How to make a good long coffee?
Allongé, americano, lungo... Whatever your preference, they all have one thing in common: they are all long coffees. But what exactly is an allongé coffee and how do you prepare it properly? We explain everything.
FILTER COFFEE VS. LONG ESPRESSO
Filter coffee involves pouring hot water over coarsely ground coffee. It is characterized by a light body, great aromatic clarity, and can easily be prepared in large quantities.
Café allongé is a blend of espresso and hot water that can be prepared in different ways. It offers a beautiful aromatic intensity but with a body that is halfway between that of espresso and filter coffee.
A LITTLE HISTORY
If you're a fan of long coffee, your coffee bar menu may not make it easy for you to choose. Lungo, allongé, americano, long black... What's the difference?
There is a popular belief that the Americano was invented during World War II. American soldiers in Italy are said to have started diluting their espresso with hot water to recreate their usual filter coffee. Since then, the Americano has become very popular and the recipe remains unchanged.
To put it simply, there's the allongé and the others:
The allongé: A common mistake is to try to extract a dose of ground coffee with more water than “normal.” In other words: letting your espresso run longer! However, the result in the cup will not be what you are looking for. You will end up with coffee that is too diluted and tastes more bitter, caused by over-extraction.
However, it is not impossible to enjoy an espresso that is a little longer than average. The aim here is to achieve sweetness and balance with a few extra seconds of extraction. If you are familiar with the extraction ratio, we could talk about 1:3.5, for example. So use common sense and be reasonable.
Americano and others: This is a single or double espresso, diluted with pre-heated water or, conversely, an espresso poured over a dose of hot water. This practice allows the aromas of the original espresso to be preserved as much as possible. This is why some automatic machines, such as the JURA E8, are now equipped with a separate hot water circuit. They automatically add water to your espresso according to your taste (programmable dose).
PREPARATION
At Édika, we are fans of the long black: a double espresso served with 90 to 120 ml (3 to 4 oz) of hot water, which is slightly less than an Americano. This recipe comes from Australia and New Zealand and produces a more concentrated and aromatic drink.
STEPS FOR PREAPARING LONG COFFEE
Prepare a double espresso.
As a reminder, depending on your taste, you will need 15 to 20g of ground coffee to obtain 30 to 60ml (1 to 2oz) in a cup. Please note that for third wave coffees, which are lighter in color, we recommend using a higher dose for a balanced taste.
Pour about 90ml (3oz) of hot water into a large cup.
Pour your shot of espresso directly into the cup of hot water.
Be sure to keep it close to the filter holder to avoid splashing. This method preserves the beautiful crema and aromatic qualities of the espresso. However, you can also prepare it in another cup and then pour it gently.
For this preparation, we like Café Touché's Petit Velours blend. Its round and velvety aromatic profile is ideal. Enjoy!