What is An Espresso?

Espressos are straight pure coffee concentrate, usually drank straight or with a teaspoon of sugar if you’re not a bitter cold hearted maniac which is usually the case. It has a full, strong coffee flavor and is known for its deep intensity. A shot of espresso averages to about two ounces and some people prefer more espresso and drink something called a doppio (a double shot). If you need serious psychiatric help you can even order a triple shot but you may end up like Jason Statham in that movie Crank (please don’t watch it.)

There are three parts to an espresso shot:

1. The “body” is the darker bottom,
2. The “heart” is the lighter coloured middle,
3. The foamy light-colored head on top is known as the “crema.”

The air bubbles inside the crema give the espresso its distinctive strong aftertaste that has gotten so many people hooked on the thing.

Now What is an Americano?

Now Americanos are Espresso’s partially hated counterpart, a watered down arch rival. An Americano is a shot of Espresso combined with hot water. This process results in a less concentrated flavor that dilutes half of the bitterness that’s found in pure espressos. Americanos also have more liquid, so they’re easier and take longer to sip on than an Espresso. Usually Americanos range roughly to 20 ounces in comparison to Espresso’s two ounces. 

They can also be served with sugar or cream due to it being over half the size of an Espresso, you see why they hate each other now don’t you.

Caffeine Levels

As both types of coffee have the same amount of Espresso within their contents, Espressos & Americanos usually have the same amount of caffeine which means they’ll both do a good job keeping you awake. However per ounce, an Espresso shot will have more caffeine because it’s naturally more concentrated.

The Final Score:

Americanos and Espressos are actually very similar, the only difference is basically the hot water added to Americanos. This changes the taste and size of the drink, making Americanos larger, less intense, and smoother. If you’re looking for an intense, straightforward beverage, order an espresso shot (or two to make you operate like Rambo). Espressos will always believe that they’re the full blooded heir to the coffee throne as Americano’s watered down half mortal blood has still managed captured many loyal servants throughout the 21st century.