<p>I would suspect that a few centigrades make all the difference here. With coffee, too high temperatures will negatively affect your flavor. Rule of thumb: Hot is good, boiling isn’t.</p>

<p>If you put the water in your mug first, you’ll lose just a bit of temperature as the water warms the mug and/or stands for a bit until you add the coffee. </p>

<p>If you reverse the order, you are effectively scalding (some of) the coffee with the boiling water, losing volatile aromatic compounds and degrading others.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-24T19:08:57.463Z
This is an interesting idea and I suspect the best answer in my case since you are also correct that I am using a moka, not an espresso machine.
the_t_test_1
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-24T19:28:52.077Z
Thanks! It’s essentially a version of the eternal “milk-first / tea-first” debate. Btw., it’s perfectly ok to wait for more answers before accepting.
Stephie
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-05T10:30:58.270Z
OK, I've decided to mark this correct... after testing this morning, albeit not blindly (so feel free to repeat this for yourselves!), I can definitely discern that one cup is noticably more bitter and the other softer and smoother. What's more, I am pretty sure you can even tell the temperature difference between them, with the former being more scalding if you drink straight away.
the_t_test_1
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-24T16:46:54.757Z
2019-01-24T16:46:54.757Z
Stephie
<p>I read the following somewhere and copied to a note pad to try for myself:</p>

<p>Americano: Shot first, then add water, which usually mixes in the crema</p>

<p>Long black: Water first, espresso second, crema sits on top.</p>

<p>Many who make the long black do so to preserve the crema on top.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T21:09:11.993Z
2019-01-25T21:09:11.993Z
Monkey Wrench
<p>Try preheating the mug first, then retest. I think that coffee gets weird when it cools, and you're heating the mug with the coffee when you put it in first. </p>

<p>So put some boiling water in the mug, swirl it around for a bit, dump it out, then put the coffee in. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T10:16:35.373Z
OK this is an interesting addition. I will return to this when I've conducted some further experiments...
the_t_test_1
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T00:01:30.727Z
2019-01-25T00:01:30.727Z
Dotes
<p>I think you should do a blind test and see if you can taste the difference. I'd make one batch of coffee with your Moka pot and split it. Make it both ways in identical cups, label them underneath so you will know which is which later, and then mix them up (maybe have a friend do that), and then taste them. This is common practice when cupping new coffees so that bias does not affect our ideas of them. </p>

<p>I'd be interested to hear if you still thought they tasted different.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-31T03:41:16.620Z
2019-01-31T03:41:16.620Z
Induction
<p>It's the crema. The crema will naturally flow to the top when the espresso is poured in hot water, while it will be totally dissolved if you add the hot water to the espresso. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-24T16:39:37.057Z
If the OP talks about “moka”, crema isn’t an issue.
Stephie
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-24T19:08:17.180Z
Yes, it's a bialetti moka. Meanwhile, I've read something that suggests I am making a "long black", not an "Americano"... is that correct?
the_t_test_1
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-24T13:53:18.740Z
2019-01-24T13:53:18.740Z
Jean-Philippe Allard
<p>struggling to find an answer to this (if there is one), perhaps because nature of the question doesn't work so well with search engines.</p>

<p>Essentially, I've noticed (and so have others I've spoken to about this), that if I make espresso in a moka and want an Americano style coffee (i.e. hot water mixed with espresso -- please don't crucify me if this isn't the correct definition of Americano) then it affects the taste significantly if I make it in these two ways:</p>

<ol>
<li>Boil water in kettle, pour water into mug, pour moka espresso into hot water in mug -- the two mix -- then drink.</li>
</ol>

<p>v</p>

<ol start="2">
<li><ol>
<li>Boil water in kettle, pour moka espresso into mug, add hot water into espresso in mug -- the two mix -- then drink.</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>

<p>I've noticed the first method produces a nice, smooth Americano that's nice to drink... whereas the second method (coffee in first, add water) produces a relatively less pleasant, sometimes unpleasant, bitter (perhaps?) and very inferior drink.</p>

<p>How is this possible? My only guess is perhaps it's a chemistry thing to do with some kind of oil in the coffee? Or it just mixes better the other way? I have no idea but I swear this difference is real and so do some of my friends, but none of us know why.</p>

<p>Thanks...</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-24T16:38:56.313Z
Just to be very sure: By moka espresso you are talking about the Italian stovetop coffee maker known as moka pot?
Stephie
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-24T19:18:02.797Z
Yes :) Also, see my question below -- is it true that (1) is a 'long black' and (2) is an 'americano'... I read online this is one difference (the order the coffee/water goes in... but also the ratio).
the_t_test_1
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-24T19:25:07.307Z
Please don’t post follow-up questions somewhere in comments. We’re just a Q/A site with a quite strict format. I recommend you take the [tour] and browse through our [help] to learn more about how the site works. You may of course ask new questions any time.
Stephie
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T10:56:47.353Z
Did anyone already checked https://coffee.stackexchange.com/questions/1598/end-result-of-americano-vs-long-black
MTSan
<espresso><moka>
Pouring espresso into hot water versus hot water into espresso
the_t_test_1
# Pouring espresso into hot water versus hot water into espresso

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-24)

struggling to find an answer to this (if there is one), perhaps because nature of the question doesn't work so well with search engines.

Essentially, I've noticed (and so have others I've spoken to about this), that if I make espresso in a moka and want an Americano style coffee (i.e. hot water mixed with espresso -- please don't crucify me if this isn't the correct definition of Americano) then it affects the taste significantly if I make it in these two ways:

1. Boil water in kettle, pour water into mug, pour moka espresso into hot water in mug -- the two mix -- then drink.

v

2. 1. Boil water in kettle, pour moka espresso into mug, add hot water into espresso in mug -- the two mix -- then drink.

I've noticed the first method produces a nice, smooth Americano that's nice to drink... whereas the second method (coffee in first, add water) produces a relatively less pleasant, sometimes unpleasant, bitter (perhaps?) and very inferior drink.

How is this possible? My only guess is perhaps it's a chemistry thing to do with some kind of oil in the coffee? Or it just mixes better the other way? I have no idea but I swear this difference is real and so do some of my friends, but none of us know why.

Thanks...

**Tags:** espresso, moka

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Just to be very sure: By moka espresso you are talking about the Italian stovetop coffee maker known as moka pot?  
> **username_0**: Yes :) Also, see my question below -- is it true that (1) is a 'long black' and (2) is an 'americano'... I read online this is one difference (the order the coffee/water goes in... but also the ratio).  
> **username_1**: Please don’t post follow-up questions somewhere in comments. We’re just a Q/A site with a quite strict format. I recommend you take the [tour] and browse through our [help] to learn more about how the site works. You may of course ask new questions any time.  
> **username_2**: Did anyone already checked https://coffee.stackexchange.com/questions/1598/end-result-of-americano-vs-long-black  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-01-24. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

I would suspect that a few centigrades make all the difference here. With coffee, too high temperatures will negatively affect your flavor. Rule of thumb: Hot is good, boiling isn’t.

If you put the water in your mug first, you’ll lose just a bit of temperature as the water warms the mug and/or stands for a bit until you add the coffee.

If you reverse the order, you are effectively scalding (some of) the coffee with the boiling water, losing volatile aromatic compounds and degrading others.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This is an interesting idea and I suspect the best answer in my case since you are also correct that I am using a moka, not an espresso machine.  
> **username_1**: Thanks! It’s essentially a version of the eternal “milk-first / tea-first” debate. Btw., it’s perfectly ok to wait for more answers before accepting.  
> **username_0**: OK, I've decided to mark this correct... after testing this morning, albeit not blindly (so feel free to repeat this for yourselves!), I can definitely discern that one cup is noticably more bitter and the other softer and smoother. What's more, I am pretty sure you can even tell the temperature difference between them, with the former being more scalding if you drink straight away.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-01-25. Score: 2

I read the following somewhere and copied to a note pad to try for myself:

Americano: Shot first, then add water, which usually mixes in the crema

Long black: Water first, espresso second, crema sits on top.

Many who make the long black do so to preserve the crema on top.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-01-25. Score: 1

Try preheating the mug first, then retest. I think that coffee gets weird when it cools, and you're heating the mug with the coffee when you put it in first.

So put some boiling water in the mug, swirl it around for a bit, dump it out, then put the coffee in.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: OK this is an interesting addition. I will return to this when I've conducted some further experiments...  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2019-01-31. Score: 0

I think you should do a blind test and see if you can taste the difference. I'd make one batch of coffee with your Moka pot and split it. Make it both ways in identical cups, label them underneath so you will know which is which later, and then mix them up (maybe have a friend do that), and then taste them. This is common practice when cupping new coffees so that bias does not affect our ideas of them.

I'd be interested to hear if you still thought they tasted different.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2019-01-24. Score: -1

It's the crema. The crema will naturally flow to the top when the espresso is poured in hot water, while it will be totally dissolved if you add the hot water to the espresso.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If the OP talks about “moka”, crema isn’t an issue.  
> **username_0**: Yes, it's a bialetti moka. Meanwhile, I've read something that suggests I am making a "long black", not an "Americano"... is that correct?  

---

