How to Properly Evaluate the Quality of an Americano? What Does Americano Mean?

Americano: American Coffee?

As a well-known beverage in coffee circles, the Americano, made solely from espresso and water (ice water), appears in almost any coffee shop and often serves as the signature drink that customers order upon entering.

People love Americano for many reasons - perhaps for its stimulating effect, quenching thirst, or cooling down in hot weather. Others might drink it to reduce bloating or aid in weight loss, or simply because they're craving coffee, and it happens to be one of the fastest-made and most affordable black coffees... With all these reasons combined, this black coffee made by adding water to espresso has long become a popular beverage known to all.

Nowadays, Americano is quite common. So as ordinary consumers, from what perspectives can we judge whether this daily coffee is good or not? Today, FrontStreet Coffee will explore from a tasting perspective what kind of "water-diluted coffee" can be considered a genuinely delicious Americano in the broad sense.

Americano: American Coffee?

From the name, we might guess that since espresso comes from Italy, Americano should originate from America. But did you know that the name "Americano" wasn't actually coined by Americans, but by the Italians who invented the espresso machine?

Legend has it that in the later stages of World War II, American soldiers stationed in Italy found the strong taste of espresso unpalatable, so they chose to add water to dilute it before drinking. This maintained some coffee flavor while creating a palatable stimulating coffee - killing two birds with one stone. Later, with waves of immigration, Italian-owned cafes in America adapted to local preferences by offering this "lighter version of black coffee" and named it "Americano," which quickly gained popularity.

What Differences Exist Among Americanos in Coffee Shops?

Once, FrontStreet Coffee was asked by a regular customer why some coffee shops make Americanos that are refreshing and mellow, leaving you wanting more after finishing the entire cup, while others make Americanos that are bitter and difficult to swallow, making you put on a "pain mask" from the first sip, unable to even drink half. They're all Americanos, so what factors cause such significant differences?

Whether it's the classic version of extracting espresso first then adding water, or the Oceania improved version of adding water first then pouring espresso, the essence is the same: a mixture of espresso and hot or ice water with a concentration of approximately 7-12%.

The amount of water generally depends on the cup size and the shop's preparation standards, and the water temperature is similar - ranging from 60-70°C suitable for immediate drinking, to 80-90°C to prevent rapid cooling when taking out in winter, or even directly adding boiling water. Although these details do create some differences in the taste of Americano, they are definitely not the key reasons for the significant differences mentioned above.

Since everyone knows that an Americano consists of water and espresso, and water is typically colorless and tasteless, only serving as a diluent, the problem must lie in the espresso. Therefore, when we drink a bad Americano, the problem obviously stems from the type and quality of beans used, as well as the barista's extraction technique. For issues with preparation, you can refer to our previous article: Why Does Your Americano Always Fall Short?

So, What Makes a Good Americano?

From a consumer's perspective, whether a coffee tastes good or whether one likes it is very subjective. After all, tastes vary - some people prefer rich, dark-roasted blends, while others naturally prefer refreshing, fruit-acidic light-roast single origins, and some are more fond of types with fermented wine aromas. Different preferences deeply influence our final impression of an Americano.

But if we temporarily set aside preferences for coffee's acidity, bitterness, richness, or weakness, or other taste preferences, and only look at the flavor profile brought by espresso, a good Americano should have the following three characteristics:

1. Smooth texture with comfortable aftertaste
As we all know, a standard Americano has beautiful golden-brown foam floating on top - the crema. It not only affects the mouthfeel of the coffee but also provides some aromatic compounds for the coffee's aroma, and it's one of the important indicators of coffee freshness. Therefore, to ensure stable extraction while giving espresso both good aroma and rich crema, most coffee shops still prefer to use medium-dark roasted beans for their Americanos.

FrontStreet Coffee mentioned in the article "Light Roast for Fruit Acidity, Then What Do Dark Roasts Offer?" that compared to the rich and varied flavor profile of fruit-acidic coffee, dark-roasted coffee mainly features caramelized aromas, such as chocolate, cocoa, cream, nuts, and other descriptions, which leads to the coffee's characteristics becoming more singular. Compared to the ever-changing acids, these Americanos focus more on whether they have rich, smooth, and sweet aftertaste qualities.

In short, a good Americano must be smooth to drink, with no uncomfortable feelings after swallowing. On the contrary, if you immediately taste burnt rubber, dryness, roughness, or a choking sensation from the first sip, it can hardly be called "good coffee."

2. Balanced flavor, not overly bitter or sharply acidic
Unlike other coffee brewing methods, espresso is a high-pressure extraction process. It's like a magnifying glass - the good things in coffee are amplified, and the bad things are also amplified. In other words, bitter coffee becomes more bitter, and acidic coffee becomes more acidic. Therefore, determining whether an Americano tastes good depends more on whether the concentration can maintain balance after being diluted with water - will it become bitter? Will it be sharply acidic? If neither, then without further ado, we know it must be a palatable black coffee.

3. Aromatic, not bland
In the world of coffee brewing, managing extraction rate is very important. Under-extraction results in bland, tasteless coffee; over-extraction leads to astringency and off-flavors. As a coffee that's first extracted and then diluted with water, whether hot or iced Americano, its core flavor still lies in those few dozen milliliters of espresso.

Take FrontStreet Coffee's daily Sunflower Warmth Blend as an example. Ensuring the espresso showcases flavors of vanilla, cream, chocolate, fermented wine aroma, and berry sweetness-sourness, without becoming bland after adding a certain proportion of water, and maintaining a balanced profile - that completes the barista's adjustment task for the day.

In summary, when you drink an Americano with a smooth texture and clean aftertaste, where the overall sweet, sour, bitter, and sweet flavors are balanced, and it showcases the main flavor characteristics of the coffee beans, then congratulations - you've definitely ordered the right coffee!

- END -

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473