How does a long black differ from a lungo and an americano?

A long black, a lungo, and an americano are three different drinks built on espresso. A lungo extends the shot itself: the same dose pulled with more water, roughly a 1:5 coffee-to-water ratio, such as 20 grams in and 100 grams out, taking about 56 seconds, with no added water. An americano dilutes a standard 1:2 espresso with clean water.

A long black is the reverse order: hot water goes into the cup first, then the espresso is poured over it, which keeps more of the crema and aroma intact. To make americano, the espresso is extracted first and water is added afterward; because extraction ratios and pour order differ, the same blend tastes noticeably different across all three.

In the big family of espresso, Americano, Latte, and Cappuccino have long been regulars, while Lungo and Long Black have gradually come into the view of coffee lovers in recent years, yet are often mistaken for Americano. What exactly are the differences between them? And how should the brewing ratios be handled? This article will systematically sort out the similarities and differences among Lungo, Long Black, and Americano from the perspectives of extraction principles, coffee-to-water ratios, and flavor performance. At the same time, Front Street Coffee uses the Sunflower Warm Sun blend beans as an example to make the three types of coffee separately for comparison, taking you to intuitively experience the subtle changes in flavor presentation of the same bean under the three methods of extended extraction, water first then espresso, and espresso first then water.

In the genealogy of Italian coffee, Americano, Latte, and Cappuccino have long occupied the top spots in popularity. In recent years, Lungo and Long Black have also begun to appear frequently on cafe menus, and many enthusiasts often confuse them with Americano. So, what exactly are they? And what is their connection to Americano?

What is Americano?

Regarding the origin of Americano, I believe everyone is already very familiar with it, so Front Street will not elaborate further here. Simply put, Americano is made by extracting espresso at a conventional ratio (coffee-to-water ratio 1:2) and diluting it with an appropriate amount of clean water. This not only lowers the concentration but also allows different flavor molecules to display their characteristics at different temperatures.

What is Lungo?

Lungo means "long" or "extended" in Italian, equivalent to "longer" in English. Its extraction idea is to extend the extraction time on the basis of standard espresso, thereby obtaining more coffee liquid. At present, there is no unified Lungo extraction standard in the industry, and the parameters of each cafe are different. It is usually recommended to control the coffee-to-water ratio at about 1:5, for example, using 20 grams of coffee to extract 100 grams of coffee liquid. As the extraction ratio increases, the extraction time also increases exponentially, requiring about 56 seconds.

The espresso after extended extraction does not need additional water and can be drunk directly. From the perspective of principle, it is completely different from Americano; Lungo belongs to an extended variant of espresso.

What is Long Black?

Long Black is also called Australian Black, and locally in Australia there is another name for it—"short black," which is the exclusive term Australians use for this diluted espresso. Wait, isn't diluted espresso just Americano? Why create another name? In fact, these two coffees are not the same, and behind this is Australians' unique insistence on coffee.

The method for Americano is to extract espresso first, then add water to dilute it, with the ratio of espresso to water at about 1:5 to 1:8. When adding water, the crema on the surface of the espresso is broken up, so from the first sip to the last, the concentration of the coffee remains basically consistent.

Australian Black, on the other hand, is made by first pouring clean water into the cup, then pouring in the extracted espresso. In this way, the crema layer is fully preserved, and the ratio of espresso to water is usually 1:3. Due to the difference in density between espresso and water, without stirring, the overall richness of the cup will show a gradual transition from strong to light. Therefore, the first sip of Long Black is the richest and most intense, with a silky mouthfeel brought by the crema, and afterward the flavor gradually becomes clearer and cleaner.

Using the same bean to make Americano, Lungo, and Long Black separately, how do the flavors differ?

For daily espresso extraction, Front Street uses the Sunflower Warm Sun blend coffee beans, with parameters of 20 grams of coffee extracting 40 grams of coffee liquid in 28 seconds. The flavor performance of the espresso itself is: sherry aroma, soft berry acidity, vanilla cream-like mouthfeel, and a hazelnut chocolate finish.

The Lungo espresso extracted at a 1:5 ratio shows the following flavor and mouthfeel: prominent bitterness, obvious wine aroma and chocolate charm, but other flavors are slightly lacking.

A hot Americano made with a 1:6 coffee-to-water ratio shows the following flavor and mouthfeel: obvious and lively sherry aroma, not prominent berry acidity, with a finish of hazelnut and vanilla chocolate.

A Long Black made with a 1:3 coffee-to-water ratio shows the following flavor and mouthfeel: creamy and smooth on entry, strong sherry aroma, clear caramel and chocolate finish, rich in the front section, and clean in the back section.

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