You probably know the term espresso, and you have most certainly already consumed it. But have you ever heard of ristretto or lungo coffee? Although these drinks are less consumed and generally not or little offered in traditional restaurants or cafes, they still have their place on the menu of many coffee shops.
You may not yet know these drinks, but perhaps one of them will be even more to your liking than an espresso, who knows?
What is an espresso?
Let’s start with the basics: what is an espresso? ILong story short, an espresso is a beverage made from 7 to 10 grams of coffee over which water is poured with high pressure (9 bars).
The result in the cup is a short (30 ml to 60 ml) powerful and thick drink, topped with a layer of foam called crema.
Although it is widely accepted by many professionals that an espresso should have a volume of 30 ml. It is often served in larger quantities.
In France, customers may complain, which is why our restaurants rarely serve espresso of 30 ml.
(Note: 30 ml is equivalent to approximately 1 fluid ounce or 0.06 cups in the United States. And approximately 1.01 fluid ounces or 0.06 cups in Europe.)
What is a Lungo?
A Lungo is a longer espresso. In fact, it is considered that an espresso becomes a Lungo from 50 ml. So, you have probably already consumed a Lungo even if it was labeled as an espresso.
It differs from the Americano or the Long Black in that water is not simply added before or after extraction. All the water in your cup has indeed passed through the coffee grind.
What is a Ristretto?
The Ristretto is a coffee that contains less water than an espresso. It is the even shorter coffee that is usually between 15 and 20 ml. It is a concentrated coffee that is even richer and strangely often sweeter than an espresso.
In fact, when making an espresso, the acidic and sweet side is extracted first, and the components that bring bitterness only come later. In the making of a Ristretto, there is not enough water in contact with the coffee to bring out the more bitter side.
Espresso, Ristretto or Lungo… To summarize, here are the commonly accepted quantities for each drink. But as you have understood, these quantities can vary depending on the baristas who prepare them.
A Ristretto is 15 ml of coffee,
An Espresso is 30 ml,
And a Lungo is 50 ml.
Espresso is extracted from the machine in 20 to 30 seconds. The extraction can be cut slightly earlier for a Ristretto and slightly later for a Lungo, but ideally, the flow should always fall within the classic range of the Espresso extraction time.
To achieve this, the barista must adjust the grind size: the finer the grind, the less water can pass through, resulting in a shorter coffee, known as a Ristretto. Conversely, the coarser the grind, the more easily the water can pass through, resulting in a longer coffee, known as a Lungo