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As a best-selling product in coffee shops, Americano can be said to be number one!

One reason is that it is quick to make, cost-effective, and contains caffeine, making it deeply loved by office workers; one reason is that most Americanos use espresso blend coffee beans, so it is easy to maintain consistent quality; one reason is that the flavor of Americano beans tends to be relatively balanced, with a high level of acceptance among mass consumers; one reason is that Americano is a black coffee, and when no milk, sugar, or other ingredients are added, moderate intake can help with digestion and cut through greasiness. In addition, a cup of iced Americano contains only 2 calories, making it suitable for all kinds of fitness enthusiasts.

What isAmericano?

Many friends, when they hear "black coffee," always think first of Americano. Although Americano belongs to the black coffee family, that does not mean Americano is the only member of the black coffee family. Any coffee made with only two raw materials, coffee beans and water, without adding any other materials or ingredients, can be called black coffee.

And a standard cup ofAmericanomust be made by diluting espresso with water.

The English name for Americano is Americano. According to the Cambridge Dictionary definition, it is: a type of coffee drink made by adding hot water to espresso coffee. Only when hot water is added to espresso is it Americano. Simply put, espresso diluted with water is Americano.

AmericanoDid it originate in the United States?

The origin of Americano is actually Italy. It is said that during World War II, American soldiers in Italy could not handle the local strong and intense espresso, so they added hot water to dilute the pressure-extracted espresso before drinking it.

This is also one of the most convincing origins at present. After all, in an era when people still had requirements for coffee bean quality and pursued coffee flavor, the taste of espresso was not satisfactory.

But at that time, Italian laborers urgently needed a drink that could be made quickly and provide refreshment, one that could stimulate the body during break time. That is why the steam coffee machine capable of pressure extraction was invented, allowing a small serving of strongly flavored coffee to be extracted quickly.

Americano coffee bean recommendations

To make Americano/espresso, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) recommends using coffee beans specially blended for espresso. The reasons for recommending blend beans are: first, the cost is lower; second, the coffee beans used in the blend complement each other, which can balance and stabilize the flavor of every cup; third, most blend beans use a medium-dark or darker roast, so after extraction they are less likely to produce sharp acidity or a thin coffee flavor.

At present, Front Street sells6espresso blend coffee beans. If you like an Americano with a rich mouthfeel and roasted nut aroma, Front Street Specialty Blend Coffee is recommended.

"Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)-Front Street Specialty Blend Coffee Beans": Colombian washed coffee beans + Brazilian semi-dry-process coffee beans, with flavor notes of nuts, dark chocolate, and caramel.

Of course, you can also use single-origin coffee beans for espresso (SOE) extraction. But note that not every single-origin coffee is suitable. Many single-origin beans that taste good in cupping/pour-over/ice-drip cold brew can easily have their flavors excessively amplified when extracted with an extremely fine grind under pressure.

For example, the light-roasted Ethiopian Gutingting coffee beans currently sold by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), when extracted by drip/full immersion, show bright citrus acidity, white floral notes, and the sweetness of honey green tea. Under pressure extraction in an espresso machine, the coffee flavor becomes sharp, thin, and prone to astringency.

So if you want to make SOE, you can choose single-origin coffee beans specially customized for SOE, or choose coffee beans roasted to a medium or darker level.

Making espresso

AmericanoThe soul lies in the preparation of espresso. The performance of every coffee machine and grinder is different, so there is no standard answer for espresso preparation parameters; everyone needs to adjust according to the actual situation.

If you are extracting espresso for the first time, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) suggests using the following parameters as a midpoint (extract 40g of coffee liquid from 20g of coffee grounds in 25-30s), then judge by tasting whether the strength/flavor of the espresso is within your expected range, and then adjust the parameters.

The ratio for making Americano

Taking the preparation method at Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) stores as an example, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) stores use Sunflower Warm Sun Blend coffee beans as the espresso beans. Every day the barista must adjust according to the condition of the beans. In order to highlight the sherry barrel flavor, they chose 20 grams of coffee beans, extracted 40 grams of coffee liquid, with an extraction plan of 27 to 28 seconds.

Front Street once determined the water-to-espresso ratio for this bean's Americano. Using the above extraction method, after two rounds of narrowing the range, they finally made 1:4, 1:4.5, and 1:5, comparing three cups of coffee. In the end, the 1:4.5 ratio was determined. At this ratio, it better highlights the wine aroma of Warm Sun Blend as well as the vanilla and chocolate flavors, while still maintaining a good mouthfeel.

But this ratio is only suitable for "Front Street Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans." It is not applicable when using other series of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) espresso blend coffee beans, which will perform relatively more intensely, and the espresso extraction parameters also need to be adjusted. When the Americano ratio is difficult to determine, it is recommended to start from 1:5. If the coffee tastes too strong, increase the proportion of water; if it tastes too weak, reduce the proportion of water.

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