It is generally believed that Americano is a drink made by diluting espresso with water: iced Americano = espresso + ice water, hot Americano = espresso + hot water, and the key to influencing the taste of Americano is the coffee beans. So today we will talk about how to choose the right coffee beans for making Americano at home according to your own taste.

Americano made with espresso actually only truly appeared after Starbucks began selling coffee drinks to the public. Originally, in the United States, Americano actually referred to a relatively light black coffee.

When drinking coffee in the United States, people on the East Coast drink it stronger than those on the West Coast, and the South drinks it stronger than the North. In terms of ethnicity, Southern Europeans and Latinos prefer stronger coffee more than immigrants from England, Germany, and Northern Europe, while diluting espresso with water is the main way of drinking it in the western United States. Generally speaking, life in the United States is relatively busy and tense, and people often drink a large pot of electric drip coffee from morning to night. Because a lot of water is added and there is little coffee, the taste is particularly weak, so many people also criticize the local Americano as really unpleasant to drink.

Is Americano made with espresso tasty?

Compared with local Americano in the United States, Americano made by diluting espresso with water is indeed much richer and more aromatic. In addition, because it is made faster than with a drip coffee machine, it has been sought after by office workers around the world. With the promotion of the specialty coffee trend, major coffee shops have now begun to pay attention to the quality of the coffee beans used for extracting espresso, and the coffee flavor has also gained more layers.

For example, the "Front Street Coffee Warm Sun Espresso Blend Coffee Beans" used in Front Street Coffee stores is made by blending Yirgacheffe sun-dried Red Cherry and Honduras Sherry coffee beans. Front Street recommends a double espresso extraction parameter of 20g of grounds to extract 40g of coffee liquid, then adding hot water/ice water at 1:4.5. The Americano made in this way has a rich vinous aroma, a soft berry-like acidity, and a finish of hazelnut and dark chocolate.

The correct way to drink Americano black coffee

The reason Americano is so popular is not only because of its moderate strength and approachable taste. A moderate cup of Americano every day can also help us aid digestion, cut greasiness, and reduce body bloating.

In Guangdong, where the temperature is relatively high, iced Americano can also help Cantonese people cool off and quench their thirst, making it a veritable summer神器. In addition, because iced Americano is very low in calories, it can increase the body's metabolism. Drinking it one hour before exercise can also help burn fat, so it is one of the drinks recommended by many fitness enthusiasts. However, Front Street still needs to remind everyone that only pure Americano has certain benefits. If syrup, condensed milk, or non-dairy creamer is added to Americano, it will bring extra calories, and long-term drinking is also not good for our health.

Front Street believes that the best tasting temperature for Americano depends on the flavor expressed by the espresso blend coffee beans. If Americano is made with dark-roasted (not acidic, high body) blend coffee beans, such as Front Street Specialty Blend Coffee, Front Street Commercial Blend Coffee, and Front Street Classic Blend Coffee, the best tasting temperature is around 60-70 degrees Celsius;

If the Americano is made with medium-roasted (slightly acidic, obvious sweetness, has body) blend coffee beans, such as Front Street Mozart Coffee, Front Street Bird of Paradise Coffee, and Front Street Strawberry Candy Coffee, the best tasting temperature is around 50-60 degrees Celsius;

And if the Americano is made with medium-light roasted (bright acidity, fresh flavor) single-origin coffee beans, then Front Street Flower Chief SOE coffee beans are recommended, and the best tasting temperature is 40-55 degrees Celsius.

Because using light-roasted coffee beans can easily lead to channeling and uneven extraction, Front Street does not recommend using this type of bean to make espresso.

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