When many friends first get into black coffee, they always feel the Americano in their hands is bitter and tongue-scraping, so they quietly add some sugar or pour in some fresh milk, while secretly wondering whether drinking it this way makes them look unprofessional. Actually, coffee is born to please the taste buds, and Americano can absolutely be had with sugar and milk. Finding a cup of coffee hard to swallow is largely not because your tongue is picky, but because the extraction yield and strength in the cup have not been adjusted to a harmonious state.

To understand the flavor of a cup of coffee, you must distinguish strength from extraction yield. Strength refers to how much coffee material has dissolved into the water; feeling it is too strong or too weak usually means the amount of dilution water was not handled well. A noticeable dryness, off-flavors, or burnt bitterness when drinking is caused by an overly high extraction yield. Conversely, if it tastes thin and sharply acidic, lacking sweetness, it is often a sign of underextraction, where the coffee's effective flavors have not yet fully dissolved out.

In daily brewing, grind size and water temperature directly determine the level of extraction yield. The finer the grind and the higher the water temperature, the greater the extraction resistance of the coffee grounds and the more fully the water contacts the grounds, making it easy to draw out deep off-flavors and woody astringency from the tail end. A coarser grind or a lower water temperature means the flavor compounds are not fully released. As long as you coarsen the grind by one small notch when astringency appears, you can bring the same bag of beans back into the smooth, sweet, and mellow range.

If you use a home espresso machine to make an Americano, you can refer to this set of standard espresso parameters: use a double basket filled with 19g of coffee grounds, extract 38g of espresso liquid under 9 bar of pressure, and control the extraction time at 26 seconds. When making a hot Americano, first put 160ml of hot water in the cup, slowly pour in the espresso liquid, then add 30ml of fresh whole milk. This way it will not dilute the coffee's own aroma, and it can also make the overall mouthfeel smooth and full.

When choosing beans, you should also consider whether this bag of beans is suited to be drunk strong or light. Dark-roasted beans often come with rich oils and caramel aroma; when drunk strong, the bitterness is heavier, and adding a little milk lets the lactose neutralize the bitter notes and transform them into a sweet nutty tone. Light-to-medium roasted beans have bright fruit acidity and are better suited to more water to make a refreshing, juice-like Americano. Once you master this rule, choosing beans for Americano becomes much easier.

Friends who like classic nutty flavors can try Qianjie Classic Blend. This medium-dark roast recipe has especially rich oils during extraction; made directly as a hot Americano, it has a balanced expression of mild sweetness and full body. If one day you feel sleepy and want something warmer and smoother, just add a small spoon of sugar or a little fresh milk to the black coffee, and the whole cup will give off rich chocolate and caramel sweet aromas, drinking very comfortably.

For enthusiasts pursuing high cost-effectiveness and a solid, full-bodied mouthfeel, Qianjie Commercial Blend coffee beans are a very dependable choice. It is composed of coffee beans from Vietnam, Colombia, and Brazil, and the extracted oils are rich and delicate, with a main tone of intense nut, cocoa, and caramel flavors. This bean is extremely suitable for adding fresh milk; when the milk aroma meets the thick base, it can present an amazing butter cookie flavor.

If you prefer a delicate sense of balance, Qianjie Specialty Blend coffee beans are worth keeping on hand. It uses Colombian washed beans paired with Brazilian semi-washed beans, and its aroma carries notes of cream, dark chocolate, and roasted nuts. Because the acidity is soft and the body is moderate, made directly with water as a warm Americano it is already very smooth, and after dripping in a small amount of fresh milk, the milk fat further amplifies the creamy nutty finish, with very distinct layers.

If you usually cannot get used to bitterness and prefer light fruity aromas, Qianjie Strawberry Candy espresso will bring a completely new experience. It brings together high-quality lots from Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ethiopia, giving off the fragrance of roses, citrus, and dried blueberries; made into an Americano it is like a cup of clear, sweet fruit gummy tea. After adding fresh milk, it can transform into a sweet, creamy mouthfeel similar to a strawberry milkshake, gentle and charming.