What is Americano Coffee? How to Make Americano Coffee?
Americano coffee, also termed Americano or Caffè Americano, is a type of coffee that originated in the United States. Basically, it is a precise mixture of espresso and hot water. Espresso is diluted with water, and the resultant product is different in flavor (brewed coffee) but similar in strength.
The two important factors that determine the taste and strength of the Americano coffee are the quantity of water and the number of espresso shots. The word Americano is a derivation of American Spanish, and it means “American.” Moreover, Caffè Americano is an Italian term for American coffee.
History of Americano Coffee
The history of Americano coffee is a “disputed territory.” In 1928, Somerset Maugham mentioned a similar drink in his novel, Ashenden: Or the British Agent. In his novel, his main character orders a drink “Americano” in Naples in world war I. This novel was based on different stories related to world war I. However, it was not conclusive that the author talked about the same drink.
The second belief about the origin of Americano coffee (although it is also not confirmed) is related to World War 2. During World War 2, the American soldiers serving in Italy didn’t like the traditional strong espresso that much. They were habitual of a different coffee back in America, so they tried to replicate their American beverage by adding water in the Italian espresso shot. This is how “Americano coffee” was born.
Caffeine Content in Americano Coffee
As a coffee lover, you would also wonder if Americano coffee is stronger than other coffee? How much caffeine does a cup of Americano coffee serves? Here is the answer to your queries. Generally, Drip coffee is slightly stronger than Americano coffee but not that much.
As per Mayo Clinic, the amount of caffeine in Americano (two espresso shots) is 94 to 150 milligrams. On the other hand, drip coffee roughly gives you 95 to 200 milligrams of caffeine in a standard serving.
How Is It Different From Drip Coffee?
Although drip and Americano may look similar, they are prepared in different ways. Brewing in drip coffee is done by allowing hot water to drip down through grounds, either it is prepared using a manual pour-over or drip machine. The gravitational factor provides the pulling force during brewing as it pulls the water through the grounds.
On the other hand, the core ingredient in Americano coffee is espresso. Americano coffee takes less time to prepare as compared to the traditional drip coffee. As mentioned above, it is a dilution of espresso in hot water. Generally, an Americano coffee contains two shots of espresso (one ounce each).
How to Make Americano Coffee at Home
Before jumping to the main “recipe” for making Americano coffee at home, it is important to understand that there are two general methods to make Americano coffee.
Method 1 – Take hot steaming water and then put the espresso on top. With this brewing method, the crema will remain at the top of the coffee.
Method 2 – Put the hot water on the espresso and dilute it. With this method, the resultant product will look like black coffee.
Let’s move to the recipe.
Required ingredients
- Hot water (8 to 10 ounces)
- Coffee grounds for espresso (16.5 grams)
- Espresso glass
- A 10-12 ounce cup
Steps to Make
- Start with pulling espresso shot. Follow this guide.
- Extract espresso (two shots- two ounces) in espresso glass.
- Put hot water (from the espresso machine) into your cup.
- Put espresso (extracted earlier) on hot water. Your Americano coffee is ready.
Americano Coffee and Black Coffee- Are They Same?
People often confuse Americano coffee with black coffee, but they are different in taste and formation. Different types of grounds are used in both beverages. Black coffee is a product of drip coffee machines. That said, coffee beans are brewed in a drip machine.
Americano coffee is a product of the espresso method. Espresso shots and hot water make Americano coffee, and espresso shots are extracted from espresso beans. But why do people confuse them? Well, there are two general methods to make Americano coffee, and one of them is putting hot water on espresso and diluting it. The resultant beverage looks pretty similar to black coffee.
Health Benefits of Americano Coffee
Coffee is a healthy drink if you consume it in a suggested or recommended proportion; the Americano coffee is no different. There are many health benefits related to Americano coffee, and here are some of them:
Natural Detox
Detox is a trendy word when it comes to the food industry. Detoxing is a process that kicks out the “bad guys” (unhealthy substances) from your body. People use a strict diet or different types of juices and mixtures to detox their bodies, but not everyone knows that coffee is a natural detox.
Coffee is an excellent stimulant for the liver, and the liver is a “cleaning agent” in our system. Liver breaks down food, drugs, and anything that enters our body. Drinking coffee can make our liver work better. Moreover, just like other types of coffee, Americano coffee also boosts antioxidants that combat the unwanted substances in our system. So coffee is a tasty and healthy beverage, can’t ask for more.
Better Digestion
Americano coffee is very helpful in the digestion process. It breaks down the food particles into small parts and makes digestion a lot easier. If you take Americano coffee after your meal, especially the heavier ones, it will fasten the digestion process, and your stomach won’t have to toil hard.
Weight Loss
Well, almost every diet plan in recent times mainly focuses on one thing, and that is weight loss. Busy work routines with added domestic and professional workloads have made things difficult to keep a healthy routine, and people are suffering from obesity.
Bottom Line
Coffee is a proven diet for weight loss as it reduces appetite and burns fats. Americano coffee has proved to be very helpful in reducing weight as it fastens the calorie breakdown process. Americano coffee also suppresses your hunger, and it helps in better performance in a physical workout, and the end result is weight loss. Isn’t it fascinating?
About the Author
Twigs cafe staff is comprised of editors, writers, food & drink experts, nutritionists, and researchers to create informative and helpful content for health-conscious people.
