Coffee vs. Americano: What's the Difference?

There are countless ways to prepare coffee, and learning about the differences can help you decide which brewing method is right for you. Two of the most popular coffee drinks are regular drip coffee and the Americano. At first glance, they may seem quite similar. But when you take a closer look, there are some notable differences between these two beloved beverages.

In this comprehensive guide on coffee vs. Americanos, I’ll explain everything you need to know about both. By the end, you should have a good idea of which one you’ll enjoy more each morning.

What Is Regular Coffee?

Regular coffee refers to coffee that is brewed by combining hot water and coffee grounds, with grind sizes usually ranging from around 600 microns up to 1,400 microns, depending on the brewing method. Drip coffee is by far the most common way that everyday people make regular coffee at home. In fact, a whopping 41% of coffee drinkers in America use a drip coffee maker daily to brew their morning cup of coffee.

The drip coffee method became popular in America in the 1970s when Mr. Coffee launched its innovative automatic drip coffee machine. This machine automated the manual pour-over process, making it possible for people to brew hot, fresh coffee easily with the push of a button. The convenience and accessibility of these automatic machines caused drip coffee to skyrocket in popularity, forever changing coffee culture in America.

There are other methods of brewing regular coffee, too, which I’ll explain in the next section.

How Do You Make Regular Coffee?

Traditionally, the process for making regular coffee looks something like this:

• Place a filter in the filter basket on your drip machine.
• Grind your coffee (or use pre-ground coffee) and add it to the filter.
• Add water to the water reservoir. Many people use volume to measure coffee and water, with a common ratio of one tablespoon of grounds to every 6 oz of coffee.
• Close the lid on the machine.
• Hit brew.

While a drip machine is the simplest way to make regular coffee, there are many other brewing methods you can use. Other common methods include pour over, French press, Aeropress, and cold brew. But what ties all these methods together is the use of hot water to extract flavor from ground coffee grounds that are ground using a medium or coarse grind size. This produces a coffee that can be enjoyed black or with additives like cream and sugar.

Some of the most common ways to make regular coffee are the following:

Drip Machine: This is the classic way to make regular coffee. Ground coffee is placed in a paper filter inside a drip machine. Hot water flows over the grounds and drips down into a carafe after passing through a paper filter or a reusable metal mesh filter. Drip machines range from budget models under $50 to high-end technologically advanced models up to around $400. The best drip coffee machines are considered luxury models and usually cost $200 or more.

French Press: This immersion style of brewing involves placing coarsely ground coffee into a carafe, pouring hot water over the grounds, and then pushing down a plunger to filter the grounds after 4 minutes of brewing. This method uses metal mesh screens to remove large coffee grounds, but there is no paper filter. French presses cost around $20 to $50.

Pour Over (V60): The pour over method involves carefully pouring hot water in a circular motion, usually using a gooseneck kettle, over coffee grounds in a pour over cone lined with a paper filter. It allows for lots of control over brewing. You’ll need a pour over cone, filter, and kettle.

Chemex: Similar to pour over, except it uses a thicker paper filter that results in a cleaner tasting coffee. This method requires a Chemex carafe, filters, and a kettle.

Aeropress: Coffee grounds go in a cylindrical tube. Hot water gets added and you press down a plunger to filter the coffee through a small paper filter into a cup. This method makes an espresso-like coffee, although it’s not true espresso. An Aeropress costs around $30.

Clever Dripper: Grounds go in a paper filter with a flat bottom inside the dripper. Add hot water and let it steep before placing the dripper on a cup and draining the coffee. A clever dripper costs around $30.

Cold Brew: Coffee grounds steep in room temperature or cold water for 12 to 24 hours, resulting in a smooth, low-acidity coffee. You then use a paper filter to remove coffee particles. This method requires a carafe to brew the coffee, grounds, water, a filter, and time.

As you can see, regular coffee is highly versatile, made possible by various brewing devices that range from incredibly affordable to sophisticated and complex. The options are endless when it comes to making your daily cup of regular coffee.

What Is an Americano?

An Americano uses espresso instead of regular coffee. To make an Americano, hot water is added to a freshly pulled shot or shots of espresso. This results in a diluted espresso drink that has a similar strength and composition to regular drip coffee but with some of the flavor complexity of espresso.

The origin of the Americano dates back to World War II when American soldiers in Italy would order shots of espresso but found them too strong. The Italians would dilute the espresso with hot water to appeal to American tastebuds, and the “Americano” was born.

When you order an Americano from a cafe, the barista will pull one or two shots of rich, concentrated espresso from an espresso machine. They’ll then add hot water, resulting in a coffee that is less intense than straight espresso but fuller in body than regular drip coffee. The ratios can vary based on preference, but a typical single Americano is made with 1 shot of espresso topped with 3 to 4 ounces of hot water.

How Do You Make an Americano?

Making an Americano at home requires an espresso machine. Here is the process:

1. Use finely ground coffee with a consistency similar to powdered sugar. Tamp the grounds firmly into the portafilter basket.
2. Lock the portafilter into the group head of your espresso machine. Run hot water through the group head briefly to preheat everything. This is called pre-infusion, and it’s optional. Pre-infusion is often done under 2 or 3 bars of pressure.
3. Start the extraction by ramping up the pressure to around 9 bars. Perfect espresso shots take 18 to 25 seconds to extract using the proper grind size and pressure. The output should be about 1 to 2 ounces.
4. Add hot water to dilute the espresso. For a single Americano, add around 4 ounces of water at 200 degrees (F). The ideal ratio of hot water to espresso is between 3:1 and 4:1.
5. Lightly stir and enjoy your Americano! Add milk or other flavorings as desired.

The process involves grinding beans much more finely, dialing in your espresso extraction properly, and using specialty equipment like a quality espresso machine and burr grinder. There is definitely more of a learning curve compared to drip coffee. While espresso is incredibly complex in flavor, you arguably have more variation when it comes to regular coffee because there are so many brewing methods you can use.

Coffee vs. Americano: Key Differences

Now that you know what defines both regular coffee and the Americano, let’s do a deep dive into all the ways these two beloved coffee drinks differ.

Preparation

The preparation process for coffee and Americanos is dramatically different. Making regular drip coffee is a very simple, straightforward process that can be mastered by anyone. You simply add ground coffee and hot water together—how you combine them depends on your brewing method—and let the coffee extract. Total hands-on time is just a few minutes from start to finish.

In contrast, making espresso as the foundation of an Americano involves a much more complex process. You need to learn how to properly operate an espresso machine, which is expensive professional equipment with a learning curve. The hands-on time for espresso is usually about the same. Despite the shorter brew time, you’ll spend more time preparing the coffee puck for brewing.

You’ll need to master skills like dialing in the grind size precisely, distributing and tamping the grounds evenly to create the proper pressure, monitoring pressure and timing during extraction, and more. It can take months to learn how to pull consistent, high-quality espresso shots. There are super-automatic machines that automate the entire process for you, but these are expensive and tend to lead to less impressive espresso.

Overall, drip coffee is far simpler and more approachable to make at home compared to espresso drinks.

Winner: Regular coffee

Ease of Preparation

Building upon the preparation differences, regular coffee is also much easier to prepare when it comes to effortlessly brewing a delicious cup every time.

With drip coffee, it’s not overly challenging to brew something drinkable. As long as you use decent beans, grind them fresh, and use a proper coffee to water ratio, you’ll end up with a satisfactory cup. Brewing excellent coffee does involve learning proper techniques like optimal grind size, water temperature, and brew times for your specific method. But there is a lot more room for error and forgiveness with regular coffee.

Espresso, on the other hand, is extremely precise and unforgiving. Even being off by a few seconds on your shot time or a barely noticeable change in grind size can ruin your shot. The margin for error is razor thin.

Given how many variables you must perfectly control, it takes major dedication over many weeks or even months to learn how to nail your technique and get the same delicious espresso every single time. That level of consistency is so much harder compared to drip coffee and usually requires more expensive equipment.

If you want an amazing cup of coffee but don’t want to obsess over precision and technique, regular coffee is a better choice over espresso drinks like an Americano.

Winner: Regular coffee

Variations

When it comes to flavors, combinations, and customization, regular coffee offers nearly endless possibilities compared to the Americano.

For regular coffee alone, you can play with different beans (light, medium, dark roasts), varied brewing devices that influence flavor (Chemex makes a cleaner cup compared to French press), grind size (fine grind means more surface area exposed and stronger flavor), water temperature, coffee to water ratios, and more.

And that’s before you even get into cream, milk, sweeteners, and other additions. With regular coffee, some popular variations include:

• Iced coffee
• Nitro cold brew
• Coffee with steamed/frothed milk
• Coffee with milk
• Coffee with sugar
• Coffee with flavor syrups
• French press coffee
• Pour over coffee
• Drip coffee
• Aeropress coffee
• Cold brew coffee
• Chemex coffee
• Clever Dripper coffee
• Siphon coffee

With an Americano, you can tinker with your espresso recipe, but you have less flexibility since espresso is always the foundation. Some possible variations are:

• Iced Americano
• Americano with milk
• Americano with sugar
• Americano with flavor syrups
• An Affogato with ice cream added to Americano

But in general, you wouldn’t drastically change or mask the flavor of the espresso itself since that is meant to be the star of the show. So if you’re looking for lots of creativity, regular coffee is far more experimental.

Winner: Regular coffee

Equipment Needed

When it comes to equipment, making regular coffee is extremely accessible thanks to cheap, beginner-friendly brewing devices. A basic Mr. Coffee machine will set you back just $25 to get started. Or you can get a simple French press or pour over cone for around $20 to $50. Even more advanced drip machines or pour over setups cost $200 to $400 on the high end.

You should also invest in a grinder, and you can spend between $100 and $200 for a really good one. The precision of the grinder doesn’t need to be so dialed in because regular coffee is more forgiving. A total of over $250 for your coffee equipment might seem high, but espresso machines are much more expensive.

The Americano requires more intensive equipment…namely, an espresso machine. And we’re not talking a cheap $100 DeLonghi that makes harsh espresso. To make cafe-quality espresso for Americanos, you need a well-built machine using pumps and commercial components, not just steam.

Entry-level machines like the Breville Bambino cost around $300, and that’s the cheapest espresso machine I’d feel comfortable recommending. For truly delicious espresso, you’re looking at $600 to $1,500 or more for a semi-automatic or automatic machine.

Then you’ll also need a quality burr grinder that’s another $200 or more. Grinders tuned for espresso grinding are usually more expensive because it takes more engineering precision to allow for such a fine grind size and consistency.

Overall, regular coffee equipment is much more accessible, especially if you’re on a budget. In contrast, an Americano setup costs $500 at the very minimum for acceptable equipment, and $1,000 or more is necessary if you want one of the best espresso machines for home. The price and learning curve to make espresso drinks is far higher. If budget is a concern, drip coffee wins by a landslide.

Winner: Regular coffee

Flavor

When it comes to the flavors and tasting notes of these two coffees, they are noticeably different. Regular coffee showcases more of the innate flavors of the beans themselves. You can expect tasting notes ranging from bright and fruity (light roasted beans) to rich and chocolatey (dark roast).

Filtered methods like pour over produce a cleaner, brighter cup, while unfiltered coffee (French press) is more full-bodied and highlights darker flavors. Regular coffee won’t have the thick viscosity or frothy crema characteristic of espresso, though.

In an Americano, the espresso is bold and intense, packing a punch of flavor. Tasting notes lean towards darker chocolate, caramel, nuts, and rich spice, although you can use light roasts to bring out some acidity and brightness.

There is a syrupy mouthfeel and thick layer of slightly sweet crema on the surface. The hot water lightens the concentration of espresso in an Americano, but the signature flavors remain. An Americano will have greater body and deeper espresso flavor compared to regular coffee.

Ultimately, which is better depends on your personal taste.

Winner: Tie

Caffeine Content

When it comes to caffeine content, regular drip coffee and Americanos are similar. Here’s how they compare:

• Regular drip coffee: 80–120mg caffeine per 8 oz cup
• Americano: 60–80mg caffeine per 8 oz using a single shot of espresso (1 oz), or 90–120mg using 1.5 oz of espresso

These numbers can vary based on coffee origin, roast level, and strength, but on average, you can expect a similar dose of that sweet caffeine. The Americano may be lighter on the caffeine if you use the standard 1 oz shot, but it’s a tie with drip coffee if you brew 1.5 oz.

So, in terms of energizing you, these drinks are comparable. One notable exception is cold brew. You can make a concentrate that is much higher in caffeine if you don’t dilute it.

Winner: Tie

Health Benefits and Risks

For the most part, regular coffee and Americanos are equivalent in terms of health implications. Here are some key facts:

• They both contain antioxidants, namely chlorogenic acids, which may offer anti-inflammatory benefits. Overall antioxidant levels are similar in coffee vs. Americanos.
• Calories are negligible in black coffee and Americanos with no additives, usually sitting around 5 calories per 8 oz. Add milk and sugar, and the calorie count obviously climbs, but that’s not unique to either drink.
• The health risks are also minimal for both. Concerns like increased heart rate and blood pressure are temporary, lasting just 3 to 4 hours in most cases.
• Both are diuretics and laxatives. For some this is good, while it may be an issue for others. But again, this is not specific to either drink.

The one key difference relates to their filtration and the impact on cholesterol. Regular drip coffee is filtered, as are most regular coffee brewing methods (French press is an exception). Passing your coffee through a paper filter removes coffee oils like cafestol and kahweol, two compounds linked to increased LDL cholesterol levels.

These oils pass through into your cup with unfiltered coffee like French press, but most regular coffee brewing methods use a paper filter that strip those oils out. For this reason, filtered coffee can technically be considered to be “healthier” because those oils are pulled out.

Americano espresso is unfiltered too since it lacks a paper filter. As a result, Americanos contain more cafestol and kahweol compared to filtered drip coffee, V60, and Chemex, although it has about the same as you’d find in unfiltered French press.

For those concerned with cholesterol levels, this makes drip coffee marginally healthier in most cases. But for most people, the tiny difference is trivial.

Overall, both coffees are healthy, energizing beverages when enjoyed in moderation. The preparation method affects the health profile more than anything intrinsic to each drink itself.

Winner: Regular coffee (if it’s filtered)

Cost Comparison

Regular coffee is almost always more affordable than an Americano, whether you buy your drink from a coffee shop or brew it at home. At a coffee shop, you can expect the prices to be as follows:

• 8-12 oz regular drip coffee: $1.50 to $3.00
• 8 oz Americano: $2.00 to $4.00

If you’re making your coffee at home, chances are drip coffee will still be more affordable. For a typical shot of espresso, you use around 16 to 22 grams of ground coffee. You’ll use a single shot to make a 6 to 8 oz Americano, so you need 16 to 22 grams of coffee beans.

For drip coffee, you typically use a ratio of water to coffee of 17:1, which comes out to around 10.6 grams of coffee beans for an 8 oz cup.

For a similarly-sized beverage, you’re going to use far less coffee per cup of regular coffee than you would for an Americano.

The equipment overhead is less with regular coffee, too, since you can get a basic drip machine or what you need for manual brewing methods for as little as $20 to $30. Espresso gear is likely to cost you over $500.

Winner: Regular coffee

Popularity

In terms of popularity, regular drip coffee absolutely dominates over the Americano. Remember, 41% of Americans brew coffee using a drip coffee maker daily. When you factor in all the other regular coffee methods like French press and pour over, well over 50% of all cups consumed are regular coffee. It’s the quintessential morning ritual for good reason—it’s easy, consistent, affordable, and tasty.

Comparatively, Americano consumption is just a tiny sliver. There are no official statistics on consumption rate, but as a specialty espresso drink, it’s far less common than standard options.

Why the massive popularity imbalance? The convenience factor of pressing a button to get hot coffee instantly cannot be understated. The low cost and universal familiarity also make drip coffee accessible to anyone. while the Americano remains more exclusive due to the skill and cost of the equipment required.

For those reasons, regular coffee continues to dominate American coffee culture as the preferred morning brew of choice. The Americano has its devout fans, but drip is still king.

Winner: Regular coffee

Impact on Coffee Culture

Regular drip coffee truly revolutionized coffee consumption in America thanks to the introduction of automatic drip machines. It took coffee from a laborious and manual process to one that was automated, consistent, and approachable. Drip machines brought coffee into the home and made it readily available for the average person.

In contrast, the Americano has had far less broad impact since its creation. It remains an espresso-based drink enjoyed at cafes by coffee aficionados. The average person doesn’t own an espresso machine at home, limiting the drink’s reach.

That said, the Americano does allow baristas to provide a coffee-like beverage for espresso novices who find straight espresso too intense. It was a gateway that helped popularize espresso drinks in certain coffee shops, so the relevance and importance shouldn’t be understated.

But when considering the widespread, paradigm-shifting impact on coffee habits, regular drip coffee takes the crown. Its convenience and accessibility changed the game for an entire nation. The Americano simply cannot compare.

Winner: Regular coffee

Sustainability

In terms of environmental impact, regular drip coffee and Americanos are quite similar given the shared supply chain of coffee bean agriculture. The main sustainability difference relates to waste.

Drip coffee uses disposable paper filters, creating unnecessary waste that ends up in landfills. In contrast, Americanos use a permanent metal portafilter basket, eliminating virtually all waste, except for the coffee grounds, of course.

Overall, I’d argue Americanos have a slight edge when it comes to sustainability. The permanent filter results in marginally less waste and an overall smaller environmental impact.

But both drinks ultimately rely on coffee beans, so the agricultural practices of bean producers play a far greater role in the ethics and sustainability of your morning brew than anything inherent to the drinks themselves.

Winner: Americano

Tips for Making Better Regular Coffee

If you want to take your daily cup of joe to the next level, here are my pro tips for brewing amazing regular coffee:

• Buy freshly roasted whole beans and grind them right before brewing. The freshness is key.
• Choose a medium or light roast coffee for your drip machine to highlight a coffee’s origin characteristics. Dark roasts tend to highlight the roast profile a bit more.
• Use the correct grind size—medium-fine for drip machines,, medium for pour over and Chemex, and coarse coffee for French press.
• Water quality affects flavor. Filtered water is ideal.
• Maintain optimal water temperatures between 195 and 205 degrees (F).
• Use a coffee to water ratio between 1:15 to 1:17. More precision through weighing is best.
• For drip, preheat your device and rinse the filter beforehand.
• When pouring over, wet the grounds evenly and pour in concentric circles.
• Clean equipment regularly to prevent funky flavors.

Follow these tips and you’ll be blown away by the quality of coffee you can make at home. It takes some practice but the difference is remarkable.

Tips for Making a Better Americano

To brew cafe-quality Americanos, you need to nail the espresso extraction. Here are my tips:

• Use a medium or dark roast coffee for espresso. Lighter roasts tend to be a bit more finicky in an espresso machine.
• Freshly grind beans right before pulling shots to preserve aromatics.
• Use a precise espresso grind between powdery and fine sand.
• Dose 16 to 22 grams of coffee in the portafilter basket.
• Distribute grounds evenly and tamp consistently with a good amount of pressure.
• Time your shot for 25 to 30 seconds total.
• Try experimenting with pre-infusion to get better balance in your cup.
• Taste and adjust the grind as needed if the shot tastes off-balance.
• Use filtered water around 200 degrees (F) to dilute the espresso.
• Aim for a dilution ratio of 2 to 3 ounces of water to 1 ounce of espresso.
• Add water slowly and gently stir to integrate flavors.

Dialing in your espresso extraction takes practice, but these tips will set you in the right direction to handcraft an amazing Americano at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main differences between regular coffee and an Americano?

The main differences are the brewing method, flavor profile, preparation process, equipment required, and cost. Regular coffee is made by dripping hot water over coffee grounds and can be done using a variety of methods, while an Americano dilutes espresso shots with hot water. Regular coffee tastes brighter and less intense compared to the richer, bolder espresso flavor in an Americano. Making drip coffee is very simple while brewing espresso for Americanos requires more complex equipment and technique. And regular coffee is significantly cheaper to make at home and buy at cafes.

Is a regular coffee healthier than an Americano?

There is minimal health difference between a black coffee and Americano. Both provide antioxidants and negligible calories. However, regular filtered coffee contains slightly less cafestol and kahweol, compounds linked to increased cholesterol. This is because drip coffee uses a paper filter that removes many of these oils while espresso for Americanos does not. But for most people, the tiny difference doesn’t impact health in a significant way. Additives like cream and sugar have a far bigger influence.

How do you make amazing drip coffee at home?

To brew incredible regular coffee, use freshly roasted beans ground right before brewing. Choose a medium grind suited to your brew method and filtered water around 200 degrees (F). Maintain an optimal coffee-to-water ratio and preheat your brewing device. Techniques like pouring in concentric circles for pour over or fully saturating grounds in a French press are key. Rinse filters beforehand and clean equipment regularly too. Following proper methods makes all the difference.

Why is regular coffee more popular than Americanos?

Regular coffee—including drip, V60, French press, and Chemex—is enjoyed by over 50% of coffee drinkers, while Americanos remain an espresso-based specialty drink enjoyed by comparatively few people. The convenience of automated drip machines for fast, hot coffee makes brewing incredibly accessible. The low cost of regular coffee is also more affordable compared to the expensive equipment and learning curve required for quality espresso like in an Americano. For those reasons, regular coffee continues to dominate as the preferred daily brew.