How to Make the Perfect Americano Coffee

Americano is a commonly consumed drink in cafes, often found on menus under the name "long black." It originated as a need to dilute the strong taste of espresso with hot water, but also to quickly imitate the taste of a brew, a method that takes longer to prepare. 

The Americano originated during World War II when American soldiers brought to Europe their habit of drinking filter coffee, but in order to quickly obtain it, they started to dilute espresso with hot water. Hence the name American coffee.

Ingredients for American Coffee

• Freshly ground coffee beans

• Water

• Optional: Milk or cream

• Optional: Sugar or sweeteners

• Optional: Flavorings (e.g., vanilla, cinnamon)

Making Americano Coffee

To make American coffee, you need either an automatic or manual espresso machine and water heated to a maximum of 70 degrees to avoid accentuating the bitter taste already present in espresso.

• Extract a double espresso (40ml)

  
  

• Add 80-100 ml of 70 degree hot water.

  
  

• Pour over the espresso and serve.

Cafe Blason Americano Ground Coffee from Mexico

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Italian Espresso Recipe?

To get an Italian espresso, you need an espresso machine, either manual or automatic. The basic parameters that all professionals start with for correct extraction are:

• 18-20 grams of fine ground coffee to obtain two Italian espressos in the

  double portafilter.

  
  

• Extraction time of 25-30 seconds.

  
  

• Ideal water temperature of 90-94 degrees.

  
  

• Maximum 20 ml for a single espresso.

  
  

• Pressure in the espresso machine boiler maximum 9 bars.

Miscela d'Oro, Americano Premium Coffee, Whole Beans

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Tips & Tricks for making Americano Coffee

• The water poured over an espresso will break the cream formed during extraction and spread the oils throughout the drink. Instead, the extraction poured over hot water will keep the cream on the surface and have a more complex taste.

  
  

• Use good water to obtain a correct American.

  
  

• Do not use the water provided by the espresso machine, as its temperature often exceeds 90 degrees, which leads to a bitter American.

  
  

• Replace hot water with ice cubes to get an ice American, but do not mix hot water with ice cubes because there is a risk that the drink will be too diluted and tasteless.

  
  

• Use at least 18 grams to extract a complex double espresso with accentuated notes and high body. You do not want the water to dilute an espresso extracted from too little coffee.