Coffee is a favorite drink of most people during all seasons. Even though it is easy to distinguish between most varieties, there is one particular type that creates a lot of confusion and that drink is known as Americano. It looks almost similar to drip brew, but it isn’t the reality. Keep reading to learn all about Americano vs coffee!
What is an Americano Drink?
Have you ever thought about the Americano vs coffee debate? Some may think that this debate is pointless since both of those are the same thing, but that’s a wrong statement.
Both of these drinks are not the same, take Americano for instance: it’s basically a dilute espresso drink that contains a shot of strong caffeine. At the end of the making procedure, it is mixed with hot water. It gained popularity during the Second World War period and ever since it’s beloved by many. As per the NCA reports, this is the most renowned espresso drink as over 18% of respondents drank it last year.
Americano Variants
There are multiple varieties of the drink that you can find in the market. The three most popular variations are as follows:
- Tall Americano: It’s a huge sized drink that contains a double proportion of espresso as the standard ones. The quantity of water remains the same as other recipes.
- Short Americano: Here, both the espresso and the water are combined in the same quantity. This tastes close to the regular variety.
- White Americano: The Americano with milk or cream is known as this variety. The white espresso is a great mood lifter.
How to Make Americano?
The process of making the drink is super easy and can be followed pretty easily. Here’s how you make it:
Ingredients:
- 15g to 17g beans (depending on how much caffeine in Americano you prefer)
- Hot water
Recipe:
- Fill the grinder with beans and grind them well
- Tamp the beans and keep the portafilter on the spot
- Prepare the espresso
- Boil water and add double hot water (compared to espresso) to the drink prepared
Once all done, you can also add milk or cream, depending on your preference.
What is Regular Coffee?
Now, let’s clarify what is drip coffee. The invention of the filter in 1908 and another invention of the drip machine after the Second World War gave birth to this popular drink. Regular coffee is prepared in a drip machine. You can also brew the drink via the manual pour-over procedure. It’s important to point out that the drip coffee maker is most often used to brew regular coffee in the US.
How to Brew Regular Coffee?
One can brew regular coffee via various methods like pour-over, drip coffee maker, French press, and percolators. And we’ll help you with a simple recipe that you can use for a quick cup of drip coffee anytime, anywhere. That’s how you can do it:
Ingredients:
- 32g beans
- 500ml water
Recipe:
- Grind the beans and boil the water
- Unfold the filter paper and place it on the top of the Chemex
- Wet the filter with the boiled water
- Add the beans and shake the filter
- Once the drink blooms, pour hot water slowly to brew
Americano Vs. Coffee Comparison Overview
Brewing Method
The first Americano vs coffee difference is the brewing method. Americano is brewed by adding around 5 ounces of hot water into espresso. On the other hand, the regular brew can be prepared using a drip machine, pour-over method, French press, and so on.
Grind
The next point in the coffee vs Americano comparison is the grinding method. Make sure that you grind fresh beans when preparing Americano. Do not grind the beans before you start preparing the drink. You can grind beans for regular brew beforehand as well. If you prepare it in a machine, keep the consistency sandy and for French press, keep it coarse.
Taste
When talking about Americano vs drip coffee it’s important to mention that they taste entirely different. The former has a richer and darker flavor than the subtle regular caffeine drink. The drip brew tastes sweet due to the slow brewing process.
Caffeine Content
Another vital point of difference in Americano vs black coffee is the caffeine content. A cup of Americano consists of 94-154mg of caffeine. Drip brew, on the other hand, contains 95-200mg caffeine per cup.
Crema
Crema is the oil that comes out of the beans during brewing. It adds great flavors to the drink and makes it more delicious. After the beans are roasted, the emission of C02 gives rise to crema. The factors that affect the crema are:
- Plantation process
- Date of roasting
- Roast color
- Technology used
Usually, Americano consists of crema whereas regular brew lacks it. This is why the former drink tastes richer.
Overall
| Category | Americano | Coffee |
| Brew | Espresso diluted with boiling water | Brewed in drip machine or pour-over style |
| Grind | Fine | Coarse |
| Caffeine | 94-150mg/cup | 95-200mg/cup |
| Taste | Rich and dark | Sweet and subtle |
| Crema | Yes | No |
Americano vs. Coffee: Final Word
Well, most caffeine lovers often fail to identify the difference between Americano and coffee. But we hope that this article has helped you know a lot. Now that you know what’s the difference between espresso and regular coffee, which one will you prefer? Let us know!