How Do You Make an Americano on an American Coffee Machine?
An American coffee machine brews a larger, filter-style cup rather than a true 1-ounce espresso shot, so the closest result is a long black-style drink. A common espresso base uses 20 grams of grounds to extract 40 grams of liquid, then adds 200 milliliters of hot water for an Americano. With a drip machine, use a stronger coffee-to-water ratio and add hot water to taste.
The espresso family itself includes Espresso, Americano, Latte, Cappuccino, Ristretto, Flat White, and Dirty. A latte blends 40 grams of espresso with 260 milliliters of steamed milk, while a cappuccino totals about 180 milliliters and is served hot only. Knowing these builds helps when adapting a drip machine to similar drinks.
Espresso coffee is widely popular around the world, and Front Street stores have long offered a variety of espresso drinks. However, many friends who regularly drink espresso coffee may not clearly know exactly what types it includes. This article systematically sorts out seven common espresso coffees—Espresso, Americano, Latte, Cappuccino, Ristretto, Flat White, and Dirty—explaining one by one their composition, flavor characteristics, and Front Street's specific serving parameters, while also clarifying the differences between them and Americano, helping coffee lovers gain a more comprehensive understanding of the espresso coffee system.
Espresso coffee can be said to be the most widely popular type of coffee worldwide. Front Street stores have also always stocked a variety of espresso coffee drinks. Although some friends often drink "espresso coffee," they may not be able to clearly explain what truly counts as espresso coffee. Below, Front Street will discuss several common espresso coffees.
Espresso | Espresso, extracted using an espresso machine, with a volume of about 1 ounce, is the foundation of the entire espresso coffee system.
Americano | Americano is made by diluting espresso with water, and is one of the most common drinks in espresso coffee. Front Street's serving method uses 20g of coffee grounds to extract 40g of espresso liquid as the base, then pours in 200ml of hot water to make Americano.
Latte | In Italian, the original meaning is milk; outside Italy, it is usually understood as latte coffee. It is made by combining espresso and milk. The sweet aroma of milk suppresses the bitterness of coffee, making it smoother to drink. Latte coffee can be called a classic representative among milk coffees. Front Street's method is to use 20g of coffee grounds to extract 40g of espresso liquid as the base, then blend in 260ml of steamed milk to make hot latte coffee.
Cappuccino | Cappuccino is made up of espresso, milk, and thick milk foam, with a total cup volume of about 180ml. Its distinguishing feature is that layer of thick, dense milk foam. It should be noted that cappuccino is only made hot; there is no room-temperature or iced version.
Ristretto | Ristretto, also called restricted espresso, is a method derived from Espresso. Ristretto is roughly equivalent to the front and middle sections of Espresso, with a stronger and richer flavor. Front Street's serving parameters are 20g of coffee grounds extracting 27g of coffee liquid.
Flat White | Also called Australian white coffee, it can be understood as an Australian-style latte coffee. It combines Ristretto with milk, and the coffee character is more prominent in taste. Note that Flat White has no iced version. Front Street's method uses 20g of coffee grounds to extract 27g of coffee liquid as the base, then adds 170ml of steamed milk to blend and make it.
Dirty | This is a special way of drinking iced latte, pouring espresso directly over iced milk to create a layered effect, with a cup volume of about 200ml. It usually needs to be finished as soon as possible: the first sip is scalding, rich espresso; the second sip is the balanced feel of coffee and milk interwoven; the third sip is cold, clear, and sweet milk.
For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style). For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
