Filter Coffee vs Americano: Difference and Comparison

Coffee is a well-known beverage today. It is the second-largest consumed edible product.

East Africa cultivated it first, and later it spread to the whole world. India first started growing coffee 400 years ago at the Malabar coast.

Coffee contains Caffeine that improves the memory power of the brain. The two most popular coffee types are- Robusta coffee and Arabica coffee.

Key Takeaways

1. Filter coffee is brewed by passing hot water through finely-ground coffee beans, whereas Americano is made by adding hot water to espresso shots.
2. Americano tends to have a stronger and bolder flavor than filter coffee, owing to its espresso base.
3. Filter coffee has a lighter, smoother taste, while Americano features a more robust and full-bodied flavor.

Filter Coffee vs Americano

Filter coffee is a mild and less concentrated type of coffee made by pouring hot water over ground coffee beans, which are held in a filter. An Americano is a type of coffee, made by diluting an espresso with hot water. It’s strength depends on the number of espresso shots and quantity of water.

Filter Coffee is made from a mixture of coffee and chicory. We prepare Filter coffee by pouring hot water over filter coffee power through a filter paper.

The concentrated coffee is then collected from the bottom of the filter coffee machine, mixed with hot milk and sugar, and served.

On the other hand, Americano is the American way of having an espresso. It is the regular Espresso diluted with a little warm water.

We prepare Americano with a shot of Espresso roughly two ounces and add water to it until we get about 10 or 12 ounces of coffee.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Filter Coffee	Americano
Preparation method	Filter coffee is simple to make by filtering	Americano is basically a diluted espresso
Flavor	Filter Coffee is bitter in taste and has a rich aroma	Americano is sweeter because of the addition of milk or honey
Strength	Filter Coffee is stronger	Americano is lighter or slightly milder
Consistency of powder	The powder used is coarser	The powder used is smoother
Caffeine content	Caffeine content is slightly high	Caffeine content is moderate

What is Filter Coffee?

Filter Coffee is also known as a drip-brew. Filter coffee powder is a little coarse powder.

It does not get dissolved in water, and hence to make filter coffee, you need a filter coffee machine, filter coffee utensil or filter paper. Filter coffee powder is made by roasting coffee beans and then being grounded.

But it does not grind 100% as smooth powder, and, thus it should be brewed by filtering.

Filter coffee is prepared in a coffee pot by pouring over some coffee and water and allowing water to flow over the grounds of coffee drip down by gravity. It is the traditional way of making filter coffee.

Filter coffee is famous for its strong aroma and some bitterness.

Two common ways of getting yourself a perfect cup of brewed Filter Coffee are-

Automatic drip method: This method makes you invest in some of the coffee machines available in the market. These can be simple or advanced ones. Mostly, these allow you to increase or decrease the flavour according to your choice. Some of these are environmentally friendly as they are made of wire mesh.

Manual drip method: In the manual drip method, all you have to do is place a filter paper on your cup with coffee powder on it and pour hot water over it and let gravity do the magic.

What is Americano?

Americano came from world war II, where the Americans were with the Italians. Italians would offer them their coffee which was an Espresso like beverage.

It was, however, too strong for Americans, so they would add water to it dilute it. It would make the Espresso into a nice 10-12 ounces cup of coffee, and that’s how they drank it.

Hence it was named the Americano.

A regular Americano may contain one or two shots of Espresso. The hot water used can be drawn from the same espresso machine or a different machine.

Some people prefer to add sugar or honey to their cup of coffee to increase sweetness. Moreover, some even prefer cinnamon or vanilla to get a perfect brewed coffee.

Some believe that making an Americano is easier. However, they overlook the fact that it also needs a coffee machine, at least to make the espresso.

Before making a cup of coffee, make sure that the coffee powder used is fresh and properly ground. It makes you enjoy your coffee to the fullest. It simply enhances the aroma and flavour of your brew to a different level. One more thing to take care of is its consistency.

Main Differences Between Filter Coffee and Americano

1. The main difference between Filter Coffee and Americano is the way of its preparation. Americano is more like a diluted espresso, whereas Filter Coffee is prepared by using filtering the coffee powder using some medium.
2. Both the Filter Coffee and the Americano gives the same strength, but they differ in flavour and taste. The Filter Coffee is a bit bitter. A cup of brewed never fails to lift you, but it is agreed that filter coffee is more likely to revive you fast.
3. Filter Coffee is probably a little stronger, whereas Americano is lighter or milder. Since filter coffee is prepared manually and the powder is coarser, it has a very bitter taste. It, however, may not be liked by all.
4. The consistency of Filter Coffee powder is coarse, while americano coffee powder has a comparatively smooth consistency. The more authentic way of making filter coffee is by using the coarser powder and not the processed powder available in the market.
5. Filter coffee contains more amount of caffeine compared to an Americano. A considerable amount of caffeine does not harm. Since filter coffee contains a little more caffeine accordingly, plan your cup of coffee.

References

1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.14321/fourthgenre.20.2.0065
2. http://miis.maths.ox.ac.uk/miis/605/1/Philips_Research_ESGI_87_Report.pdf