Latte, Americano, and espresso share the same roots, yet they present completely different flavor expressions due to different espresso extraction ratios. Front Street Coffee tested the specific effects of three brew ratios—1:1, 1:1.5, and 1:2—on espresso, latte, and Americano using the same specialty blend, the same grind setting, and the same dose. The results showed that the 1:1 ratio espresso was on the acidic side but had a pronounced sweetness after adding milk, the 1:1.5 ratio had the richest layers and made a balanced latte, while the 1:2 ratio tended to over-extract and develop woody and smoky notes. The article also explained espresso's reliance on blended beans and recommended Front Street's classic espresso blend.

A coffee enthusiast previously asked Front Street Coffee: if using the same beans, maintaining the same grind setting and dose, do you need to make different adjustments to the espresso brew ratio when making milk coffee, Americano, or espresso? To answer this question, Front Street Coffee's baristas actually compared the performance of espresso at various brew ratios, as well as the flavor differences when they were made into milk coffee and Americano. Below, we'll share the latte recipe ratio and the results of the Americano versus espresso comparison experiment.

Latte recipe ratio:

For this experiment, we used the cup that Front Street Coffee uses for its daily latte service, with a capacity of 300ml.

For the beans, Front Street Coffee used Front Street's specialty blend, a combination of Colombian and Brazilian beans; the grind setting was set to 1.9 on a Pegasus 900N; a single-spout portafilter was used to extract the espresso, with the dose fixed at 20 grams, and the brew ratios tested were 1:1, 1:1.5, and 1:2.

Next, let's taste each of these three brew ratios' espresso one by one, as well as their flavor performance when made into milk coffee and Americano.

Brew ratio 1:1 — 20g dose extracting 20g of coffee liquid, extraction time 19 seconds

[Espresso] Smooth on entry, slightly high acidity, with creamy and nutty flavors, and a lingering sucrose sweetness.

[Latte] A distinct nutty note on the nose; on the palate, flavors of nuts, chocolate, and cream, with a faint butter cookie quality, and the milk's sweetness stands out.

[Americano] Caramel aroma on the nose, soft and smooth on entry, with red berry flavors.

Brew ratio 1:1.5

20g dose extracting 30g of coffee liquid, extraction time 27 seconds

[Espresso] Berry-like acidity on entry, chocolate and hazelnut flavors in the mid-palate, with a lingering sweetness.

[Latte] Caramel aroma on the nose; on the palate, cream, milk chocolate, and slight nutty flavors, with the milk and coffee flavors fairly balanced.

[Americano] Slight berry-like acidity on entry, with a pronounced sucrose sweetness in the finish.

Brew ratio 1:2 — 20g dose extracting 40g of coffee liquid, extraction time 34 seconds

[Espresso] Creamy sweetness on entry, a clean sweet aftertaste with some rock sugar-like sweetness, and a noticeable smoky note in the finish.

[Latte] Though light on entry, it has a toffee-like sweetness, with cinnamon and woody notes in the finish.

[Americano] A slight woody aroma on the nose; on the palate, cocoa and woody flavors.

[Summary]

From Front Street Coffee's experiment, we can see that espresso with a smaller brew ratio tastes on the acidic side, but once milk is added it actually becomes very sweet, and as an Americano it also presents a soft mouthfeel. Front Street believes this is mainly because a smaller extraction ratio and shorter extraction time mean essentially only the early-stage compounds are extracted, making over-extraction unlikely. In addition, with less espresso liquid, the amount of milk increases accordingly when the serving volume stays the same, so the sweetness becomes more pronounced.

The espresso with the larger brew ratio tasted light on entry, though the sweetness was quite noticeable, but woody and smoky notes soon appeared; the same was true when made into a latte—light and sweet on entry, but like the espresso, woody notes quickly emerged; as an Americano, it had an obvious over-extracted woody taste right from the first sip.

The 1:1.5 ratio espresso and Americano were relatively richer in flavor layers, and when made into a latte, the milk and coffee flavors were also more balanced—the coffee flavor wouldn't overpower the milk, nor would the milk steal the coffee's thunder, giving an overall sense of balance.

Front Street Coffee's previous articles have also mentioned that the espresso obtained at the beginning of extraction has higher acidity and concentration, while the espresso extracted from the middle stage onward gradually reveals sweetness and becomes lighter in taste. Therefore, when the brew ratio is increased, the espresso is more prone to over-extraction.

Taking Front Street Coffee's specialty blend beans and parameters used in this experiment as an example, with the grind setting unchanged, if you want a latte with pronounced sweetness or a soft-mouthed Americano, you can try using espresso at a 1:1 brew ratio; while if you want a rich-layered espresso or Americano, or a balanced latte, you might try espresso at a 1:1.5 brew ratio.

What coffee beans are used for espresso?

As Front Street Coffee mentioned, making these three coffees all relies on espresso. So what coffee beans should be used for espresso to extract better flavor?

For those who are obsessed with espresso, we recommend Front Street's classic espresso blend, a recipe combining beans from three origins—Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam—using a dark roast that maximizes the coffee's rich aroma and makes it easy to extract abundant, dense crema. It's perfect for both a diluted Americano and a milk-based latte, and can be purchased from Front Street's Taobao store or Front Street's Tmall flagship store.

This is exactly why espresso is so beloved by coffee fans. Coffee fruit is ultimately a crop, and its flavor can be unstable year to year due to changes in climate and environment—perhaps sweet this year, and less sweet the next. Blending several coffee beans together solves this problem well, at least ensuring that the coffee flavor tasted each year remains consistent.

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