Americano vs. black coffee are both black coffees. You brew americano with an espresso machine or Moka pot; we can brew black coffee with various methods.
Black coffee has been part of American culture for many years. You can find many artists who wrote songs, literature, plays, and film, including Black Coffee (1931 film), a British detective film based on Agatha Christie’s play.
If of history we are speaking, and since americano is black coffee and is an espresso-based drink, we’re going back in history to 1884 when the first espresso machine was by Angelo Moriondo from Turin.
If your only experience of americano is at Starbucks, try one of these long, black coffees elsewhere.
Why do we say this?
Well, Starbucks uses extremely dark roasted espresso beans. They also use too hot water for an Americano, resulting in a scorched and unpleasant drink.
What Is an Americano?
An Americano is a black coffee that you always serve without milk.
In effect, consider an Americano as a diluted espresso. As you’ll see below, espresso and boiling water are all you need to rustle up a café americano.
So, how did this drink spring into being, and why should you care?
History of the Americano
The americano was reputedly born when American GIs stationed in Italy pined to taste drip coffee from home. The soldiers supposedly watered down an espresso in response to local coffee being too strong for their palates.
And this, as the story has it, is how americano sprang into being.
Regardless of its origins, americano is a drink typically enjoyed by coffee lovers who appreciate great espresso beans and prefer a longer, less intense drink.
So far, so good.
How do you make an Americano at home, though?
How To Make a Great Americano
The ingredients for a lip-smacking Americano couldn’t be more straightforward.
Before anything else, though, a good espresso machine is a prerequisite for making americano. You can use espresso from a single-serve machine or a Moka pot–although this is not technically espresso, we strongly recommend investing in a dedicated espresso machine.
Assuming you have a means of making your short, stiff shots, here’s all you need for Americano the Italian way.
What You Need
1 to 2 shots of espresso
Hot water
The success or failure of the americano in your cup will hinge on two factors:
The quality of the espresso
The temperature of the water you use
Luckily, it’s not tough to achieve both goals. Here’s how you do it.
What To Do
Start by making a single or double shot of espresso to suit. For authentic espresso like the Italians drink, use a semi-automatic espresso machine.
The optimum water temperature for americano is from 90F to 94F. Heat some water to this temperature band.
Pour your espresso into a long glass, then add the boiling water. Either combine these ingredients 1:1 or use 1/3 espresso to 2/3 water. Experiment until you find what works.
Note: if you pour the boiling water first and add the espresso shot, you won’t get the same crema. The crema is that thin layer of foam you see on top of an espresso. This occurs when the oils and carbon dioxide in the beans mix as you pull a shot.
Americano vs Black Coffee What’s The Difference?
An americano is not merely regular black coffee served without milk.
If you ask for black coffee or house coffee in a restaurant, you’ll get coffee made in a drip machine.
With The Americanos, you have a shot of espresso diluted with boiling water.
Final Thoughts
Be sure to bookmark Brewing Java before you head off. We’re just underway with a sizeable chunk of informational content, so come back soon for more brief studies of the fresh coffee.
Next, we’ll be examining exotic Turkish coffee. We’ll see you soon when we show you how to make this delicious drink the easy way.
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