Whether you’re an expert brewer or just starting out, you’ve heard of the americano. The americano is a classic alongside staples like the latte or cappuccino.
If you’re learning the basics, you can’t skip mastering the americano. Whether you’ve tried one or not, the americano is well known amongst the coffee community, and we’ve got everything you need to know about what this classic drink is, and how to make it at home, right here!
In The Beginning…
coffee that Italian people drank. To replicate their drip coffee back at home, soldiers added water into the iconic Italian espresso shot Voila! The Americano was born.
With an origin story so simple, it seems like it should be easy to agree on one version of this drink. Right?
Wrong. But first, let’s talk about the basics of this drink everyone agrees on.
Health Benefits of Americano Coffee
Drinking coffee in moderation is a healthy habit. The Americano coffee is no exception. Here are some of the health benefits of Americano coffee.
Natural Detox
When it comes to food, detox is a trendy term. Detoxing is the process of removing unhealthy substances from your body. Americano can be part of your detox diet to detoxify and cleanse your body from “bad guys” (unhealthy substances).
Your liver is an amazing organ that performs hundreds of vital functions in the human body. Coffee appears to protect against certain liver diseases, lowering the risk of cirrhosis by up to 80% and liver cancer by up to 40%. Furthermore, just like other types of coffee, Americano coffee helps boost antioxidants that fight the unwanted substances in our bodies. Coffee is a delicious and healthy drink, so there’s no reason not to enjoy it.
Better Digestion
Americano coffee helps in the digestion process. It helps break down the foods into smaller chunks and makes digestion easier. Drinking Americanos after your meals will help speed up your digestive process, and your stomach won’t have to work as hard.
Weight Loss
Most diet plans focus on one thing, and that is weight loss. With busy work routines and added domestic and professional workloads, people are struggling to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The Debate
There is some confusion among people who drink coffee about what constitutes “real” americano. There are only two ingredients in an Americano, so the only potential variable is whether the espresso should go first or second.
There are people who are adamant supporters of both the espresso-water and water-espresso methods of pouring, but the majority of coffee connoisseurs agree that pouring espresso first is better. That’s why even though the order seems arbitrary, it does actually influence one important factor: the crema!
To Crema Or Not To Crema
Crema is a thin, white layer of foam that sits at the top of an espresso shot. Some people think that it has nothing to do with the taste of the drink, but others believe that it does. Regardless, the crema is the product of the mixing of oils and carbon dioxide produced during the process of shot pulling. If the barista pulls the shot and then adds water, no crema remains. It’s preferable to use this method because it makes the coffee taste more like a traditional American cup of joe.
Americano Coffee and Black Coffee- Are They Same?
Coffee fans often get confused with Americano coffee and black coffee.
Neither have any bunch of milk or sugar, and they seem nearly identical at first glance. However, they differ in terms of taste, mouthfeel and brewing methods. Both beverages use different types of grounds.
Black coffee is made with drip coffee machines. The espresso shot is pulled into a calm cup of water. In black coffee, crema is preserved since the espresso is pulled into a cup containing water.
Whereas, Americano coffee is made using espresso shots with hot water in a 1:1 ratio. These espresso shots are made with espresso beans rather than regular beans. Americano doesn’t preserve the crema as the water disrupts it when it is added afterwards.
Wrapping Up
If you’d like to give your usual morning coffee a bit of boost without adding milk and sugar, try out an Americano. Your Americano will provide a way to start your day in style, without weighing yourself down. It’s a simple, delicious way to jazz up your morning coffee!
You can have one at a cafe or make your own. No matter which way you go, it won’t let you down!
Happy caffeinating!
A die-hard coffee aficionado, Habiba has been crazy about caffeine for almost as long as she can remember. For her morning brew, she relies on a French Press, which is a part of her daily morning ritual that also involves grinding and meticulously weighing coffee and water for the perfectly crafted morning cup. To better inform this article, she included insights from various coffee experts.
