Americanos and black coffees are often confused with each other. Although they look similar, they are two completely different drinks. Not only are they prepared with different brewing methods, but they have different flavor profiles as well. Read on to discover what the difference is between an Americano and a black coffee.
What is an Americano?
An Americano is an espresso drink that became popularized during the 1920s. Americanos have a rich global history due to the nature of their discovery. During World War 1, American soldiers stationed in Italy did not like Italian coffee.
Italian coffee consists of espresso served in different ways and were hard on the American palette. Espresso is a very strong and concentrated form of coffee with a unique flavor profile.
Americans who were used to drip coffee would order coffee in Italy only to be disappointed by how bitter the espresso was. As a result, these American soldiers began ordering a couple of espresso shots in a large cup. They would water down the espresso with water to create a smoother taste closer to black coffee.
Today, Americanos can be ordered in every coffee shop. A standard 12-ounce Americano consist of two espresso shots stirred into hot water and is usually served plain. Americanos are rich and slightly bitter but not overwhelming as espresso can be. It is a great way to enjoy the strength that espresso coffee provides without upsetting your tastebuds.
How is an Americano different from black coffee?
The biggest difference between these two coffees is the brewing method. An Americano is an espresso drink while black coffee is made using the drip method. Because the two drinks are brewed using different methods, their flavors vary quite a bit.
Espresso coffee is strong, rich, and slightly bitter. It has a sharp and pungent taste and is extremely aromatic. Espresso is one of the strongest forms of coffee in the world. This unique espresso taste is present in Americanos.
Although an Americano is just a water-diluted version of plain espresso, the original espresso flavors and attributes can still be tasted. The water simply makes strong espresso more palatable for those of us who find it too overwhelming to drink plain.
Drip coffee, on the other hand, is brewed over a longer time period. Espresso only takes seconds to brew while drip coffee takes minutes to brew. It may not seem like a big difference, but those precious seconds matter a lot when brewing the perfect cup of coffee.
Drip coffee has a coarser grind than espresso does and usually uses a different roast level. Espresso roast coffee tends to be very dark. While drip coffee can be made with dark roast beans, they are not as dark as an espresso roast.
The difference in grind size and roast levels lead black coffee to have a different flavor than espresso does. Black coffee contains a mellower taste than espresso. It is slightly sweeter and will often have a host of unique flavor notes ranging from floral to chocolate.
In addition to this, black coffee contains more caffeine than an Americano does. It may seem counterintuitive since espresso is essentially condensed coffee with a different flavor profile, but it is true. Because espresso usually only contains 1.5 ounces of coffee, it does not have as much caffeine as an 8-ounce cup of drip coffee. This makes drip coffee more caffeinated than an Americano of the same size.
Black coffee and Americanos are two completely different drinks. They have different brewing times, grind sizes, and they even have different roast levels. All these differences lead them to two distinct flavor profiles that are easy to tell apart.
Does an Americano taste different than black coffee?
Americanos tend to have a darker flavor. Because they are brewed from espresso, they have a dirtier quality than drip coffee does. This leads Americanos to have an earthy quality.
Americanos will contain flavor profiles that often show up in dark and Italian roasts. This can include notes of chocolate, caramel, and nuts. Americanos will often have a smokey or roasted flavor to them courtesy of the dark roasting techniques often used on espresso beans.
In contrast, black coffee has a wider range of flavors. This is partly due to drip coffee’s ability to taste amazing regardless of the roast level. Drip coffee brewed with lighter roasts can taste floral or citrusy. It will often have delicate flavors and aromas.
Medium roasts have a well-blended flavor and taste smooth and balanced when brewed as a drip coffee. Dark roasts have the chocolate and caramel flavors of espresso but usually lack the smokey and roasted flavor the espresso provides.
Conclusion
Black coffee and Americanos are two staples of the American coffee shop. Thanks to the unique flavors of Italian espresso, people around the world can enjoy this delicious drink. While black coffee and Americanos may seem like they are the same drink, take one sip and you will be able to tell the difference.