How to make steamed iced Americano

Sipping an iced Americano on the warmer days is quite refreshing and soul-satisfying, especially if you have brewed it at home. Looking for a better version of this ultra-refreshing drink? Steamed iced Americano or Aerocano is a new version of iced Americano that offers a thick and creamy top layer that you’d expect from nitrogen cold brew. Lately, this new iced coffee drink has been doing rounds on social media when a Reddit user posted its picture on the espresso subreddit. It may give the same experience as you’d get from the nitro cold brew but it is an iced foamed Americano steamed by the steam wand. As a real coffee aficionado, a new coffee excites you, and you always want to give it a try. So if you want to trade in your glass of iced Americano for this new type of coffee that everyone is raving about, read on below to find out what it is and how to make steamed iced Americano.

What is steamed iced Americano or Aerocano?

Steamed Iced Americano is a simple iced Caffe Americano infused with air using a steam wand. It is a new version of already exciting iced Americano. This aesthetically pleasing iced coffee drink is a great way to get a refreshing caffeine boost.

A steamed Americano with ice is a blend made from a double shot of espresso topped with ice-cold water and then poured over ice in frothing pitching. Steam this mixture with the steam wand inside the frothing pitcher. Steam it until it develops a creamy top layer like nitro cold brew. The texture of the drink should be thick foamy, and similar in appearance to nitro cold brew.

Iced Americano vs. steamed iced Americano

Iced Americano

This popular iced coffee drink is made with subtly sweet espresso mixed with cold water and then served over ice. It produces a light layer of crema that sets it apart from iced coffee. Iced Americano is drunk without milk and sugar. However, people who don’t like strong coffee sweeten their drink with sugar, syrup, or honey.

Steamed Iced Americano

Steamed iced Americano is a blend of a double shot of espresso, cold water, and ice that is steamed afterward. The method is almost similar to iced Americano, but it involves steaming, which makes it slightly aerated. Steaming makes this espresso-based drink creamy and gives it a foamy texture. Steamed iced Americano is made with a steam wand that can be found on espresso machines and fancy coffee makers.

The trend of steamed iced Americano

The steamed iced Americano, a new trend in which iced Americano is steamed with a steam wand to give a foamy texture, has gone viral. Its roots have been traced back to a Reddit user named ‘Rockboxatx.’ He posted a picture of this drink on the espresso subreddit three months ago. He got this idea from another group where the idea of adding foam to espresso with syrup was shared. As a fan of espresso martinis, he wanted to find a way to infused nitrogen into the espresso. So he invented a new recipe by making an iced Americano and frothing it. Despite its color, this super creamy and refreshing iced coffee drink doesn’t contain milk. Let’s explore how to make it!

How to make Steam iced Americano

Making this tasty iced beverage at home is simple. You only need a few items to prepare this drink. Here’s what you need:

• An espresso machine
• A glass
• Espresso
• Chilled water
• Ice cubes
• Coffee grinder

Frothing pitcher

Ingredients:

Espresso

To make steamed iced Americano, you can use any coffee roast. Use an espresso machine to pull an espresso shot. 

Water

Dilute the espresso with filtered cold water. Filtered water makes a better-tasting Steamed iced Americano.

Ice

Use filtered water ice to make Americano. 

Instructions:

Here’s how to make this trending and super delicious drink at home

1- Grind your coffee beans

First off, start grinding your coffee beans. Decide what coffee beans you want to use to make espresso. A light roast coffee beans produce a more acidic tasting espresso, while darker roast beans make a bitter espresso shot. If you like stronger cup of coffee, choose dark roast beans. However, if the flavor of dark roast espresso is too strong for your taste, you can use light roast espresso. Whether you choose a lighter or darker roast, make sure to use fresh coffee beans. 

Take 17 to 18 grams of fresh beans and grind them in coffee grinder. Use the best quality grinder to grind your beans evenly. Evenly grounded coffee beans play a crucial role in equal extraction.

2- Brew Your Espresso

The next step is to brew your espresso to make steamed ice Americano. Pull a double shot of espresso if you want your beverage to have a strong taste. 

3- Put Ice Cubes in the frothing pitcher

As steamed iced Americano or Aerocano is prepared in a frothing pitcher, fill your pitcher with 70g to 80 g of ice made with filtered water. However, you can add as many ice cubes as you’d like.

4- Dilute your espresso

Now pour two espresso shots over the top of your frothing pitcher filled with ice, and then top it with some cold water. You can add about 110grams of water and give it a stir. 

5- Steam

Now here comes the crucial part of this recipe, i.e., steaming. Most espresso machines, including home espresso models, come with a steam wand. Follow the below instruction for the steaming process.

• Place the frothing pitcher underneath the steam wand and insert it into the iced Americano. Don’t submerge the steam wand into it. Instead, keep the steam wand on top to get it to spin in a whirlpool motion. To swirl it completely, keep the steam wand in the center of the pitcher.
• Set the output dial of the steam wand to a steady stream of steam.
• Move your frothing pitcher around the wand to incorporate air into the iced Americano. By doing this, larger bubbles will break up and become progressively smaller.
• Once you see a thick and foamy layer on top, remove the steam wand from the pitcher.

6- Pour in the glass Enjoy

Your steamed iced Americano is now ready to be enjoyed. You can add more ice to your coffee after you froth up your drink.

How to make Steamed Iced Americano using NanoFoamer or without a steam wand 

As this drink becomes trendier, people are trying new methods to make it. If you have no espresso machine with a steam wand or even a separate steaming setup, fear not. There are options for making the creamy drink. For instance, you can make this new drink using NanoFoamer. It may take around 20 to 30 seconds to create foamy layer on top. Follow the below instruction to make steamed iced Americano without a steam wand.

• Place the NanoFoamer at the center of the frothing pitcher vertically and position the impeller below the surface of the iced Americano.
• Now press and hold the button of NanoFoamer for about ten seconds to incorporate air, and keep it until you get your preferred depth of froth.
• Once you notice that large bubbles are breaking into smaller bubbles, move it directly to one side of the pitcher and lower it down.
• Hold it here until the bubbles have been incorporating into the body of the drink, which should take around 20 seconds.
• Increase the speed of the impeller to create the vertex swirl that creates smaller bubbles.
• Once you feel the drink has aerated and achieved the certain texture, give it a final swirl before you pour.  

FAQ

How do you know when steaming process is done?

Steaming iced Americano is a lot harder than steaming milk because it doesn’t involve the heating process. When you make this new iced coffee drink, notice that your coffee will go from dark brown color to light brown or orange color. At this point, you are pretty much done, as your goal is to incorporate air into the drink rather than focusing on the foamiest drink. 

Difference between steamed iced Americano vs. Nitro brew

As the name suggests, nitro cold brew is a cold brew infused with nitrogen to create a richer and smoother texture. Its creamy texture is due to the nitrogen bubbles. This drink offers subtle flavor, while the addition of oat milk or regular milk adds depth and a bit of sweetness.

On the other hand, steamed iced Americano is an iced Americano infused with air and served chill. You need to pull two espresso shots, fill your frothing pitcher with ice, pour the espresso onto the top of the ice, and then dilute your espresso with cold water. The most crucial step is to aerate your iced Americano to create a thick foamy texture.

What is the right espresso to water ratio to make steamed iced Americano?

To make this coffee drink, it is important to use the right espresso to water ratio to make sure you get the perfect taste. The standard espresso to water ratio to make steamed iced Americano is 1:1. However, you can modify this proportion if you like stronger or lighter coffee.

Cold-brew vs. steamed iced Americano- What’s the difference

This trendiest dirk is a newer version of iced Americano. This liquid gold is made by pouring iced cold water over ice cubes followed by double shots of espresso, and then infused with air using a steam wand. The coffee drains onto the chilled water and ice directly using the manual pour-over method.

However, cold brew coffee involves immersing coffee grounds in cold water. The extraction process is slower compared to hot coffee due to the water temperature, and the steeping process takes around twenty hours. The coffee grounds are separated from the cold brew with the help of filters. The resulting product is gentle on the palate with a full-bodied taste.

How to serve stem Steamed iced Americano

Steamed iced Americano is usually served without milk or sugar. However, you can sweeten up your drink with syrup as it is the easiest way to mix sugar into an iced coffee drink. The popular add-ins are caramel syrup or vanilla syrup.

Bottom Line

Steamed iced Americano is a heavily trending phrase on the internet. This unique beverage doesn’t require expert equipment to make. Steamed iced Americano is the perfect way to refresh your hot day. If you are fond of super creamy coffee with an unmasked flavor of coffee, give it a try this summer. You can enjoy this cold beverage at any time of the day. This new coffee drink offers a creamy and smooth taste of the nitro cold brew, and its cascading effect makes it incredibly appealing. Prepping a steamed iced Americano is a foolproof way to impress your friends. You wouldn’t be sorry you did.