In this article, I will tell you all about the Americano. I have written 3 brewing guides to make an Americano at home, using various coffee brewers. This way, after reading this article you will be able to get started on that delicious Americano.
After the brewing guides, I have a summer recipe as well. Making an Americano must be one of the most delicious, yet easy coffee recipes out there. The taste is much different from pour over coffee and French press coffee that I normally drink.
Make yourself a good amount of coffee and read along to find out how you can make an Americano yourself!
What is an Americano?
An Americano or Caffè Americano is an espresso-based coffee drink that is diluted by adding hot water. This gives the coffee the same strength as you are used to when drinking espresso but has more volume because of the added hot water.
Most people tend to drink an Americano as their cup of morning coffee as an alternative to pour over, or French press brewed coffee. The richness from the espresso instantly wakes you up, but with the added water, you will be able to drink this coffee in a longer period of time.
An Americano is made by pulling a shot of espresso and adding it to a large mug. Hot water is then added on top of the espresso. The ratio that is used is a 1:2 ratio. One shot of espresso and 2 shots of water are added.
If you are in a café, you will most likely get the espresso in a cup and hot water in a small carafe next to it. This way, you will be able to add as much water that you like.
When diluting the espresso by adding hot water, the crema on the espresso will disappear completely. Sometimes, the hot water is added to an empty mug, and the espresso shot is added afterward. This coffee is called a Long black.
How to brew an Americano
Before getting into the recipe, I will first give you a few options to make the espresso that you need for the Americano. You can use the following techniques to brew the espresso or an espresso-like coffee:
- Moka pot
- AeroPress
- Nespresso machine
- Espresso machine
The best espresso extraction will happen when you have an espresso machine at home, which most people don’t (if you do, great job!).
I will explain how to make an Americano using 3 other options to make an espresso-like coffee to brew that amazing Americano.
How to brew an Americano using a Moka pot
To get started with this brewing technique, you are going to need the following items:
- 20-22 grams of finely ground coffee beans
- Boiling water
- A Moka pot
This brewing technique is really easy to follow, and once you get the hang of it, you will be able to brew some delicious espresso-like coffees for the time to come.
- Twist your Moka pot apart and fill the bottom half with freshly boiled water.
- Now, fill the coffee basket with the ground coffee beans and add on top of the bottom half of the Moka pot.
- Screw the top half on and place it on the stove on medium heat.
- Now be patient. The water pressure will push the coffee out of the chamber, and you will be rewarded with a concentrated espresso-like coffee.
- The last thing on the list is pouring out the espresso and adding twice the amount of water to your mug.
- An Americano will now be waiting for you. Don’t forget to clean your Moka pot for its next brewing session.
It’s so easy to make Your Dream Coffee at home, I have tried making an Americano with all the brewing techniques that I write about in this article, and I must say that the Moka pot will be best to make an Americano.
The flavor comes the closest to an espresso made using an espresso machine, and that is why I love this technique. Now, let’s get into making an Americano using an AeroPress:
How to brew an Americano using the AeroPress
Brewing an espresso-like coffee with an AeroPress is the easiest out of the three brewing techniques that I will go over in this article.
For this brewing technique you are going to need the following:
- 17 grams of finely ground coffee beans
- 40 grams of boiling water
- An AeroPress and its included attachments
You can already prepare the ground coffee and put the kettle to a boil before getting started on the brewing technique. If you haven’t already done so, start from step one:
- Ground your coffee beans and boil your water in the meantime.
- Add your ground coffee beans into the AeroPress chamber. Put the chamber on top of a nice cup.
- Once the water has come to a boil, leave the kettle to sit on your kitchen counter for 10 seconds. So it can cool down just a bit.
- Now, pour the hot water onto your ground coffee. The water should just reach the 1 on the outside of the AeroPress.
- Stir and bloom the coffee for 10 seconds.
- Add the second chamber on top of the other and push down.
- Stop when you hear a hissing sound come out of the AeroPress.
- Remove the AeroPress from your cup.
- Add twice the amount of hot water to your espresso. You now have an Americano.
- Don’t forget to clean your AeroPress right away. Discard the puck and clean your AeroPress. Click here to learn how to clean your AeroPress.
Once you get the hang of brewing your coffee with an AeroPress, you will never want to part ways with it. Let’s move onto the espresso brewing with a Nespresso machine:
How to brew an Americano using a Nespresso machine
If you are just getting started with brewing Your Dream Coffee at home, you might only have one option at home; a Nespresso machine. I bought a Nespresso machine the minute that I wanted to get some delicious coffee at home.
It is certainly possible to make an Americano using a Nespresso machine, but the amount of coffee you will get compares to brewing a lungo with the Nespresso machine.
But if you have some extra espresso cups you want to get rid of, this will be a nice alternative to brewing a lungo.
Brew yourself an espresso using the Nespresso machine and add double the amount of hot water to your espresso.
The taste will be very different from a lungo perspective. There are a bit more punchy flavors found, and you cannot compare the overall flavor to any of the lungo Nespresso cups out there.
It’s an enjoyable and delicious way to get through those Nespresso cups you don’t use very often.
How to make an iced Americano
Making a nice Americano at home is something you will enjoy for the longest time. But what about the summer?
Most of the time, you want a refreshing drink to get through the hot day.
How does an iced version of an Americano sound to you? It sounds great to me, which is why I will tell you all about it down below:
To make the iced Americano at home, you are going to need some nice ice cubes, a large mug, and a hot Americano. You can use any of the above-mentioned brewing guides to make yourself that Americano. Let’s get into it:
- Brew an Americano coffee.
- Cool it down completely. You can do so by placing it into the refrigerator or placing it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
- Now, grab your favorite coffee mug and add a good amount of ice cubes to your coffee.
- Pour the cooled-down Americano on top of the ice cubes.
- Your drink is now ready! Additionally, you can add a straw to your coffee and enjoy it in the sun.
I love making any iced coffee version to get through those warm days. It’s so refreshing, and it will also give you that much-needed caffeine.
You can prepare the cold Americano base a day in advance if you are expecting some company and want to make an iced Americano for them.
Tip: For a more in-depth view on how to make an iced Americano, check out my recipe here!
Conclusion
It’s amazing how many techniques you can choose from to make yourself an Americano. This was a fun article to write because I feel like everyone will be able to make an Americano at home with the various techniques.
For me, Americanos are an amazing outcome if I don’t feel like drinking just one or two slurps of coffee in the morning. By adding the hot water, you are essentially brewing a larger cup of joe you can enjoy for a longer time.
The iced version of the Americano tastes just as great and can be enjoyed when you don’t feel like drinking hot coffee on a super warm day. Amazing.
If you feel like trying out a few more coffee recipes, you can check the recipes below. I’ve listed a few recipes that might be of interest to you.
Have you had an Americano 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!
