What is an americano? The story of espresso and hot water
An americano is espresso diluted with hot water — typically one or two espresso shots topped with 150–200ml of hot water. It produces a longer, milder drink than straight espresso, with a similar flavour profile but less intensity. The caffeine content depends on how many shots you use: roughly 63mg for a single, 126mg for a double.
What is an americano?
Of all the coffees on our menu, the americano is the one that requires the least explanation and conceals the most history.
Definition: An americano is espresso diluted with hot water — typically 1–2 shots of espresso topped with 150–200ml hot water. Total volume is usually 200–250ml.
There’s no steamed milk, no foam, no texture ritual. Just coffee and water, combined in a ratio that produces something longer and gentler than espresso, but more characterful than filter coffee.
It is, in short, coffee as most people in Britain understand coffee: dark, warm, and straightforward.
The origin story
The americano’s origin story is one of the more charming accidents in coffee history. During the Second World War, American soldiers stationed in Italy found the local espresso — short, intensely concentrated, barely 30ml — too strong for the longer, diluted coffee they were used to back home. Their solution was practical: they added hot water to the espresso to approximate the filter coffee of home.
Italian café owners, watching their espresso subjected to this treatment, are said to have called the resulting drink “caffè americano” — a slightly pointed nod to the Americans’ preference. The name stuck, the drink became standardised, and today it’s one of the most popular coffees in the world.
Whether the Italians meant the name as a compliment is lost to history. It doesn’t matter — the drink is excellent.
How is an americano made?
The process is simple:
- Pull one or two shots of espresso — typically a double, producing approximately 60ml of concentrated coffee.
- Pour hot water over or alongside the espresso — approximately 150–200ml.
- Serve in a standard coffee cup or glass.
The order of addition makes a small but notable difference: an americano is typically made by adding hot water to the espresso (or espresso to hot water, depending on the café). This is different from a long black, which is the Australian and New Zealand variation where espresso is poured over hot water. The long black preserves the espresso’s crema (the golden-brown foam on top) more effectively, resulting in a slightly more nuanced flavour. An americano, with water poured first, disperses the crema but loses nothing in terms of character.
In practice, most British cafés use the americano method and the distinction is minor. Both are excellent.
What does an americano taste like?
An americano tastes of coffee — properly of coffee, in the way that filter coffee does, but with more depth and character. The espresso base gives it a richness and intensity that filter coffee can’t replicate; the hot water extends that intensity into something drinkable over a longer period.
Compared to straight espresso, it’s considerably milder. The flavour is similar — you’ll notice the same notes of bitterness, sweetness, fruitiness, or earthiness depending on the bean — but it’s distributed through a larger volume of liquid.
Compared to filter coffee, it’s typically more intense and less flat. Filter coffee extracts from coarsely ground beans over several minutes; espresso extracts at high pressure in 25–30 seconds, producing a more concentrated, complex result.
If you’ve been drinking filter coffee at home and you order an americano at a speciality café for the first time, you may notice it tastes richer and more interesting. That’s the espresso doing its job.
How much caffeine is in an americano?
A single-shot americano contains approximately 63mg of caffeine. A double-shot americano — which is the standard in most cafés — contains approximately 126mg.
Adding water does not reduce the caffeine content. The water dilutes the flavour, not the caffeine. So a large americano with a double shot contains exactly the same caffeine as a small double espresso.
EFSA considers up to 400mg of caffeine a day safe for most healthy adults. A double americano puts you at roughly 126mg — well within range, and leaving plenty of room for more. For pregnant women, the NHS limit is 200mg per day, which means a double americano sits comfortably within that too.
Americano with milk?
Strictly speaking, once you add steamed milk to an americano you’re approaching latte territory. But adding a small amount of cold milk — a splash rather than a full pour — to cool an americano or soften its flavour is entirely reasonable and fairly common. Some people prefer it this way.
If you want a larger milky coffee drink, a latte is the more appropriate order. If you want the americano’s length and character with just a small dose of creaminess, a splash of oat milk works well.
Americano vs filter coffee vs long black
| Americano | Filter coffee | Long black | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Espresso + hot water | Brewed through filter | Hot water + espresso |
| Intensity | High | Medium | High |
| Crema | Dispersed | None | Preserved |
| Volume | ~200–250ml | ~200–350ml | ~200–250ml |
| Caffeine | ~63–126mg | ~80–120mg | ~63–126mg |
| Origin | Italy / WWII | Worldwide | Australia / NZ |
Framberry’s americano
We make our americano with a double shot from ethically sourced beans from our roaster, topped with hot water to your preferred strength. Oat milk is available on the side if you’d like it.
We’re opening in London in 2027 — join the list and we’ll tell you when the doors open.
Frequently asked questions
Is an americano the same as black coffee?
It depends on what you mean by black coffee. An americano is black coffee — espresso and hot water, no milk. But “black coffee” can also refer to filter coffee, which is made differently and has a distinct character.
Is an americano stronger than a latte?
It depends on your definition of stronger. An americano and a latte made with a double shot contain similar amounts of caffeine (~126mg). But the americano tastes stronger because there’s no milk diluting the flavour.
Can you have an americano with decaf?
Absolutely. An americano made with decaf espresso contains around 2–5mg of caffeine per shot — very low, but not zero. See our decaf guide.
What’s the difference between an americano and a long black?
The order of pouring. In an americano, water goes into the cup first (or espresso goes into water). In a long black, the espresso is poured over hot water, preserving the crema. The long black is the Antipodean version.
Does an americano have milk in it?
No — not unless you add it. An americano is espresso and hot water only.
An americano at Framberry: double shot, hot water, ethically sourced beans. Opening in London in 2027 — join the list.