In Italy, few things are taken as seriously as coffee. On a straight arm, you can actually name pizza, pasta and football. With this in mind, it is also not so strange that many of the coffee drinks we enjoy today on a more or less daily basis also have their origins in Italy.
Coffee is almost a religion, and for us coffee lovers, every new item from Italy on the coffee menu is a guarantee of something deliciously flavorful.
Ristretto is no exception to this. But the question is, what exactly is a ristretto? Unlike, for example, a Macchiato, one Coffee Latte or one Cappuccino so ristretto is not a drink that contains any milk. It belongs to the espresso family and therefore forms the basis for coffee drinks like the ones we mentioned above - plus, for example, a Flat White from Australia.
Meet the members of the family
If you look at La Famiglia Espresso, there are three members. Partly espresso, which is the name of both the coffee and the brewing method. On the one hand, we also have a Lungo and on the other hand, there will also be a ristretto.
These three members have completely different characters and personalities. In the same way as in a normal family. Here you can put an espresso in between - and as the usual brewing method for the strong coffee most of us both know and appreciate. Lungo, on the other hand, is an espresso that is brewed with more water and thus also becomes a little less concentrated.
Ristretto is made in exactly the opposite way: you let less water run through the coffee and this gives you a strong, concentrated and intense flavor that works perfectly as a base in, for example, a milk-based coffee drink or standalone and drunk in the same way as a classic espresso.
Ristretto coffeeis thus a really strong and small drink that really highlights all the flavors in a clear way. If you look at the name, you are given a clear clue regarding the size. Ristretto means reduced - shrunk - in Italian. We would definitely say that it falls under the motto of small, but gnawingly good.
How to make a ristretto at home
Ristretto recipe and ristretto at home? So the whole thing is not so much about which coffee you have, it is instead about how much - how little - water you use. Below follows a classic recipe for a Ristretto:
Start from the basic recipe for an espresso.
When about half the cup is brewed, you stop the process and can enjoy a ristretto instead of a classic espresso.
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FAQ - Ristretto
What does ristretto mean?
Ristretto means reduced or shrunk in Italian. The name comes from the fact that less water is used to make a ristretto than an espresso. The cup will be half full - but the taste will be significantly stronger and more intense. Ristretto can either be drunk as is or used as a base in, for example, a flat white. If you would rather use more water, create a Lungo. These three – ristretto, espresso and lung - belong to the same family.
How to make a ristretto?
You make a ristretto by starting with a classic espresso, but where you stop the preparation about halfway through.
