Ristretto
A 'restricted' espresso shot pulled with the same coffee dose as a standard espresso but roughly half the water, stopped early for a smaller, more concentrated, sweeter shot with less bitterness extracted.
- Coffee dose
- 18g
- Yield
- 20ml
- Intensity
- very strong
- Preparation time
- 1 min
- Skill level
- advanced
Caffeine estimate
Approximately 50-65mg (single ristretto shot).
Well established — Slightly less caffeine than a full espresso shot from the same dose, since less water passes through the puck.
Brewing method
Made using Espresso machine. Grind: Fine, sometimes slightly finer than standard espresso to slow the shorter pull.
Descriptive grind labels like this are illustrative starting points, not precise measurements — the same label can mean different particle sizes on different grinders. See the grind size guide for how to dial this in on your own equipment.
Steps
- Grind 18g of coffee fine, into the portafilter basket.
- Distribute and tamp level.
- Stop the shot early at roughly 20g liquid yield.
Equipment
Related drinks
- drink uses brewing method Espresso machine
Build this drink
Tools for working out the quantities this drink needs.
How to make it well
Step-by-step techniques this drink depends on, each with what to change when it does not work.