Ristretto, normale or lungo — which should I pull?

All three are the same dose of coffee with different quantities of water pushed through.

• Ristretto — 1:1.5. 18 g in, 27 g out. Sweeter, thicker, less bitter, because extraction stops before the harsh compounds arrive.
• Normale — 1:2. 18 g in, 36 g out. The modern default and the balanced middle.
• Lungo — 1:3 or beyond. 18 g 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.