Ristretto () is a "short shot" (30 ml from a double basket) of a more highly concentrated

espresso Espresso (, ) is a coffee-brewing method of Italian origin, in which a small amount of nearly boiling water (about ) is forced under of pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Espresso can be made with a wide variety of coffee beans and ...

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

. It is made with the same amount of ground coffee, but extracted with a finer grind (also in from 20 to 30 seconds) using half as much water. A normal short shot might ''look like'' a ristretto, but in reality, would only be a weaker, more diluted, shot. The opposite of a ''ristretto'' (which means in Italian, "shortened, narrow") is a

lungo Lungo (Italian for "long") is a coffee beverage made by using an espresso machine to make an Italian-style coffee – short black (a single espresso shot) with more water (generally twice as much), resulting in a larger coffee, a ''lungo''. A nor ...

("long"), which is a double shot. The French call a ristretto a ''café serré''. Regardless of whether one uses a hand pressed machine or an automatic, a regular double shot is generally considered to be around 14–18 grams of ground coffee extracted into 60 ml (2 fl oz or two shot glasses). Thus, a "double ristretto" consumes the same amount of coffee beans but fills only a single shot glass. Coffee contains over a thousand aromatic compounds. A ristretto's chemical composition and taste differ from those of a full-length extraction for three reasons: # More concentrated: The first part of any extraction is the most concentrated, its color typically lying between dark chocolate and

umber Umber is a natural brown earth pigment that contains iron oxide and manganese oxide. In its natural form, it is called raw umber. When Calcination, calcined, the color becomes warmer and it becomes known as burnt umber. Its name derives from '' ...

, whereas the tail end of shots are much lighter, varying from the color of dark

pumpkin pie Pumpkin pie is a dessert pie with a spiced, pumpkin-based custard filling. The pumpkin and pumpkin pie are both a symbol of harvest time, and pumpkin pie is generally eaten during the fall and early winter. In the United States and Canada it is u ...

to varying shades of

tan Tan or TAN may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Black and Tans, a nickname for British special constables during the Irish War of Independence. By extension "Tans" can now also colloquially refer to English or British people in general, es ...

(see photo, above right). This is an important factor when drinking straight espresso shots. # Different balance: Different chemical compounds in ground coffee dissolve into hot water at different rates. A ristretto contains a greater relative proportion of faster extracting compounds, proportionally fewer of the compounds characteristic of over-extraction, and thus, a different balance. # Fewer total extracts: Relative proportions aside, fewer total coffee compounds—

caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine t ...

being just one—are extracted into ristrettos versus full length shots. This is an important factor when diluting shots into water or milk. Straight ristrettos—shots that are traditionally drunk from a

demitasse A demitasse (; French: "half cup") or demi-tasse is a small cup used to serve espresso. It may also refer to the contents served in such a cup (though that usage had disappeared in France by the early 20th century). A demitasse typically has a ...

and not diluted into a larger cup containing milk or water—could be described as bolder, fuller, with more body and less bitterness. These characteristics are usually attributed to espresso in general but are more pronounced in a ristretto. Diluted into a cup of water (e.g. Americano or

long black A long black is a style of coffee commonly found in Australia and New Zealand. It is similar to an Americano, but with a stronger aroma and taste. A long black is made by pouring a double-shot of espresso or ristretto over hot water. Typically ...

) or milk (e.g.

latte Caffè latte (), often shortened to just latte () in English, is a coffee beverage of Italian origin made with espresso and steamed milk. Variants include the chocolate-flavored mocha or replacing the coffee with another beverage base such as ma ...

cappuccino A cappuccino (; ; Italian plural: ''cappuccini'') is an espresso-based coffee drink that originated in Austria and was later popularized in Italy and is prepared with steamed milk foam (microfoam). Variations of the drink involve the use of cre ...

), ristrettos are less bitter and exhibit a more intense "espresso" character. Image:Manual Elektra espresso machine.jpg, A manual espresso machine File:RANCILIO SILVIA espresso machine.jpg, A semi-automatic (electrically pumped) espresso machine

References

External links

WikiHow: How to Make a Ristretto (Espresso Coffee)
{{Coffee in Italy Espresso Coffee drinks Coffee in Italy

See also

References

External links