How Much Water and Ice Should Be Added to Iced Americano? A Guide to Americano Coffee Making Ratios

First, take a large ice glass from the refrigerator, add three ice cubes, fill it with water to about 80% full, extract a shot of espresso and pour it in - this completes the process of making an iced Americano. This is the standard procedure that FrontStreet Coffee's barista follows when receiving an order for an iced Americano.

The purpose of adding ice and water to espresso is to dilute the concentration, making the coffee more palatable. Since we're adjusting concentration, what should be the ratio of espresso to water? And does the ratio of water to ice in an iced Americano also matter?

Water Dilution Ratio

Actually, the dilution ratio for Americano depends on the flavor profile of the beans. For example, medium-dark roast beans with nutty and chocolate notes tend to produce espresso that is more bitter and concentrated, so it's recommended to use a larger dilution ratio, possibly between 1:6 to 1:8 for the liquid-to-water ratio. If you prefer it stronger, use 1:6; if you like it lighter, use 1:8.

When using relatively lightly roasted beans, the flavor profile isn't just about bitterness but includes fruity acidity and sweetness. In this case, the dilution ratio doesn't need to be as large - you can experiment with a ratio around 1:5.

For example, take the Sunflower Warm Sunshine blend bean used at FrontStreet Coffee. To highlight the sherry barrel flavor, we selected an extraction plan using 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 40 grams of coffee liquid in 27-28 seconds. When determining the concentration ratio for the hot Americano, we continuously tested with this extraction parameter. After multiple rounds of testing, we finally decided on a 1:4.5 dilution (180 grams of water). At this ratio, the wine aroma as well as vanilla and cream flavors of the Warm Sunshine blend are more prominent, and the texture is also very smooth.

Therefore, when choosing a dilution plan for your Americano, after determining the flavors you want the beans to express, try experimenting with several different ratios, and finally compare to find the Americano ratio that you prefer.

Ice to Water Ratio

Taking FrontStreet Coffee's iced Americano as an example, today's extraction plan for the Sunflower Warm Sunshine blend uses 19.7 grams of coffee grounds to extract 38 grams of coffee liquid in 29 seconds. After adding 90 grams of ice and 160 grams of water, the ratio of coffee to ice water is 1:6.5, with an ice-to-water ratio of 1:1.7.

According to FrontStreet Coffee's observations, many customers still have quite a bit of crushed ice left in their glasses after drinking. This is because FrontStreet Coffee uses large old ice that has been frozen for at least two to three days, as well as pre-frozen ice glasses, so the ice melts slowly, and you can still see several small ice cubes about 15 minutes after serving.

Although the coffee concentration appears to be diluted quite low, it doesn't actually affect the tasting of the coffee's flavor when drinking, and it also maintains the low temperature of the iced Americano (the Warm Sunshine blend doesn't taste good when consumed at room temperature). Therefore, when making iced Americanos in our daily routine, we need to consider the melting speed of the ice we use in the coffee to customize the ratio between water and ice in our iced Americano.

If your ice consists of smaller, fresh ice cubes, it's recommended to appropriately increase the proportion of ice. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's ice-to-water ratio is 1:1.7, but you could increase it to 1:1. For instance, extract a 40g shot of espresso and add 100 grams of water and 100 grams of fresh ice to achieve the dilution concentration while ensuring the coffee maintains a low temperature for a good drinking experience.

If your ice is also homemade large old ice, you can refer to FrontStreet Coffee's 1:1.7 ice-to-water ratio and use slightly less ice to avoid it melting too slowly, which would result in the coffee being too concentrated at first sip. Then make fine adjustments according to your own taste to find your favorite concentration ratio.

Of course, people's preferences for Americano concentration vary quite widely. Some people like to drink espresso directly, some like to add a little bit of milk, and some prefer pure iced Americano without water, etc. So when it comes to taste preferences for Americano, there isn't a fixed standard. You still need to experiment more based on the flavor of the beans and your own dietary habits to find your favorite ratio - that's the charm of coffee.

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FrontStreet Coffee

10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

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