Starting Simple

For my first at-home coffee project I decided to start simple with a Caffe Americano. As espresso is will be the base of most of the drinks I will be making it is important that I know how to brew it properly. A Caffe Americano is made of just espresso and hot water. This is a drink that I often order from places like Starbucks and my local coffee shop. Making it at home will be fun and save me money! 

Americano vs. Black Coffee

 If you're like me, I looked at an americano and thought that it looked an awful lot like a cup of black coffee. So what is the difference? Black coffee is a plain cup of coffee with no milk, sugar, cream, etc. An americano is an espresso with hot water added to dilute the strong taste of the espresso. Some other differences set these two drinks apart. Firstly, though it depends on how you brew your coffee, black coffee will often have a slightly sweet taste and does not have a bitter flavor when brewed properly. americano on the other hand has a stronger, more earthy taste. Another thing to take into consideration when choosing between the two drinks is the difference in caffeine. Many components affect the amount of caffeine in these drinks including the type of beans used, how long you brew them, etc. Typically, an americano has less caffeine than a normal cup of coffee. Overall, both can be a warm comforting drink to get your day started! 

How do I make Caffe Americano?

Ingredients: 

2 shots of espresso.

1 1/4 cup of water.

How to make it:

Step 1: Boil 1 1/4 cups of water and pour it into your mug. 

Step 2: Brew two shots of espresso (According to your espresso maker's instructions).

Step 3: Slowly pour your two shots of espresso into your water to create a fine layer of froth at the top.

Step 4: Enjoy!

Products that I used

Cafe Bustelo Espresso. You can find it here on Amazon.

Final Thoughts

This was a simple recipe to follow and I felt that I executed it properly. One thing that I learned from this experience is that brewing espresso at home is messy! (as evidenced by the picture to the right). I had fun learning how to do this at home. As stated previously, espresso has a very strong flavor, but I thought that it was diluted enough with the amount of water provided in this recipe. While I enjoyed this experience and the americano, I do have to say I enjoyed my plain old cup of coffee that I made in my coffee pot this morning more. Although this may not become a staple in my house I look forward to trying to make other drinks! 

References

Caffè americano. Starbucks. (n.d.). https://www.starbucksathome.com/recipes/caffe-americano

What is the difference between Black Coffee and Americano? answered. Kahwati Speciality Coffee. (2023, March 23). https://kahwati.co.uk/what-is-the-difference-between-black-coffee-and-americano/