Ristretto

A ristretto is an espresso made from the usual dose of coffee but stopped early, at roughly 1:1 to 1:1.5 (18 g of coffee, 18 to 27 g of espresso) in about 15 to 20 seconds. It tastes sweeter, thicker and less bitter than a normal shot because the early, sweet part of the extraction is kept and the late, bitter part stays in the puck. It is more concentrated but less extracted than a normal shot, and it carries less caffeine than a 1:2 shot from the same dose.

Ristretto, espresso and lungo compared

Nobody enforces these numbers. La Marzocco gives a ristretto as 1:1 to 1:2 and notes that traditional Italian practice is closer to 1:3, with about 7 g of coffee making a 21 g shot, so an Italian bar espresso is often perceived as ristretto-sized. Treat the ratio as a range and decide by taste. For the side-by-side with lungo, including lab figures, see ristretto vs lungo.

Why a ristretto tastes different

Coffee compounds do not dissolve at the same rate, so a shot changes as it runs. In a 2023 lab study, Schmieder and colleagues collected espresso in ten consecutive fractions and calculated what a 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 cup would hold. The cup keeps gaining dissolved solids and caffeine the longer the shot runs. For a 20 g dose their averages were:

Stopping at 1:1 therefore leaves the later fractions behind. They are not the sweet ones. That is why a ristretto is not just "stronger": it is concentrated and under-extracted on purpose, below the 18 to 22% window cafes quote for a finished shot.

How to pull a ristretto

1. Dose 18 g into a double basket.
2. Grind finer than for your normal shot. You want less liquid in a similar-ish time, so you need more resistance. Stopping a normal shot early without changing the grind gives a sour, thin result.
3. Aim for about 22 g in the cup in 15 to 20 seconds. Our Italian ristretto double shot recipe uses 18 g in, 22 g out at 93°C.
4. If it tastes sharp or sour, it is under-extracted: grind finer, or let the shot run longer toward 1:1.5 (27 g). Do not go coarser.
5. If it tastes harsh or bitter, it has run too long or the grind is too fine: stop a few grams sooner. Change one thing at a time.

A better grinder helps here more than anywhere, because a ristretto exaggerates uneven particles. See our burr grinder comparison.

Which coffees suit it

Medium to dark roasts and chocolate-leaning blends are the usual choice: the short shot keeps their sweetness and trims bitterness. Bright light roasts are riskier, since a ristretto concentrates the acids that extract first. It is also the shot behind many milk drinks, because a concentrated shot stands up to milk better than a long one. La Marzocco credits David Schomer of Seattle's Vivace with popularising the style. Our flat white page covers a milk drink built on it.

Caffeine

Per cup a ristretto has less caffeine than a normal shot from the same dose, about 70% of a 1:2 shot in the lab study above. Per gram of liquid it has more. Our catalogue lists about 63 mg for a single ristretto, against about 95 mg for an 8 oz cup of drip coffee.

Related

• Ristretto vs lungo: ratio, caffeine and which to make
• Italian ristretto double shot: recipe and ratio
• Espresso machines

Sources

• Schmieder BKL et al. Influence of flow rate, particle size and temperature on espresso extraction kinetics. Foods 2023. doi:10.3390/foods12152871
• La Marzocco: brew ratios around the world
• 1Zpresso: ristretto vs long shot
• Ristretto, Wikipedia
• Barista Hustle forum on espresso and ristretto terminology