To talk about how rich the variety of coffee is now, we will know by visiting chain brands. In their menu, in addition to choosing different coffee recipes, or adding flavored syrups, juices, sparkling water, etc., you can also choose beans in some cases, and even develop into more detailed hot and cold options. It can be said that they are all-round thoughtful and considerate.
As the most popular coffee, American style is generally divided into cold drinks and hot drinks. Cold drinks are divided into three common categories according to the different ratios of ice and water: normal ice, less ice, and no ice. The other one is the all-ice American style that Front Street is very fond of.
Today, let us put aside personal preferences and talk about the differences between these different ice-American styles.
Normal iced Americano: This is the most common practice in almost all coffee shops. They will use their own default mixing ratio to dilute the concentrated concentration with the appropriate amount of water, and then fill it with corresponding ice cubes to quickly cool the coffee, making it easy to drink, refreshing, and with the multiple advantages of sweet coffee, suitable for friends who prefer a balanced taste.
Less Ice Americano: As you can tell from the name, this is a cup of cold drink coffee modified from the normal Ice Americano, which actually reduces the proportion of ice cubes. However, since the cup size is fixed, in order to achieve a full cup, water is generally used to fill the remaining space, and the concentration of the coffee will be reduced accordingly, so it is mainly liked by people with a light taste. In addition, the reduction of ice cubes also speeds up the temperature of the coffee. If you drink it in the summer, it may soon become a room temperature American style.
American style without ice: Many people may think that since American style with less ice means less ice cubes, can American style without ice just remove the ice cubes? Theoretically, yes, but after all, it is derived from iced Americano coffee, so the taste should be lower than normal temperature. Therefore, more sophisticated coffee shops will first pass the water through the ice cubes, and then add espresso. In this way, the first sip of the Americano will taste ice cold. Since nearly 90% of the entire cup of coffee is water, it has the lowest concentration and the weakest coffee flavor. It is suitable for people who want to drink coffee without having a noticeable bitter taste.
All-ice American: The biggest difference from the previous three methods is that all-ice American does not add a drop of water when making it, so there is almost no dilution step. Instead, ice cubes are used to quickly cool down the concentrate, which will melt slightly during the process. This weakens the original strong taste and makes the coffee three-dimensional and distinct in flavor. Since the concentration of the All-Iced Americano is almost close to that of Italian espresso, few people pay attention to it, so it is often hidden in hidden menus and becomes a "secret code" between customers and baristas.
Without further ado, let’s differentiate the cooking methods and flavors of each type of American coffee based on actual operations.
The same type of coffee beans in American style, the difference between normal ice, less ice, de-icing and full ice
In order to restore the production style of most iced American drinks on the market, we choose Front Street Commercial Blend for production. This is an Italian coffee bean specially launched for people who open coffee shops. It combines the strong aroma of caramel, rich fat, and the aftertaste of sugar-free chocolate, with a slight sweetness and bitterness, and a long-lasting aftertaste. It is suitable as a coffee base for various common drinks.
Normal iced Americano: Front Street is accustomed to using a 380ml glass cup to make an iced Americano. First, add eight-quarter full ice cubes, about 90g, into the cup, then pour in room temperature water directly until the ice cubes are submerged. It is measured to be 180g. Then use Front Street commercial blending to extract a double espresso (20g coffee powder, 28 seconds, extract 40g coffee liquid), and pour it into the cup. The ratio of coffee, ice, and water is approximately 1:2.25:4.5.
American style with less ice: It is also a cup with a capacity of 380ml. First, we need to reduce the amount of ice cubes and control it to about 50g. The second step is to pour room temperature water directly to 80% full, about 200g, and then extract a double portion of Front Street Commercial Blend espresso 40g and pour it into it. In the end, the ratio of coffee, ice cubes, and water is approximately 1:1.15:5.
De-iced American style: As mentioned above, the point of making de-iced coffee is not to skim off the ice, but to let the water cool down first. Front Street will first prepare a cup of ice water (40g ice cubes + 300g room temperature water). When it is completely cooled, the ice cubes will be filtered out or taken out, and then pour 80% of the ice water into the cup, about 250g, and then top it with espresso. The ratio of coffee to water here is 1:6.25.
All-Ice Americano: The all-ice Americano is the simplest way to make it. First prepare a 150~200ml, short cup, fill it with 6~8% full of ice cubes, then place the cup under the brewing head, and use 20g of Front Street Commercial Blend to extract double Italian espresso flowing on the ice cubes. When tasting, you can shake the coffee cup to allow the concentration to cool down more fully.
In terms of taste, the normal iced Americano uses the daily standard proportion of coffee beans, so it tastes cold and refreshing, with a strong aroma and a weak bitter taste. The entrance has the flavors of chocolate, maple syrup, and roasted almonds brought by Front Street Commercial Blend. Sufficient ice cubes can keep the Americano cold for a long time.
In comparison, the Americano with less ice and the Americano without ice contain more water, so the coffee flavor and caramel aroma will be diluted to a certain extent. The Americano with less ice can have a small amount of nutty flavor, but the ice cubes will all melt in about ten minutes, and the coffee will start to have a "watery" taste;
The ice-free American style maintains a constant concentration throughout the process, so the taste does not change much, but it warms up the fastest and the taste will be compromised.
In terms of concentration, the all-ice American style is undoubtedly the highest, with a strong and thick taste. Because no straw is used, you can directly feel the baking aroma brought by the oil. At the same time, the cold temperature makes it easier to eat. As the ice cubes continue to melt, some nutty flavors are slowly released.
