A ristretto coffee is the most intense shot you can pull on an espresso machine. Done well, it concentrates the fullest flavour a coffee holds into one small cup, the most a given bean has to give. Make your own and you can have that any time you want it.
What is a Ristretto?
Ristretto means restricted in Italian, and the name points to the restricted amount of water in the shot. As a coffee drink, a ristretto is a shot of espresso pulled with less water through the same amount of ground coffee, which creates a short, concentrated shot. That smaller amount of water leaves a thick, syrupy body, a heavy crema, and a sweeter taste. Baristas pull it from the same beans and machine as a normal espresso, and some cafés use it as the base for a latte.
How Extraction Changes an Espresso Into a Ristretto
A ristretto coffee measures about 15 to 20ml, less than the 25 to 30ml of a single standard espresso. A standard espresso runs at about one part coffee to two parts water, and a ristretto runs nearer one to one, a tighter brew ratio that uses close to half as much water.
Coffee lovers who track their caffeine will find a ristretto carries slightly less than a standard espresso, because the shorter run pulls less caffeine from the grounds. A ristretto also tastes less bitter than a standard espresso.
Espresso extraction happens in a rough order as the hot water moves through the ground coffee. The first part of the shot extracts acidity and sweetness, and the later part extracts the bitter compounds. A ristretto comes from stopping the shot near the end of that first part, so most of the sweet compounds reach the cup and most of the bitter ones stay in the grounds.
How to Make a Ristretto Coffee
A ristretto coffee uses normal espresso equipment with two changes: the grind and the amount of water you let through.
Start with freshly roasted coffee beans, since roasted coffee loses aroma as it ages. A medium to dark roast suits the syrupy style and gives the most flavourful shot, and a single-origin coffee can taste cleaner pulled this short. Your roaster may print a starting recipe on the bag you can try first.
- Dose your basket as you would for a double espresso, around 18 to 20 grams of ground coffee.
- Grind a step or two finer than your usual espresso setting. A finer grind from your grinder slows the water, which lets you stop the shot early without it gushing.
- Tamp the coffee grounds evenly, then lock the portafilter into the espresso machine.
- Start the shot, then stop it short at about 15 seconds, well before a full espresso would finish. On a scale, that is close to equal weights in and out, a one to one ratio of around 15 to 20ml from a single.
Enrol in Coffee Making Training
A small change and a shorter extraction time is all it takes to pull a ristretto coffee. In coffee making, training you put in the hours beside an experienced barista who corrects your technique on the spot, so the skill becomes yours in weeks rather than months on your own. Enrol in coffee making training, and you can pull the ristretto you want whenever you want it.
FAQs
What is a Lungo?
A lungo is the opposite of a ristretto, the same dose of coffee pulled with extra water over a longer time. A single lungo comes to near 60ml, at around one part coffee to three parts water. It tastes more bitter and less concentrated than both an espresso and a ristretto.
What Is an Americano?
An Americano is a coffee made by adding hot water to a finished espresso shot. The added water thins the espresso into a longer, milder cup while keeping its intense flavour.
Can You Make a Ristretto Without an Espresso Machine?
No. A ristretto needs the high pressure of an espresso machine.
