Espresso, Ristretto, and Lungo: Everything You Need to Know
Espresso, ristretto, and lungo represent the heart of the Italian coffee culture. Each of them offers a unique experience that comes from the same foundation. While they share the same ingredients, their differences in preparation time (and coffee-to-water ratio) result in distinct flavors and characteristics.
Welcome to our first guide on Caffe Atlas where we go through everything you need to know about Espresso, Ristretto and lungo.
Contents
- What Is an Espresso?
- What Is a Ristretto?
- What Is a Lungo?
- Key Differences
- Choosing Between Espresso, Ristretto, and Lungo
What Is an Espresso?
Espresso is a concentrated coffee shot made by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee. The process takes 20–30 seconds, and creates a drink with a creamy-yellowish crema on top. Traditionally, 20 grams (0.45 lb) of coffee grounds are used, resulting in about 30 milliliters (1oz) of coffee.
Espresso serves as the base ingredient for many other coffees like cappuccino, flat white, macchiato, or coffee raf. Espresso became so popular around the world that today several local variations exist, like Cafe Cubano. Espresso's flavor is bold and hits hard with a caffeine content of around 80mg, it has bitterness and acidity, offering a mouthful of taste.
Read a more in depth introduction to espresso in our Espresso article.
What Is a Ristretto?
Ristretto, meaning "restricted" in Italian, is espressos smaller brother. Ristretto is a smaller, shorter and more concentrated shot of espresso, typically around 15–20 milliliters (around 0.5oz). To create the ristretto we need to shorten the brewing process to around 15–20 seconds. However, there is another, less conventional way of making a ristretto. To make a ristretto in a less conventional way, you need to keep the amount of time for brewing the same as for the espresso but use a much finer grind, something like Bosnian coffee or Turkish coffee. The finer grind restricts the water passing through the coffee grounds, and creates a ristretto. Because of the short brewing time required to create a ristretto, it is generally considered to have less caffeine, around 40mg, which is much less than an espresso.
The flavor of a ristretto is still full and hits hard, but it's less bitter than the espresso, as the shorter time prevents the release of certain bitter compounds. Ristretto is most popular in southern Italy.
Read a more in depth introduction to ristretto in our Ristretto article.
The term “ristretto” is an Italian word that means “restricted”, referring to the limited amount of water used for brewing.
What Is a Lungo?
Lungo, meaning "long" in Italian, is the opposite of ristretto. It involves using more water and extending the brewing time to around 40–50 seconds, making a bigger, longer and less concentrated shot of expresso. Lungo's size is anywhere from 50 to 70 milliliters (around 2oz) of coffee.
The longer brewing time results in more water passing through the ground coffee, creating a less concentrated coffee with a more diluted flavor but more caffeine content (around 100mg) compared to espresso.
Key Differences Between Espresso, Ristretto and Lungo:
| Feature | Espresso | Ristretto | Lungo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew Time | 20–30 seconds | 15–20 seconds | 40–50 seconds |
| Grind Size | Fine | Extra Fine | Fine |
| Water Amount | ~30 milliliters (1oz) | ~15–20 milliliters (0.5oz) | ~50–70 milliliters (2oz) |
| Flavor Profile | Bold, slightly bitter, balanced | Sweet, aromatic, less bitter | Milder, diluted, slightly bitter |
| Caffeine Content | Moderate | Slightly lower per shot | Slightly higher per shot |
Choosing Between Espresso, Ristretto, and Lungo
The choice between these three drinks depends on your taste preferences:
- Espresso: For a strong, balanced coffee with hard-hitting flavors, espresso is the classic choice.
- Ristretto: If you prefer a sweeter, more concentrated shot with reduced bitterness, ristretto is ideal.
- Lungo: For a milder, less intense coffee with a higher volume, lungo is a great option. However, if you prefer something similar to Lungo, check our Caffè Americano or Long Black texts.
Whatever you prefer of these three Italian classics, we wish you a cup to your liking!
Your Caffe Atlas team!