American coffee: characteristics and secrets of cooking

American coffee, which is quite clear from the name, was invented by Americans.Unlike espresso, it has a milder taste, no bitterness in it, which is why it is widely spread throughout the world.

American is an espresso-based coffee drink (concentrated black coffee without additives), which, however, contains more water. The origin of coffee dates back to the Second World War, when German soldiers demanded that Italian barista cook less concentrated and bitter espresso. The latter simply diluted espresso with water. The name of the drink is translated as "American coffee."

However, with this method of preparation, the drink lost its characteristic foam, therefore, after a while, the Swiss began not to dilute the espresso with water, but, on the contrary, pour ready espresso into the hot foam. In this case, the foam, or how to properly call it "cream", remains on the surface.

However, today there are many variations of the ratio of espresso and water, for example, 1: 1. In this case, it should be noted sufficient strength of the American, it even has a characteristic bitterness. Routing involves the use of 7 g of ground coffee beans and 120 ml of water. In this case, the caloric content of the drink is low - about 3 kcal per 100 ml. However, Americano is often served with milk, cream and sweeteners, which significantly increases its energy value.

Since it is prepared on the basis of espresso, it should also undergo a short (no more than 30 seconds) coffee extraction (spilling hot water through the coffee mass). With a longer extraction, the drink gets a burnt taste, bitter taste. The content of nutrients in it is minimized.

With a shorter extraction time, the drink is too light in color and is characterized by a lack of coffee taste. It turns out the so-called empty coffee. If the proportions of coffee are not followed, the drink also has a bitter taste and may have white spots on the surface.

Despite the fact that the basis of American - espresso, the difference between these drinks is enormous. It can be reduced to two criteria:

• drink strength;
• volume of drink.

Espresso is obtained more concentrated due to the fact that it contains 3 times less water. At the same time, the amount of coffee beans is the same in both drinks - on average, it is 7-10 mg, so the caffeine content in a serving of espresso and US is the same. Espresso has a more pronounced taste with a characteristic bitterness, while the taste of the US is soft, delicate. Milk or cream, sweeteners often included in the composition also give it a velvety look.

Espresso true gourmet served without additives, since it is believed that they interrupt the taste of coffee. Since the drink turns out to be very strong, it is served in small thick-walled cups, the volume of which is 50-60 ml. However, it is permissible to use dishes larger (up to 100 ml) in size, but espresso is always poured no more than 40 ml. The classic portion of the Italian version of the drink - 25-30 ml. A serving of American is 120-200 ml.

Another espresso-based drink is cappuccino, so it makes sense to compare it with US. The classic recipe of the latter involves only coffee and water, while cappuccino necessarily includes coffee, milk and milk-based foam. They are related by the fact that both American and cappuccino are the basis of one espresso, so the caffeine content is the same. However, by adding water to the US, it is less concentrated.

The differences also relate to the calorie content of drinks: cappuccino, of course, is made more nutritious due to the high fat content of the milk (the other simply does not make milk froth) if we compare it with the American, made exclusively from coffee and water.Both drinks are served in fairly large circles. A portion of cappuccino is 180-220 ml.

Depending on the country where the Americano is prepared, its recipe may vary slightly. Traditionally distinguish the following types of drink.

• European. It involves 2 cooking technologies. According to the first, 90 ml of hot water is added to the finished hot espresso. The second method involves feeding an espresso in a larger cup and a cup of water. The strength of the drink is regulated based on personal preferences.
• Italian. The Italians prepare Americano by adding to the standard portion of espresso hot water in such a volume that the volume of the finished drink is 120 ml.
• Scandinavian. This method differs from the Italian only in that a portion of espresso is poured into the hot water, due to which a light brown “cap” is formed on the surface of the finished American glass.

Americano may contain various additives that significantly change its taste. For example, it is quite common to drink with the addition of cinnamon. To do this, in the Turk or coffee machine is prepared American, and at the same time in a saucepan with a thick bottom is heated 150 ml of milk with the addition of cinnamon sticks. This should be done for several minutes, until the milk absorbs the spicy aroma of cinnamon and acquires a light brownish tint. The ingredients are mixed in tall glasses, you can add a spoonful of honey.

Harmonious flavor combination demonstrates American chocolate. As in the previous recipe, you need to cook American, and in the milk add chips of several chocolate bars and heat it until they melt. After that, hot chocolate-milk mass is poured into the coffee, their ratio is 1: 1. You can decorate the drink with cream or syrup.

Milk is considered to be one of the most popular additives to americano. 30-50 ml of milk is added to a standard portion of the drink (120 ml). Tastier if it will have a high fat content. Although it significantly increases the caloric content of the US.

Also, the milk can be divided into 2 parts, one of which is whipped. In this case, you get a beautiful air "cap", which is spread on the surface of the drink.

In the hot season, you can serve American cold or even with ice. In the first case, classic espresso is brewed, which is diluted with cold water. In this case, the amount of caffeine in the drink is reduced, so to get a rich taste, it is recommended to take a little more coffee beans than usual. American ice suggests adding some cubes of ice to a hot drink. In this case, it is characterized by an unusual coffee aftertaste.

Quench your thirst and help the American with mint. For this, a couple of mint leaves are placed in the Turk right after the fire is turned off, but until the moment when the coffee is poured into cups. You can also put mint in the ready drink. It is served both hot and cold.

Various spices, especially when combined with milk, make it possible to reveal the taste of coffee. Traditionally, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves are added to americano. You can prepare a drink with the addition of alcohol, as a rule, these are various liqueurs, rum, amaretto.

American coffee marshmallows are very popular in coffee shops. These confectionery products look like marshmallows, however, they are more likely to be close to pastila by their elasticity, and egg whites are not used in their preparation. As a rule, marshmallows are laid over milk froth.

If you increase the content of coffee and water by 2 times, you get a classic American double (translated from English - "double").

Supplements allow you to change the taste palette of American, emphasizing its taste and softening it.However, adding other components always increases the caloric content of the product, because even 100 grams of the simplest sweetener - sugar accounts for 398 kcal. At one and a half teaspoons (and that’s what most people prefer to add to coffee) is almost 40 kcal.

Classic espresso is prepared only in the coffee machine. Moreover, this drink was invented specifically for this device. It is logical that the correct americano also implies brewing in a coffee machine. For its preparation, you can select the appropriate mode on the unit or cook an espresso, and then pour it into 90 mg of hot water in a thin stream.

At home, you can cook a drink in the Turk. The recipe is quite simple and involves the following actions:

• boil 220 ml of water and wait a couple of minutes for the steam to escape;
• At this time, you can grind coffee (or use ready-ground) and pour 1 teaspoon into the Turk;
• after that, it is necessary to pour hot water over the coffee and put it on the fire, waiting for the drink to boil;
• it only remains to remove it from the fire and immediately serve it to the table.

For the preparation of American, you can use arabica or robusta, as well as blends of them. It should be borne in mind that the higher the content of Robusta, the stronger and bitter will be the drink. The optimum is the ratio of arabica and robusta - 2: 1. However, if you are just starting to try coffee and are not ready for too strong drinks, you can introduce Robusta gradually starting from 10-15% in the total mass.

It is important to choose the right degree of grinding. If you chop the grain yourself, they should resemble river sand or fine salt like “Extras”. If the grain in its texture, rather like sugar, then it is too large, the drink will turn out bitter, coarse. Too small grinding (reminds flour or starch to the touch) is suitable for Turkish coffee, but not for American.

Before pouring water in the grain, you can warm it up a little, pouring the Turks to the bottom. It is important not to fry the mixture, because the taste of coffee will be hopelessly flawed: it will taste bitter and smell like burning.

Finally, at home you can cook American and in a french press. To do this, it is better to make the grinding of coffee smaller, then pour 1 teaspoon of ground beans (this amount is calculated for 200 ml of water - 1 serving). After that, you should pour half of the hot water and cover the flask with a french lid, without lowering the strainer.

After waiting a couple of minutes, the contents are mixed, and then the rest of the water is added. The drink should not reach the edge of the flask, it should remain 2-3 cm. After that, you should wait 3-4 minutes and lower the piston of the French press, pressing the thick to the bottom of the flask.

Before serving, it is recommended to wait another minute to allow the fine particles to settle completely to the bottom, after which you can pour the drink into cups.

The following cooking secrets will allow you to get even more delicious American.

• It is important to take quality, soft water. Better bottled or filtered. If you can not use this, you can pour ordinary tap water into open containers and let it stand for at least 8-10 hours.
• Excessively hard water (precipitate and scum on the kettle after boiling testify to this) can be softened by adding soda or sugar to the tip of the knife.
• Do not use boiled water several times to make coffee.
• Water should not be allowed to boil; it is better to remove it from the fire at the stage of the appearance of “pearl threads” when thin streams of steam begin to rise from the bottom of the kettle.After switching off the kettle, it is recommended to cool the water a little, the optimum temperature is 85-92 ° C.
• Reduce the amount of caffeine allows cardamom. To do this, add a few spice grains. The taste of the drink will be more tart, with a pronounced "warm" spicy aftertaste.

• It is better to grind coffee beans independently and immediately before use. This is due to the fact that they absorb moisture, surrounding tastes and aromas. Maximum - you can grind coffee for 1-2 days, but at the same time keep it tightly closed, excluding proximity to fragrant products and teas.
• To make the taste of americano delicate and velvety allows the addition of butter. It is placed quite a bit, on the tip of a knife, before the drink in the Turk begins to boil.
• To give the drink a warm caramel tint will allow the following reception: at the bottom of the Turks should be put 1 teaspoon of cane sugar and heat it, not allowing burning. Then coffee is added, and Americano is prepared in the usual way. In the process of heating, caramelization of sugar occurs, due to which the americano becomes sweeter, but not more sugary, its aftertaste resembles the taste of a toffee.

If one of the conditions for the proper tasting of espresso is to preserve its high temperature (for which even special thick-walled cups are used, which warm up before pouring the drink), then temperature indicators are not the main thing for the Americans. It is drunk both in hot and in the form of heat, and even there are varieties of cold americano.

• A hot drink really should be. The flow temperature must be at least 70 ° C.
• Serve coffee can be already diluted with water in cups of suitable volume. You can also take glasses for 200-250 ml and pour a portion of espresso into them. Together with them, a teapot or a pot of hot water is served to the table so that each guest can adjust the degree of saturation of the drink at his own discretion.
• American and other coffee drinks of increased volume can be served in a 200 ml tea cup. Better if it is ceramic or porcelain. For Russia, the standard tea cup is 130 ml. Serve a cup you need only on a saucer.
• For cold americano and a drink with ice, you can use an elongated tulip-shaped glass on a low stem - harikein. Its volume reaches 400-450 ml, which is quite enough to add ice cubes.

• There are no special requirements for the use of Americano. This drink can be drunk both in the first and in the second half of the day, due to its reduced concentration. Although, of course, it is not recommended to drink coffee 1.5-2 hours before bedtime. Caffeine may cause insomnia.
• Natural ground coffee contains special acids that help improve digestion and help the body break down heavy and fatty foods. In this regard, you can drink American for an hour and a half before meals or 30-40 minutes later after a meal.
• Hot americano with milk and spices has a relaxing and warming effect. It is pleasant and useful to drink after hypothermia, suffered stress, hard working day.
• However, even excessive use of less concentrated US can cause health problems. The permissible dosage of caffeine per day for an adult who does not have contraindications for its use is 300 mg. It is from these indicators that one should proceed when calculating the permissible amount of a drink. At the same time, we should not forget about tea and other types of coffee, which also contain caffeine.

Do not confuse caffeine and concentration. In all drinks (including cappuccino, americano), the caffeine content is the same if they are made from an equal amount of espresso. Just one of the drinks will be stronger, while the other - less concentrated.

How to cook American, see the next video.