I think I have yet another new favorite coffee drink when I am ordering out. (At home I still like coffee from my newly rediscovered moka pot.) It is called an Americano. It is simply espresso with enough hot water added to dilute it to about the strength of a normal cup of coffee.

I don't like drip coffee any more. The slow brewing process adds too much bitterness, and the paper filter removes too much of the good oils that are in the coffee. I don't think a straight shot of espresso is enjoyable, and a cappuccino just seems like too much sometimes. (whatever the hell that means.) The Americano gives me the best of both worlds. The sweet non-bitter taste of espresso in a less intense form that I can drink like a regular cup of coffee.

Another advantage is that a coffee shop's drip coffee can sit brewed for quite some time. As soon as coffee is brewed the taste starts to deteriorate and get bitter. With an Americano it is not brewed until after you order it so it is always very fresh.

Also, I like a HOT cup of coffee. Drip coffee makers just can't get as hot as the water from an espresso machine. Therefore you are always guaranteed a fresh hot cup of coffee with a nice full body when you order an Americano. Sheri tried it (I drink it black) and she said she really liked it a couple of times. She normally adds a lot of Equal sweetener to her coffee.