What is an Americano Coffee?

It is a typical rainy afternoon, and the wind is blowing heavily. You are wondering if it is the perfect time for Coffee but confused about what Coffee to drink. If you are bored from drinking typical long black and regular Coffee with milk, then you should try out Americano Coffee. Explore this article to find out what Americano Coffee is and how to make it in 5 easy steps.  

If you are a Coffee lover, the good news is that drinking about 3 to 5 cups of Coffee per day can reduce the risk of getting dementia and Alzheimer's disease by 65 per cent in late life. Americano Coffee is extremely popular in the US, and many people are familiar with it. You might have seen the menu of almost every chain shop in it. Americano doesn't contain milk or other dairy products. It tastes as good as it sounds and is the perfect beverage to boost your senses and soul.   

Many people like to wake up and have a cup of Coffee to kickstart their day. Drinking Coffee in the morning can improve your brain's functions as it has a good amount of nutrients and antioxidants. With an exciting Back story and one-of-a-kind taste, Americano is the perfect Coffee for coffee lovers.   

Table of Contents

1) What is Americano Coffee?  

2) History and Origins of Americano Coffee  

3) How is it different from other Coffees?  

4) How to make the perfect Americano Coffee?  

5) Conclusion

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What is Americano Coffee?

Americano Coffee is a special and unique coffee made by diluting espresso coffee with hot water. People drink it in different servings and with varying ratios of the main ingredients, espresso and hot water. Some will prefer to drink it in an equal ratio of espresso and hot water, while others may drink one-third espresso and the rest hot water. So, it can change based on people's preferences.   

Americano is one of the easiest drinks to make, as you only need two ingredients to make one. The taste of this Coffee varies based on how it's prepared and may also vary based on where you drink as every outlet has its way of making it. Americano can be classified as a less potent version of an espresso. It is not too strong but still retains the aromatic flavour of Coffee. With its unique taste and looks, Americano stands out from the plethora of "coffee alternative" choices by a long shot. 

History and Origins of Americano Coffee

Although there are no exact details or official records about this Coffee's origin, it has an interesting back story. It was widely believed that it would have originated in Italy during the Second World War. Hundreds of American soldiers were stationed in Italy during the Second World War, and more came in later. They were not fond of Italian Coffee as Espresso was the only style of Coffee available to them back then.   

Espresso did not appeal to the American soldiers as it could be too strong. They were longing for the taste of their homeland and gentle Coffee. Morale can make all the difference in the war, and having something that reminds them of home can make a massive impact on the minds of the soldiers, no matter how small or insignificant. Coffee is one of the first things you drink when you wake up in the morning and when it does taste like home, it can make your day perfect and make you forget about your worries.   

Perhaps these soldiers wanted to have something that made them feel at home. They didn't try to be too innovative, and they added hot water to their cup of espresso, hoping it would appeal to their palette, and the rest is history. That is how Americano Coffee was born, and the allies won the war.     

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How is it different from other Coffees?
 

Americano is very different from other coffees, and its unique taste and looks separate it from the rest. Its beans are finely grounded, which gives it a nutty flavour and a pleasant aroma.   

How does it taste? 

Americano is a gentler and milder version of an espresso yet very tasty, and many people love it just the way it is. And it's got a massive fan following that is only getting stronger these days. In most coffee chain shops, Americano is served in a way that contains more water and less espresso primarily because that is how people prefer to drink it and adding more espresso doesn't appeal to their taste.   

How does it look? 

This Coffee traditionally did not have crema, but in recent times, people like to have Americano with a crema layer on top. It looks just like black Coffee and may have a crema layer on top, depending on how it is made. This crema layer resulted from adding espresso first and hot water next. But remember, having a crema layer is like putting a cherry on top, as it looks very appealing to the eyes. The crema is a thin layer of foam that appears on the top of an espresso shot. But whether it impacts the taste is still up for debate.   

Difference between Americano vs Drip Coffee  

Drip Coffee is made by putting grounded Coffee and hot water in a specialised Coffee maker. Then the blend of Coffee and hot water will slowly drip through the pot. An Americano is made by adding the Espresso first, followed by hot water, and the entire process is simple and quick.  

Difference between Long Black vs Americano 

Long Black is extremely popular in Australia and New Zealand, and both Americano and Long black look very similar, making many claims both are the same. However, Long Black has a much stronger flavour identical to an Espresso.    

Americano is made by pouring hot water on espresso, and it's the other way around for making a long black as you can make it by pouring an espresso shot on hot water. In Americano, the espresso should be added first, and the long black hot water should be added first.   

Taste-wise, there's a vast difference between these two as one has a strong flavour and the other has a mild flavour of the Coffee. Depending on the ratio of the added ingredients, the taste can vary too.   

How to make the perfect Americano Coffee? 
 

The only criterion is that the quantity of espresso shouldn't exceed the quantity of water. The perfect Americano requires adding more amount of water than espresso. But you can still make an Americano with an equal ratio of water and espresso, but it wouldn't be considered ideal or perfect by many people. So, the perfect cup of Americano can have one-third of Espresso and two-thirds hot water.   

Now that we are clarified the ratio of these ingredients, the next step is to add these ingredients in the correct order.   

Ingredients and items needed  

Let’s see what items and ingredients are needed for making an Americano: 

a) Espresso Machine    

b) Espresso Beans  

c) Coffee mug  

d) Kettle or Stove  

e) Hot water enough to fill a Coffee mug  

5 easy steps to make an Americano 

Make the perfect Americano with a by following the steps below:

Step 1: The very first step is to brew a single or double shot of espresso.   

Step 2: Boil hot water in a kettle or stove.   

Step 3: Pour the hot water first and fill 2/3 of the coffee mug with it.  

Step 4: Add the espresso to hot water. Make sure you don't pour all of it. 

Step 5: Top it off with the remaining espresso, and voila, your Americano with crema layer is ready for you to enjoy. 

To have a crema layer, you need to pour some espresso at the final stage, and if you pour all of the espresso shot at once, the crema layer will be completely dissolved, and your Americano will look plain, which is how some people like to drink it. If you want a traditional Americano, pour all of the espresso shot at once in step 4 and altogether skip step 5 but if you like to have crema then follow all five steps, and you are good to go. So, it all comes down to personal preference.   

Alternative ways to make an Americano  

Although it only has two ingredients, Americano can be made in a few different ways. But none of them requires milk or cream, but a tiny portion of people like to add milk to their Americano.    

One way to make Americano is to add cold water instead of hot water. Some people add ice cubes to cool it down even more, but the process remains the same. Espresso goes first, and the water is added next. These are just a few other ways to make an Americano. 

Who’s it for  

Unlike espresso and long black, Americano has a mild flavour and is not too strong. If you are used to drinking strong Coffee like black Coffee and are looking for a change, then you can try out Americano. On the contrary. If you like your Coffee strong and think an Americano is strong, you may be in for a huge surprise.    

Americano may not be everyone's cup of Coffee, but it can give an alternative for people who have an addiction to strong Coffee. Drinking Americano coffee with less caffeine is better than drinking Coffee with a higher caffeine level.  
 

Conclusion

Americano Coffee is a one-of-a-kind coffee that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. With its tan crema layer on the top, it looks appealing to the eye and tastes well. But what it appeals to is the mind and soul of a person in a way only few can do. 

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