Cafe Americano is an acquired brew of coffee, which is sourced from Espresso. But when it comes to the American’s choice of coffee, they are more likely to stick to an Americano instead of Espresso.
Our question is- why do Americans prefer Americano over Espresso?
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What Is Caffe Americano?
Cafe Americano or Americano is a coffee that is prepared by diluting espresso with hot water(or other similar brews). That essentially dilutes the taste of the espresso.
The source of this formula is quite interesting. During WWII, American soldiers were stationed in Italy, where they learned how to balk the strong flavor of Italian Espresso or Latte coffee with a drip of hot water.
Later on, the practice of diluted espresso was given the name Americano. Further down the line there came different versions of it, i.e. iced Americano and Americano.
What Is Espresso Coffee?
Espresso coffees are brewed by expressing or forcing finely ground coffee beans into a small amount of water. The name is sourced from the process of this forcing, which is also called ‘Espressing’.
Compared to the coffee brewed with methods, espressos are quite thicker, which makes them more special. The concentration of suspended or dissolved solids is higher than any other regular coffee brew as well.
And espresso coffee is also the base material for many other forms of coffees, and Cafe Americano is just one of them. Other forms include Cappuccino. Caffe Macchiato, Caffe Mocha, etc.
Americano Vs Espresso: What Is the Core Difference?
To understand the reasons why Americans prefer Americano coffee over espresso, you have to understand these two brews.
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The Grind
Grind defines the fineness of the coffee beans that are used to prepare coffee. In the case of Americano coffee, it’s typically made with a drip grind of a medium coarse.
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The Cup Size
You might wonder at this point, but the cup size actually matters when it comes to the choices of coffee. Take espresso coffee as an example. They are made and served in average cup size of 2 oz or 4 oz. instead of cups, they would like it to call shots or coffee shots.
And Americano coffees are served in rather larger cup size of 8 oz.
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The Flavor
For many coffee lovers, the flavors are the first and foremost important factor, when it comes to the choice of coffee. Espresso coffee results in a robust flavor, where a ceroma layer can be found in most cases. On the other hand, the flavors of Americano coffee are rather intense and more strong than Espresso coffees.
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Add-ons
Baristas across the globe have a number of options to put as add-ons on espresso coffees. Foamed milk or oat milk are just two common examples of them. These add-ons definitely help to boost the flavor and strength in every way.
On the other hand, Americano coffees are less likely to be equipped with add-ons. They are straight and pure coffee grounds poured into hot water. One significant variation is ice Americano. It’s served either directly over the ice, or through a nice blend with grounded ice.
The Real Reasons Behind American’s Love for Americano
Now, this is the part where we are going to reveal the actual reasons why Americans love to enjoy Americano rather than any other kind of espresso.
Before we dive in, let us tell you that, there are still a good number of people who appreciate the taste of espresso coffee as well.
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Americanos Are Lighter than Espresso
As we have already seen, the density of diluted solids in the coffee is less in Americano compared to espresso.
Now, when you are preparing your breakfast or looking for a coffee break, you want to enjoy it yourself. A highly dense blend of coffee brew is widely disliked by Americans.
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They Can Serve More People
If you have prior knowledge about coffee machines, you might have known that Americans love to eat or drink in groups. No matter it’s the house party or a coffee break at the office, people love to group up together to enjoy the food or drink.
Now, coffee maker machines have an inbuilt property of serving espresso coffee with one or two shots at a time. And the shots are also not more than 4oz in size.
On the other hand, the same machines can serve Americano coffee at a higher capacity. Therefore, if you seek a quicker delivery time for two or more people, you should definitely go with Americano coffee. And this is what most Americans do.
- The Expense
You know, the expense is one of the foremost factors when it comes to purchasing beverages. And like most people, Americans also seek cheaper alternatives with the same level of quality.
And here comes the point of costs per shot you’ve to bear for Espresso and Americano Coffee. Definitely, you need a finer ground in espresso coffee compared to Americano. So, the ability of the machine to grind coffee beans should be stronger, and that would cost more money.
Also, when one orders an Americano coffee they are less likely to use add-ons like oat milk, foamed milk, flavors, etc. So, the expense per cup for an Americano is less than espresso.
The Purpose
The source of Espresso and other similar coffee brews is from Italy. And you might have the idea that Italians are quite a hobbyist about coffees. But that’s not the case in America. They are way more practical about the choices of foods and drinks. And that’s also a reason why they prefer Americano over Espresso coffee.
