Americano sizes and whats in them..

splashthecash

I'm just back from my local Insomnia coffee shop where I asked something that has made me think...

This is a relatively small thing by the way but I'm curious with what everyone thinks.

I was going for the muffin & coffee deal for €3.50. With this you can pick whatever size of coffee you want, so I went for the large.

I normally drink Americano and as she was making it, I asked her what is the difference between a regular and a large and she said just more water. I would have expected a large to contain a extra shot or something like that? So if I go in to buy a coffee on its own, I'm being charged an extra 60\70 cent or whatever it is for extra hot water which just waters down your americano?? That seems like a joke.

I asked the same question in Costa Coffee before and there I was told a larage contained an extra shot.

What is everyones understanding of this?

adrian522

Well some places have a menu item to add an extra shot but I agree with you a large americano should have more coffee to make up for the extra water.

However I've come around to the opinion that filter coffee is a better bet than americano if you are looking for a regular coffee without milk though unfortunately most places don't have this option either.

if the espresso is any good adding water to it just ruins it in my opinion and if it's not any good then there is no point anyway

Gran Hermano

In a cafe Milan recently we ordered an espresso and an American. Both were the same price and the American was a shot served in a large cup accompanied by a jug of hot water. The pricing and dilute to taste approach made a lot of sense.

Edit, poxy autocorrection on phone changing americano

Birdie086

I work in a coffee shop and we charge the same price for our small/med/large americano. Two shots of espresso used in each so its basically down to how strong our customers prefer their coffee. If a new customer comes into where I work i usually explain our system to them.

Sinfonia

I had a similar thought the other day, based on the price difference in one or two places (at least) between an espresso (at 1.90) and an americano (at 2.20). Surely 30 cent for some hot water is a bit much.

Funnily enough I came to the C&T forum just now to talk about another americano-related problem:

Many places I've been to recently, particularly Italian-owned cafés have given me a caffe lungo when I asked for an americano.
i.e. by americano I mean a shot of espresso, with pure water added, rather than running water through the puck for longer. Am I wrong on this?

coylemj

Gran Hermano wrote: »

In a cafe Milan recently we ordered an espresso and an American. Both were the same price and the American was a shot served in a large cup accompanied by a jug of hot water.

I've been all over Italy and in my experience that's how Cafe Americano is served everywhere. Apparently originated when the GIs in WWII asked for hot water to dilute the espresso which was too strong for their tastes.

Gran Hermano

I was aware of the history, I was highlighting how some Irish cafes can charge an extra euro for the extra hot water.

Birdie086

Gran Hermano wrote: »

I was aware of the history, I was highlighting how some Irish cafes can charge an extra euro for the extra hot water.

We charge the same price for a double espresso or americano, can't see why it would be more expensive in places.

Mr_Spaceman

coylemj wrote: »

I've been all over Italy and in my experience that's how Cafe Americano is served everywhere. Apparently originated when the GIs in WWII asked for hot water to dilute the espresso which was too strong for their tastes.

Interesting fun fact!

You learn something new every day on here.