Guides

Types of coffee drinks and how to make them

Pick a drink to see what goes into it, how strong it tastes and how to make it at home. No two cafés pour quite the same size, so read the amounts as typical rather than official. Coffee and water are in grams because you’ll be weighing them, and 1 g of water is 1 ml anyway.

Espresso

Americano

Close to a strong mug of filter coffee, with a bit of espresso’s roastiness and a lighter body.

  • Hot water, added second ≈ 184 ml
  • Double shot ≈ 36 ml
  • About 220 ml
Cross-section, drawn to scale, with typical amounts.

A shot topped up with hot water until it’s about as strong as brewed coffee. Because the water goes in on top, most of the crema breaks up.

Ratio1:4–1:6, espresso to water
RecipeDouble shot + 150–200 ml hot water
MilkNone
Serve in240–350 ml mug
Time25–30 s shot
How strong it tastesLow to medium

How to make it

  1. Pull a double shot (18 g in, 36 g out) into a mug.
  2. Top up with 150 to 200 ml of hot water from the kettle or the machine’s hot-water tap.
  3. Taste before you add any more.

Tip: Go easy on the water at first. You can always add more, but you can’t take it back out.

Common mistake: A single shot in a full mug of water is going to taste thin. Use a double and add water to taste.

Variations

  • Iced: shot over cold water and ice
  • Long black: the shot goes onto the water instead

At a café

In North America it’s sold by size. The bigger sizes mostly get more water, and sometimes an extra shot.

Americano vs. long black: A long black puts the shot on top of the water, so the crema survives. It’s usually smaller too. See the long black

You’ll need: Espresso machine, grinder, scale and kettle.