A Brief Talk on American Coffee

Coffee is a way of life.

Drink a cup of it in the morning to wake up, take a sip to refresh yourself while working during the day, or drink a cup of coffee and eat a few pieces of cake in your spare time while chatting with friends.

Coffee enriches our lives and shortens the distance between you and me. After a delicious meal, it is a blessing to make a cup of coffee, read a newspaper, or share a warm, comfortable and fun coffee time with lovers, friends and family.

In this "instant" era, coffee brings us not only a rich taste, but also a feeling and a life.

There are many varieties and flavors of coffee. What I’m going to bring to you today is American coffee.

Americano, as a type of Italian coffee, contains only espresso and water and has almost no calories. However, some friends say that Americano is not tasty, bitter and strong. Then I have to stand up and say that it must be because the espresso you drink is not made carefully by a coffee craftsman.

Let me defend the American style.

Let’s start from the beginning and discuss American style. Then the question is, how did American style come about?

The Origin of Americano

The name of American coffee comes from the habit of American soldiers in Europe during the war to add hot water to the small espresso commonly seen in Europe. Because Americans are generally more casual and simple in preparing coffee, this method quickly became popular with the popularity of American chain stores around the world.

Later, American coffee could even become a general term for all black coffee. Black coffee made with drip coffee, French press and other utensils could be called American coffee. In this article, we will only discuss American coffee made with Espresso as the base.

Americano is popular all over the world

Americano is very popular in North America, especially for breakfast. During work, you can see office workers holding Americano everywhere. In other countries where coffee is widely consumed, Americano is also quite popular.

In China, most coffee shops also offer American coffee. According to statistics from our store, American coffee only accounts for 15% of the total Italian coffee output. It is not difficult to find that most people who like American coffee are foreigners and friends who have experience living and working abroad, and most of them take it away. I am very happy to see that these friends have gradually turned coffee into a necessity in their lives.

The soul of American coffee - espresso

Let’s talk about the soul of American coffee - espresso. When I first came into contact with American coffee, I was surprised. How could espresso be sold as American coffee just by adding water?

Espresso was invented and developed in Italy in the early 20th century, but until the mid-1940s, it was a drink made solely through steam pressure. The invention of the spring piston lever coffee machine and its successful commercialization transformed espresso into the drink we know today.

The production process is to use hot water at a temperature of about 90-97°C and a pressure of 9 to 10 atmospheric pressures (bar) to extract coffee liquid within 20-30 seconds. About 18-21 grams of coffee powder can extract about 40~60ml of coffee liquid. Depending on the type of coffee beans, roasting method, and coffee flavor, the specific weight of coffee used, extraction time, and extracted coffee liquid are all different.

It is such a cup of strong liquid that tests the coffee beans as well as the barista's extraction skills. The extraction time is only a few tens of seconds. If the extraction is stopped too early, the espresso will become very sour and astringent and will be inedible. If it is stopped a few seconds later, the espresso will become watery.

Even the unpleasant taste of burnt bitterness and smoke appears. Only the right time can make a cup of espresso rich and complex, or round, or bright, or calm. Different varieties and roasting degrees of coffee beans will bring different tastes, but even if you make a cup of delicious espresso that the barista relishes,

Will there still be customers who won’t pay? Of course, there are still many people who cannot accept the strong stimulation of concentrated coffee, but cannot resist the temptation of black coffee, so they choose Americano. After diluting it with water, the sour, sweet and bitter taste of the concentrated coffee is diluted, making it more pleasing, and they can drink it for a while longer, which is very enjoyable.

A good cup of American coffee should not only have the bitterness of coffee, but also a little bit of sourness, a little bit of sweetness, the aroma of coffee, and a lasting aftertaste.

Two American Brothers - Long Black and Lungo

Let’s talk about the two brothers of American coffee, one is Long Black and the other is Lungo. They both drink American coffee which is a mixture of espresso and water. So what are the differences?

For Americano, add espresso first and then water. For Long Black, add water first and then start extracting espresso.

Lungo is to speed up the flow rate of espresso by changing the scale of the grinder, without adding extra water. So, what is the difference in taste brought by different methods? The fat (crema) on Americano will be washed away by hot water.

Since the oil on Long Black is poured in later, you will see more oil on the surface of the coffee. At the same time, these oils will last longer because they are not affected by external forces.

The water-insoluble substances contained in crema are the result of emulsification under high pressure. The crema also contains carbon dioxide and many flavors and aromas.

At the same time, this layer of fat, due to its non-water-soluble components, will form a thin film on our tongue when we drink it. This film will give us a lasting aftertaste and weaken our sensitivity to bitterness.

Therefore, Americano is slightly more bitter than Long Black. Let's look at Lungo. Lungo is very popular in Italy. It is only about 60ml. The reduction in water brings a mellower taste.

In English, Lungo means Long. Lungo is actually Espresso with a longer extraction time.

However, after visiting many domestic coffee shops, it is rare to find one that offers Lungo. This is probably because it requires an independent grinder, which adds a lot of complexity. We had to combine practice and relevant information to make it.

We adjusted the parameters and prolonged the extraction time and found that Lungo's oil is the most stable of the three. Its taste is lighter than Espresso, but it is also slightly bitter. Compared with Americano, it has a mellower taste, while Americano may be more bitter.

Article source: I just want to open a small coffee shop