A lungo pulls more water through the coffee — typically 1:3 to 1:4 instead of 1:2.
Versus an americano
An americano is a normal espresso with hot water added afterwards. The extraction is unchanged; the drink is simply diluted.
A lungo continues the extraction. More water passes through the same grounds, so more is pulled out of them.
That is a real chemical difference, not a semantic one.
What it tastes like
More extracted — and by the end of a lungo you are into the bitter, drying compounds that a normale stops before.
Traditionally, lungos are somewhat bitter for this reason.
Making a good one
Grind coarser than for a normale. If you keep the grind the same and just let it run, the extraction goes far past its useful range.
Coarser grind, longer yield, similar time. Around 18 g in, 55 to 70 g out, in 30 to 40 seconds.
Light roasts suit lungos best — they have more to give and resist over-extraction longer.
The Nespresso version
Nespresso lungo capsules contain a different dose and grind from espresso capsules. They are not the same coffee run longer.
Ristretto, the opposite
1:1 to 1:1.5. Shorter, sweeter, more concentrated, and the base of a proper flat white.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026