Ristretto and Lungo Recipe

Author: Luxury Recipes
Alternatives to the “normale” espresso are “ristretto” and “lungo.” All that changes is how much water you allow to pass through the grounds—you either restrict the extraction, or let the shots run long to wash out more solubles.

Yield: 2
Cook time: 0
Prep time: 0
Total time: 0

Ingredients

• ½–¾oz (16–20g) fine ground coffee per shot



Ristretto

• The ristretto is espresso for the advanced drinker—an essence of coffee that leaves a strong, lingering aftertaste.



Method

1. Brew one shot/1fl oz (25ml) of espresso into each glass or cup.
2. Stop the flow of water at about 1 tbsp–½fl oz (15–20ml) in each glass or cup (after 15–20 seconds), for a concentrated sip of coffee with a thick texture and intensified flavors.



Tip

• As an option, you can use a slightly finer grind or more coffee to restrict the water and extract more solubles, although these methods often result in increased bitterness, which you want to avoid.




Lungo

• A softer version of the espresso, a lungo is brewed with an increased volume of water.



Method

1. Brew one shot/1fl oz (25ml) of espresso into each glass or cup.
2. Instead of turning off the flow of water into each glass or cup at around 1fl oz (25ml), or after 25–30 seconds, let it continue to brew through until you reach anything from 1½–3fl oz (50–90ml). Allowing an increased volume of water to pass through an amount of grounds intended for a normale espresso will result in a milder cup, thinner body, and higher astringency.



Tip

• By brewing a lungo into a 3fl oz (90ml) demitasse glass or cup, you have an easy measure of volume that helps you to know when to cut the flow of water, and avoids any excessive compromise of flavor.


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