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Did you know? Espresso has a rich, intense flavor that often strikes people as hard to accept, but once you get used to it, you find it has a unique charm of its own. Moreover, espresso is also a coffee that tests both coffee quality and a barista's skill.
 
Since espresso is loved by so many people, it must have a certain charm. Next, Front Street Coffee will take you through a closer look at its finer points!
 

What is espresso?

Freshly extracted espresso has a beautiful layer of golden crema, which we generally call "Crema." The appearance of "Crema" is inseparable from the 9-bar pressure. Under heat and pressure, water extracts the soluble substances from the coffee grounds, and this process emulsifies the fats and oils naturally present in coffee. At the same time, freshly roasted coffee beans contain carbon dioxide, and during theespresso-makingprocess, this carbon dioxide is subjected to pressure and dissolves into the coffee.
 
Espressois a very classic Italian coffee, rich in flavor with layered complexity, capable of highlighting certain flavor characteristics of coffee. But because espresso tastes very intense when first sipped, more people preferespresso-based coffee drinks.
 

 
What is Americano?

Americano originated during World War II, when American soldiers in Europe, unaccustomed to the extremely strong espresso, diluted it by adding water to the coffee. So Americano is essentially about diluting coffee's strength to a concentration that Americans at the time found suitable. Later, Italians immigrated to the United States and Italian-style coffee shops sprang up there, carrying forward the espresso-based Americano. They also expressed the idea of diluting strong coffee through the order of "adding water" — pouring coffee first, then water. To this day, there is not much fuss about the order in making Americano; the only real difference is whether the crema is retained or broken up.
 

Pictured: Front Street Hot Americano

Pictured: Front Street Iced Americano

How is Americano made?

Americano is made by diluting espresso extracted at a 1:2 coffee-to-liquid ratio with an appropriate proportion of water. Front Street uses Front Street Classic Espresso Blend to make Americano, extracting 40g of coffee liquid from 20g of coffee grounds, and finally using a 1:5 ratio (40g coffee liquid to 200g water) to makeAmericano.
   

The taste of Americano depends on the beans used to extract the espresso. A good Americano is balanced and mellow overall, without a watery feel, burnt bitterness, or sharp acidity. When we drink an Americano and taste bitterness, it's because the espresso was over-extracted; sharp acidity means the espresso was under-extracted; and a watery feel means too much water was added.
    

What does Americano taste like? The taste of Americano mainly comes from the coffee beans.
 
Today's Americano is made of espresso and water. Water is colorless and tasteless, serving only to dilute, so the quality of the taste depends on the espresso, and the flavor of the espresso mainly depends on the coffee beans and the extraction.
   

Next, Front Street Coffee will walk you through the details of a few of our blend beans:

1. Rich crema, mellow and full-bodied coffee flavor — recommended:Classic Espresso Blend

This is a blend combining beans from three origins — Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam — using a dark roast, which maximizes the mellow aroma of the coffee and lets you easily extract rich, velvety crema. It's perfect for both water-diluted Americano and milk-based lattes. Available for order at the Front Street Taobao store or the Front Street Tmall flagship store.

2. Fermented fruity notes, 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, using a double anaerobic natural process. It has very intense grape, passion fruit, and citrus flavors. It has gained much attention for frequently appearing in the World Barista Championship and winning the championship. When made into an SOE Sidra Americano, it has a refreshing and clear grape-juice character, cool and delightful.

3. Nutty and aromatic, balanced coffee — recommended: Front Street Specialty Espresso Blend Beans

For those who don't like overly strong flavors and don't care for single-origin coffee, but still pursue coffee quality, this specialty espresso bean should be the first choice. It uses medium-dark roasted coffee beans, mainly balanced-flavored Brazilian beans, paired with Colombian beans that offer soft fruit acidity and a nutty sweet aftertaste. The flavor is classic and intriguing.
 

Front Street uses a Fiorenzato E98 espresso machine, with the following extraction parameters:

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)
Extraction yield: 20ml (single), 40ml (double)
 

Weighing
 

Extracting

Further reading — common ways to drink espresso
 
Many enthusiasts want to know "how to drink a cup of espresso." Whenever I hear this type of question, to solve it, it's better to first understand another question: "What are you drinking when you drink espresso?"

Generally, Front Street Coffee serves espresso together with ice water. Before drinking the espresso, take a sip of the ice water to rinse your mouth and clean your palate so you can better appreciate 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 is thinner, so stirring to mix evenly lets you taste the espresso better. Of course, you can also skip stirring to experience different textures and layers. Drink it in about two to three sips, because the coffee tastes most perfect during this time and you also take in less caffeine, letting you enjoy the flavor while looking after your health — but remember, it should be drunk quickly.
    

But as a novice espresso fan, you might try adding a tiny amount of sugar and a proportion of fresh milk no greater than the coffee itself, give it a little stir, and drink it in one go. This way of drinking lets you simultaneously taste the half-melted granulated sugar dissolving in your mouth, with a flavor going from bitter to sweet, and it will definitely make you fall in love with this cup of espresso. The fresh milk also balances out that intense taste, making it the most suitable way to drink it for beginner coffee fans. 

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