How to Prepare a Ristretto Shot: Lungos vs. Ristrettos

A ristretto, Italian for “shortened” or “restricted,” is a style of espresso that uses half the amount of hot water as a standard shot. To make a ristretto shot, the espresso machine forces about 15 milliliters of water through the coffee grounds, half as much water as a standard shot. The water restriction results in a less-caffeinated shot with a bright, sweeter flavor, sans the signature bitterness.

A serving of ristretto is more concentrated and smaller than a standard espresso shot, coming in at around a half-ounce with a thin layer of crema, the frothy foam that sits atop the surface of the shot. Coffee lovers who enjoy the flavor and aroma of the short shot often add a double shot to their espresso drinks to meet their caffeine needs.

Ristretto has less caffeine than a normal espresso shot due to its restricted water content. Less water interacts with the grounds during the ristretto’s speedy, high-pressure brewing process, resulting in a partially-extracted expression of the coffee with less caffeine.

To highlight a ristretto shot’s low acidity in a latte, cappuccino, macchiato, flat white, or Americano, simply pull two separate shots (a double ristretto) and add them to the cup.

To prepare a ristretto shot, you’ll need ground coffee, a grinder, and an espresso machine. Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. 1. Grind the coffee beans. Most coffee shops use a combination of Arabica and Robusta, but use the beans you like: Use a fine grind, and aim for the same amount as a normal espresso shot, about 7–10 grams, and grind directly into the portafilter. Learn more about how grind size affects flavor.
2. 2. Settle, level, and tamp. Use your finger to level any excess, then gently tap the filter on the counter a few times to settle the fresh grounds. Keep the grounds in the portafilter as level as possible when tamping to ensure even water distribution during the brewing process.
3. 3. Brew. Lock the portafilter into place, and place a demitasse cup under the group head. Begin the water pressure, and turn it off after around 15 seconds, about half of the time of a standard shot. The ristretto should be a dark-brown color.

Ristretto and lungo, or “long shot,” are variations on the espresso method of preparing coffee. Slight differences in the brewing process—and variations between baristas and coffee shop preferences—result in distinct differences in consistency and flavor.

• Amount of water: A shot of espresso, or a “normale,” typically uses about 30 milliliters of water for every seven grams of ground coffee. A lungo (also known as a café allongeé), by contrast, uses about 45 or 50 milliliters of water for the same amount of coffee, and a ristretto uses half, about 15 milliliters.
• Aroma and flavor: The dominant flavor of espresso is similar to dark chocolate—fruity, floral, bitter, and rich. Lungos verge on over-extracted, with roasted, bitter notes as the dominant flavor, while ristrettos are pulled so quickly that the full flavor profile of the grounds doesn’t have time to develop fully, so many of the aromatic, fruity-floral notes are still present. Ristretto coffee tastes sweeter since the bitter compounds in the grounds don’t have time to emerge in the limited extraction time.

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