This is our Americano vs drip coffee article.
The Americano was created as an alternative to drip coffee. In this article, we'll compare these two drinks.
Before we start looking at the differences between an Americano and regular coffee, let's define what each beverage is.
What Is Drip Coffee?
Drip coffee is prepared in a drip coffee maker that can brew several cups at once. It's also known as batch brew coffee, regular coffee, and black coffee. It's prepared as follows: a filter with ground coffee is placed in the coffee maker, and hot water drips through the grounds and the filter, creating coffee that then drips into a carafe.
What Is an Americano?
An Americano is a shot of espresso diluted with hot water in a ratio of 1:1, 1:2, or 1:4. This drink was invented by Italian baristas during World War II so American soldiers could get a large cup of black coffee like the ones they were used to at home. The drink is now a staple in many coffee shops.
Americano vs Brewed Coffee
Let's take a closer look at the differences between an Americano and black coffee:
Coffee Beans
Beans of any roast can be used for drip coffee, though light roast coffees are preferred. When brewed with a drip method, light-roasted coffee will reveal all its best elements: acidity and sweetness, and fruity and floral notes.
Drip coffee made with medium roast coffee beans will be less acidic, and caramel-nutty shades will appear in the taste. Darker-roasted beans will create a drink that evokes the taste of dark chocolate and has very little acidity.
Americano coffee is made with espresso and the beans are roasted appropriately—most often medium or dark. Americanos often taste less intense than regular coffee. The espresso beans are meant to mask some flavor subtleties. Being diluted with hot water also makes the Americano less expressive.
Brewing Time
To compare the brewing time, let's assume that grinding and other preparation takes the same amount of time for both an Americano and drip coffee.
Espresso—the base of an Americano—is ready 23-30 seconds after the espresso machine's pump is turned on. Then you need to dilute the espresso with hot water. In total, brewing will take about a minute.
A drip coffee maker takes between 3 and 7 minutes to brew a pot of coffee, but you'll get anywhere from 4-14 cups of coffee at a time.
Coffee Volume
Drip coffee makers can prepare between 4 and 14 cups of coffee. The volume of one cup is 4 fluid ounces (118 mL) of coffee. If you see a coffee maker with a 12-cup carafe, it can brew about 48 ounces of coffee.
An Americano won't be very large. Typically, espresso is diluted with hot water in a 1:1, 1:2, or 1:4 ratio. With a standard 1-ounce espresso, the final volume of an Americano is 2, 3, or 5 ounces respectively.
If you prepare an Americano with two shots of espresso, you can increase the volume of the drink to 4, 6, or 10 ounces.
Brewed Coffee Temperature
An Americano is usually served very hot because it is diluted with boiling water from the espresso machine's boiler or kettle. However, you can also dilute an Americano with cold water.
The temperature of the coffee in a drip coffee machine after brewing is 197-204°F (92-96°C). If you've brewed a lot and can't drink it quickly, it may cool down. But some good coffee makers come with a heating function that will keep your coffee hot for a long time.
