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What is Black Coffee? What's the Difference Between Black Coffee and American Pour-Over Coffee?

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, What does "black coffee" mean in Cantonese? Guangzhou's "black coffee" and Shanghai's "clear coffee" refer to the same thing: pure coffee without milk and sugar. American coffee and pour-over coffee are both types of black coffee, as are those made with Moka pots and French press. So what are the benefits of black coffee?

What Do Guangdong Locals Mean by "Zhai Coffee"?

"Zhai" means pure, and "Zhai Coffee" refers to black coffee, similar to Shanghai's "Qing Coffee." Black coffee is pure coffee without added milk, sugar, or other auxiliary ingredients. Common examples include Americano, pour-over, ice drip, cold brew coffee, or pure black coffee extracted using devices like moka pots and French presses, all of which fall under the category of Zhai coffee. Among the various types of Zhai coffee, the most popular is "Ice Zhai Coffee," also known as Iced Americano.

What Does Iced Americano Taste Like?

The ingredients for Iced Americano are very simple, consisting only of espresso, ice, and water. Since no other auxiliary ingredients like milk or sugar are added, Americano better allows you to taste the original flavor and aroma of coffee beans, which also places higher demands on the flavor and quality of the espresso. FrontStreet Coffee uses its own roasted "Sunflower Warm Sunshine Blend," which combines 70% Honduras Sherry coffee with 30% Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry coffee. The whiskey, vanilla, and cream flavors of the Sherry complement the tropical fruits and fermentation notes of the red cherry, creating rich coffee aroma and a smooth mouthfeel.

When preparing Iced Americano, FrontStreet Coffee grinds the coffee beans and extracts espresso at a 1:2 coffee-to-liquid ratio, which is then diluted in water - using 20 grams of coffee powder to extract 40 grams of coffee liquid. We prepare 120 grams of ice and 120 grams of room temperature water, which tastes best before the ice completely melts. FrontStreet Coffee's Iced Americano presents a refreshing and pleasant sweet and sour taste that even friends who don't regularly drink black coffee can easily accept.

Why Is Iced Americano So Popular?

The reason Americano is so highly sought after is not only because of its moderate concentration and approachable taste, but also because drinking an appropriate amount daily helps with digestion, reducing greasiness, and eliminating body edema. In the warmer Guangdong region, Iced Americano also helps locals cool down and quench thirst, making it a summer essential. Additionally, because Iced Americano is very low in calories and can boost metabolism, drinking it an hour before exercise helps burn fat, making it one of the recommended beverages for many fitness enthusiasts.

However, FrontStreet Coffee still needs to remind everyone that only pure Americano offers certain health benefits. If you add syrup, condensed milk, or coffee creamer to Americano, it brings additional calories, and long-term consumption is not beneficial to our health.

Is Americano Healthy?

Whether Americano is healthy is an enduring global topic, but the current medical consensus is that moderate consumption of Americano has no adverse health effects and does not increase the risk of certain cancers; in fact, it can even be beneficial to the body. FrontStreet Coffee suggests that no more than 3 cups of black coffee per day is beneficial and harmless to health, but this should also be tailored to each individual's constitution. When we experience insomnia or gastrointestinal discomfort after drinking coffee, we should not consume excessive amounts of caffeine.