What is Americano? Is black coffee the same as Americano? Why does coffee brewed at home with a coffee machine taste different from the coffee outside? What is espresso? Today, Front Street Coffee will reveal the answers to these questions for you.

A pure, relatively intense espresso is the main protagonist of the second wave of coffee.

Legend has it that coffee beans were introduced to Italy along with fruit and became beloved by Italians. After significant improvements in brewing equipment in the early 20th century, not only was the appearance of espresso close to what it is today established, but it also made drinking Italian coffee a daily routine for Italians. Later, with the continuous refinement of espresso machines, the craft of espresso spread from Italy outward, filling all of Europe with the aroma of coffee and eventually spreading widely around the world. The "es" in espresso is actually the English "ex," meaning fast and convenient. In the past, traditional Italian coffee drinking involved quickly finishing the coffee in just a few minutes to ensure the coffee's flavor would not be lost. At the time, this even sparked a trend of standing while drinking coffee, and the price was also more affordable than takeaway coffee.

Americano actually did not originate in the United States. Americano was initially transformed from Italian coffee → espresso diluted with hot water becomes Americano. During World War II, American soldiers in Europe were not accustomed to the pure bitter and intense taste of espresso, so they added water to the coffee to dilute it, and the name Americano was thus born! 

In the world of Italian coffee, Americano is just one variation of Italian coffee! Well-known drinks today such as latte, cappuccino, flat white, and Dirty all belong to the big family of Italian coffee. They present different appearances depending on the differences in preparation, and because of their high popularity, they have evolved into classic coffees on people's dining tables.

A cup of Americano is composed of water and espresso. Because espresso is highly concentrated, it has a strong stimulating taste, while water is usually colorless and tasteless, serving only to dilute. Therefore, whether an Americano tastes good depends on whether we have chosen the right coffee beans and whether the extraction is appropriate.

The Americano produced by FrontStreet Coffee uses its own roasted Front Street Sunflower · Warm Sun blend coffee beans. Under ideal extraction, it will have flavors of vanilla, cream, chocolate, berries, caramel, and fermented aroma.

In order to highlight these aromas, Front Street Coffee conducted multiple comparisons and finally determined a ratio of 1:4.5, that is, using 20 grams of coffee powder to extract a double shot of 40g espresso in 30 seconds, then adding 180g of 80°C warm water. The hot Americano made this way is full-bodied with vinous aroma, balanced, and has a sweet aftertaste;

When producing iced Americano, the baristas at FrontStreet Coffee will switch to 100g of large ice cubes + 120g of water. The ratio of coffee + ice + water falls at 1:2.5:3. This iced Americano has a moderate concentration, and when drunk directly it is sweet, sour, icy, and refreshing, with a full-bodied aroma, especially suitable for summer.

For people who cannot quite accept bitterness, some customers like to add a little milk to their Americano. This not only neutralizes the bitter notes of the coffee, but the richness of the milk also gives the entire cup of Americano a thicker mouthfeel, enriching the caramel and chocolate aromas within it.

For friends who need to add milk separately, Front Street Coffee will adjust the ratio of coffee to hot water to 1:4, first adding 160ml of hot water to the cup, pouring over 40ml of espresso, and then adding 15ml of fresh milk for every 100ml of black coffee, that is, 30ml of fresh milk. In this way, whether in concentration, mouthfeel, or aroma, there is a good effect.

Of course, we can also choose medium-roast coffee beans to make Americano express a non-bitter taste. It is recommended to use Front Street Strawberry CandyespressoItalian coffee beans. This is a blend based on two major origins: Front Street Costa Rica Tarrazu, famous for its honey processing, and Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. On this basis, with the addition of Colombian coffee beans, the espresso that can be blended is not only not stimulating, but under the extraction of the coffee machine, it carries good crema and a silky texture, while also having a sweet and sour taste like strawberry soft candy.

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