Are Lattes Bitter, and How Do They Compare to an Americano?

Latte is the Italian word for milk, so a latte in Italy may simply be a glass of milk; the modern drink took shape once steam wands became standard on espresso machines. An Americano came from diluting espresso with water. A latte is mostly milk with espresso, which softens the bite, so lattes are generally less bitter than an Americano of the same beans.

Adding milk to an iced Americano does not make it an iced latte: the two differ in ingredients, sweetness and cost, and in the milk-to-coffee ratio and extraction parameters each shop uses. What is caffe americano then, if not espresso plus water? Blends and machine models vary, so flavor shifts from shop to shop even for the same drink name.

Walking into a café, you often hear people ordering a latte or an Americano—so is a latte actually good? And how should you choose between an iced latte and an iced Americano? Nowadays many people are used to drinking coffee while working, or holding a cup while chatting leisurely with friends. These two kinds of coffee are also quite popular at Front Street stores, so Front Street will now walk you through them. "Latte" originally means milk in Italian; with the spread of espresso machines and steam wands, the modern latte gradually took shape. The Americano, meanwhile, originated from the American practice of diluting espresso. So does adding milk to an iced Americano equal an iced latte? What are the differences between the two in ingredients, sweetness, and cost? This article will sort it all out for you.

In coffee shops, you often hear friends ordering drinks like lattes or Americanos—so is a latte tasty? And how do iced lattes and iced Americanos perform? These days many people like to drink coffee while busy with work, or sip coffee while enjoying happy times and chatting with friends. These two coffees are also very popular choices at Front Street stores, so Front Street will introduce these two coffees to everyone:

Iced Latte

Latte is actually a transliteration of the Italian word "Latte," which literally means milk. So if you order a latte in an Italian café, what comes to the table might really be a glass of milk. In other words, in Italy, latte coffee refers to milk coffee. With the advent of the espresso machine, the steam wand became standard equipment on espresso machines, making it easy to heat milk on the machine, and the modern meaning of latte coffee gradually took shape as a result. By the 1980s, baristas in Seattle, Washington, began "coloring" coffee with milk of a velvety texture—this was the earliest form of latte art.

Moreover, because the espresso blend beans used by each coffee shop have different flavors and the models of espresso machines also vary, latte coffee will have subtle differences from shop to shop in the ratio of milk to coffee, bean selection, extraction parameters, and so on. But usually, latte coffee is a drink made by adding a large amount of milk to espresso. Lattes made with different coffee beans will have different flavors, lattes made with different milks will also taste different, and even by adjusting the ratio of coffee to milk, different flavors can be presented.

Americano

From the name you can probably guess that espresso should come from Italy, so Americano should come from the United States. The rise of Americano can be traced back to the 18th century. At that time, Americans were extremely dissatisfied with the British government's high import tariffs on tea, so in 1773 the "Boston Tea Party" broke out, and people advocated switching to coffee. Gradually, the number of cafés in the United States continued to expand, prompting the coffee industry to flourish in America. By the 1880s, about one-third of the world's coffee beans were sold to the United States. During World War II, U.S. allied forces consumed large amounts of coffee every day to relieve the monotony of life and also to keep soldiers alert.

However, Italians are used to drinking strong espresso, and American soldiers could not get used to such strong bitterness, so they diluted the coffee liquid with water to reach a concentration they could accept. Later, in the cafés Italians opened in the United States, they also "did as the locals do" and introduced "watered-down coffee" based on espresso, which became very popular. Later, this "watered-down coffee" was called "Americano." Because no other ingredients are added and it consists only of water and espresso, it belongs to the category of black coffee.

The difference between an iced latte and an iced Americano with milk

For those who make coffee at home, there is no need for too many rules and formalities. Take the most common Americano—some people like it stronger, so they add less water; some like it lighter, so they dilute the concentration; some love to add sugar, and some are used to adding milk. In short, do whatever you like. So here comes the question: after adding milk to an Americano, does it become a latte? What is the difference between the two?

1. Different ingredients

Iced Latte: six parts milk and four parts espresso concentrate, add ice and stir well.

Iced Americano with milk: some water and espresso concentrate, plus some milk, add ice and stir well.

2. Different sweetness

An iced latte adds a large amount of milk, so it tastes relatively sweet. An iced Americano with milk generally has no sugar added, and because it contains water and less milk, it is relatively bitter. Americano also tastes relatively light, and because the extraction time is generally longer, its caffeine content is relatively high.

3. Different cost

Iced Latte: a large amount of milk and espresso concentrate is added, so the cost is relatively high, and therefore the price is relatively high.

Iced Americano with milk: a large amount of water, a small amount of milk, and espresso concentrate are added, so the cost is relatively low, and therefore the price is relatively low.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.