What is Americano?
Americano is a coffee consisting of espresso diluted with hot water.
To get an Americano, espresso is diluted with hot water in a ratio of 1:1, 1:2 and even 1:4, or until the drink reaches the concentration and volume of a regular filter coffee. The more water, the less rich the drink will be.
How to make Americano coffee
In our domestic bars and coffee shops, under the guise of the Americano brand, they often serve a coffee drink that is prepared by increasing the time of the so-called coffee extraction (in this case, the spill is not 25 seconds, but a little more, about 50).
This coffee is very bitter and also contains substances that are quite harmful to the body, including carcinogens and resins.
A sign of this low-quality drink is an empty taste and a pronounced sour aftertaste.
A high-quality drink is prepared from espresso coffee, which is diluted with boiling water in a 1:1 ratio. The recipe is quite simple: prepare espresso, dilute it with boiling water to taste.
Coffee and tea will be even tastier if you prepare homemade cakes with them. The recipe for making sweet pastries for tea is in this article.
There are coffee lovers who prefer cold Americano, for which the espresso is diluted with cold (or even ice) water. To taste, you can add milk or cream instead of boiling water.
Americano history
The first mention of Americano dates back to 1928.
But it gained its popularity in the late 40s, thanks to American soldiers who served in Italy immediately after the Second World War.
The story goes that soldiers thought the espresso was too strong and the portion too small. They often asked to serve espresso with a glass of hot water, and later to completely dilute it so that it resembled the coffee they were used to drinking at home. This drink was given the name “American coffee.”
Flavor profile
Americano has the same flavor notes as espresso, but due to dilution with water, the flavor and aroma are less vibrant.
Similar drinks Americano vs Filter coffee
Americano tastes like filter coffee, but is still inferior in quality. Americano remains popular among coffee shop owners because they can serve the same strength as filter coffee without having to buy additional equipment.
coffee filter
Filter coffee - on the menu of coffee shops can be found under the name: “black”. “regular” (“ordinary”), “batch brew” (from the English batch brew - “batch” of coffee brewed at one time).
Americano and filter coffee theoretically have the same concept. In both cases, this is a large portion of hot and not too strong black coffee. And the principle of preparation for drinks is very similar: hot water is poured through ground coffee. But, as always, the devil is in the details.
espresso extraction
An Americano is made using an Espresso machine, which uses high pressure to force hot water through ground coffee.
home filter coffee maker
When filter coffee is made, hot water flows through the ground coffee by gravity, without pressure, only under the influence of gravity. For this reason, the process of preparing filter coffee takes a little longer, but it is worth it.
Unlike Americano, filter coffee is a cleaner and more balanced drink.
Making Americano coffee at home
In order to prepare Americano coffee at home, you need the following ingredients: for each serving of the drink, take 125 milliliters of hot water, 7-10 grams of ground coffee.
Prepare according to the instructions for the coffee machine or coffee maker. When preparing an Americano directly, hot water is passed through the ground coffee beans.
There is an unjustified myth that you should not drink coffee at night - in fact, after 20-25 minutes you can easily fall asleep. Tea is more insidious in this regard - its effect lasts 2-3 hours.
Do you pour espresso into water or water into espresso?
Baristas are still arguing which is better: “pour espresso into water” or vice versa “pour water into espresso”, because both methods have their advantages.
In the first option, when we first pour hot water into a cup, and then pour espresso on top, the drink becomes more aromatic, and the coffee foam – “Crema” – remains on the surface of the cup.
In the second case, when we dilute the finished espresso with boiling water, the “Crema” is destroyed, but the drink turns out to be more balanced and soft, so it looks more like filter coffee.
Although we cannot say which option is better, it is still a matter of taste, but guided by our experience we can definitely say one thing:
As soon as the drink cools to a comfortable temperature and stops burning, the taste evens out and all differences disappear. And, in fact, there is no difference in pouring espresso into water or vice versa, it’s just that in the first case it seems to us that the coffee turns out more aromatic and looks better.
Should I add hot water from the coffee machine boiler or not?
If your espresso machine has a boiler, then you can of course pour hot water from it. But if you do not constantly pour boiling water from the coffee machine, the water will stagnate and acquire an unpleasant taste.
espresso coffee machine
However, if you constantly drain hot water from the boiler, the temperature of the water in the coffee machine will be unstable, which will prevent you from making delicious espresso.
It is better to prepare Americano from water heated in a kettle to 80 - 85 degrees. - the drink will be more enjoyable.
How to remove bitterness from Americano?
Espresso diluted with water has one disadvantage: the bitterness of the drink increases slightly.
Therefore, once you have finished brewing the Americano, remove it with a spoonful of cream. The crema looks beautiful, but particles of ground coffee remain in it, and because of them the drink is bitter.
Without cream, the taste of Americano becomes much better.
Also try espresso after removing the cream - the difference in taste is noticeable.
To be honest, I like espresso without cream, but I don’t want to do the extra work, so I’m happy to drink it that way. However, in the case of Americano, I think that additional work will not hurt...
— James Hoffman, The World Atlas of Coffee
Americano recipe
Americano at home
- Step. Pour clean, hot water (200 - 250 ml) into a cup, water temperature 80 - 85 degrees. (the kettle should sit for about five minutes after boiling).
- Step. Make a double espresso using your favorite coffee.
- Step. Pour espresso into a cup of water.
- Step. Remove the cream.
- Step. Americano is ready!
double espresso
Americano with milk
— part of the water for diluting espresso is replaced with milk.
Ice Americano recipe (Americano with ice)
YOU WILL NEED:
- Double espresso
- Cold water - you need to use only half the amount of water that we use when preparing a regular Americano (about 100 ml)
- Ice (100 g)
WE'RE COOKING:
- Step. Brew espresso
- Step. Add ice, cold water and an espresso shot to the glass.
- Step. Iced Americano Ready!
Ice Americano with milk
— part of the water for diluting espresso is replaced with milk and ice.
Useful tips and tricks
Basic useful tips for making Americano cookies are as follows:
- To make thick cookies and avoid the dough from spreading too much on the baking sheet, you need to use enough flour so that there is not too much moisture in the dough, and also avoid overheating it. That is why the oil used (or its vegetable substitutes) should be softened at room temperature, and not melted. If the dough is too warm before it goes into the oven, the cookies will spread and become flat and thin.
- To cool the dough, it is recommended to place the formed cookies in the freezer while the oven preheats before baking.
- When making gluten-free cookies, you must use specialized flour mixtures containing xanthan gum, otherwise the dough will spread. This additive can also be used separately together with the selected type of flour.
- To make cookies dairy-free, you will need to replace the butter with margarine or other plant-based alternatives and use almond or any other nut milk instead of cow's milk.
- The advantages of “marinating” cookie dough before baking are obvious - the taste of the finished dessert becomes more pronounced and vibrant. This must be done for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator. During this time, the flour will also absorb more moisture from the dough. The resulting cookies are more fragrant, thick and elastic. If time permits, do not skip this step.
- It is recommended to use a large ice cream scoop or scoop to form nice, thick, even sized cookies.
- The best cookies are the ones fresh out of the oven. However, there are several life hacks that will help keep it fresh and soft for as long as possible. First of all, it must be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. This way it will remain soft for up to 5 days. Before placing in the selected container, make sure that the products have cooled completely.
- To keep the cookies soft, you can add an apple slice, a piece of bread, or a tortilla to the top and bottom of the cookies in the container. This should be done a day or two after baking or whenever the texture of the items begins to harden. The moisture from the bread or apple will transfer to the cookies, making them soft and tender again. The best option is a flatbread because it takes up much less space than a slice of bread and doesn't impart any flavors (unlike an apple slice).
- To bake fresh cookies at any time, you can make a large batch of dough, shape it into pieces, place on a baking sheet and freeze. When the pieces harden, you need to put them in a zip bag and store them in the freezer. This will allow you to bake cookies in minutes.
Americano chocolate chip cookies made a few days ago can be refreshed in the oven at 180°C for 3-5 minutes. This improves the texture of the products and makes them look like they are freshly prepared.
Recommendations for choosing coffee
Any type of coffee that you can use to make espresso will also taste good in an Americano.
For a versatile Americano : Sweet Chocolate Espresso Blend is ideal for preparing coffee in both espresso machines and filter coffee makers.
Chocolate and Sweet
Sweet Chocolate
The taste is dominated by hazelnuts, grated cocoa, milk chocolate Roaster: COFFEE PROJECT
More about the variety
For traditional Americano ; If you want an Americano with more of the traditional espresso flavors - chocolate! Walnut! Caramel!
Chocolate and Sweet
Brazil Montanari
Aromatic coffee with a classic taste Roaster: M9 Roasters Farmer: Marcello Montanari
More about the variety
Chocolate & Sweet
Brazil Phoenix
Bouquet: dark chocolate, caramel, nuts Roaster: Ingresso
More about the variety
For lovers of dark roast coffee, the Original Americano was invented in Italy, according to tradition, Italian roasts are darker. So if you want to try a more historically accurate version of Americano :-), try darker roasts like:
Roasted & Smoky
Italian Blend Espresso Blend
Bouquet: chocolate, roasted nuts and caramel Roaster: Just Coffee
More about the variety
Decaf Americano We can't forget our decaf lovers. Sweet and drinkable Colombia Huila Decaf with a light tea body in the taste of which you can clearly feel cherry pie with cinnamon, you will like it from the first sip.
Spicy and berry
Colombia Huila Decaf Espresso
Bouquet: cherry pie with cinnamon Roaster: Coffee Lab
More about the variety
Enjoy delicious coffee with us!
— #COFFEEPROJECTTEAM
With cocoa and peanuts
Americano chocolate cookies can also be made from chocolate dough. The easiest way to do this is to use cocoa powder.
Americano cookies, recipe with cocoa and peanuts.
In addition to chocolate pieces, the products can be supplemented with crunchy peanuts.
What ingredients will you need?
For this version of dessert you will need:
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened;
- 100 g light brown soft sugar;
- 100 g “golden” powdered sugar;
- 1 egg, beaten with a fork;
- 150g self-raising flour;
- 30 g cocoa powder, sifted;
- 0.25 tsp salt
- 200 g pieces of high-quality milk chocolate;
- 75g crunchy peanut butter (regular is fine)
- 100 g salted peanuts, coarsely chopped.
Step-by-step cooking process
To make cocoa, milk chocolate and peanut cookies, you will need to follow these steps:
- The oven must be preheated to 180°C, and also line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper in advance.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Then you need to add the egg and beat until completely mixed, then add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and continue beating at low speed until the mass is completely homogeneous.
- Next, you should put the chocolate pieces and distribute them evenly over the dough at low speed of the appliance.
- After this, you need to add peanut butter and beat at the slowest speed, then add salted peanuts.
- The resulting dough must be rolled into 65 g balls (it is advisable to weigh each one so that they are baked equally) and placed on baking sheets, pressing down lightly. It is necessary to leave enough space between the pieces, as they spread during baking. You can cover the baking sheets with cling film and place them in the refrigerator for a few hours before placing them in the oven.
- Bake the dessert for 8-10 minutes until the edges are crispy and the center remains soft.
The cookies will not look quite done, but will firm up after cooling on a wire rack (waiting at least 30 minutes).
