Americano Coffee: What It Is and How to Make It

An americano is espresso and hot water. Two ingredients, and the order you combine them in genuinely changes the drink. Most people pour it backwards.

Here is what an americano is, how it differs from drip coffee, and how to make one that tastes like espresso rather than like weak coffee.

What an americano is, and where the name comes from

An americano is a shot of espresso diluted with hot water, typically 1 to 2 oz of espresso into 4 to 6 oz of water. The dilution lowers the concentration without changing what was extracted.

The usual origin story places it in Italy during the Second World War, with American soldiers finding local espresso too intense and asking for it cut with hot water. Italians called the result caffè americano — American-style coffee — and the name was not entirely a compliment.

The drink outlasted the joke. It is now standard on Italian menus and one of the most ordered coffees in the world.

Americano vs drip coffee vs long black

These three get confused constantly, and the differences are real.

• Americano — espresso, then hot water added to it. Pressure extraction, then dilution.
• Drip coffee — water passes through coffee once, by gravity, through a filter. A completely different extraction, and a different set of compounds ends up in the cup.
• Long black — the same two ingredients as an americano, assembled in the opposite order: hot water in the cup first, espresso poured on top. The crema survives, and so do the aromatics sitting in it.

An americano and a drip coffee can be the same strength and still taste nothing alike. Espresso extraction pulls more oils and dissolved solids; the paper filter in a drip brewer removes most of the oils. Americano tends to read fuller and more syrupy; drip reads cleaner and brighter.

The method

Espresso first or water first is a real decision, not a preference about tidiness.

Water first (recommended)

1. Warm a 8 to 10 oz (240–300 ml) cup.
2. Add 4 to 6 oz (120–180 ml) of hot water at about 175–185 °F (80–85 °C) — deliberately below brewing temperature.
3. Pull a double shot, 1.3 oz (38 g), directly into the water.
4. Do not stir. The crema stays intact on the surface and the aroma stays with it.

This is technically the long black build, and it produces a better drink than the other order for the same reason: pouring near-boiling water onto a finished shot scorches it and flattens the crema immediately.

Espresso first

If you pour the shot first, let the water cool for 30 to 45 seconds after boiling before adding it. Water straight off the boil onto espresso is the most common cause of a bitter, burnt-tasting americano.

Getting the ratio right

Start at 1 part espresso to 3 parts water and adjust from there.

• 1:2 — strong and short. Close to a small black coffee with espresso character.
• 1:3 — the standard. Balanced, with the espresso still clearly identifiable.
• 1:4 or beyond — long and mild. Past this point you are drinking hot water with coffee in it, and a drip brewer would serve you better.

Dilution never fixes a bad shot. A sour, under-extracted espresso makes a sour americano; adding water only makes it a larger sour drink.

Common mistakes

• Boiling water on top of the shot. The single biggest cause of bitterness. Use water at 175–185 °F, or pour the water first.
• Stirring. Breaks the crema and loses the aromatics that sit in it.
• Over-diluting. More than about 6 oz of water on a double shot and there is nothing left to taste.
• Using a bad shot. If the espresso is sour or bitter on its own, fix the grind before adding water.
• Letting it sit. An americano is at its best within a couple of minutes. It goes flat faster than drip coffee does.

Iced americano

The iced version is genuinely excellent and it inverts the temperature rule: fill a glass with ice, add 4 to 6 oz of cold water, then pour the hot double shot straight over it. The rapid chill preserves aromatics that would otherwise evaporate. Never pour the shot onto ice alone — it melts too much of it and the drink comes out watery.

Which coffee to use

An americano is mostly water, so nothing hides. Any defect in the beans or the shot arrives undiluted in character even though it is diluted in strength.

• Tradition ($14.99) — washed and balanced. The clean, classic americano.
• Honey ($16.99) — honey process, naturally sweet enough to drink black without sugar.
• Silver ($26.99) — a premium lot for when you want to taste the coffee rather than the format.

Grind fine and fresh, and use beans 5 to 21 days off roast. Our guide to making espresso at home covers dialing in the shot itself.

Frequently asked questions

How much caffeine is in an americano?

The same as the espresso in it: about 65 mg for a single shot and 130 mg for a double. Adding water changes the volume, not the caffeine. A standard 8 oz drip coffee has 95 to 165 mg, so a single-shot americano usually has less.

Is an americano just watered-down espresso?

Literally yes, and that is not an insult. Dilution changes concentration without changing the extraction, which means you get espresso's flavor profile at a volume you can drink slowly.

Americano or long black — which is better?

The long black, marginally, because pouring espresso onto water preserves the crema. The difference is small but consistent, and it costs nothing to do it that way.

Can I make an americano without an espresso machine?

A moka pot is the closest substitute. It brews at roughly 1.5 bar rather than 9, so there is no true crema, but the concentrate is strong enough to dilute the same way. See how to use a moka pot.

Should I add milk to an americano?

You can, and a splash makes it something close to a very weak latte. If milk is what you want, a cortado or a flat white is a better-built drink for it.

Start with better espresso

An americano is only as good as the shot under it. Our six lots are roasted after you order and ship within 48 hours, whole bean or ground for espresso. Shipping is calculated at checkout.