What is the difference between an Americano and a long black? Well, it’s a question that more than 2 million of you know the answer to, after a Chiswick coffee shop posted an Instagram video that went viral last year.
Tamp Coffee’s post did spark some debate about specifics, but the fundamentals are there. One is hot water and then coffee; the other is coffee and then hot water. But which way around apparently makes a difference as the long black, already an Australian and New Zealand favourite, is now gaining ground in the UK.
Down Under, the writer can attest that asking for a ‘black coffee’ or an ‘Americano’ will get you nothing more than a blank stare. But could this also soon be the case in London, or will Caffe Nero and the like hold firm to maintain a special relationship with the Americano?
Baristas have already told the Guardian that the long black, like avo on toast, might be an Aussie import that is soon to take over London.
Dave Olejnik of Leeds coffee shop Laynes said putting the coffee on second was the way to go.
“When you wallop a load of hot water onto an espresso, you also start to break down some of the structure, texture, and the crema, which sits across the top,” he explained. “Honestly, you just get a better-looking drink if you brew coffee into water.”
It means you might have a new drink to learn. Here is a breakdown.
getting a regular coffee in the US takes like 87 minutes bc everyone before you is getting a stirred vanilla goat sperm macchiato with extra pumpkin creme de la creme ROYALE
— YOTTO (@yottomusic) February 23, 2023
What are all the other types of coffee?
The number of different options on offer these days is a constant source of humour - Let’s blitz through some more definitions.
What is a long black? And what is an Americano?
Going by Tamp Coffee’s definition, an Americano is hot water poured over a double shot of coffee. A long black is the hot water first followed by the double shot.
“This way the crema from the espresso sits nicely on top of the hot water,” said the Tamp barista in explanation.
What is an Espresso?
The most basic unit is a 1-2 proportion, Tamp Coffee says, meaning that 18g of coffee going into a machine will produce a 36g yield.
An espresso can be served by itself but is also commonly the basis of an Americano or indeed a long black.
What’s a Ristretto?
The ratio for this small and powerful concoction is 1-1, meaning that Tamp Coffee puts 18g of coffee in and gets 18g of liquid out.
This smaller drink packs more flavour, Tamp says.
Macchiato vs Cortado
The cortado is a small drink, around 120ml, and is topped off with warm milk but without any foam or froth.
“It is quite similar to a macchiato but has slightly more milk,” states Esquires.
“A macchiato is an espresso shot, topped with a small splash of milk and a foamy top, served in a demitasse glass.”
Flat White vs Latte vs Cappuccino
This one perhaps used to be the biggest discussion point before the game changed with the advent of the long black.
Flat whites are two shots of espresso, topped up with milk and finished with microfoam.
This is stronger than a latte which is one part coffee, three parts milk and topped with foam.
A cappuccino is one part coffee, one part foam and one part milk, sometimes with chocolate sprinkled on top if you’re having one of those days but don’t want a full blown mocha.
What’s a Mocha?
And the sweetest of the lot, a mocha is an entry level coffee, it’s the same proportions as the cappuccino with one spoonful of drinking chocolate added.
