How do espresso coffee beans differ across Americano and Long Black?
Americano, Long Black, and Lungo all start with espresso coffee beans, but the water order, ratio, and extraction time separate them. An Americano adds water to espresso, which breaks up the crema. A Long Black pours water first and then espresso over it, keeping the crema intact and the flavor more concentrated.
The Americano dates to World War II, when US soldiers in Europe diluted strong espresso to a strength they were used to. Italian immigrants later popularized the espresso-based version in US coffee shops. A Lungo, by contrast, pulls a longer shot from the same dose, so the cup is larger but lighter in body.
In the world of coffee, brewing methods are incredibly diverse, and names vary from place to place. Americano, Long Black, and Lungo often leave people confused, unable to tell them apart. Although they all use espresso as a base, they differ in the order of adding water, the water-to-coffee ratio, and extraction time, resulting in completely different taste experiences. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article sorts out the definitions and differences among these three black coffees, extends to the essence of espresso, and finally combines several Front Street espresso blend beans to help you find the cup that best suits your taste. Whether you prefer light and mild or rich and creamy, you'll find the answer here.
There are many ways to brew coffee, such as French press, siphon, pour-over, espresso, cold brew, Americano, and so on; the names also vary widely, with different regions often having their own customary terms. Below, Front Street Coffee will discuss the differences among these common coffee types.
For example: the differences among Americano, Long Black, Lungo, and espresso.
Americano
Americano and espresso are the ones we see most often.
Americano—anyone who knows English or drinks coffee is no stranger to this name, called "美式咖啡" in Chinese. It originated during World War II when American soldiers in Europe couldn't get used to the extremely strong Espresso (drip black coffee was popular in the US), so they added water to dilute it. Therefore, Americano was essentially created to dilute coffee to a concentration suitable for Americans at the time. Later, when Italians immigrated to the US, Italian-style coffee shops sprang up, and they popularized the Americano made with espresso as a base. In terms of "adding water," they also established the order of pouring coffee first and then water to express the idea of diluting strong coffee. Until now, the order in making Americano isn't given much attention—the only difference is whether the crema is preserved or broken up.
There are also two other drinks that are often confused with Americano and hard to distinguish
Long Black Long Black = water + Espresso
Americano = Espresso + water, but in Australia a popular black coffee known as "Long Black" emerged. As the name suggests, it is a coffee without milk. Basically, black coffee has no milk added, making it suitable for those who are lactose intolerant or simply don't like milk.
The method for making Long Black is to first pour hot water into the cup, then add the Espresso. Long Black is a distinctive coffee native to Australia, also composed of espresso and water. After the Australian version of latte, Flat White, became hugely popular in China, some cafés simply imported the entire range of Australian espresso-based products and integrated them into their existing espresso menus.
Long Black is translated as Australian Black Coffee, and it also has an alternative name "short black," which is what Australians call black coffee made by diluting espresso with water. Long Black originated in Australia. Australians prefer a richer, more intense coffee, and Americano simply cannot satisfy their needs. Espresso in Australia is also called Short Black, so Long Black is essentially a slightly diluted espresso — while the strength decreases, the richness of the crema is retained. Long Black is served in a smaller cup than Americano, roughly 150ml. Water is poured first, then the espresso, which preserves the crema. Since the amount of diluting water is less than in an Americano, both the mouthfeel and intensity are slightly superior.
When espresso spread to countries like Australia and New Zealand, Australians fell in love with this rich coffee and created various Australian-style coffee drinks based on their tastes — for example, Starbucks' Flat White comes from Australia's Flat White. Australians make Long Black by extracting two shots of espresso (40g) and pouring them into a cup containing 100-120ml of hot water, keeping a rich layer of Crema on the surface. A Long Black made this way lets you taste the intense coffee flavor and directly feel the texture of the coffee crema.
Front Street also uses a double shot of espresso when making Long Black, at a 1:3 ratio. First prepare 120g of hot water, then pour the extracted double espresso into the hot water.
The most obvious difference between Americano and Long Black is the amount of water added. Americano generally has more water mixed in, with a coffee-to-water ratio typically between 1:5 and 1:8. This is because Americans are used to drinking drip coffee, which is very weak — just a hint of coffee flavor is enough. But Australians pursue a richer coffee flavor, using smaller cups and a smaller water ratio, which naturally results in a higher concentration. After the rise of espresso, Americano made with espresso as a base also requires a lot of water to recreate that light coffee taste.
Front Street believes there is no fixed ratio for how much water to add to a Long Black — it depends more on the barista's understanding of the coffee bean's flavor profile, deciding the amount of water based on the flavors they wish to express. For example, the Americano served at Front Street's stores uses Front Street's own roasted Sunflower Warm Sun blend coffee beans, which under ideal extraction should have notes of wine, vanilla, cream, chocolate, and berries. To highlight these aromas, Front Street conducted multiple comparisons and ultimately settled on a 1:3 ratio.
LUNGO Coffee
In recent years, LUNGO has also gained a steady following in the market. LUNGO coffee is made by extending the Espresso extraction time to about one minute, yielding approximately 50-60ml of coffee liquid — this drink is called "lungo coffee." Some baristas even extract it to a full cup, such as 200ml.
"Lungo" means "long, extended" in Italian, and clearly it is defined as a stretched-out version of espresso. Actually, talking about flavors in espresso is really something that has only emerged in recent years. In the past, coffee beans were generally roasted so dark that finding flavors in them was like searching for vibrant colors in blackness. A good espresso is about satisfaction in mouthfeel, stimulation in intensity, and afterward no lingering bitterness — just a roasted aroma left in the mouth, and that's all.
There is no precise data for making Lungo (every café's Espresso parameters differ slightly), and abroad, Lungo also has no clearly defined ratio. It simply represents a byword for extended espresso extraction — as for how much to extend, every café has its own differing views. Front Street uses 20g of coffee powder when making Lungo — for example, extracting 100g of coffee liquid over 56-60 seconds, double the time of a regular espresso (ratio 1:5).
A lungo made this way is essentially diluting the espresso by directly extending the extraction time. Because of the prolonged extraction time, after all the flavor molecules in the coffee have been extracted, the remaining woody fiber flavors of the coffee start to come through, so it tastes quite bitter with a distinct vinous note, but somewhat lacking in other flavors. We know that when extracting Espresso, the beginning is usually richer and the later the extraction goes, the weaker the coffee liquid becomes. So Lungo has a larger volume than Espresso, and its concentration is also lower than Espresso.
Australians pursue coffee flavor even more. As Front Street shared before, the difference in taste between Flat White and latte is that Flat White has a richer, more intense coffee flavor. Long Black has a more intense coffee flavor compared to Americano, in a smaller cup. Long Black is typically made by extracting two shots of espresso (40g) into a cup containing 100-120ml of water, keeping a rich layer of Crema on the surface.
Espresso
Italian coffee (Espresso) is a beverage made by forcing nearly boiling, high-pressure water through finely ground coffee. Espresso is generally richer than coffee made by other methods, containing a higher concentration of suspended and dissolved solids, such as the layer of coffee crema on top (a creamy foam). Because of its pressurized brewing process, espresso has an intense taste with a very high concentration of chemical compounds.
It is often used as a base for other beverages, such as latte, cappuccino, macchiato, mocha, and Americano. Italian espresso contains more caffeine per unit volume than other coffee beverages, but because each serving is smaller and the contact time between hot water and coffee grounds is very short — generally only about 20 to 30 seconds — the total caffeine content is actually lower. Although the actual caffeine content of a coffee beverage is affected by volume, coffee bean origin, roasting method, and other factors, a "typical" serving of Italian espresso contains about 80mg of caffeine, while a serving of drip coffee contains 95 to 200mg depending on the coffee bean variety — especially if it contains Robusta beans.
Making Americano, Long Black, and Lungo all requires espresso coffee beans. And espresso beans are basically blends. Why blend? There are three reasons: price, consistency, and flavor. These three form an "impossible triangle" — meaning you cannot have all three at once, and can only sacrifice one to achieve the other two.
Taking Front Street's four espresso coffee beans as examples, blending coffee beans was originally about stabilizing and balancing the coffee's flavor. For instance, Front Street's Specialty Blend uses a mix of Colombian and Brazilian coffee beans. Brazil and Colombia are both major coffee-producing countries with stable quality year after year. Plus, the balance of Brazilian coffee beans and the richness of Colombian coffee beans give this blend a solid performance — prioritizing both consistency and flavor, with a rich mouthfeel and a nutty main note accented by subtle fruity aromas, suitable for specialty coffee shops.
The espresso moka pot coffee bean recommended by many of Front Street's baristas — Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend — is a product developed with cost-effectiveness as the priority. It is blended from Yunnan and Brazilian coffee beans, ensuring the flavor and consistency of the extracted espresso while maintaining a price advantage.
Front Street's Commercial Blend uses coffee beans from Colombia, Brazil, and Vietnam, with the Vietnamese beans being Robusta at 10%. Italian cafés like to add Robusta to their blend recipes because Robusta provides a richer crema and higher caffeine content. Therefore, adding a small amount of Robusta beans makes the espresso's mouthfeel richer. The resulting espresso paired with milk presents a more intense caramel-chocolate flavor. This espresso bean is suitable for richness enthusiasts or businesses that specialize in espresso.
The last one is developed with flavor as the priority, and it is also the coffee bean used at Front Street's stores — the Sunflower Warm Sun blend. It is a blend of Yirgacheffe Red Cherry and Honduras Sherry Barrel coffee beans. It has the aroma of sherry wine, with flavors of chocolate, vanilla cream, and sherry wine. Whether as espresso itself, or made into Americano or milk coffee, it performs excellently. Suitable for friends who pursue coffee flavor.
Front Street believes that all kinds of coffee brewing are delicious, especially for friends who love coffee. But as for which one tastes best, that depends on personal taste — after all, everyone likes different flavors. However, Front Street has coffee beans from all the major producing countries, including 9 everyday beans from major origins, all of which are the most representative coffee beans with excellent value for money! You can absolutely choose your favorite flavor through these everyday beans.
Front Street Coffee Brewing Suggestions:
Regarding coffee brewing, Front Street has always believed that the freshness of coffee beans has a great impact on coffee flavor. Therefore, all coffee beans shipped by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) are within 5 days of roasting. Front Street's roasting philosophy is "Freshly roasted good coffee," so that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee. Coffee beans need about 4-7 days of resting, so when customers receive them, they are at their peak flavor.
For friends who need ground coffee, Front Street offers a friendly reminder: once coffee beans are pre-ground, they no longer need resting, because during transport, the pressure from carbon dioxide inside the packaging also smooths out the coffee flavors. So once you receive the ground coffee, you can brew a cup right away. However, ground coffee needs to be brewed promptly, because ground coffee oxidizes relatively quickly upon contact with air — meaning the coffee flavors dissipate faster and the taste won't be as good. Therefore, Front Street recommends buying whole beans and grinding fresh right before brewing, so you can better enjoy the coffee's flavor.
Professional coffee knowledge exchange — For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
