Coffee in New York: Americano, Drip Coffee, and Instant Coffee

I'm back from a month in New York and I still haven't recovered from the jet lag and the excitement of a metropolis that shakes you up. New York surprises you and leaves you with contrasting sensations, sensations that you metabolize upon return, because the rhythms of the Big Apple don't give you time to think and reflect. You have to move quickly, get where you need to go, up and down the subway, between elegant neighborhoods, extravagance and discomfort that blend together creating the New York experience, unique in the world.

And to keep up with a city that doesn't know how to stop, coffee has been one of the fundamental ingredients! Manhattan and its neighborhoods never sleep, they run, they push you to do the same, and in this continuous momentum caffeine becomes almost a necessary fuel. Every morning started with a coffee in hand and the feeling that this little ritual shared with thousands of people was an integral part of city life.

Italian coffee is something else

Those who are used to the espresso from the bar downstairs, with its thirty milliliters intense and aromatic, will have some difficulty adapting to American coffee culture. In the USA, and particularly in New York, espresso exists, sure, but it's an exception rather than the rule. The vast majority of coffee shops offer the so-called drip coffee or americano: a much lighter, longer and "watered down" drink according to our standards. Even when you find an espresso, prepare to spend between 4 and 5 dollars, to which taxes and, often, tip are added. In short, the experience is not only different in taste, but also in price.
And it's always what we would consider a tall or long espresso

American coffee: once popular-priced, now almost a luxury

In the United States, coffee has always been considered a popular, economical, almost democratic drink: just a dollar – or a little more – was enough to have your take-away cup, filled perhaps in an independent coffee shop or at the classic neighborhood diner. Today, instead, even a simple drip coffee can easily exceed 3 or 4 dollars. It approaches the same price as more elaborate drinks like chai latte or matcha latte or other more elaborate beverages that were once considered a separate category, "premium".

This transformation is linked to various factors, but one of the main ones is the inflation that hit the United States in the post-Covid period. After the pandemic, the increase in production costs, labor and logistics made the prices of almost everything rise, including coffee. According to official data, inflation in the USA reached record levels in 2022, with peaks above 8%, and even though today the numbers are more contained, the price of many goods – coffee included – has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Moreover, the boom of artisanal coffee shops and the growing interest in coffee origins and quality have pushed toward a new perception of coffee: less commodity, more experience to be valued… and paid for.

Arabica and single origin: a different taste culture

One of the things that strikes you is the American passion for single origin coffees, often arabica, which leaves an acidic aftertaste and a rather light consistency in the mouth. If you ask for a "strong" coffee, they'll hardly bring you something similar to our espresso. Maybe it's simply a matter of habit, or culture: for us, the blend is the art of balance, the result of artisanal work that merges different origins to obtain a round and consistent taste. In the United States, on the contrary, declaring the unique origin of the bean - whether it's Colombia, Ethiopia or Brazil - is synonymous with quality and transparency. Blends seem almost like a generic product, little valued.

American coffee

American coffee, for many Italians abroad, is the first approach to the reality of made in USA coffee. An abundant cup, with a less concentrated taste and a much lighter body compared to our traditional espresso. It's a drink designed to last longer, to be sipped slowly, perhaps in front of a laptop or during a meeting. For us Italians it may seem like a "watered down" version of coffee, but it actually responds to a different idea of consumption, more diluted in time and less ritual. Paradoxically, it's not even that common in American coffee shops, where drip coffee dominates instead.

Drip coffee: the true protagonist of coffee in the United States

Drip coffee is the true king of American coffee shops. Prepared with filter methods, like the classic electric coffee machines or the more refined pour-over, this coffee is obtained by slowly passing hot water through ground coffee, held by a paper filter. The result is a much lighter and longer drink compared to espresso, but often also more fragrant and aromatic, especially if made with fresh and well-ground beans. It's the perfect drink to fill the large to-go cups of New Yorkers, often also available in free refills at traditional diners. Apparently simple, drip is actually the heart of American coffee culture: daily, accessible, adjustable, and deeply linked to the idea of functionality rather than intensity.

Instant coffee: practicality above all

In the United States, instant coffee - or instant coffee - has a long history and continues to occupy an important place in the daily life of many Americans. It's the symbol of extreme practicality: just add hot water to a teaspoon of powder and in a few seconds you have a cup ready to drink. It doesn't require machines, filters or particular skills, and that's why it was for years the preferred coffee in homes, offices and even motels along the highways. Although today the more refined taste of new generations and the boom of artisanal coffee shops are reducing the popularity of instant in big cities, its use persists, especially for economic and convenience reasons. For us Italians it may seem like the antithesis of "real" coffee, but in a country where efficiency and speed are often in first place, instant coffee continues to represent a logical and functional choice.

Capsules for American coffee: practicality without forgetting taste

In the United States, where coffee is often drunk in mug format and accompanies the entire day, capsules for American coffee represent a practical and increasingly widespread solution. Unlike espresso capsules, designed for brief and intense preparations, those dedicated to long coffee contain a larger dose of coffee and are designed to dispense more abundant quantities (up to 230 ml or more), with a more delicate and less concentrated extraction. Systems like Nespresso Vertuo, Keurig or Dolce Gusto allow you to obtain a coffee similar to drip coffee, quickly and without complications.

The main advantage is convenience: no filters to change, no grinding, no complicated cleaning. However, compared to fresh drip coffee, the flavor can be less full and aromatic. Even if it won't win over lovers of traditional espresso, the American capsule perfectly responds to the American need for a long, immediate coffee that's always ready to follow you anywhere - even in the take-away cup that has now become a cultural icon.

To each country its coffee

To each country its coffee, you could say. And maybe it's not even fair to make comparisons. In the USA, and particularly in New York, coffee is an institution: it's not just a drink, it's a daily companion. You see it everywhere, in the classic paper cup with the plastic lid and the sleeve to avoid burning yourself. It's part of the urban landscape like skyscrapers and yellow taxis. It's the symbol of a hectic life, always on the move, and of a culture where time is money and coffee is consumed while walking, working, talking.

In New York coffee is not sipped: you carry it with you, like an essential accessory to face the urban jungle.