Whenever people mention black coffee, they always think first ofAmericano, and many friends also assume that black coffee is Americano. In reality, black coffee refers to any coffee without sugar or milk added, and Americano is just one type within that category.
AmericanoWhether it tastes good and how its flavors express themselves is closely tied to the espresso used to make it. Although this coffee is called Americano, it is actually a product of espresso diluted with water. A diluted coffee being this popular?! In this article, Front Street Coffee will chat with you aboutAmericanoand its charm.
What isAmericano?
Although unverified, legend has it that Americano can be traced back to World War II. At the time, American soldiers stationed in Europe really wanted to drink coffee. Unfortunately, Italy only had rich, intense espresso, and the concentration of espresso made the American soldiers very uncomfortable.
The American soldiers asked their cooks to add plenty of water to the espresso, imitating the kind of coffee they drank back home. Later, Italians gave this American coffee preference its own name: Americano (the Americans' coffee). This is the origin of "Americano."
Later, after these American soldiers returned to their own country, they missed this way of making coffee very much, because the process was quick and they could add water according to their own preference. So they began importing pressure-extraction espresso machines from Italy. However, after espresso machines entered the American market, sales were not good because they were expensive and the American public was very unfamiliar with espresso at the time.
It was not until Starbucks introduced Italian espresso machines and launched a range of coffee products including Americano that, through its own store network, Americano made with espresso quickly won the affection of many consumers and began spreading overseas. So many friends first heard of Americano from Starbucks.
AmericanoHow is it made?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word Americano is defined as: a type of coffee drink made by adding hot water to espresso coffee. Adding hot water to espresso is what makes it an Americano. Simply put, espresso diluted with water is Americano.
Espresso is made by grinding coffee beans into extremely fine particles, then using a pressure-increasing extraction machine to let water quickly pass through the coffee particles in a sealed, pressurized environment, extracting the soluble substances from the particles to produce a small amount of highly concentrated coffee liquid. Finally, adding an appropriate amount of hot water/ice water makes it an Americano.
Americano Coffee Bean Recommendations
For making Americano/espresso, Front Street Coffee recommends using coffee beans specially blended for espresso. The reasons for recommending blended coffee beans are: first, the cost is lower; second, the coffee beans used in the blend complement each other, which can balance and stabilize the flavor of every cup; and third, most blended coffee beans use medium-dark or darker roasts, so after extraction they are less likely to produce sharp acidity or thin coffee flavors.
Espresso Blend Coffee Bean Recommendations
"Front Street Coffee - Warm Sun Blend": Ethiopian natural Red Cherry coffee beans (30%) + Honduran Sherry Barrel coffee beans (70%), with rich wine aroma, vanilla cream, berry-like sweet and tart notes, and roasted nut flavors.
"Front Street Coffee - Front Street Specialty Blend": Colombian washed coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian semi-washed coffee beans (70%), with nut, dark chocolate, and caramel flavors.
"Front Street Coffee - Front Street Commercial Blend": Robusta washed coffee beans (10%) + Colombian washed coffee beans (30%) + Brazilian semi-washed coffee (60%), with nut, cocoa, and caramel flavors.
"Front Street Coffee - Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend": Yunnan washed small-bean coffee (30%) + Brazilian semi-washed coffee beans (70%), with soft fruit acidity, caramel, and nut flavors.
SOE Single-Origin Espresso Coffee Bean Recommendations
As specialty coffee culture becomes more widespread, some friends may also want to use single-origin coffee to make Americano. If choosing single-origin coffee beans, Front Street Coffee recommends using beans roasted at medium or above with relatively prominent flavors.
Light-roast coffee beans, when ground extremely fine and extracted under pressure, easily express sharp acidity. Light-roast coffee overall also lacks sufficient caramelization, so it tends to be thinner than coffee roasted at medium or above.
"Front Street - Costa Rica Mozart Coffee Beans" — this medium-roast coffee bean, when extracted as SOE, expresses raisin sweetness, slight floral notes, and berry-like sweet and tart flavors.
"Front Street - Guatemala Flower God Coffee Beans" — this medium-roast coffee, when extracted as SOE, expresses soft fruit acidity, dark chocolate richness, and a slight smoky note.
"Front Street - Brazil Queen's Estate Coffee Beans" — this medium-dark roast coffee bean, when extracted as SOE, expresses roasted peanut and roasted nut aromas, dark chocolate-like richness, and a caramel finish.
Front Street's Extraction Parameters for Making SOE Americano
Coffee beans: Costa Rica · Mozart
Coffee powder dose: 20g
Coffee liquid yield: 40g
Powder-to-liquid ratio: 1:2
Extraction time: 26–32 seconds
Grind setting: Galileo 2.0
The coffee machine used by Front Street has a double-shot basket capacity, requiring 20 grams of coffee powder each time, with an extraction powder-to-liquid ratio of 1:2, meaning 40 grams of coffee liquid is produced within a reasonable time. Extraction time is related to the flow rate of the coffee powder. Generally, a single extraction is controlled between 20 and 35 seconds. If it is less than 20 seconds, the coffee taste tends to be thin and bland; if it exceeds 35 seconds, over-extraction easily causes a burnt, bitter taste in the coffee. So when Front Street produces it, the espresso time is controlled within the range of 26–32 seconds.
Before extraction, we need to first wipe the basket dry, turn on the grinder, grind out a double dose of coffee powder, and place it on an electronic scale to measure and adjust until it reaches exactly 20 grams. Then use a distribution tool to level the coffee powder, and use a tamper to press vertically downward with force, compacting the coffee puck firmly to ensure more stable extraction.
Then turn on the extraction switch and let water run for 1–2 seconds to moisten the brew head, while also washing away any stuck coffee grounds. Place an electronic scale under the cup that will catch the espresso, and tare the weight to 0, placing it together under the brew head during extraction. Gently lock the portafilter onto the brew head, and begin flipping down the extraction switch. Observe the changes in the extracted liquid. When the electronic scale shows 40 grams of coffee liquid extracted, at about 30 seconds, flip the extraction switch off.
Prepare a cup with a capacity of about 300ml, then add 80 grams of ice and 170 grams of room-temperature drinking water. Pour the coffee liquid into the ice water and stir evenly before drinking.
The Mozart SOE iced Americano made this way is very refreshing on the palate, with elegant sweet aromas of raisins, osmanthus, and berries, and almost no bitterness. As the ice gradually dilutes it, the coffee becomes pleasantly chilled — a must-have treat for summer.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
