The correct way to drink Americano coffeeWhat is it? Front Street's barista will occasionally be asked such tricky questions by some customers. Every time, Front Street will tell him to taste it carefully and think it tastes good. In fact, Front Street knew that he was asking Front Street if there was a set of standards for drinking coffee, but Front Street believed that everything should not be limited to appearance and form. If he pursued it too much, he would lose more than he gained. So drinking coffee on Front Street is a casual affair. As for why customers ask such questions, a large part of it is due to unfamiliarity and strangeness about coffee. Therefore, Front Street is here today to give you some knowledge about Americano coffee.
The rise of Americano can be traced back to World War II. American soldiers stationed in Italy did not like the strong flavor of espresso that Italians were keen on. So, to replicate the drip coffee they drank in America, soldiers added water to their signature Italian espresso. And because this way of drinking was not popular in Europe at the time, traditional Europeans dismissed it, so they named this coffee Americano.
Although there are two ways to make Americano coffee, in fact, most cafes on the global market use the method of making espresso with water, and the traditional drip-style Americano is only used in offices or at home. The structure of Americano is quite simple, consisting only of water and espresso. The ratio is usually between 1:4-1:8. But even with a watered-down Americano, you can only drink the flavor of the espresso liquid itself. In the past, there were not as many choices of espresso flavors as there are now, and the taste is comfortable and excellent.
In order to solve the problem of coffee being difficult to drink, milk-based coffees such as latte and cappuccino were invented and became more and more popular. And because they are all based on espresso, these coffee drinks are now collectively called espresso. ThenWhich one is Italian coffee or American coffee?Good to drink? Front Street cannot tell you this problem simply.
If Americano coffee is regarded as traditional drip coffee and Italiano coffee is traditional espresso liquid, then Americano coffee must be easier to drink than Italiano coffee, but as for which one tastes better, Front Street believes that it depends on the coffee beans used. Coffee beans are the most critical factor that determines whether the cup of coffee tastes good or not. For example, there is no comparison between Front Street Commercial Blend coffee beans on Front Street and Nuanyang Blend. It’s not simply because of the huge price difference, but because Front Street Commercial Blend coffee beans are used exclusively by Front Street to supply to large chain commercial cafes. For example, in order to pursue the rich crema in the espresso liquid, Front Street specially added 10% Robusta to increase its body.
The Nuanyang blend is Front Street’s most proud Italian coffee bean, so the Front Street store has been using this Italian blend coffee bean for three consecutive years. All customers comment on the unique flavor of this coffee bean, and some even come here to take a sip of espresso. The taste is thick but lively, with a strong aroma of wine. This fermented aroma comes first from the whiskey barrel treatment of sherry coffee beans and second from the sun drying of red cherries. The sweetness is outstanding and there is a slight sourness.
As mentioned earlier, the taste of Americano coffee has a lot to do with the coffee beans used. In fact, if it were not for the memory of the product, Front Street would also use Front Street Boutique to blend 100% Arabica coffee beans. This Italian coffee bean is a traditional blending recipe of Brazilian and Colombian. The nutty flavor is prominent and the taste is smooth and slightly chocolatey, which complements the creamy hot milk perfectly.
Now you know, the soul of a coffee drink is in a small cup of espresso. Generally speaking, Front Street uses 20 grams of coffee powder to extract 36 grams of coffee liquid. ButAmerican coffee water to powder ratioEvery coffee shop is different. It needs to be adjusted based on factors such as coffee beans, coffee machines, and grinders. Finally, the final decision is made based on the senses of the barista.
So how is espresso coffee extracted? This is about designing the working principle of espresso coffee. For most coffee machines, there are four steps to go through before coffee powder is turned into coffee liquid: water source, pump, boiler, and brewing head. Every coffee machine needs water to work, and for an espresso machine, there are two sources: the water tank and the pipe connection for a stable water supply. Typically, the water source depends on how the machine is used.
For Front Street, a stable water supply is very important because it needs to produce delicious coffee every day. The pump is the heart of espresso. How does water have the power to pass through the dense layer of coffee powder? The secret is pressure. Some of the earliest espresso machines used large lever pistons that the barista had to manually pull to force water through the coffee. But most modern espresso machines have forgone this manual labor in favor of an electric pump, a small electromagnetic workhorse called a vibration pump or vibrating pump. A piston connected to the magnet is set inside a metal coil. Electricity flows through the coil, causing the magnet to quickly move the piston back and forth, pushing water through the machine. Your average vibration pump clock rate is 60 times per second. Unlike vibrating pumps, rotary pumps are mechanical.
This is also a complex mechanism. The motor spins a disk that is offset within a large circular chamber. The rotating disc is divided into segments by veins. As the disc rotates, the veins press against the outer lumen wall, reducing the cross-sectional size, thereby creating pressure. Water enters during the macrophase and is pushed out as the section shrinks. The boiler is where the machine is heated, and it keeps the pump constantly pressurizing the water. Not only that, the boiler also controls the brewing temperature of the coffee machine. At present, there are differences between double boilers and single boilers on the market.
Learn about the history of perfect coffee and how the espresso machine is operated. Are you curious why American coffee with the same operation tastes different? In fact, I have said before that this is caused by different coffee beans. The biggest feature of blending coffee beans is to try every means to create a balanced taste of the entire coffee.
But with the progress and development of the market, there are now some SOE coffees, which use coffee beans from a single origin. At the same time, the roasting degree of coffee has also changed. People's requirements for Italian coffee to have thick crema are reduced, and more people hope to drink the original characteristics of the beans from the coffee. Therefore, some light roasted coffee with prominent floral aroma is regarded as Italian coffee. Front Street has not tested it well so far, so I can't tell you whether it tastes good or not.
Professional coffee knowledge exchange More coffee bean information Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public accountcafe_style ）
For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID:kaixinguoguo0925
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
