Americano vs espresso comes down to water. An espresso is a small, concentrated shot of about 1 oz (30 ml). An Americano is that same espresso topped up with several ounces of hot water, so it is larger and milder. With the same number of shots, both drinks carry the same caffeine, about 63 mg per single.

The base is identical, and only the dilution changes, which reshapes the taste, the texture and how long the drink lasts. If you are weighing espresso against regular filter coffee instead, see our espresso vs coffee guide.

The short answer

Espresso Americano
What it is A concentrated coffee shot brewed under pressure Espresso diluted with hot water
Volume About 1 oz (30 ml) single, 2 oz (60 ml) double 8–20 fl oz at Starbucks, Short to Venti
Caffeine About 63 mg per single, 126 mg per double The same as the shots inside
Taste Intense, syrupy, bold Milder, lighter body, closer to drip
Crema Thick layer on top A thin layer, or broken up
Calories About 3 kcal per single The same, water adds none
How it is served Small cup, a few sips Mug, sipped slowly

These are typical values. Cafés vary the shot count and the amount of water, so read the Americano numbers as a range.

What is the difference between an Americano and espresso?

The difference between an Americano and espresso is that an Americano adds hot water after brewing. Espresso is the shot itself: hot water forced through finely ground coffee at about 9 bar, so a double of about 18 g of coffee yields about 36 g of drink in 25–30 seconds.

An Americano starts with exactly that shot. The barista then adds hot water, which turns a few intense sips into a full cup. Starbucks describes its Caffè Americano as espresso shots topped with hot water, creating a light layer of crema.

Nothing about the coffee changes in between. The same beans, grind and shot go into both, which is why the Americano is often described as espresso you can drink slowly. Our what is espresso guide covers the shot in more depth.

Americano vs espresso: size, strength and caffeine

Bar chart of caffeine: a 1 oz single espresso and a single shot in an 8 oz Americano both have about 63 mg, about 63 mg per ounce against about 8 mg per ounce, and a double has about 126 mg; at Starbucks a solo espresso or Short Americano has 75 mg, a doppio or Tall Americano 150 mg, a Grande Americano 225 mg and a Venti 300 mg

An Americano and an espresso have the same caffeine when they use the same shots, but the Americano spreads it across far more liquid. USDA data puts espresso at 212 mg of caffeine per 100 g, about 63 mg in a 1 oz single and 126 mg in a 2 oz double.

Water adds nothing, so caffeine depends only on the shot count. What changes is concentration. A single espresso holds about 63 mg in one ounce; the same shot in an 8 oz Americano works out to about 8 mg per ounce, so it tastes far gentler.

Café Americanos usually contain more shots than a straight espresso. Starbucks’ published figures show the pattern:

Starbucks drink Size Espresso shots Caffeine Calories
Espresso, solo 0.75 fl oz 1 75 mg 5
Espresso, doppio 1.5 fl oz 2 150 mg 10
Caffè Americano, Short 8 fl oz 1 75 mg 5
Caffè Americano, Tall 12 fl oz 2 150 mg 10
Caffè Americano, Grande 16 fl oz 3 225 mg 15
Caffè Americano, Venti 20 fl oz 4 300 mg 15

Starbucks counts about 75 mg per shot, a little above the USDA average. For more on what moves those numbers, see how much caffeine is in an espresso shot. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally linked to negative effects in healthy adults; this is general context, not advice.

Does an Americano taste like espresso?

An Americano tastes like espresso stretched out, with the same roasty flavors at a much lower intensity. The bitterness, acidity and sweetness of the shot are all still there, but water thins the body from syrupy to something closer to a mug of drip coffee.

  • Espresso: dense and heavy on the tongue, with a long aftertaste. Small flaws in the shot, such as sourness or harshness, are easy to taste.
  • Americano: lighter and easier to sip. Water softens sharp edges, which is why some people who find espresso too strong enjoy an Americano.

The crema changes too. On espresso, it sits as a thick tan layer. In an Americano, hot water poured onto the shot breaks much of it up. Starbucks’ home recipe pours the espresso onto the water instead, to avoid breaking up the crema.

Americano vs other espresso drinks

The Americano and the long black are the common espresso drinks lengthened with plain water, while the milk drinks use the same shots with steamed milk. The table puts it next to the drinks people most often compare it with.

Drink Espresso Added Typical size Taste next to an Americano
Americano 1–4 shots Hot water 8–20 fl oz (Starbucks) Baseline: black, mild
Long black Single or double Hot water first, espresso on top 4–6 oz of water plus the shot Stronger, more crema
Lungo A long shot, 1:3 to 1:4 ratio Nothing; more water runs through the coffee About 2 oz Smaller, more bitter
Latte 1–2 shots 5–10 oz steamed milk, thin foam 8–12 oz Creamy and sweet, no water
Cappuccino Single shot (25 ml) 100 ml steamed milk, thick foam 150–180 ml (5–6 oz) Smaller, foamy
Flat white Single or double Steamed milk, about 1/4 in (6 mm) microfoam 8 oz or less Silky and coffee-forward
Macchiato 1–2 shots A spoonful of milk foam About 1–3 oz Close to straight espresso

Milk drinks add calories and soften bitterness, while an Americano stays black and almost calorie-free. For milk amounts by cup size, see our latte milk ratio guide, and for a full menu of drinks, types of espresso drinks.

Americano vs latte and cappuccino

An Americano and a latte can have the same espresso, but the latte uses milk where the Americano uses water. That makes the latte creamier, sweeter-tasting and much higher in calories. A cappuccino is smaller still, with a thick foam cap. If the coffee itself is what you want to taste, an Americano keeps it clearer.

Long black vs Americano: water first or last

Diagram comparing a long black and an Americano: the long black is 120 to 180 ml of hot water with a double espresso poured on top so the crema floats; the Americano is espresso first with hot water added, which breaks up much of the crema, in a larger drink of 8 to 20 fl oz at Starbucks

A long black and an Americano use the same two ingredients, but the long black puts the hot water in the cup first and the espresso goes on top. Breville’s machine manual describes a long black as an espresso or double espresso extracted over 120–180 ml (4–6 oz) of hot water.

Pouring the shot onto the water keeps more crema floating on the surface, and the drink usually holds less water than a café Americano, so it tastes stronger. Breville’s long black recipe treats 1:1 water to espresso as the standard and also gives 2:1, adjusted to taste.

Where the extra water goes: lungo or Americano

A lungo is an espresso shot pulled longer, while an Americano is a normal shot with water added after brewing. La Marzocco places the lungo at a brew ratio of 1:3 to 1:4, against 1:2 to 1:3 for a normal shot, so 18 g of coffee becomes about 54–72 g of drink.

That extra water runs through the coffee and keeps extracting, which gives a lungo a drier, more bitter finish. The water in an Americano never touches the grounds, so it dilutes without extracting more. Our ristretto vs long shot guide compares the short and long shots in detail.

Making an Americano at home: the quick version

A hand tilting a white electric kettle over a white mug on a saucer, against a beige wall

To make an Americano at home, pull a single or double shot and combine it with hot water, adding the water to the cup first if you want to keep the crema. There is no fixed official ratio, so start with a published recipe and adjust.

  1. Heat the water. Bring water to a boil or use your machine’s hot water outlet. Starbucks’ home recipe uses 1.25 cups (10 oz, 300 ml) of hot water for two shots.
  2. Fill the mug. Pour the hot water into a preheated mug.
  3. Pull the espresso. Brew a double shot of about 2 oz (60 ml). If you are new to your machine, see how to use an espresso machine.
  4. Pour the shot slowly on top. This keeps more crema intact.
  5. Taste and adjust. Add water for a milder cup, or use less for a bolder one.

With a 2 oz double, Starbucks’ recipe works out to about 1 part espresso to 5 parts water. Breville’s long black recipe sits at the strong end, at 1:1 to 1:2. For the cold version, poured over cold water and ice, see our iced Americano recipe.

Which should you choose?

Choose espresso when you want the full intensity and texture of the coffee in a few sips, and an Americano when you want that flavor in a larger, gentler drink. Neither is stronger in caffeine with the same shots.

Choose espresso if you… Choose an Americano if you…
Like a short, intense coffee Want a mug to sip for a while
Want to taste the crema and body Prefer a lighter body
Are judging a new bag of beans Find straight espresso too bitter
Drink coffee standing at the counter Usually drink drip coffee

How an Americano compares with drip coffee is a different question, answered in our Americano vs coffee guide.

The bottom line

An Americano is an espresso with hot water added, so it is bigger and milder but carries exactly the caffeine of its shots, about 63 mg per single. Espresso gives you the coffee at full concentration, with thick crema and heavy body. Pour the shot onto the water if you want to keep some crema, and start near 1 part espresso to 5 parts water, then adjust to taste.

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