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The perfect long black
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Yes, I thought this article was spot-on also.
Making coffee at home you realise how many factors all have to be spot-on to produce that special cup.
Friday I ground the bean one notch too coarse and the coffee was average, today right grind and it was great.
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Could not give a rats about crema on top of a long black....If its based on GREAT shot then it matters very little if at all in regards to the overall taste and body.
Fill a jug with hot water from the machine before pulling the shot. Pull something a touch looser than a double rizz and slide the hot water gently in thin stream under the crema just like making a milk coffee.
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I wonder about this a bit. I drink long blacks often, and am never sure how to get the hot water the right temperature. If you are fortunate enough to have a hot water tap on your machine, the water comes out at brew temp, so at least 90C +, if you mix cold and boiling, you are just guessing as to a ratio that will satisfy.
The article mentions having an urn sitting at 70C, that's nice for a cafe, but not really practical for a home environment. I think I might try steaming cold water tomorrow morning, and treating it the same way I would milk for a latte. When it gets close to too hot to touch, I'll add it to my cup, then pull the shot on top... Thoughts?
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Hot water first then the shot/s, it's the method and the crema that makes it a Long Black, shot/s first and hot water second will disperse the crema giving you an Americana. Do they taste the same? Not in the beginning, a long black is for those who love sipping through the oils of the crema....mmmmm....now I want one!
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I don't obsess too much about the exact temp of the hot water.
I just 3/4 fill my 160ml cup from the group and then lock in the portafilter and pour the shot into it.
Always the right temp for me. Not too hot to sip right away, not too warm so that it goes cold before I finish.
Enough stuffing around already without heating water separately.
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Whenever I make a long black for myself, I use about 70-80mils of water, pull a double shot onto it, then top up with cold water. I'm usually fairly busy during the day and unfortunately can't take the time to enjoy a hot to warm long black, so I skip straight to the warm long black and slam it down fast. Probably not ideal for a cafe environment, but it works for me and I enjoy it.
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Yes, but there's more to it than that. An Americano should be weaker than a proper long black, or should I say more diluted. Also the pour of the hot water into the espresso for an Americano is important as it should aim to break up any crema layer there. I'm not sure if this is urban myth but I heard that Americanos were developed to imitate the black filter coffee that is prevalent in the States.Originally posted by barri View PostIf you pour the shot first and then top up with hot water then isn't that called an americano? In that case I prefer an australiano, that is, hot water first
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