed small bean coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian semi-natural coffee beans (70%), featuring gentle fruit acidity, caramel, and nut flavors.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473