by Darren Oliver
During the first coffee training, every barista must master one basic art: brewing a good espresso. It is this beverage, which originated in Italy, that is the absolute foundation that allows you to make many other brews: lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites… all these coffees can be made once you fully understand what espresso brewing is all about.
However, by mastering this difficult art, you gain another option: after all, espresso has its variations, and two of the most popular are ristretto and long coffee. So today we’ll discuss how to brew both, discuss the particular characteristics that differentiate them from each other, and finally answer some questions that novice coffee drinkers may have.
Understand the Factors…
To brew ristretto and long coffee, you first need to understand what goes into a good espresso and how to prepare this type of coffee. The basic 3 factors to consider are the dosage (the amount of coffee ground), the yield (how much beverage you get in a cup), and the brewing time. In turn, the dosage divided by the yield gives us the ratio.
For a standard espresso, the ratio is 2 grams of water per gram of coffee, and the standard dosage is around 18 grams, giving us 36 grams of brew, while the brewing time should be between 25 and 35 seconds.
Equipped with this knowledge, we can learn the secrets of preparing ristretto and long coffee.
Ristretto
The name itself may seem suggestive, as it resembles the word “restricted”. It can be understood as such because the whole idea behind ristretto is restricting the amount of water that is being poured through the coffee.
Remember the 1:2 ratio that is used when brewing espresso? In ristretto it is 1:1, which means that using 18 grams of coffee you want to get about 18 grams of brew.
The brewing time is also reduced, which in the case of ristretto is about 16 seconds.
On the other hand, in the cup, we will get a delicious, thick, and aromatic brew in a slightly smaller volume, so we can take a sip that will provide us with an intense taste experience. Ristretto is characterized by intensity, bitterness, and sweetness.
It’s also worth mentioning that it makes an excellent base for milk coffees: baristas worldwide often use ristretto to make a delicious cortado, for example.
Long Coffee
It is worth starting with the fact that we can often meet this type of coffee under the Italian name “lungo”, however, it is the same thing. So what is long coffee?
Simply put, it is the exact opposite of a ristretto, a coffee for which more water is used for brewing. In this variant, the ratio can go as high as 1:3 or 1:4! However, we want to aim for a brewing time of about the same as for espresso.
Who is long coffee for? First of all, for those who appreciate the richness of flavor of espresso, but fancy a brew that is a little less intense.
Americano and Long Coffee – Where Does the Difference Lie?
A type of coffee somewhat similar, but different from long coffee is americano, a drink that is currently more popular. Where does the subtle difference lie? Well, both brews are based on adding more water to the espresso. In the case of americano, however, this is done after the brewing process is complete, while in the case of long coffee, it is done during the brewing process. This way coffee does not feel watered-down (as in the case of Americano), but rather it just has a less intense, more mellow mouthfeel and softer flavor.
Ristretto and Long Coffee – Caffeine Content
This is another question that may come to the mind of a coffee drinker who wants to try both brews – which one contains more caffeine? After tasting each, someone inexperienced might conclude that the “stronger” coffee is ristretto. This is a very common mistake, people unconsciously link the intensity of the coffee’s flavor to its caffeine content. However, nothing could be further from the truth. After all, caffeine is released by contact between coffee and water, so a stronger energy boost will be given by a lungo brewed longer.
Summary
Ristretto and long coffee are two great coffee drinks you can reach for once you’ve mastered the art of espresso brewing. Playing around with proportions, the amount of water, the amount of coffee, and the brewing time can give you incredible knowledge and experience in coffee brewing. So feel free to search for the perfect recipe on your own!