What's the difference between an Americano and a Long Black?

What is an Americano?

Simply put, the americano coffee is a double shot of espresso with hot water. It can be enjoyed black (without milk) or white (with milk).

Is an Americano different from filter coffee?

Yes- an Americano is hot water with double espresso. The double espresso is a short coffee that uses pressure to push hot water through finely ground coffee to extract the flavours resulting in a bold and robust taste. 

Filter coffee doesn't use high pressure & tends to be a gravity based way of extracting coffee with a coarser grind size. Popular filter methods include V60, Chemex & Kalita. The taste of an americano is usually richer & stronger than a filter coffee.

How can I make an Americano?

To make an Americano you'll need an espresso machine. Simply brew your espresso as you normally would, top up with hot water & add milk if that's your preference! Using a stove top moka pot or an Aeropress are also good options to get a similarly concentrated shot of coffee that can be diluted with water. 

So, whats a Long Black then?

We're sorry to say it's not a simple answer. A Long Black is definitely shorter, stronger and should always be made in a smaller cup. What's debatable is whether it makes a difference to change up the order of preparation. Some people argue that an Americano is water added on top of an espresso shot and a Long Black would involve adding the espresso to the water so as not to disturb the crema and maintain more of the coffee's flavour. 

Even the Long Black's origins are heavily contested. The Long Black originated in Australia or New Zealand, depending on who you ask- or maybe even both independently! 

We may never know, but it's certainly become a popular fixture on specialty coffee menus across the globe and these days it's mostly a way to convey that you want a smaller, stronger coffee without any milk.