As we all know, there are so many different types of coffee drinks out there, and can be challenging to keep them all straight for both seasoned coffee enthusiasts and new coffee drinkers. Today we are going to answer a very common (and very important question).
If you have ever found yourself wondering what's an americano, read on to learn everything you ever wanted to know about this popular beverage.
In This Guide...
What is Americano Coffee?
An Americano is of course, a type of coffee drink we have all seen on a menu at our favorite coffee shop.
It turns out an americano coffee is actually an espresso drink! Many people wonder about the difference between an americano vs coffee, and while they look the same, they are very different.
Americano coffee refers to a drink made from a shot (or a double shot or even more!) of espresso and hot water.
Alternatively, you can also have an iced americano, which uses ice and cold water instead of hot water.
Is black coffee the same as americano?
Black coffee is not the same as americano. Americano is an espresso based drink. It is espresso mixed water.
While the two drinks may even look similar, they are not the same. It comes down to the flavor profile you enjoy, since many people have a preference when it comes to coffee vs espresso.
Is an americano healthier than coffee?
An americano is pretty similar to coffee when it comes to health. The trick is what you are adding to your americano and your coffee.
Naturally in its purest form, an americano does not have any calories are sugar. It is when things like sugar and syrups are added that an americano becomes less healthy.
Traditionally, people do not add milk or even sweetness to an americano, while many like to load their coffees with creamers and syrups.
It depends on your personal preference and how healthy and low calorie you want to be.
Is americano good for weight loss?
A cafe americano is a great choice if you are trying to lose weight, as long as you do not add anything to it.
In its purest form, a cafe americano is just espresso and hot water. It does not have any calories, carbs, or sugar, making it healthy.
Is an americano coffee strong?
Americano coffee is strong since it is based on espresso versus brewed coffee.
Some people really like the flavor of espresso, and thus enjoy americanos. Other people do not, and may like coffee more.
Some people drink americano coffee over an espresso shot just because there is more of it in a drink!
Is americano stronger than latte?
An americano is not stronger than a latte, since both are made with espresso. However, some feel an americano tastes stronger, since it is just mixed with hot water versus a latte which is made with hot milk.
Many find that the hot milk cuts the strong flavor of espresso. As far as amount of espresso and caffeine, the two drinks are the same.
How many shots of espresso are in an americano?
It depends on how many you would like! This is the great thing about an americano.
At Starbucks, a Short americano has one shot, a Tall americano has 2 shots, a Grande americano has 3 shots of espresso, and a Venti has four shots of espresso.
How Americano Coffee is Made?
Americano coffee, usually called a caffe americano, is made by combining hot water and espresso.
What order it is done in does not really matter, you can either add the water to the espresso, or the espresso to the water.
The ratio of espresso to water is also important to consider, and varies once again on who is making it and how the drinker likes it.
A little bit of water can be added if you like a stronger americano, or you could add enough water to give yourself a whole mug of coffee. The preference is up to you.
Keep in mind milk is not added to a caffe americano. While you may add milk after you order it, you will never be served an americano with milk added to it unless you ask!
An americano is a black coffee beverage.
Americano vs Coffee: The Big Difference
When it comes to an americano vs coffee, the big difference is of course the base of the beverage and how it is made.
Americano is made with espresso. An espresso machine pumps hot water through ground espresso beans at a high pressure to create the espresso shot.
Coffee can refer to many, many things, sometimes people even use it when it refers to espresso!
However, coffee is generally made allowing hot water to drip through ground coffee using the force of gravity, not using additional pressure like with espresso.
While the end product may be the same between an americano and coffee: a mug full of hot beverage, the taste is quite different, and really up to the drinker's preference.
As we all know, all coffee drinks contain some level of caffeine. Some people may want to reduce their caffeine consumption, while others may want to drink whatever coffee drink packs the highest caffeine crunch.
Today we are going to take look at cafe americano vs coffee caffeine.
Americano vs Coffee Caffeine
As a reminder, an americano is a shot (or two or more!) of espresso with hot water.
For today's comparison, we are going to talk about drip coffee.
According to the USDA, a one ounce shot of espresso contains 64 mg of caffeine. This is the number we are going to work with.
According to our friends at Caffeine Informer, one standard cup, or eight oz of drip coffee contains 164 mg of caffeine.
So, if you want less caffeine in your drink, a single americano is a great choice.
When we compare a double americano vs coffee caffeine, the americano still wins when you are trying to drink less caffeine (128 mg of caffeine for the americano vs 164 mg of caffeine for the drip coffee)
If you like espresso, and want to pack a punch, a triple or quad americano will bring you well over the threshold of a cup of drip coffee.
What Changes the Amount of Caffeine in Coffee?
There several factors that can impact the amount of caffeine in coffee.
First and foremost is how much coffee you use when brewing. More coffee will contribute more caffeine.
Another contributing factor is the coffee bean itself. Robusta coffee beans have twice as much caffeine as Aribica coffee beans do.
Next is the temperature of the water used to brew the coffee. Cold brew coffee has less caffeine than hot coffee, since the hot water helps extract the caffeine from the coffee grounds.
Because there are so many things that impact the amount of caffeine in a coffee product, it really is difficult to generalize the caffeine content of coffee.
Americano vs Drip Coffee Caffeine, What to Look For
Here are some guidelines on americano vs filter coffee caffeine based on what you are trying to accomplish.
These all use the assumptions of 64 mg caffeine for a shot of espresso and 164 mg of caffeine in eight ounces of filter coffee)
To reduce caffeine consumption:
Stick with a single shot americano and add enough water to get to a full cup of coffee. Alternatively, have a smaller quantity of drip coffee.
You can also choose to brew coffee or espresso with decaf coffee beans.
To increase caffeine consumption:
Keep those espresso shots coming for your americano, or choose a larger quantity of drip coffee.
You can also choose to use a coffee like Death Wish Coffee, which is a high caffeine coffee.
Whatever you want to accomplish when it comes to caffeine in coffee, the great thing about coffee is that each coffee beverage can be individually tailored to what you prefer.