How to Make an Americano, a Lungo and a Long Black

You want a longer coffee drink that starts with espresso but ends up closer to a mug than a demitasse. There are three routes, and they are not interchangeable.

An Americano adds water to espresso. A lungo pulls more water through the espresso puck. A long black adds espresso to water. The order and the method matter, because they change what ends up in the cup: the extraction level, the body, the crema and the taste.

Here is how each one works and when to use it.

The Americano

What it is: A shot of espresso with hot water added on top. The simplest of the three. Pull a normal espresso (or a double), then add hot water to the cup until it reaches the strength you like.

How to make it:

1. Pull a double espresso into your cup. A standard recipe: 18 grams in, about 36 grams out, in 25 to 30 seconds.
2. Heat water to about 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit (90 to 96 degrees Celsius). You can use the hot water tap on your espresso machine if it has one, or a kettle.
3. Pour the hot water over the espresso. Start with about 100 grams (3.5 ounces) and adjust. More water for a milder drink. Less for a stronger one.

What it tastes like: The espresso’s character diluted to drip-like strength. The crema breaks up when the water hits it, which is fine. The flavor is clean, straightforward and forgiving. If your espresso is slightly over- or under-extracted, the dilution smooths it out. This is the least fussy of the three drinks.

Who it suits: Anyone who wants espresso flavor in a mug-sized drink without thinking about it too much. It is the default “large coffee” at most cafes for a reason.

The lungo

What it is: A longer espresso pull. Instead of stopping the shot at a 1:2 ratio, you let it run to 1:3 or 1:4, pulling more water through the same puck. This is not the same as adding water. The extra water is going through the coffee, extracting more compounds.

How to make it:

1. Use your normal espresso dose (say 18 grams).
2. Instead of aiming for about 36 grams of liquid, pull until you reach 54 to 72 grams (a 1:3 to 1:4 ratio).
3. The shot will take longer. A typical lungo might run 35 to 50 seconds.
4. Taste. If it is bitter or dry at the end, the extraction went too far. Grind slightly coarser to let the water flow faster, which reduces extraction time even at the longer ratio.

What it tastes like: Fuller and more complex than an Americano, but riskier. The early part of an espresso extraction dissolves the brightest, most acidic compounds. The middle brings sweetness and body. The tail brings heavier, sometimes harsher compounds [1] [2]. A lungo reaches deeper into that tail. Done well, it is rich and layered. Done poorly, it is thin and bitter at the finish.

Who it suits: Someone who wants a slightly longer espresso with more complexity and is willing to dial it in. It requires a grind adjustment (usually coarser than a normal espresso to keep the flow rate reasonable) and a taste-and-adjust approach. This is not a set-and-forget drink.

The long black

What it is: The water goes in first. The espresso goes on top. That is the entire difference from an Americano, and it changes the drink more than you would expect.

How to make it:

1. Pour 100 to 150 grams (3.5 to 5 ounces) of hot water into a cup.
2. Pull a double espresso (18 grams in, about 36 grams out) into a separate cup or directly on top of the water.
3. Pour the espresso gently over the water. If you pull directly onto the water, use a low cup and a slow pour from the spout.

What it tastes like: The crema floats on top of the water in a thin, tawny layer. The first sip gets the crema and the concentrated espresso flavor, which then blends into the diluted body below. The experience is more textured than an Americano. The crema adds a slight bitterness and richness that you lose when water crashes through it.

Who it suits: Anyone who appreciates the look and the layered first sip. It is the standard in Australia and New Zealand and increasingly common in specialty cafes elsewhere. Functionally, the taste is close to an Americano once you stir it, but the first few sips are different.

Side by side

	Americano	Lungo	Long Black
Method	Espresso + water on top	Longer pull through puck	Water first, espresso on top
Extraction	Normal espresso	Higher (more water through grounds)	Normal espresso
Crema	Broken by water	Thinner, dissipated by longer pull	Preserved on top
Body	Clean, diluted	Fuller, can be heavy	Layered, crema on first sip
Difficulty	Easy	Needs dialing in	Easy
Forgiveness	High	Low	High

The taste decision

If you are unsure which one to try, start with the Americano. It is the easiest to make and the most forgiving. If your espresso is already dialed in and tasting good as a straight shot, the Americano will be good too. It just spreads the flavor across more liquid.

If you want more from the coffee itself, try a lungo with the same beans. You will need to grind coarser to keep the flow rate reasonable, and you will need to taste your way to the right ratio. Too short and you just have a large normal shot. Too long and the tail goes bitter. The sweet spot is in between, and it changes with every bean. This is the fussiest of the three, and I find it the most interesting when it works.

If you want the Americano’s simplicity with a bit more presentation, the long black is the move. Same ingredients, same total extraction, different order. The crema on top is a small thing, but coffee is made of small things.

All three drinks have roughly the same caffeine content, because they all start with the same espresso dose. The lungo may extract slightly more caffeine because more water passes through the grounds, but the difference is small [4]. The choice is about taste and texture, not about strength.

Common mistakes

Using boiling water for the Americano or long black. Water straight off a rolling boil scalds the espresso and tastes flat. Let it cool to 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, or use the hot water tap on your machine, which is usually in that range.

Pulling a lungo without adjusting the grind. If you keep your normal espresso grind and just let the shot run longer, the water takes longer to get through the increasingly spent puck. The tail of the shot over-extracts. Grind coarser so the flow stays reasonable.

Stirring the long black immediately. The point of pouring espresso on water is the crema layer. If you stir right away, you have an Americano. Sip the top first, then stir if you want to.

Overthinking the water ratio. There is no universal standard. 100 to 150 grams of water for a double shot is a starting point. If you like it stronger, use less water. If you like it milder, use more. Your mug, your morning.

Caffeine, heat and your machine. The FDA says up to about 400 mg of caffeine a day is not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults; pregnancy, some heart conditions, anxiety, reflux and certain medicines can change that, so check with a clinician if any apply. Steam wands and group heads are hot enough to burn. Unplug and cool a machine before opening or cleaning it, and follow the manufacturer’s descaling instructions.

Related reading: How to Dial In a New Bag of Coffee | Why Is My Espresso Bitter?