Ristretto

A shorter espresso pulled to a smaller yield, often around a 1:1 to 1:1.5 ratio.

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Why shots taste different

What it means

A shorter espresso pulled to a smaller yield, often around a 1:1 to 1:1.5 ratio. The shot is smaller, denser, and usually more concentrated than a normale. Ristrettos can feel sweeter or heavier, but that depends on the coffee and recipe rather than the label alone.

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Where this leads

Each one pushes this into the cup, compares it, or helps you act on it.

The numbers that define the shot

Brew Ratios

Shot style starts as ratio.

Use ratio and taste together. The number gives structure, but the cup still decides whether the recipe is right.

What people mean when they say "extraction"

Espresso Strength

Then read how concentrated it feels.

Use the word strength carefully. It describes concentration, not quality.

What people mean when they say "extraction"

Espresso Extraction

A style can still extract badly.

Separate extraction from strength in your thinking. One asks how much was dissolved, the other how concentrated the drink feels.

How you read the result

Yield

Measure the style rather than naming it by feel.

Think of yield as the result you are aiming for and brewed weight as the way you verify you hit it.