When people think of black coffee, they immediately associate it with the light Americano brewed from dark-roasted coffee beans. Since Starbucks began expanding into global markets, the Americano has become synonymous with black coffee, leading many to believe that black coffee is just Americano.
In fact, black coffee is simply a general term for pure coffee—that is, coffee liquid extracted from coffee grounds with water alone, without adding milk, sugar, or other additives. This includes cold brew, ice drip coffee, pour-over coffee, and so on.
Americano—It's Not Just Espresso+Water ?
The Americano made with espresso actually only truly emerged after Starbucks began selling coffee drinks to the public. In the United States, however, "Americano" refers to a relatively mild black coffee. When it comes to drinking coffee in America, people on the East Coast drink it stronger than those on the West Coast, and Southerners drink it stronger than Northerners. Ethnically speaking, Southern Europeans and Latinos prefer stronger coffee compared to immigrants from England, Germany, and Northern Europe, and diluting espresso with water is the main way of drinking it in the western United States.
Generally speaking, life in America is relatively busy and stressful, and people often drink from 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 criticize local Americano as really unpleasant to drink.
Does espresso-based Americano taste good?
Compared to local American coffee in the United States, Americano made by adding water to espresso is indeed much richer and more aromatic. Plus, it's faster to make than drip coffee machines, which is why it's popular among office workers worldwide. With the rise of the specialty coffee movement, major coffee shops are now paying more attention to the quality of coffee beans used for espresso, and the coffee flavors now have more layers.
For example, the "Front Street Coffee Warm Sun Espresso Blend" used in Front Street Coffee stores is a blend of Yirgacheffe sun-dried Red Cherry and Honduras Sherry coffee beans. Front Street recommends a double espresso extraction parameter of 20g of grounds extracting 40g of coffee liquid, then adding hot/cold water at a 1:4.5 ratio. The Americano made this way has a rich wine aroma, a soft berry-like acidity, and a finish of hazelnut and dark chocolate.
The Correct Way to Drink Americano Black Coffee
Americano is so popular not only because of its moderate strength and approachable taste—drinking one cup a day in moderation also helps with digestion, cuts through greasiness, and reduces bodily water retention. In Guangdong, where temperatures tend to be high, iced Americano also helps locals cool down and quench their thirst, making it truly a summer essential.
Additionally, because iced Americano is very low in calories and can boost metabolism, drinking it an hour before exercise also helps burn fat, making it one of the drinks recommended by many fitness enthusiasts. However, Front Street still needs to remind everyone that only pure Americano has these benefits—Americanos with added syrup, condensed milk, or creamer bring extra calories and are not good for your health if consumed long-term.
Front Street believes that the best tasting temperature for Americano varies depending on the coffee beans used—that is, it depends on the flavor type of the beans. If using dark-roasted coffee beans (not acidic, high body) to make Americano, like Front Street Classic Blend Americano, the best tasting temperature is around 60-70°C;
If using medium-roasted blend coffee beans (slightly acidic, noticeably sweet, with body) to make Americano, like Front Street Strawberry Candy Blend Americano, the best tasting temperature is around 50-60°C;
If using light-roasted single-origin coffee beans (bright acidity, fresh flavor) to make Americano, the best tasting temperature is40-55°C.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
