Italian espresso, the one that bartenders and restaurateurs offer customers every day, is never just one, and among the most popular types are caffè lungo and caffè ristretto. Let us find out more about coffee served at the bar!
The real difference between long and ristretto coffee
Long coffee at the café is what you normally get by prolonging the brewing time compared to that of regular coffee, which calls for 25 millilitres in 25 seconds.
Increasing the brewing time of the regular coffee recipe results in coffee with less strength. Strength is measured with a refractometer and is expressed as a percentage that indicates the amount of solid soluble materials within the beverage relative to the total volume.
Therefore, a long coffee compared to a regular coffee will have more diluted hints as it will be more watered down, but at the same time considering an increase in extracted volumes more caffeine will be present.
This is why Portioli has thought of the Long Coffee blend in capsules or pods produced with a special recipe. This allows obtaining an espresso with greater volume in the cup. In detail, Portioli’s Long Coffee blend is composed of 50% Arabica quality and 50% Robusta quality.
Another type of coffee increasingly in demand at the barista of choice is ristretto coffee, which is served by decreasing the brewing time. This result in a 15-millimeter drink compared to the 25 millimetres of the regular one with the decrease in the amount of caffeine and the increase in strength in terms of flavour concertation.
Barista – Do you know the different types of espresso and how to prepare them?
In general, short or ristretto coffee are terms used to indicate the same drink or otherwise a way of consuming coffee at the bar, while long coffee is different.
Short or ristretto coffee indicates an espresso made with a short brew, lasting less than the classic 15 seconds and containing less than the canonical 2.5 centiliters of an espresso. Short coffee will be characterized by a real burst of flavour and aroma and will have less caffeine than regular and long coffee.
Lungo or ristretto – Which is the best coffee?
As every barista knows, there is no such thing as the best coffee, and it all depends on the needs and personal taste of the person ordering this beverage. Some examples? With the long coffee, you will have a less strong and pleasant drink to enjoy, with the short espresso you will have all the charge of the cup of coffee to drink quickly to get your fill of energy.
Those who want a cup with a refined and floral taste without giving up the pleasure of coffee can go for the variety with a higher percentage of Arabica quality. The ones who like a persistent espresso will prefer instead blends with a higher % of Robusta quality.
In general, each roaster expresses its best in the production of espresso, and then of course different tastes and personal needs certainly influence consumption at the bar.
Portioli coffees for every taste and need
Portioli offers baristas and restaurateurs only the finest Arabica and Robusta qualities carefully chosen from the most suitable regions and soils taking into account the ideal habitat and appropriate altitudes make up our inimitable “symphony orchestra” of flavours.
The direct and selected relationships with producers and exporters carried out to verify the quality standard of the production year and the preparation/selection of raw coffee, allow obtaining constant and “tailor-made” quality for the customers of Torrefazione Portioli.
For each individual quality of coffee, in fact, the following are carried out:
- evaluation tests and verification of the characteristics of the production year
- control test of raw coffee samples for the approval of batches purchased for boarding authorization
- similar verification testing upon arrival in Italy, prior to use in roasting
Discover Portioli’s blends and range of coffee machines to prepare for each of your customers only the best espresso!
