How to Make a Perfect Homemade Americano

If you love black coffee but are looking for a more intense and rich flavor then Americano can be the right pick for you. In this article, we will thoroughly discuss everything that you should know about Americano if you are thinking of getting one or making one at home for yourself.

What is an Americano?

An Americano is a type of traditionally brewed coffee that has hot water added to espresso shots. You can change the ratio of water and Espresso to ½ and ½ or ⅓ and ⅔ depending upon your choice.

The origin of Americano

Americano originated in the 1860s when the American soldiers stayed in Italy and when they tasted the espresso, they didn’t like its flavor as they were used to the local drip coffee. So they tried to modify it by adding hot water to it and thus Americano came into existence.

Differences between Americano and regular Black Coffee

Though there does not seem to be a visible difference that you can observe by the naked eye, there are still many differences between both coffees that we will discuss here.

Regular Black Coffee	Americano
Coffee beans	Espresso shots
Hot water	Hot water
120 ml volume	60-100 ml volume
96 mg caffeine content	103 mg caffeine content

Espresso/Coffee 

If you are trying to make an Americano then you will need Espresso single or double shots while a normal black coffee is a normal coffee made through coffee beans.

Water

You will only need hot water to pour over your Espresso shots in an Americano and to use in black coffee as no milk or cream is required to make both of them.

Drink size

The drink size of Americano is smaller than the normal black coffee as in Americano you can only add a certain amount of water in Espresso shots that are already very small.

Caffeine content

The caffeine content of regular black coffee is less than Americano because the Espresso shots have very high intensity.

Related: Caffeine Content in Nespresso Pods

What is the water-to-coffee ratio in an Americano?

The water-to-coffee ratio in an Americano varies depending upon the variable choices of people. 

• Some people keep it 1:1. For example, you have to add 3 oz of water to 3 oz of Espresso.
• Some people change this ratio as per their desire and add 2:1 water and Espresso i.e. 2 oz water for 1 oz Espresso. 
• And some also add ⅔ hot water in ⅓ i.e. two shots of Espresso.

How to make an Americano with an Espresso machine?

Ingredients

• Hot Water
• Espresso

Bustler Coffee Ingredient tips

• Try to use filtered water as water is a very essential part of espresso.
• Try to grind the coffee beans precisely to get the original rich taste.
• Always choose the coffee flavor that you have already tried.

Best capsule for Americano:

Ristretto Intenso can be the best capsule for making an Americano if you are looking for an intense and bold flavor. Ristretto Intenso is a blend of South American Arabica and Robusta that has a roasted, intense, and bitter flavor with a touch of woody aromas with spicy pepper.

Materials

• Scale to measure the coffee beans accurately because perfect measurement will give perfect output regarding flavor.
• Tamper because tamping is very important while making espresso.
• Espresso machine to brew the espresso shots.
• Grinder because good quality coffee can only be made if you grind the coffee beans just before making it.
• A mug to enjoy your coffee.

Bustler Coffee Material Tips

• Don’t use the tamper too hard as the coffee will be pressed too much and it will clog the water.
• Always clean your machine after every use to keep it safe and prolong its shelf life.

Recommended machine for an Americano:

Breville Barista Express Espresso machine is the most recommended machine out of many machines introduced in the market for making Americanos. Breville Barista is an amazing machine designed to allow its users to brew the perfect espresso shots at home. You can even change the settings of this machine manually to try new recipes and experiment with the flavors.

Recipe

Step 1: Decide drink size

First of all, you need to decide the size of your drink while making espresso because you can use one, two, or more shots of espresso and the quantity of water can also vary depending upon how bitter or intense you want your coffee to be.

Step 2: Brew espresso

The next step is to brew espresso shots and you can use any machine whether Keurig, Nespresso, Moka pot, or any other machine that you have to do so.

Step 3: Boil water

You need boiling water to get the real rich flavor of Americano so you need to boil your water at 165°F.

Step 4: Mix and enjoy

Some people prefer pouring water over brewed espresso shots and some like to do it the other way. If you pour espresso over water then a good crema will be formed otherwise the crema will be less.

Nutrition Facts

Americano is very healthy as it can improve your immune system and can stop the development of cancerous cells in your body. The nutrition involved in each Americano includes

• Carbohydrates: 0.7 g
• Calories: 4
• Protein: 0.1 g
• Fats: 0.1 g

5 Expert Tips for making an Americano

Here are a few tips that will help you to enhance the flavor of your Americano and make it more cafe-like at your home.

1. You should start making your Americano by grinding the coffee beans in a specific quantity and you can do it by measuring the beans.
2. Start boiling your water on the other side as classic Americano will need hot water to make it.
3. You can change the water-to-coffee ratio by increasing the number of espresso shots or water. It depends on how intense you want your Americano to be.
4. If you don’t like the bitterness of Americano then you can also add sugar, cream, milk, or cola to make it as per your desire.
5. You can add ice or cold water to your Americano to make it cool, refreshing, and perfect for summer.

Americanos at Starbucks

Starbucks doesn’t use the traditional way of making an Americano, that is by adding hot water to the mug and then adding espresso over it. Rather, they first brew espresso in a cup and then add hot water over it which decreases the ratio of crema over this coffee. You can get four sizes of this drink at Starbucks and each will have a different number of espresso shots in it.

• The short drink will have one espresso shot in it.
• The tall one will have two espresso shots.
• The grande will have three espresso shots.
• The venti will have four espresso shots in it.

Types of Americano

There are different types of Americano that you can make by using different ingredients or modifying the traditional ingredients used in a classic Americano. Below are a few varieties of Americano that you can easily make at home with a few simple ingredients.

How to make an Iced Americano?

Americano has a classy black and intense taste and is made by pouring hot water over espresso shots but you can make it refreshing and give it a cool spin by adding cold water or ice into it.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup ice
• Espresso shot
• Cold water

Directions

1. First of all, brew your espresso shots with any of the machines that you have.
2. Add ½ cup of ice over it.
3. If you want to dilute your drink then you can also add water to it but if you don’t add extra water then the ice will melt and automatically dilute your Iced Americano.

How to make a White Americano?

White Americano is another modified version of this drink that you can easily make by the mentioned ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Espresso shots.
• Boiled water.
• Milk

Directions

• Brew your espresso shots by using any beans/pods (like Nespresso capsules) and brewer.
• Boil the water and pour it over your espresso.
• Add milk over water and enjoy.

How to make a Red Eye Americano?

Red Eye Americano is very rich and heavy and has more caffeine than a regular Americano as it has brewed drip coffee in it.

Ingredients:

• Drip coffee.
• Espresso shots

Directions:

1. Take three or four ounces of drip coffee and brew it.
2. Now brew espresso shots through any machine and add it in a mug.
3. Pour brewed drip coffee over the espresso shots and enjoy.

How to make a Fat Americano?

Fat Americano is a mixture of sweetness with chocolate espresso and intense flavor that is very easy to make.

Ingredients:

• Espresso shots.
• Ice.
• Favorite cold cola

Directions

• Brew espresso shots and add ice over it.
• Add your favorite cold cola in it.
• Stir and enjoy.

How to make an Americano with a Keurig Coffee Maker?

You can easily make Americano with a Keurig Coffee Maker with the instructions given below:

Step 1: 

Take a k-cup pod of your favorite flavor and insert it into your Keurig coffee maker.

Step 2:

Now fill water in the reservoir of the machine and choose the cup size which will depend on how much water to coffee ratio you want.

Step 3:

Place a mug under the coffee outlet and collect brewed espresso in it.

Step 4:

Pour hot water over the espresso and stir to enjoy.

How to make an Americano with a Nespresso Machine?

It is very easy to make an Americano with a Nespresso Machine as there are only two steps involved in it that are as follows:

1. Take Arpeggio Intenso and brew its 2 capsules in a mug.
2. Now pour hot water over the espresso by simply pressing the button without adding any capsules in the machine.

How to make an Americano with a Moka Pot Machine?

If you don’t have an Espresso machine and you want to make your Americano in a Moka Pot Machine then you can simply make it by following the given step by step instructions.

Step 1:

Take 18 to 21 grams of Espresso beans and start grinding them.

Step 2:

Fill your moka pot with water up to the given mark.

Step 3: 

Now place the ground espresso beans in the basket and even spread them without tamping.

Step 4: 

Place your Moka Pot on medium flame over the stove and wait for three minutes until you see the espresso relocating on the upper chamber.

Step 5: 

Heat water as per the ratio you are using to make your Americano at 165°F.

Step 6: 

Add espresso in a mug and pour hot water over it and enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the Difference between Americano and Coffee?

Americano is made by pouring hot water over espresso while regular coffee is made through coffee beans and you can also add milk, cream or sugar in regular coffee.

What is a double or triple Americano?

Americano has different numbers written on it that refer to the number of espresso shots present in it. So, there will be two espresso shots in double Americano and three in triple Americano.

How much caffeine is in an Americano?

Americano has 60-120 mg caffeine content in it that is more than a drip or regular coffee which has caffeine content of 95 mg.

Do you add sugar in Americano?

If you prefer having sweet Americano then you can add sugar in it but you should add sugar in the espresso shot and don’t pour hot water until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Is Americano just water and espresso?

Yes, Americano only consists of hot water and espresso shots that are brewed through extraction methods.

Also read: How To Make Espresso With Keurig (There’s a Trick!)

Is Americano just a black coffee?

Yes, Americano can be considered as just black coffee that has brewed espresso shots.

Is drinking Americano healthy?

Yes, Americano is very healthy and it has lot of advantages for your body including:

• Lowering the risk of cancer.
• Keeping your heart and liver healthy.
• Increasing metabolism.
• Improving your memory and many more.
• Americano reduces your appetite that automatically helps you to lose weight.
• Your mood is boosted up and you feel happy after having Americano due to its caffeine content.

Does an Americano have milk?

Traditionally, Americano is just espresso shots with hot water but you can add milk if you don’t like the bitter taste of it.

What is an Americano with milk called?

An Americano with steamed or hot milk is called Americano Misto.