What Separates Espresso From an Americano You Make at Home?

Espresso is a concentrated shot pulled under about 9 bars of pressure, topped with a golden layer of crema formed as water emulsifies the coffee's natural oils. An Americano is that same shot diluted with hot water, which lowers the intensity and gives a more balanced taste. To make americano, pull the shot first, then add water.

The drink traces back to World War II, when U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe added water to strong espresso. Espresso remains a classic coffee in Italy, and its crema depends on fresh beans and dissolved carbon dioxide. Beans with rich crema, such as a Colombian Sidra or a balanced espresso blend, hold up well when water is added.

What exactly is the difference between espresso and Americano? The former is rich and intense with a golden Crema, while the latter is espresso diluted with water, giving it a more balanced taste. This article, from the perspective of Front Street Coffee, will analyze in detail the definitions, brewing methods, and flavor characteristics of both, and recommend three espresso blend beans suitable for making Americano—including a classic espresso blend with rich crema, a Colombian Sidra with distinct fruity layers, and a specialty espresso bean with a balanced taste. It also includes the extraction parameters of the Feima E98 espresso machine and common ways to drink espresso, helping coffee enthusiasts fully understand the charm of Italian coffee.

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee)

Espresso has a strong taste and rich mouthfeel. Beginners often find it hard to drink, but once they get used to it, they will discover its unique appeal. At the same time, espresso is also an important indicator of coffee quality and a barista's skill level.

Since espresso has so many fans, it must have its own unique charm. Next, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will take you to explore the mysteries behind it.

What is espresso?

Freshly extracted espresso is covered with a beautiful golden layer of oil on the surface, usually called "Crema." The formation of this layer of oil is closely related to the 9Bar extraction pressure—under high temperature and pressure, water extracts the soluble substances from the coffee powder bed, and this process emulsifies the natural fats and oils present in coffee. At the same time, freshly roasted coffee beans contain carbon dioxide, and when making espresso, these gases dissolve into the coffee liquid under pressure.

Espresso is a highly representative classic coffee in Italy, with a rich and layered taste that can highlight certain flavor characteristics of coffee. However, because espresso tastes extremely strong when first sipped, more people tend to choose espresso-based Italian coffees.

What is Americano?

The origin of Americano can be traced back to World War II, when U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe were not used to drinking very strong espresso, so they added water to dilute it. Therefore, the essence of Americano is diluting coffee concentration to a level acceptable to Americans at that time. Later, when Italians immigrated to the United States, Italian coffee shops gradually emerged in America, and Americano based on espresso also spread. In the operation of "adding water," the order of pouring coffee first and then water also appeared, expressing the idea of diluting strong coffee. Today, there is not much emphasis on the order of making Americano; it is simply the difference between preserving the crema and dispersing it.

Pictured: Front Street Hot Americano

Pictured: Front Street Iced Americano

How to make Americano?

The way to make Americano is to dilute espresso extracted at a coffee-to-liquid ratio of 1:2 with an appropriate proportion of water. Front Street uses Front Street Classic Espresso Blend coffee beans to make Americano, extracting 40g of coffee liquid from 20g of coffee powder, and finally making Americano at a ratio of 1:5 (40g coffee liquid to 200g water).

The taste of Americano depends on the beans used to extract the espresso. A high-quality Americano should be balanced and mellow overall, without a watery feel, burnt bitterness, or sharp acidity. If you feel bitterness when drinking Americano, it means the espresso was over-extracted; sharp acidity means under-extraction; and a watery feel is caused by adding too much water.

What does Americano taste like? The taste of Americano mainly comes from the coffee beans

Today's Americano is made up of espresso and water. Water itself is colorless and tasteless and only serves to dilute, so the quality of the taste depends on the quality of the espresso, and the flavor quality of the espresso mainly depends on the coffee beans and the extraction process.

Next, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will introduce the details of several of our blend beans:

1. Rich crema, mellow and substantial coffee flavor, recommended Classic Espresso Blend coffee

This is a recipe combining three origins: Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It uses a deep roast, which maximizes the coffee's mellow aroma and also allows everyone to easily extract rich and dense coffee crema. It is very suitable whether making Americano diluted with water or latte paired with milk. It can be purchased at the Front Street Taobao store or the Front Street Tmall flagship store.

2. Fermented fruity aroma, richly layered coffee flavor, recommended Front Street Colombia Sidra coffee

This coffee comes from Finca La Divisa in the Huila region, grown at an altitude of 1,700 meters, and uses a double anaerobic natural process. It has very intense flavors of grape, passion fruit, and citrus. It has attracted much attention because it frequently appears in the World Barista Championship and won the championship. When made into SOE Sidra Americano, it has a refreshing and clear grape juice character, cool and pleasant.

3. Nutty and fragrant, balanced coffee, recommended Front Street Specialty Espresso Blend coffee beans

For people who do not like strong flavors and do not love single-origin coffee, but pursue coffee quality, this specialty espresso coffee bean should be the first choice. It uses medium-dark roasted coffee beans, mainly balanced Brazilian coffee beans, paired with Colombian coffee beans with soft fruit acidity and nutty sweetness. The flavor is classic and thought-provoking.

Front Street uses a Feima E98 espresso machine, and the extraction parameters are as follows: Pressure: 9 bar Temperature: 90.5~96°C Time: 20~30 sec Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:1.7~1:2 Dose: 12g (single espresso) 20g (double espresso) Extracted espresso volume: 20ml (single) 40ml (double)

Weighing

Extracting

Further reading—common ways to drink espresso

Many enthusiasts wonder "how to drink a cup of espresso." Whenever this kind of question comes up, to solve it, it is better to first understand another question: "What are you drinking when you drink espresso?"

Generally, when Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) serves espresso, it comes with ice water. Before drinking the espresso, take a sip of ice water to rinse your mouth and clean your palate so you can better perceive the flavor of the espresso. Then use the spoon provided to stir the espresso—the coffee liquid at the bottom of the espresso is thicker, while the surface part is thinner, and stirring evenly allows for better tasting. Of course, you can also choose not to stir, in order to experience different mouthfeels and layers. Drink it in about two to three sips, because during this period the coffee's taste is at its most perfect and the caffeine intake is also lower, allowing you to enjoy the deliciousness while also considering health, but remember to drink it quickly.

However, as a beginner espresso coffee fan, you might as well try adding a tiny amount of sugar to the espresso and fresh milk in a proportion no greater than the coffee itself, stir slightly, and drink it in one go. This way of drinking allows you to simultaneously taste the semi-melted granulated sugar melting in your mouth and the flavor change from bitter to sweet, and it will absolutely make you fall in love with this cup of espresso. Fresh milk can also neutralize the strong taste, making it the most suitable way to drink for beginner coffee fans.

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