Whenever I watch Korean dramas, I always notice that when people go to a café to drink coffee or treat someone to coffee, Americano can be said to be a "veteran actor." Why is everyone so fond of Americano? Perhaps for many people, Americano is not just a cup of coffee—besides its refreshing effect, it is more like one of the social elements.

Americano is a black coffee made with espresso plus water. With no milk, no sugar, and low calories, it has become one of the healthy drinks widely recognized by modern young people. Choosing Americano: one reason is that the café provides a social space, and the other is that Americano is cheap and healthy. Whether for the person drinking it or the person treating, it can be said to be a low-burden choice.

If you do not know what the other person likes to drink, or if you want to ask for a favor or thank someone for something, you might bring them an iced Americano. If you are worried that they do not like black coffee, you can also bring creamer and sugar packets so they can add them according to their own preference.

What is Americano?

The origin of Americano is not in the United States, but in Italy. In 1884, the Italian region invented a coffee machine that used steam pressure for extraction, and in the same year a coffee product named espresso appeared.

The characteristic of this coffee is that the coffee beans are first ground into extremely fine particles, and then, by means of sealed pressurization, hot water is passed through the layer of coffee grounds to extract a highly concentrated coffee liquid. Because that period belonged to the era of industrial development, the appearance of espresso immediately won the affection of local people.

By the time of World War II, American soldiers went to Italy and, while resting in cafés, tasted this highly concentrated and very strong coffee, finding it somewhat hard to swallow (after all, at that time espresso was not made with such care, and the quality of coffee beans was not as good as it is now). So later, when American soldiers drank this coffee, they would dilute it with water.

However, Italians, who have always preferred strong flavors, did not quite approve of the way American soldiers drank it, so they called coffee made by adding water to espresso Americano, meaning "American coffee."

Although Italians did not approve of drinking it this way, Americans really liked it! One reason is that it is quick and convenient to make, and another is that it can be adjusted according to personal taste. So after returning to the United States, some Americans introduced espresso machines locally, and soon these machines for quickly extracting coffee spread throughout the United States. Americano also became an indispensable product in cafés.

How do you make Americano?

Americano is composed of espresso and water. When Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) produces Americano, it uses dark-roasted blended coffee beans, then grinds them into extremely fine coffee particles, uses 20g of grounds at a ratio of 1:2 & 9 bar of pressure to extract 40g of coffee liquid in 25-30 seconds, and then adds water at a ratio of 1:5.

But it should be noted that the performance of every coffee grinder and espresso machine is different, and the roasting, condition, and flavor expression of coffee beans are also different. The above extraction parameters are only suggestions from Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), giving everyone an initial reference data, and corresponding adjustments should then be made according to the flavor performance of the coffee after actual extraction.

As for the water ratio for Americano, the data above is also a reference provided to everyone by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), and it also needs to be determined according to the final flavor concentration performance of the espresso. If it is really difficult to judge the ratio, it is recommended to start from 1:5. If the coffee tastes strong, increase the proportion of water; if it tastes weak, reduce the proportion of water.

If you want to make Americano at home and do not want to buy a coffee machine, you can choose to use a moka pot to make espresso. Although the taste is not as rich as that made by an espresso machine, the flavor is still very rich and mellow.

There are a few points to note when using a moka pot. First, when adding water to the lower chamber, do not exceed the position of the pressure relief valve. Second, the coffee grounds should also be extremely finely ground but should not pass through the holes of the filter basket. Third, the amount of coffee grounds added should be level with the filter basket without applying pressure; after filling, simply level it off and do not press the coffee bed down hard.

After extraction begins, once you notice coffee liquid starting to emerge in the upper chamber, turn off the heat source and, taking care to insulate against heat, move it onto a wet towel to cool it quickly. This temperature difference will accelerate the release of the coffee liquid and effectively reduce over-extraction caused by prolonged high temperature.

What coffee beans are used for Americano?

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) recommends using comprehensive coffee beans specially blended for espresso. The reason is that, besides being cheaper in cost, the flavor performance of blended coffee beans is more stable than that of single-origin coffee beans.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) currently sells a variety of espresso blend coffee beans, and everyone can choose suitable blended coffee beans according to their own positioning.

"Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) - Front Street Specialty Blend Coffee Beans" 75 yuan/454g, suitable for home production, specialty coffee shops, community coffee shops, and small coffee shops. It uses Colombian washed coffee beans + Brazilian semi-sun-dried coffee beans, with flavor notes of nuts, dark chocolate, and caramel.

"Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) - Commercial Blend Coffee Beans" 60 yuan/454g, suitable for specialty coffee shops, community coffee shops, small coffee shops, and takeout/takeaway coffee shops. It uses Robusta washed coffee beans + Colombian washed coffee beans + Brazilian semi-sun-dried coffee, with flavor notes of nuts, cocoa, and caramel.

"Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) - Strawberry Candy Espresso Ritual Blend Coffee Beans" 85 yuan/227g, using three famous producing regions: Colombia + Costa Rica + Ethiopia. It has multiple flavors of elegant rose fragrance, strawberry gummy, grapes, and candied fruit, suitable for friends who like coffee with floral and fruity aromas.

Front Street Coffee single-origin coffee beans and espresso blend coffee beans can now be purchased at the Tmall "Front Street Flagship Store." 60 kinds of coffee beans from around the world, freshly roasted, shipped within 24H.

Tmall link: https://qianjieshipin.tmall.com

Or you can search "Front Street Flagship Store" directly on Taobao.

FollowWECHATthe official account to read more specialty coffee bean knowledge.

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