Many of us have experienced this: You're standing in front of a black coffee table in a café, and all you really want is a black coffee. But the only options offered are Americano or Café Crème. They're both black coffees, but there are crucial differences in taste! Both coffee variations are ideally made with an espresso machine and both taste best when made with a high-quality espresso roast . We'll explain how to tell the difference between the two in this week's blog post. Enjoy!
Café Cremà
To prepare a true Café Crème, you ideally need an espresso machine. You can also use a fully automatic machine, but for the best taste, we recommend an espresso machine. With an espresso machine, you have more flexibility to tailor the coffee to your preferences, for example, by adjusting the grind size.
To make your Café Crème, you first need to adjust your coffee grinder to a slightly coarser setting than for espresso. Now you need to set your machine so that four times the amount of water (compared to espresso) flows through the portafilter. So, for a 20-30 ml espresso, around 120 ml of water will flow through the machine for a Café Crème. But all of this happens in the same time of 25-30 seconds! This creates a lot of pressure, which forms a wonderful crema on top of the coffee – et voilà: Café Crème. You should have about 17 grams of ground coffee in the portafilter for a balanced flavor.
Americano
This memorable name is said to have originated in World War II. American soldiers stationed in Italy found the typical espresso too strong. Therefore, they requested a glass of hot water with every order to dilute the espresso and make it palatable. The Italians then named the new drink "Americano."
To make a delicious Americano, we recommend first filling a cup with 180 milliliters of hot water. Then, immediately pour in a double espresso (50-60 milliliters). This will give you a beautiful crema on your Americano.
So you see, the difference lies in the details, but it has a big impact on the taste. Which version do you prefer? Let us know if you're Team Café Cremà or Americano!
Your SIMON&BEARNS Team
Cafe Crema vs. Americano - We'll explain the difference!
Many of us have experienced this: You're standing in front of a black coffee table in a café, and all you really want is a black coffee. But the only options offered are Americano or Café Crème. They're both black coffees, but there are crucial differences in taste! Both coffee variations are ideally made with an espresso machine and both taste best when made with a high-quality espresso roast . We'll explain how to tell the difference between the two in this week's blog post. Enjoy!
Café Cremà
To prepare a true Café Crème, you ideally need an espresso machine. You can also use a fully automatic machine, but for the best taste, we recommend an espresso machine. With an espresso machine, you have more flexibility to tailor the coffee to your preferences, for example, by adjusting the grind size.
To make your Café Crème, you first need to adjust your coffee grinder to a slightly coarser setting than for espresso. Now you need to set your machine so that four times the amount of water (compared to espresso) flows through the portafilter. So, for a 20-30 ml espresso, around 120 ml of water will flow through the machine for a Café Crème. But all of this happens in the same time of 25-30 seconds! This creates a lot of pressure, which forms a wonderful crema on top of the coffee – et voilà: Café Crème. You should have about 17 grams of ground coffee in the portafilter for a balanced flavor.
Americano
This memorable name is said to have originated in World War II. American soldiers stationed in Italy found the typical espresso too strong. Therefore, they requested a glass of hot water with every order to dilute the espresso and make it palatable. The Italians then named the new drink "Americano."
To make a delicious Americano, we recommend first filling a cup with 180 milliliters of hot water. Then, immediately pour in a double espresso (50-60 milliliters). This will give you a beautiful crema on your Americano.
So you see, the difference lies in the details, but it has a big impact on the taste. Which version do you prefer? Let us know if you're Team Café Cremà or Americano!
Your SIMON&BEARNS Team