How to Make Coffee the American Way

For many coffee drinkers, Italy is the true home of coffee. But nowadays it is American coffee that has taken over the world. Whether it’s the Starbucks shops popping up in every city, or the sweet, and blended iced coffees made in every flavor and color under the sun, American coffee culture is everywhere.

But if you ask for ‘an American coffee’ you might not always get the drink that you expect. In many countries, an ‘American coffee’ means an Americano. In others, you might be given a filter coffee — or even just a blank stare as the barista wonders what you mean.

So, what really is American coffee? How do you make sure that you always get the drink you want when you order in a cafe? And even more importantly, how do you make American coffee at home?

In this post, we’ll help you understand the difference between the two kinds of American coffee. Then we’ll show you how to make them at home, so you can drink a perfect American coffee every day of the week.

What is American coffee?

Americans have been drinking coffee enthusiastically ever since the Boston Tea Party in 1773. In protest against extortionate British taxes on tea, Americans switched to coffee. This started a long tradition of coffee-drinking in America that continues to this day.

While America’s most famous coffee export might be the Pumpkin Spice Latte or the Caramel Macchiato, the most common coffee drink in America is still a plain black filter coffee¹. Think of the pots of black coffee sitting on the counter in a diner: if you just ask for ‘a coffee’ in America, that is what you will get — filter coffee, served black, and usually drunk without sugar.

For many people, however, ‘American coffee’ means an Americano — a black coffee made by mixing espresso with hot water. The story goes that this coffee originated during World War II, when American GIs stationed in Italy couldn’t handle the strength of Italian espresso. They asked the baristas to dilute their espresso with hot water to make it more like the filter coffee they were used to, and the ‘caffè Americano’ — Italian for ‘American coffee’ — was born.

Whether this story is true or not, ‘caffè Americano’ is not a common drink in Italy. But for many cafes around the world, an Americano is the easiest and fastest way to make a plain black coffee, so it is a staple on every cafe menu.

The difference between Americano and black coffee, is American-style

An Americano is made by mixing espresso and hot water together. The amount varies, but generally, the idea is to make something more or less the same strength as filter coffee.

American-style black coffee is filter coffee, made in a coffee machine. Americans usually drink their filter coffee a bit weaker than in most other countries.

Because an Americano is made with espresso, it will often taste stronger and richer, as well as slightly more bitter than filter coffee. An Americano also often has a fuller body than a classic filter coffee.

Brewing an Americano. 

In some countries, you’ll also see a ‘long black’ on the menu. This is essentially the same as an Americano — espresso mixed with hot water — but is often made with less water, which makes it a smaller, stronger drink.

Even though it is stronger, a long black has the same amount of coffee in it as an Americano, because it is made from the same espresso. The only difference is the amount of water.

How do they make American-style coffee in a cafe?

In a cafe, an Americano is one of the easiest and fastest drinks for baristas to make. They put some hot water into a cup, and just pull an espresso on top. Pulling the espresso on top of the water, rather than pouring water onto the espresso, keeps the crema floating on top, which makes for a better-looking drink.

For the very best Americano, the barista will also pay attention to the water temperature. Boiling water will burn your mouth, and some say it harms the flavor of the coffee. Around 65–70 °C is the perfect drinking temperature for most people.

A ‘White Americano’ is simply an Americano with some milk added. If you order a White Americano, the barista will leave some space for you to add as much milk as you prefer, or pour a splash of milk into the drink for you.

American-style black filter coffee in a cafe is always made with a machine. The barista will make pots of filter coffee all through the day, and keep it warm in a vacuum flask. When you order a filter coffee, all they have to do is pour it into your cup. Fresher coffee tastes better, so for the best American-style filter coffee, look for a cafe that brews small pots of fresh coffee regularly, instead of one that makes a big pot to last the whole morning.

Some cafes prefer to brew their filter coffee by hand. This is a delicious way to drink coffee, but it is not a traditional ‘American coffee’.

How to make American-style coffee at home

It’s easy to make American-style coffee at home, whether you want an Americano or a classic filter coffee. Here are our easy recipes for making American coffee at home.

An Americano is based on an espresso. If you have an espresso machine at home, you probably already know how to make an espresso, so making an Americano is as simple as mixing espresso and water together.

Step 1: Decide how much water to add

How much water to use depends on how strong you want your coffee to be. If you want your Americano to be the same strength as a filter coffee, use about a cup of water (240 ml) for a double espresso.

Step 2: Heat the water

You can use the hot water tap from your espresso machine, but you’ll get a better-tasting result — and avoid burning your mouth — if you use freshly heated water at around 70 °C. A temperature-controlled kettle is perfect for this.

Step 3: Make the espresso

Use your normal method for making a double espresso — the best-tasting espresso will give you the best-tasting Americano. Any espresso machine can make you an Americano, but these are some of our favorite home espresso machines.

Step 4: Water first, or espresso first?

Many people will insist that you should always put the water in first, and then gently pour the espresso on top. This preserves the crema and makes the drink look better, so this is what most cafes do.

But crema by itself is bitter! The drink will actually taste better if you mix the crema into the rest of the drink, even if it doesn’t look as pretty. And if you’re going to stir the drink anyway, then it doesn’t really matter if you put the espresso first or the water first — so do it whichever way round is easier for you.

If you don’t have an espresso machine, then you can still make an Americano, using any strong coffee, but it won’t be exactly the same.

How to make an American-style black coffee at home

If you prefer the more delicate taste of American-style filter coffee to the stronger Americano, the good news is that it’s really easy to brew this kind of coffee at home. All you need is a simple drip coffee machine, and some freshly ground coffee.

Moccamaster coffee brewer for brewing American coffee at home

The Moccamaster is the perfect machine for brewing this style of American coffee at home. It looks great, with a classic design and a choice of vibrant colors, and it’s certified by recognized coffee organizations such as the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The filter papers for this type of machine are very easy to find, and it has a wide glass coffee pot for easy cleaning.

The Moccamaster can brew up to 10 cups at a time, or 1.25 liters of coffee, but you can easily brew a ‘half batch’ if you don’t need that much. The process is very simple:

Step 1: Rinse the filter

Put the paper filter in the cone and rinse with hot water to remove any paper taste. Discard the excess water.

Step 2: Add the coffee

To be accurate, it’s best to weigh the coffee with a scale. Use 75 grams of coffee for a full batch (1.25 liters) or 40 grams for a half batch.

The coffee should be a medium-coarse grind. You can use pre-ground coffee, but you’ll get the best flavor if you can grind the coffee freshly when you need it. This can be really easy with an electric coffee grinder designed for brewed coffee, such as the Eureka Mignon Filtro Brew Grinder.

A good grinder like this will transform your coffee-making experience. Not only does it taste better — nothing beats the smell of freshly-ground coffee in the morning!

Step 3: Put water in the machine

Fill the tank up to the line indicating the amount of coffee you plan to brew. Use fresh, filtered water for the best flavor.

Step 4: Fire it up!

Turn the machine on, put on the lid, and let the machine do the rest of the work! Don’t forget to choose the ‘half batch’ setting if you are brewing a smaller batch. 

What beans should I use for making American-style coffee?

You can use any coffee that you like for making either style of American coffee — but some beans will make it easier to get the flavor that you want. Whatever coffee you use, for the best results you should buy freshly roasted coffee, store it carefully, and then, using a good quality coffee grinder, grind the beans just before using, so that the coffee is as fresh as possible.

The best coffee beans for an Americano

If you’re making an Americano, then your coffee is based on an espresso, so you should choose beans that make it easy to get a good espresso extraction.

When you dilute the espresso with water, it makes it much easier to taste any problems with the espresso extraction, such as channeling. So it’s really important that you get a perfect espresso extraction when you’re making an Americano.

The best coffee bean to use for making an Americano is therefore any roast designed specifically for espresso. An espresso roast makes it much easier to get good extraction from the beans. Try the Sweet Blend from 3Bean, or Melba Coffee’s No. 4 Blend, for a classic rich espresso.

The best coffee beans for American-style black coffee

American filter coffee is traditionally drunk black, with no sugar. For this style of coffee, that means it’s best to choose coffee beans that have a more delicate flavor.

Find beans that have been roasted specifically for filter coffee, to avoid the more bitter, heavy flavors that many espresso roasts have. This usually means a slightly lighter roast profile, from light to medium, is perfect. Try this Natural Guji from Soil coffee roasters for sweet, fruity and floral notes, or this classic washed Colombian from Bunista for more chocolatey flavors.

Whichever kind of coffee you choose, it can be really easy to make American coffee at home. Whether you like the rich, full flavor of an Americano, or the easy-drinking classic black filter coffee that so many Americans enjoy every day, you don’t have to fly to America to enjoy it!

 ¹ National Coffee Association of USA (2022)