Both are black coffees, yet Americano, Long Black, and Lungo present strikingly different flavor profiles due to variations in extraction methods and assembly order. Americano is made by diluting espresso with hot water, resulting in a crisp taste with soft bitterness; Long Black does the opposite, pouring espresso over hot water to retain more oils and aroma; while Lungo, by adjusting grind size and flow rate, yields the smallest volume but the richest crema. This article will break down the similarities and differences among these three black coffees from origin, method, taste characteristics to specific parameters, and include Front Street Coffee's Americano recipe and iced Americano tips to help coffee enthusiasts precisely recreate each cup's flavor goal in their daily brewing.

The Correct Way to Make Americano | How Do Americano, Long Black, and Lungo Differ in Method?

When we talk about "Americano" (written as Caffe Americano in Italian), it typically refers to black coffee extracted using a drip coffee maker. Since drip extraction takes longer—about four to five minutes—the resulting caffeine concentration is relatively higher. Americano has a low barrier to entry, emphasizing convenience and casualness. Compared to espresso, it has a crisper taste and better preserves the original flavor characteristics of the coffee beans.

Diluting Espresso with Hot Water—Americano:

The Americano found everywhere in convenience stores is essentially espresso diluted with hot water. Regarding its origin, one theory is that during World War II, American soldiers stationed in Italy were unaccustomed to the intense taste of Espresso, so they added large amounts of hot water to dilute it—this drinking method later became known as "Americano." However, some Europeans don't buy into this, and the French even nicknamed Americano "jus de chaussette," which literally translates to "sock juice."

Taste Characteristics:

The flavor of Americano is dominated by bitterness, with the highest purity among various black coffees. If you want to experience the unique flavors of different coffee beans, Americano is a very suitable vehicle.

Preparation Method:

If you have an American coffee machine on hand, making a cup of Americano is much simpler than you might think: add water to the 1 mark—add 1 level scoop of coffee grounds—start—wait about two minutes, and a cup of Americano with a clear aroma is ready.

Several Variations of Americano:

Americano, Long Black, and Lungo

This leads to two other "siblings." Americano is made by pouring hot water into Espresso; Long Black is exactly the opposite—first extracting Espresso into the cup, then adding hot water. The difference in order brings subtle taste variations. Long Black is popular in Australia and New Zealand, and has gradually spread in London, UK in recent years.

Lungo is even more special—it's obtained by adjusting the grinder setting to speed up the flow rate during Espresso extraction. In terms of cup volume, Americano is usually larger than Long Black (250ml vs 150ml), while Lungo is the smallest at only about 60ml. Lungo generally uses a coarser grind to speed up extraction and shorten time, resulting in the richest crema among the three.

【Ristretto】forms a perfect contrast with 【Lungo】. It uses half the normal coffee-to-water ratio to make Espresso, with the only difference being the coarseness of the coffee grounds.

Since coffee extraction is always stronger at first and weaker later, within a unit of time, Ristretto has a higher flavor concentration than Espresso.

Drip Coffee Maker

If you own a drip coffee maker, making Americano is simpler than you might imagine: add water to the 1 mark—pour in 1 level scoop of coffee grounds—start—in about two minutes, a cup of Americano with a fresh aroma is ready.

Benefits of Drinking Americano:

Americano has a neutral flavor and is roughly equally popular among male and female consumers. This isn't just because of its approachable taste. As a pure coffee, its concentration (which most consumers can simply understand as bitterness) falls within the acceptable range for the general public, while retaining the dark-roast aroma unique to espresso and the interwoven bitter-sweet mouthfeel, making it refreshing and comfortable to drink. After a heavy meal, a cup of Americano can also serve as a palate cleanser.

On the other hand, equally important is Americano's extremely high cost-effectiveness. Americano typically comes in a larger cup size, yet its price is only slightly higher than espresso, or on par with cappuccino.

Front Street Coffee Americano Recipe:

Use a double shot of 20g coffee grounds, control extraction time to 28–33 seconds, prepare a 250ml ceramic cup, pour in 80°C hot water to eight-tenths full, and finally pour the espresso over it—done.

Iced Americano: Place 3 large ice cubes in a cup, then add purified water to nine-tenths full; another method is to fill the cup with ice cubes and add espresso directly—as the ice melts, the espresso flavor gradually weakens, resulting in a crisper taste.

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