How Is a Long Black Different From an Americano?

A Long Black is an Australian black coffee made by pouring a double espresso over hot water already in the cup, so the crema stays intact on the surface. An Americano reverses the order, adding water to espresso, which breaks up that layer of oil. The retained crema gives the Long Black a fuller, richer mouthfeel.

The ordering rule is often cited as the dividing line, but it is not absolute, since an Americano can be made either way. What matters for the Long Black is keeping the espresso volume small relative to the water so the drink stays strong. A dark roast blend coffee from Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam produces thick crema for both styles.

Long Black, originating from Australia, looks similar to Americano and is often hard to distinguish. This article provides a detailed analysis of the essential differences between the two: from the order of adding espresso and water, the water-to-coffee ratio, to the effect of Crema on mouthfeel, helping coffee enthusiasts understand why Long Black has a richer, fuller flavor. It also introduces the proper way to taste it and recommends Front Street Classic Italian Blend Coffee, a dark roast combination of beans from Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam that easily produces rich crema and performs excellently whether made as Americano or milk coffee, available at the Front Street Taobao store or Tmall flagship store.

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Many coffee enthusiasts are curious about Long Black. Judging by appearance, it seems almost identical to Americano, which leads many people to be unable to tell what exactly the difference is between Long Black and Americano.

Long Black is a black coffee that originated in Australia. In Australia, black coffee is called Black Coffee, while coffee with milk is called White Coffee. Espresso is called Short Black in Australia, and adding an appropriate amount of water to a Short Black makes it a Long Black, often translated into Chinese as 长黑 or 澳黑.

At first glance, Long Black and Americano are indeed difficult to distinguish. So some people deliberately summed up the difference between the two—the order of operation for Americano is to put espresso first and then add water to dilute it; while for Long Black, water is prepared in the cup first, and then espresso is poured in.

What is the basis for this claim? It turns out that the core difference between the two methods lies in how much Crema is retained. If espresso is added first and then water is poured, the water flow will break up the Crema; whereas if water is added first and then espresso is poured in, the Crema can float intact on the surface. This layer of oil gives the coffee a fuller mouthfeel.

This explanation sounds quite reasonable, but it is not the true dividing line between Americano and Long Black. That is because there is no rule in making Americano that water must be poured first or coffee must be poured first; either order is acceptable. However, Long Black does have a particular requirement regarding the order of water and coffee: water must be placed in the cup first, and then espresso must be extracted into the water. Front Street speculates that perhaps this claim based on pouring order spread in order to find a point of distinction between the two.

The most obvious difference between Americano and Long Black is the amount of water added. Americano usually has more water added, with a coffee-to-water ratio of about 1:5 to 1:8. This is because Americans are accustomed to drinking drip coffee, which is lower in strength, and just a little coffee flavor is enough, so after espresso became popular, Americano made with espresso as the base also needed a large amount of water to recreate that light coffee taste.

Australians pursue coffee flavor more highly. As Front Street previously shared, the difference in taste between Flat White and latte is that Flat White has a richer and fuller coffee flavor. Compared with Americano, Long Black has a stronger coffee flavor and a smaller cup size. The standard method for Long Black is to extract two shots of espresso (40g) into a cup containing 100-120ml of water, with a thick layer of Crema remaining on the surface.

Diluting the concentration of espresso with a 1:3 water ratio, on the one hand, can reduce the pungency of the espresso; on the other hand, the flavor of the diluted coffee is easier to perceive, while the oil retained on the surface keeps the coffee mellow, bringing a unique experience.

If you want Americano or long black to have both a rich, mellow character and a clear sweet aftertaste, it is recommended to choose Front Street Classic Italian Blend Coffee. This is a blend combining beans from Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam, using a dark roast, which can maximize the coffee's mellow aroma and also allow everyone to easily extract rich and dense coffee crema. It is very suitable whether for making water-diluted Americano or milk-based latte, and can be purchased and ordered at the Front Street Taobao store or the Front Street Tmall flagship store.

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