Have you ever wondered how some coffee bars make that great-looking Long black coffee everyone keeps talking about? In this article, I’ll be showing you how to make one of my favorite coffee drinks at this moment; the Long black.
This coffee is perfect for those early mornings when you’ve got some tough tasks to finish.
I’ll go over the differences between an Americano and a Long black coffee and will also tell you how to brew that delicious Long black coffee at home using an AeroPress and a Moka pot. Hang tight, brew yourself a good cup of joe and let’s get into it.
What is a Long black?
A Long black is an espresso-based coffee that has about 70% added hot water to it. A Long black is made by pouring hot water in a cup and pouring an espresso (single or double) on top of the hot water.
By pouring the espresso on top of the hot water, the espresso’s crema will stay intact when handled carefully. The crema of the espresso is important for coffee lovers worldwide because it’s so flavorful.
What is the difference between a Long black and an Americano?
The difference between a Long black and an Americano is where the espresso is added to the water. A Long black is made by pouring an espresso on top of hot water, and an Americano is made by pouring hot water on the espresso.
Both a Long black and an Americano use the same ingredients and measurements. About 70% of hot water is used, and a good quality espresso is added. The ratio is 1:2: one part coffee and two parts of hot water.
Sometimes, a double shot of espresso is used instead of a single shot.
When you order a Long black, the barista will add hot water to a cup, and they will pour the espresso on top of the water. The crema of the espresso will retain its flavor.
An Americano is made by pouring a shot of espresso in the cup first. Hot water is added after the espresso is already in the cup. By pouring hot water on top of the espresso, the espresso’s crema will be destroyed and result in a different flavor profile.
The amount of water added is not a set amount. This all depends on how strong you want your coffee to taste. Are you keen on drinking straight espressos on a daily basis? And do you want to try a different coffee based on an espresso? You will be more than happy with either coffee.
If you like your coffee strong, you can always ask your barista to add less water to the espresso when you’re ordering a Long black. The espresso will still be diluted a bit, but the flavor profile will change. This way you’ll be able to try a new coffee you haven’t tasted before.
Want more ideas? Use my Coffee Recipes Directory to find drinks that match your mood, brew style, and time.
- See hot, iced, cold brew, and Frappuccino recipes in one place.
- Browse latte, espresso, milk-based, and coffee add-in recipes.
- Get inspiration for what to make next at home.
Over 200 coffee recipes to explore.
How to brew a Long black
Brewing a Long black is an easy task that doesn’t require a lot of work and coffee knowledge. We now know that a Long black is made using a good espresso and some hot water.
To make the best Long black possible, an espresso machine is used. But most of us (including myself) don’t have an espresso machine at home. This is why I’ll be showing you two different espresso-style coffee brewing techniques.
I’ll show you how to brew a Long black using the following coffee brewers:
- Moka pot
- AeroPress
Both the Moka pot and AeroPress can brew a delicious espresso-like coffee that gets very close in flavor to an espresso made using an espresso machine. These coffee brewers are great to use, and I love brewing my coffees with them.
How to brew a Long black using a Moka pot
The Moka pot is an amazing coffee brewer that can brew a great espresso-like coffee. You’ll hear me talking about espresso-like coffee quite a bit in this article. Let me explain what I mean by it:
Espresso-like coffee is coffee made with coffee brewers that can produce a coffee with the looks, feel, and taste of espresso but is not made using an espresso machine.
These coffee brewers are often found at the home of coffee enthusiasts and can produce amazing coffee without spending a lot of money on a full-sized espresso machine.
Now, let’s jump into the brewing of this amazing coffee using the Moka pot at home:
- The very first step to brewing great coffee at home is grinding your own coffee beans. Grind 20 grams of coffee beans into a fine powder and add it to the coffee basket of the Moka pot.
- Screw the remaining Moka pot pieces apart and fill the bottom half of the Moka pot with boiling water.
- Top the water-filled bottom piece off with the coffee basket, filled with ground coffee beans.
- Screw the top part of the Moka pot on there and place it on your stovetop on medium heat.
- The steam created on the bottom compartment of the Moka pot will create pressure and push through the air vent of the Moka pot.
- This might take a minute or two.
- Eventually, outcomes the espresso-like liquid gold you have hoped for.
- You are now left with a coffee concentrate.
- Fill up a cup with hot water. Use twice the amount of coffee produced from the Moka pot. For example: Use 100 grams of water when you have brewed 50 grams of espresso-like coffee.
- Once you have filled up your favorite cup with the hot water, slowly pour the espresso on top.
- You have now successfully made a Long black at home! Enjoy it while it’s hot and don’t forget to clean your coffee brewer.
The best part about brewing with a Moka pot is that the coffee quality is great, and you can fine-tune it however you like. Do you feel like it tastes a bit too strong? Try using a lighter roasted coffee bean to get a different coffee profile.
Your Dream Coffee is made by experimenting with the coffee and finding your own flavors in coffee. It’s a great journey, and I would love for you to experience the same coffee journey as me. Let’s move onto the Long black made with the AeroPress:
How to brew a Long black using the AeroPress
The AeroPress has my preference when it comes to making a Long black coffee at home. Less coffee is needed to make an amazing espresso-like coffee that tastes absolutely amazing.
To make the best coffee possible, you can experiment with the amount of total coffee used. To make things easy for you, start with 17 grams of coffee and extend from there. Let’s get into it:
- Grind your coffee beans to a fine-medium grind. A bit coarser than the espresso grind, that is super fine. You should still feel a bit of coffee grain in the ground coffee beans.
- Add a paper filter to the filter cap and twist it onto the AeroPress chamber.
- Now, add your ground coffee beans and shake the chamber until an even coffee bed forms.
- Set the coffee-filled AeroPress chamber on top of a nice mug. Make sure the AeroPress sits steadily on top of the coffee mug.
- Next up is pouring boiling water on top of the ground coffee beans, fill the chamber with boiling water until it reaches the number 1 on the side.
- Stir and bloom the coffee for 10 seconds and put the remaining chamber on top.
- Press down on the vacuum-sealed AeroPress until all the coffee has come out the other side.
- Use twice the amount of hot water as the espresso. This is around 100-110 grams depending on the amount of water you have poured in.
- Add the hot water to another cup and pour the espresso on top. Your Long black made with an AeroPress is now done and is ready to be enjoyed!
Down below you’ll find a few tips and tricks that I learned along the way when brewing coffee with the AeroPress:
- Once you are done brewing coffee with the AeroPress, make sure to clean it right away. If you’ve cleaned the AeroPress and thoroughly dried, it is best stored when pressed together. Push down on the vacuum chamber and set it aside until the next use.
- Does the water run straight through the ground coffee and coffee filter? Use a finer grind setting the next time over. This way, the water will have a harder time getting through the ground coffee as it is more compact. The grind size should look like this for the best result:
Conclusion
It’s amazing how much you can do with a single espresso. When diluting the espresso with some hot water, you create such a different flavor profile. This is why I prefer a Long black in the early mornings.
I have listed a few espresso-based coffee recipes down below when you want to try something different or when you want to brew some more espressos with the brewing techniques you have learned about today.
Have you tried a Long black before? Let me know by leaving a comment down below. If you have any other questions regarding coffee, you can also contact me directly by pressing the “Contact Me” button at the top!
