The Differences Between Italian Espresso and American Coffee - Optimal and Poor Extraction in Espresso

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From espresso—a seemingly small cup that completely preserves the coffee's flavor—to Americano, considered the daily drink of modern life, to specialty pour-over coffee that tantalizes the taste buds and impacts all five senses.

Looking at the coffee waves in recent years, after the emergence of instant coffee, Italian coffee rose to prominence. It not only spread Italy's coffee spirit throughout Europe but also traveled worldwide with the flourishing of chain coffee shops, becoming an important foundation for subsequent coffee development!

What is Italian Coffee?

A pure, stronger-tasting espresso was the main character of the second wave of coffee. Legend has it that coffee was introduced to Italy from the East along with fruits and was loved by the Italian people. After substantial improvements to brewing equipment in the early 20th century, the form close to today's espresso was established, and drinking Italian coffee became part of Italians' daily routine. Later, with continuous advancement of espresso machines, Italian coffee expanded from Italy outward, enveloping all of Europe in the aroma of coffee, eventually spreading widely throughout the world.

The "es" in espresso actually comes from the English "ex," meaning quick and convenient. Traditional Italian coffee drinks in the past were meant to be consumed quickly within just a few minutes to ensure the coffee's flavor wouldn't be lost. At that time, this sparked a trend of drinking coffee while standing, and the price was also more affordable than takeout coffee.

Authentic espresso is a beverage of about 30ml made by forcing near-boiling high-pressure hot water (approximately 92-94°Celsius, at 9 bar atmospheric pressure) through finely ground, evenly tamped coffee grounds in 20-30 seconds. The surface will have a thick, dense layer of coffee oil foam called Crema. The color of the oil tends toward golden yellow and brown, but now varies in color depending on the roast degree of the coffee; because the taste is very strong, many people add sugar or milk to balance the bitterness. In 1971, the well-known chain coffee shop Starbucks was established, which sparked a new wave of Italian coffee variations based on espresso, combined with syrups, cream, spices, and various seasonings—such as Con Panna, Macchiato, Caramel Macchiato, Cappuccino, Latte, Mocha, Americano, and more—all members of the Italian coffee family!

What is Americano?

America actually doesn't have Americano. Americano was originally transformed from Italian coffee → espresso diluted with hot water becomes Italian Americano. During World War II, American soldiers in Europe were not accustomed to the pure, bitter taste of espresso, so they added hot water to dilute it, and thus the name Americano was born! In the world of Italian coffee, Americano is one of the variations of Italian coffee!

Strictly speaking, Americano can be further divided into Americano, Long Black, and Lungo/Long Shot:

• Americano │ espresso added to hot water, the original coffee oil (Crema) on the espresso will be diluted.
• Long Black │ hot water added to espresso, because the coffee oil (Crema) is poured last, the oil can be retained longer and better maintain the aftertaste of coffee remaining in the mouth.
• Lungo │ no additional water is added, but the extraction time is extended and water flow speed is increased, extraction time is about 30-60 seconds, achieving about 60ml of coffee, a coffee that is more aromatic than Americano but less concentrated.

Authentic Americano must be a beverage formed by (espresso and hot water) fusion.

Espresso Extraction Steps

Dosing

The process of putting coffee grounds into the portafilter is called dosing. Care must be taken to ensure the portafilter is evenly filled with coffee grounds, being careful not to spill coffee grounds outside the portafilter, and filling with a measured amount of coffee grounds.

Leveling

Leveling refers to using fingers or palm to smooth the coffee grounds. Even with high-end coffee machines, when coffee grounds fall from the grinder, it's difficult to achieve a completely flat state, so the amount of coffee grounds needs to be adjusted at this stage.

To ensure the filled amount of coffee grounds is stable, practice should be done on a scale. A double dose of coffee typically uses about 18-22 grams of coffee grounds, with micro-adjustments made according to the type and condition of the beans.

Tamping

After placing the coffee grounds into the portafilter, a special tool (tamper) must be used to apply firm pressure from above to compact the coffee grounds. This process is called tamping. The key points during tamping are to apply pressure as vertically as possible and evenly compress the coffee grounds.

Before inserting the portafilter into the espresso machine, be sure to let the machine run for 2-3 seconds first. This allows any coffee grounds attached to the extraction port from the previous extraction to fall off, and also allows the water temperature to adjust to the optimal temperature for coffee extraction.

Extraction

After filling the grounds and completing tamping, immediately insert the portafilter into the coffee machine to begin coffee liquid extraction.

Good Extraction vs. Poor Extraction

Extraction can be either good or poor. Good extraction time is about 20-30 seconds, including the foam oil. When the extraction reaches 30ml, stop supplying hot water. In a good state of espresso, the coffee liquid will flow down slowly like honey. This is through the high pressure called 9 bar atmospheric pressure (9bar), which emulsifies the oil and water in the coffee, creating the liquid's viscosity.

Poor extraction occurs when the extraction time is too short. Because hot water passes through the coffee grounds quickly, resulting in insufficient emulsification, the coffee liquid appears watery. This might be due to coffee grounds that are too coarse or too little coffee grounds filled in the portafilter. However, extending the extraction time can easily bring out excessive bitterness, so special attention is needed.

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