How To Make An Aerocano - Recipe

What is an Aerocano?

The aerocano is also known as a steamed iced americano which sounds like a whole list of contradictory words…If you like your coffee simple, elegant and with a unique twist, the aerocano might be your new favorite coffee.

The origin of the Aerocano

The aerocano rose to viral fame in 2022 after a Redditor posted a video of his ‘steamed iced americano’ as the layers of microfoam settled in the glass.  Since then, the drink has been hailed a delicious alternative to the iced americano or nitro cold brew, the latter’s silky texture being something you could not previously replicate at home.

Aerocano recipe

You will need an espresso machine to follow the recipe for an aerocano which consists of just 3 ingredients: espresso, ice and water.  By using the steam arm of your espresso machine, it is possible to create a totally original coffee experience.

How to make an Aerocano:

• Grind enough coffee for a double espresso.
• Extract a double espresso shot into your espresso machine’s milk pitcher
• Top up the espresso with 2-4oz of cold water and 2-3 ice cubes.
• Very quickly, texture the mixture using the steam arm for no more than 15 seconds.
• Add a few more ice cubes to a glass and pour in the textured aerocano mixture.

Points to note:

• Work as quickly as possible to ‘steam’ the aerocano – the idea is to add as much texture as possible and break up the ice cubes without heating the coffee at all. 5-10 seconds is usually plenty of time.
• A crisp, clear glass is the best thing to serve the aerocano in. This way you can observe the gradation and watch the textured coffee as it settles.
• A delicious variation is to follow the above steps, adding milk instead of water for a creamier coffee, similar to a cappuccino freddo.

FAQs

What does an aerocano taste like?

Due to its simplicity, the aerocano is only ever as delicious as the coffee beans you select for the drink. Imagine an iced americano with a silky-smooth mouthfeel.  For a drink which contains no milk, it’s delightfully creamy.

What’s the best type of coffee to use for an Aerocano?

Any good espresso coffee can be used for an Americano.  The quality of espresso matters more than anything with a black espresso-based coffee so choose one with complex flavors and a little natural acidity.

Looking for other recipes? Read our article about coffee drinks explained.