An americano is a cup of coffee made by adding hot water to one or more shots of espresso. There's no milk or flavoring added, so it tastes somewhat like a cup of normal drip view. It's not exactly the same flavor, but not terribly different. I don't prefer one over the other.

I have friends who think americanos are a waste of money. You get a cup of coffee, about the same strength as brewed. So why pay more? The answer is simple. Freshness.

Coffee starts losing flavor quickly. For canned coffee, that's not really a problem because the quality of the beans and the way they are processed insure that much of the flavor has either already gone or wasn't there to start with. With quality beans that are recently roasted and ground there is a big difference.

There's a simple experiment that you can do to prove this. Brew a cup and keep it warm for a half hour or more. Now brew a fresh cup. Taste test them. If you start with a premium coffee that's reasonably fresh and recently ground, you should notice a significant difference in taste. Enter the americano. Since it is brewed as you watch, you know you are getting a fresh cup. If you are in a high-end coffee place that grinds each cup individually, you will notice a huge difference.