How to Make an Americano

This is how you make an Americano, also known as a Caffe Americano! This popular coffee beverage softens the bitterness of espresso with hot water.

What’s better than a good Americano coffee? The bitter and dark espresso is amazing, don’t get me wrong. But here’s the thing: it’s over so quickly! Smooth it down with a caffe americano, an espresso tempered with some hot water. The coffee-drinking experience not only lasts a little longer, it sweetens the bitter taste into something entirely new. Here’s a tutorial on how to make an Americano: everything you need to know to make this espresso drink at home.

What is an Americano?

An Americano is an espresso drink made from hot water and espresso, also called caffe americano. The drink can be prepared with one or two espressos and different proportions of water. Diluting the strong, dark roast of the espresso brings the taste closer to a filter coffee: this could also be where the name comes from! The exact origin of the term is unclear, but is believed to date back to the 1970s. “Americano” means American in Italian or Spanish and refers to the strength of the coffee, which is more like a drip coffee. American.

Does an americano have milk? Never. A real Americano does not contain milk like latte, cappuccino or macchiato. You can add milk if you like, but that’s not the true form of this drink.

How much water is an Americano?

Excellent question, and one that has more than one answer. How much water is an Americano? There are several ratios that are considered acceptable:

• The typical Caffe Americano ratio is 2:1. It’s 2 parts hot water to 1 part espresso. This ratio makes the drink taste dark and bitter throughout, like a light form of espresso.
• You can customize the water in an American flavor. Every barista and every café makes an Americano differently.
• Use 3:1 for a softer, smoother coffee with more body. This ratio makes the Americano taste like a bitter filter coffee. (If you order an Americano at Starbucks, it tastes at that ratio.)

Next, let’s talk about espresso!

How do you make an Americano? Start with an espresso. It’s not enough just to use strong coffee! This means you need the following:

• Espresso roast coffee: This is important to get the right dark, bitter taste. Espresso roasting is just very, very dark roast coffee.
• Espresso machine, espresso machine or aeropress: There are many ways to make espresso! We use an espresso machine that sits on a counter. You can also use a small manual espresso machine: it’s cheaper and portable. Or you can use an Aeropress: it’s our least favorite option for taste, but it’s the cheapest. Access our Aeropress espresso recipe.

How to make an Americano

If you know the water ratio and the espresso technique: there is not much to know about this coffee drink! Here are the basic steps to making an Americano:

• Decide on the size of your drink. A 1-shot Americano typically fits into an espresso cup (shown here). A 2-shot drink works best in a latte mug.
• Prepare espresso. Use espresso roast coffee to brew espresso using your favorite method: an automatic espresso machine, a manual espresso machine, or an Aeropress.
• Boil water. Use a regular or electric teapot to boil the water. The standard ratio is 2:1 water to espresso, but you can go as high as 3:1.
• Mix the two and enjoy! Pour boiling water into the espresso. Instant Americano Coffee!

Did you know that a drink of the same name is an Italian cocktail? Go to Americano Cocktail!

More coffee drinks and tea lattes

This is another article from ours Barista Series: How to make all your favorite coffee drinks at home! Here are some espresso drinks and tea lattes to master:

This American coffee recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.