At the moment when coffee consumption is highest in France, the United States, and the rest of the world, it is very interesting to know American coffee.
A type of coffee close to Long Black, but at the same time, with certain characteristics that distinguish it, American coffee is consumed without moderation in France, becoming a must for all coffee lovers.
What is American coffee?
Long before you want to buy a cup of American coffee, first of all, we want to know what it really is.
American is a caffeinated drink made by mixing a ready-made espresso capsules and water. Basically, these two ingredients are enough for its preparation, however, one is free to add milk and sugar, even if it is preferably consumed without addition.
Although American coffee can easily be confused with ground coffee or filter coffee, the reality is quite different. In fact, I would rather be a diluted version of the famous espresso. In Australia, most coffee lovers mistake it for Long Black.
At the base, American coffee is prepared in the same way as cappuccinos or lattes that are made with espresso. The story goes that the first espresso machines were developed a century before World War I by Angelo Moriondo, a famous Italian inventor.
American coffee history
Coffee lovers are used to calling American coffee “American coffee” or “lying down coffee.”
The story goes that the coffee filter was born during the Second World War. At that point, I found the original Italian espresso too loud for his taste. They decided to add water in the preparation to thin it out a bit.
Very quickly, American coffee spread rapidly in Europe before reaching America, and then the rest of the world. After the war, we found this iconic cafe in many American series filmed at that time. Today, American coffee is not consumed throughout the world.
It will be surprising to see an Asian consume a cup of American coffee at home.
It’s Origins
As American coffee is prepared with espresso, it would be very interesting to know the true origins of the latter.
Espresso comes from Europe, although some people think it comes from the United States. Similarly, some people would say that American coffee comes from the United States and was first consumed in Seattle, USA.
Referring to its name, one might think that it is the truth. However, popular theory tells a different story. According to this theory, the Caffè Americano was created for the first time in Italy between 1939 and 1945, during the Second World War.
Unaccustomed to the excessive taste of Italian espresso, the American soldiers decided to dilute the latter with water to obtain filter coffee. At that time, in the United States, we were quite used to drinking filter coffee.
In short, American coffee is therefore an iconic coffee originating from Italy, but whose composition comes from the Americans, or more precisely from the American soldiers.
How to prepare a real American coffee?
It is impossible to address the great coffee classics, the history of coffee, and the popularity of coffee around the world, without including American coffee in the conversation.
As part of the best most consumed beverages in France after cappuccino, ground coffee, coffee, and espresso, Americano coffee is appreciated for its mixed flavor of espresso and hot water.
Its name “American coffee” translates simply from the Italian word “American coffee” which means American coffee. In Italy, it is also called “Lungo” which means a lot, hence its name “elongated coffee” in France. Although American coffee is currently famous in France and throughout Europe, it is not yet known how to prepare it properly.
The necessary ingredients?
Long before trying to explain how to prepare a true American coffee, it would be necessary to know the necessary ingredients.
As with other espresso-based formulas, you will need the ingredients you need to make an Americano. In reference, we will take:
- 7 g of ground coffee;
- 45 ml of water, 1 ½ ounce.
Due to a paler coffee roast, we will add a bit of milling to balance the taste of the American coffee that will eventually arrive. To get a less pronounced taste in caffeine, we can settle for:
- 15 to 18 g of coffee;
- 80 ml of water, or 3 oz.
The preparation
For the preparation, we will remember the first list of ingredients, 7 g of coffee, and 45 ml of water.
First, heat enough water in a saucepan, kettle, etc.
Meanwhile, prepare your espresso with the coffee maker. Once the espresso is ready, pour 90ml of warm water into a large mug before gently pouring in the espresso to make the mixture less smooth. Your American coffee is now ready to be consumed.
It is good to note that the ground coffee can be extracted into the cup containing hot water from the beginning, but be careful to keep it close enough to the filter holder to avoid splashing.
Some points to keep in mind
Coffee that is very popular with coffee lovers, Americano coffee is different from American filter coffee.
In fact, these two preparations are not the same. American filter coffee is more of a coffee made with hot water that is poured over a ground coffee inside a filter. In the end, its texture is less good and less creamy than American coffee.
Also, to get a good cup of Americano coffee, you will avoid programming your coffee machine for an espresso and will draw too much water through the ground coffee.