What is an Americano Coffee?
Americano Coffee is a style of coffee prepared by adding hot water to espresso, which gives the coffee a similar strength, but a different flavor, like filter coffee. The protein content of an Americano varies with the number of espressos and the amount of water added
The History
American coffee first appeared during World War II. At this time, American soldiers were in Italy but still had their rations and eating styles. So the taste of Italian coffee did not meet the taste of American soldiers.
That's the reason American soldiers had to reinvent the flavor to suit their preferences by adding water to traditional Italian espresso cups.
Many people think that pouring espresso into hot water is the standard way to make it. But in fact, the original origin of this drink was to add water to coffee.
Some places have different names for pouring coffee first or pouring water first. But it all gives the same result: delicious American coffee. So you don't need to worry too much about these other names because they refer to the same dish.
Ingredient
Americano Ingredient (1)
To make an American coffee, you need to prepare hot water and espresso. Two ingredients that sound simple need to be carefully selected and mixed in a certain ratio to create a perfect cup of American coffee.
Choosing your coffee is the first and most important step because it accounts for 80% of the success of your American coffee. The original coffee beans need to be carefully selected, roasted, and mixed with different types of beans.
Water also plays a big part in the success of a cup of coffee. If the water is so hot, it can make the coffee bitter or break the structure and flavor of the coffee.
If the water is not hot enough, it will not produce the desired consistency of coffee. Either way, if the temperature is not adjusted correctly, it will affect the final quality of the Americano coffee.
The Difference Between Americano And Traditional Coffee
Basically, there is no difference between Americano coffee and traditional coffee.
The difference lies in the method of preparation and the ratio between water and espresso. This difference is the key point, giving each drink's flavor, density, and caffeine concentration characteristics.
In terms of preparation, Americano coffee will be with a dedicated coffee machine. This method uses hot water and a certain amount of force to force the coffee down in a short time.
Traditional coffee starts with ground coffee powder, using a filter bag or filter to drip coffee slowly.
If you are not familiar with coffee, the preparation method will hardly help you notice the difference between these two drinks.
However, the ratio of water and espresso will help you distinguish the difference between them.
Americano coffee has an equal ratio of water and coffee or water makes up ⅔ of the total volume. As for traditional coffee, the amount of water is usually less to keep the original flavor of the coffee.
Because of this, the caffeine concentration in traditional coffee portions will be 2 to 3 times higher than Americano coffee.
Other Variations Of Americano Coffee
Iced americano
If you don't like hot drinks, you can choose iced Americano. This is an alternative for those who love cold drinks or want to enjoy Americano on a summer day.
You can make Americano in the traditional way and add ice or make it directly with cold water.
Lungo
A cup of Americano coffee, adding a part of hot water will make lungo. This is a variation of Americano for those who love the taste of this drink. But do not worry about the amount of caffeine that will be in the body.
Cafe crema
This can be another way of calling espresso. This name is common in countries such as Switzerland, Austria, and Northern Italy.
You can also understand caffè crema as the concentrated version of Americano coffee. Because it must be with water to become Americano.
Long back
It’s another version of Americano coffee but with a stronger and stronger flavor. If Americano uses only 1 shot of espresso with a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 with water, long back uses twice the amount of coffee.
Therefore, the concentration of caffeine in this drink is higher. To reduce caffeine intake long back is often served in small cups.
Red-eye
You can still enjoy Americano coffee even without a dedicated coffee machine. Red-eye is only suitable for those who have a lot of time to wait or enjoy in their spare time.
You need a filter or filter paper and add hot water to the drip of coffee. This phenomenon of drip coffee is called red-eye. You can also add water until the desired consistency is reached.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Americano coffee contain dairy ingredients?
A traditional Americano coffee consists of only two main ingredients, espresso, and hot water.
However, this traditional version will be difficult for some people to drink because they are not to a bitter taste.
So you can ask the barista to add sugar or milk to your drink to make it easier to drink. The milk in this drink is a special request of each customer, not an orthodox and popular way.
Does Americano coffee cause insomnia?
Traditional Americano has espresso ingredients, so it will help you stay awake to work.
This drink should be enjoyed during the day or when you need to focus to deal with work effectively. If you use it in the late afternoon or evening, it will easily cause insomnia.
Today, many different variations are born by replacing traditional espresso with other types of coffee with lower caffeine concentration to avoid causing insomnia or affecting health if used for a long time.
Some places even completely replace espresso with artificial flavors and colors. It is to help customers reduce cravings and can be at any time of the day.
Does the concentration of caffeine look like Americano coffee?
Caffeine concentration is what many people care about when talking about coffee. Each cup of Americano coffee contains only about 40-80 mg of caffeine.
This concentration also depends on the method of preparation of each store, the greater the ratio of water to espresso, the smaller the amount of caffeine, and vice versa.
What types of coffee can be used to make Americano?
For the traditional versions, people often use Italian espresso to flavor the coffee cup.
However, in many different localities, finding the right espresso is difficult and expensive because it has to be imported and shipped across many countries.
Therefore, people used the same type of coffee they had available to make Americano coffee.
This change in ingredients also makes a difference in the coffee flavor of each region, but it ensures a regular supply.
The taste of local coffee will also be familiar and more popular with local people. Some of the coffees that often replace Italian espresso are Cafe Arabica, Cafe Robusta, Cafe Culi, Cafe Moka, Cafe Cherry, and Cafe Catimor.
Should I use Americano coffee every day?
Coffee is an addictive substance and is not good for your health, so you should not use it every day.
If you are too fond of this drink or must use it for work, you should choose reputable and quality stores.
Another way to cut down on your daily caffeine intake is to tell the bartender to dilute your drink more.
Conclusion
Americano Coffee is now popular not only in the US but also with many people around the world. If you want to find a coffee-flavored drink without the bitter taste of coffee and low caffeine concentration, you cannot ignore Americano coffee.
Morning is the perfect time to enjoy a cup of coffee to start a new day full of energy. Americano Coffee is also very easy to make, so you won't have to spend a lot of time preparing it.
Thank you for reading!
