All three are the same dose of coffee with different quantities of water pushed through.
- Ristretto — 1:1.5. 18 g (0.6 oz) in, 27 g out. Sweeter, thicker, less bitter, because extraction stops before the harsh compounds arrive.
- Normale — 1:2. 18 g (0.6 oz) in, 36 g out. The modern default and the balanced middle.
- Lungo — 1:3 or beyond. 18 g (0.6 oz) in, 54 g out. Lighter, more aromatic, and further into extraction so more prone to bitterness.
How to choose
In milk, a ristretto stands up better. A flat white built on a ristretto tastes of coffee; one built on a lungo can taste washed out.
Black, a normale is the safe default and where you should dial in first.
Light roasts tolerate longer ratios because they have more to give before running out. Dark roasts reach bitterness quickly and suit shorter ones.
The adjustment nobody mentions
A ristretto usually wants a slightly finer grind than a normale, and a lungo a slightly coarser one. Otherwise a ristretto runs too fast for its length and a lungo runs too long.
Pulling a normale and stopping it early is not a ristretto — it is two-thirds of a normale.
Lungo versus americano
An americano is a normal espresso with hot water added afterwards: the extraction is unchanged, the drink is simply diluted. A lungo keeps pushing water through the same grounds, so more is pulled out of them, including the bitter, drying compounds a normale stops before. A good lungo is around 18 g in and 55 to 70 g (1.9 to 2.5 oz) out in 30 to 40 seconds, on a coarser grind. Nespresso lungo capsules are a different dose and grind, not the same coffee run longer.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026