HOW TO MAKE A CAFFÈ AMERICANO YOURSELF?

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September 28, 2022

HOW TO MAKE A CAFFÈ AMERICANO YOURSELF?

While we were sitting in a busy cafe in Rome last summer, an American ordered an Americano. It fell silent, and everyone started staring. The barista smiled and pulled out a double shot of espresso. The man tried to gesture with his hands to add hot water, but the bartender liked not understand what he meant. Although this drink is trendy in North America, it is not the case in the rest of the world, especially not in Italy, where they are more traditional (which there is nothing wrong with).

So what is a caffè americano? You make the drink by adding an espresso shot to hot water. The water dilutes the espresso a bit, giving you a coffee the size of a filter coffee but with an espresso flavour. Read on to learn how to make your own Americano.

Overview

  • Prep time: 2 minutes
  • Cooking time: 3 minutes
  • Total time: 5 minutes
  • Calories: 1 kcal

Ingredients

  • 14-18 grams of espresso coffee beans
  • Hot or almost boiling water
  • Espresso machine
  • Coffee grinder
  • Pestle

Instructions

  • Grind enough coffee beans for a double shot of espresso. Choose a very fine grind.
  • Put the coffee in the filter holder and tamp it well, after which you place the filter holder in your espresso machine.
  • Prepare the espresso.
  • Heat the water to 71-77 degrees Celsius.
  • Pour the espresso into the hot water. Mix 1 part espresso with 2 parts water.

Extensive preparation

Preparing a caffè americano may seem like just adding hot water to an espresso, but it's more than that, especially for true coffee lovers. And as soon as you taste the drink, the difference between a regular coffee will become clear.

For your caffè americano recipe, you will need:

  • Espresso machine – We assume you have this. If not, we don't judge. You can also prepare a drink close to espresso with a mocha pot, but it's certainly not the same.
  • Espresso Coffee Beans – You can also prepare espresso with regular coffee beans, but it won't really be an Americano and certainly won't taste the same.
  • Libra – We don't like to waste coffee beans.
  • Coffee Grinder – Grinding the beans just before preparation is necessary to get the highest quality drink.
  • Hot or near-boiling water – Add hot or near-boiling water to your espresso to prepare an Americano.
  • Pestle – You prepare an espresso first, so you have to tamp.

Then you can prepare delicious caffè americano in the ten short steps below.

Buy the right beans

Coffee beans are something personal. To prepare a good caffè americano, you need good espresso beans. Although preparing an Americano dilutes the espresso shot, the process seems to amplify any flaws in the coffee, so buy a bean you like.

Measure

Measure your beans. Most people don't prepare a one-shot Americano. Measuring for a double (14-18 grams) is recommended. If you are a fan of the caffè Americano, a single shot is not enough.

Grind the beans fine

This step will depend on your beans, your espresso machine and its quirks, and your personal preference for how finely you grind your coffee beans. The advice is to grind your beans very finely for Americanos.

When you grind fine for the first time, you may worry that it's too fine, but that's fine. If you choose a less fine grind, it just won't work. Your coffee grinder is the first tool for preparing a great espresso, which is the first step for an excellent caffè americano. A coffee grinder with a grinding disc and enough settings for a fine grind is a must.

Stamp well

Tamping is an integral part of the process. Some espresso machines today do this automatically. If this is not the case for you, then it doesn't matter; you just have to do it manually.

Place the filter holder in the espresso machine.

We assume you know this, but assumptions are often where things go wrong. So once you're done tamping, place the portafilter in your espresso machine.

Pull the espresso

Every machine is different, so do what you need to get that magical, rich dark potion with that golden coating. Take advantage of the aromatherapy immediately because there is nothing better than the fresh aroma of espresso, right?

As we mentioned above, you can still make some kind of espresso drink with, for example, a mocha pot if you don't have an espresso machine.

Boiling water

When preparing an Americano, there is often some debate about how hot the water should be. And that depends on your personal preference. Too hot, and it takes too long to cool down, affecting the taste. Too cold, and it brings down the quality of the espresso a bit too. In general, 71-77 degrees Celsius works well. Use your kettle or kettle to heat the water.

Pour the espresso into the water

The ratio of water to espresso is one of those things that you want to adjust to your personal taste. Usually, you mix 1 part espresso with 2 parts water. Pouring the espresso into the water is recommended, rather than the other way around. The espresso seems to mix better with the water this way. Experience shows that pouring the water into the espresso distorts the taste. Slowly pour the espresso into your cup of hot water.

Enjoy

A caffè americano is usually served black, but everyone has their own preferences. If you like milk and sugar in your coffee, then go ahead. Then sit back and relax and enjoy your Americano.

Bonus step

If you want an iced Americano, the process is just a little bit different. Instead of hot water, add cold water (you can use the ratio of 1.5 water to 1 espresso to account for the ice). Pour the espresso into the cold water and then add ice. That's all. This is a perfect drink for hot summer days.

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