The world of coffee is complicated. Although there are only four main types of coffee beans, these coffee beans are used to make hundreds, if not thousands, of different coffee and espresso drink combinations. Most of us have a general idea of what an espresso shot is: a small, concentrated coffee shot made by forcing hot water through a pressurized system to brew a strong, bold shot.
However, the ristretto takes espresso to the next level, creating an even smaller, more concentrated form of the espresso shot. If you’ve seen ristretto on a coffee shop menu and were left confused, you’re not alone. But you don’t have to shy away from ordering this form of espresso shot. After all, ristretto is a delicious way to get a super bold espresso taste out of a small beverage. Let’s compare espresso vs. ristretto and see how they differ.
What is ristretto?
As described by Golden Brown Coffee, ristretto is an Italian word that translates to “restrained” or “held back.” Ristretto got its name from grinding the coffee finer than traditional espresso, which holds back the water and causes the coffee to slowly drip, yielding roughly half the amount of espresso as a regular espresso shot. However, modern interpretations of the ristretto shot use the same coffee grinds as espresso but pull the shot early (around 20 to 23 seconds), resulting in only the first half of the extraction.
Compared to an espresso shot, a ristretto shot contains about half the amount of water while extracting the same amount of coffee grinds. As you can imagine, the resulting shot of coffee is more concentrated with a stronger, bolder flavor. If you thought espresso was already bold-tasting, you need to try ristretto. When ordering a ristretto, it’s all about quality over quantity. You’ll get much less volume ordering this type of shot, but you can expect a much deeper flavor in your cup.
You might’ve seen a ristretto shot on the customizations when ordering a Starbucks drink through the mobile app. According to Starbucks, each ristretto shot made at their stores is made with the same Starbucks Espresso Roast, but less hot water is pushed through the ground. As such, the serving is more concentrated and has a richer, sweeter flavor.
Espresso vs ristretto: Differences in preparation
One key difference between making espresso and ristretto is the water used. Like other types of coffee and espresso, the differentiation is due to the differences in coffee grounds to water ratio. Traditional espresso is made with a 1:1.5 or 1:2 ratio of coffee grounds to water, but Baristas prepare ristretto with a 1:1 brew ratio. In addition to the differences in coffee grounds to water ratio, the extraction time during preparation is also different when making espresso vs. ristretto. A ristretto shot is pulled for a shorter time, which yields a sweeter and slightly less bitter taste than traditional espresso.
Espresso is typically “middle of the spectrum when it comes to strengths readily available,” says George Lubitz, Brand Marketing Director for Terra Kaffe, an espresso-machine manufacturer and coffee marketplace. “Usually, you’ll see a 1:1 ratio of coffee to water in ristretto, meaning the amount of ground coffee equals the amount of water pushed through. Ristrettos, therefore, are less “watered down” and have a stronger coffee flavor. You’re going to get a richer, more full-bodied taste with less astringency”, he says.
Making drinks with espresso and ristretto
Like espresso shots, many choose to consume ristretto shots on their own for a quick burst of caffeine that can be consumed fast due to its low volume. The lower acidity of ristretto compared to espresso makes it ideal for those with sensitive stomachs. Espresso and ristretto are used more frequently with water and milk when making espresso drinks, such as the caffe latte.
Typically, when you order a standard latte, it will be made with one or two regular espresso shots. However, swapping espresso for ristretto gives the drink a more pungent espresso taste. As delicious as lattes are, I often find the flavor too creamy and milky, lacking the deep espresso flavor I know and love. That’s why I love to order a latte with ristretto shots instead. A latte with ristretto shots tastes slightly sweeter than an espresso made with regular espresso shots. Other drinks, such as a flat white, typically come with ristretto shots. The flat white coffee is usually made with ristretto and steamed milk with two parts milk to one part espresso.
If you’re headed to a new coffee shop, I recommend asking how they prepare certain beverages. For example, a traditional cortado is made with regular espresso shots. However, every coffee shop has variations, such as Starbucks’ Cortado. Starbucks’ modified version of an authentic cortado is made with three ristretto shots of Blonde espresso (which is also why the drink is delicious).
