Americano perparation...?
How do you make your Americano? Hot water added to your espresso pull...espresso pulled over a cup of hot water? Espresso poured into a cup of hot water?
For me, I like to add hot water from my machine (LaSpazial Vivaldi II) into a non-heated ceramic cup first letting the water temp come down some while i grind, tamp and pull my shot (double) straight onto the now cooled water using a naked portafilter. I'd say the water cools down to about 185-190deg by the time the espresso hits it making a really nice Americano. Nice crema on top of the water...not too hot to bitter the taste.
Perhaps you have anpther way...? What is it? Tell us what works best in your neck of the woods!
For me, I like to add hot water from my machine (LaSpazial Vivaldi II) into a non-heated ceramic cup first letting the water temp come down some while i grind, tamp and pull my shot (double) straight onto the now cooled water using a naked portafilter. I'd say the water cools down to about 185-190deg by the time the espresso hits it making a really nice Americano. Nice crema on top of the water...not too hot to bitter the taste.
Perhaps you have anpther way...? What is it? Tell us what works best in your neck of the woods!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jared Rutledge on
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i use 208 degree water from the zojirushi (like i'd use for the drip coffee) and pull the shot straight into it. not sure why you'd want water from the machine to cool down, since it's the exact same temp as your espresso?
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Permalink Reply by Jason Dominy on
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Hot water, about 195, topped with a perfect shot of espresso. Always topped. We've done internal taste tests, and on top always tastes best.
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Permalink Reply by Fraser Jamieson on
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Pretty much what you're doing: I keep one group head free, all the time, for collecting water first into the cup (there's enough room for a 20 ounce cup under the group head) and by that time I'm ground and tamped and ready to go. Customers seem to enjoy them; we sell a lot of Americanos. I'm using a spoutless portafilter so I can dose directly into a 20 ounce cup if I have to. Most Americanos we sell are 12 or 16 ounce.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Cockrell on
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Jared - My Espresso is usually at 193-202deg depending on origin. Hot water from my steam/hot water boiler is much high than that. I don't want to rasie the temp of my espresso when pouring over the super heated water, thus I let it cool a bit using my noted methods. Some folks use hot water towers that can be preset. Some heat there cups that hold the hot water temp without cooling it down some. I never brew drip or press coffee hotter than 204deg. Espresso as noted above...Just my preference. :-)
Jared Rutledge said:i use 208 degree water from the zojirushi (like i'd use for the drip coffee) and pull the shot straight into it. not sure why you'd want water from the machine to cool down, since it's the exact same temp as your espresso?
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Ricky - I guess I've gotten used to pulling until blonding is just starting. My Vivaldi has volumetric dosing and it is set for 1.5 - 2 oz. I'm usually watching and ready to shut her down when it doses out and shuts off anyway. Very nice to have it pull right on top of the hot water...for my machine, that is less than a two inch drop from a naked portafilter. Lots of crema! Just the right temp! Deep rusty brown!!! Man I wish i had one right now!!! :-D
Chris
Ricky Sutton said:My hot water tower runs at 204 for french pressed coffee. I also pour that water into a non-pre-heated ceramic cup bringing the water temp down to about 180 depending on cup size. I always pull my espresso into a demi first as it helps to keep my shot volume consistent. I pour the espresso into the water by sort of dunking the cup into the water and letting the crema slide onto the water. Aesthetically it looks like i pulled the shot onto the water, but i don't like doing that for several reasons. One; i can't properly interpret volume, two; i don't like to pull my espresso into anything. Hot water, cold milk for iced latte's, cold water for iced americanos. It all comes across like it would either do weird things separating the shot into it's more dense and light layers or simply "shock" the espresso. Most importantly, this is the method that tastes best to me, though the differences are subtle.
BTW Jared, i'm sure you know that your finished shot isn't actually 208 degrees just because your boiler is set to 208. I have no science to back this up, but it seems like putting espresso into water that is the exact same temperature would have the least amount of detrimental effects, which is why i cool my water down a bit.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Haeger on
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I prefer to pull the shot first. I used to pull the shot on top of the water, but I realized that it was pretty much for visual effect only. If you were to taste both blind, I'm willing to bet that the espresso-first Americano would win for the same reason that a stirred espresso tastes better than a settled espresso.
Which brings me to the logic behind this approach. What is the intended purpose when making an Americano? Is it intended to stretch the volume of an espresso, or is it intended to weaken the espresso by dilution, or is it intended to come close to mimicking drip coffee with a shot of espresso?
Whichever you choose, clearly you would want the taste to be homogeneous, and you would want all flavors to be mixed throughout. This is why I prefer the mixed version. Frankly, I just think it tastes better, and it's a truer expression of the coffee itself (although maybe not of a settled espresso: read "intended purpose" question again).
Just my $.02
p.s. - I add a few ounces of room temp filtered water from the RO tap (or filter tap, or whatever you have) to bring the temp down from whatever temp you happen to be brewing with).
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If you drink drip coffee with cream - do you pour the cream into the coffee and stir, or do you let it just swirl around while drinking? Perhaps you put the cream in the bottom of the cup firast, then pour the coffee over top of it...??? Perhaps this is a new thread called "how do you drink your drip coffee"? :-D
Chris
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Crema is part of an espresso. Cream and coffee are only tangentially related, which means that your comment has nothing to do with the discussion in your own thread.
Chris Cockrell said:If you drink drip coffee with cream - do you pour the cream into the coffee and stir, or do you let it just swirl around while drinking? Perhaps you put the cream in the bottom of the cup firast, then pour the coffee over top of it...??? Perhaps this is a new thread called "how do you drink your drip coffee"? :-D
Chris
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Oh well..it is my thread...my comment. Thanks for commenting on my discussion! :-D
Chris
Jason Haeger said:Crema is part of an espresso. Cream and coffee are only tangentially related, which means that your comment has nothing to do with the discussion in your own thread.
Chris Cockrell said:If you drink drip coffee with cream - do you pour the cream into the coffee and stir, or do you let it just swirl around while drinking? Perhaps you put the cream in the bottom of the cup firast, then pour the coffee over top of it...??? Perhaps this is a new thread called "how do you drink your drip coffee"? :-D
Chris
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My point was only to explain my preference. It is only my preference. If you prefer the taste and/or looks of a shot pulled onto water so the crema stays intact, more power to you. Just as long as you're enjoying coffee.
Chris Cockrell said:Oh well..it is my thread...my comment. Thanks for commenting on my discussion! :-D
Chris
Jason Haeger said:Crema is part of an espresso. Cream and coffee are only tangentially related, which means that your comment has nothing to do with the discussion in your own thread.
Chris Cockrell said:If you drink drip coffee with cream - do you pour the cream into the coffee and stir, or do you let it just swirl around while drinking? Perhaps you put the cream in the bottom of the cup firast, then pour the coffee over top of it...??? Perhaps this is a new thread called "how do you drink your drip coffee"? :-D
Chris
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I also prefer to be a little short on the amount of water too. I like my americano strong rather than the other way around...my preference. I can't stand to get an americano out at a coffee shop and have it watered down so that it taste like stump water...baristas should be required to try what they are serving...I guess most are...
Chris
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I agree with that wholeheartedly. Like you, I prefer my Americanos on the rather strong side. I'll typically have a double in a 5.5oz. capp cup unless I buy it elsewhere where said drink is not an option.
Chris Cockrell said:I also prefer to be a little short on the amount of water too. I like my americano strong rather than the other way around...my preference. I can't stand to get an americano out at a coffee shop and have it watered down so that it taste like stump water...baristas should be required to try what they are serving...I guess most are...
Chris
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