What is ristretto and how to properly prepare the drink at home (3 recipes)

What is Ristretto coffee?

Tourists in Italy get acquainted with ristretto, translated as “limited”. Because it is served in one sip. These are highly invigorating drinks. A couple of seconds and you already feel “vigorous”. Italians drink it quickly, mostly in coffee shops on the way to work.

Drinks with a unique, rich taste. They do not contain a large amount of caffeine because they are brewed at lightning speed. And caffeine does not have time to get into drinks due to rapid extraction. All that remains is the taste and aroma.

Baristas use medium grind coffee beans.

A distinctive feature of these drinks is the formation of brown foam, which makes it difficult to see the contents of the cups. The foam is called cream. Drinks are drunk without milk and sugar.

Features of cooking at home

To prepare ristretto coffee at home, follow the instructions exactly.

Required Ingredients

Choose high quality grains. It is better if it is 100% Arabica. Thanks to the peculiarities of preparation, the taste of single varieties is revealed especially well, so give this grain preference when choosing. To prepare using classic technology, you will need an espresso grind or a slightly coarser one (but finer than average).

To make the ristretto excellent, use 100% Arabica.

If you want to prepare corto using an alternative technology, use a finer grind. In this case, the extraction time will have to be increased to 18-20 seconds. Italians prefer a medium roast bean, while those in the South recommend a dark roast, which brings out the chocolate flavor.

Take bottled water. Mineralization should be 75-250 mg/l. Avoid using tap liquid. Ristretto cooked on it will acquire an unpleasant aftertaste and smell of bleach.

Process steps

Grind the coffee beans 5-10 minutes before brewing. This way they won’t have time to release the taste and aroma to the air, and the drink will turn out to be thicker in consistency.

Use a coffee machine to brew. French press and Turkish press are not suitable for making corto. Remove the holder and wipe thoroughly to keep it dry. Insert it in its original place, then fill it with 8-11 g of ground coffee. Soak for 3-5 seconds. Then turn on the water flow for 15-20 seconds. During this time you will receive 15-20 ml of drink.

What is the difference between Ristretto coffee

They are called:

• double espresso;
• semi-espresso;
• corto;
• Laitirelli;
• shrank;
• shot.

The cooking method is similar. Boiling water is passed through compressed coffee tablets at a pressure of 9 bar. The results are aromatic drinks. It takes 25 seconds to prepare an espresso and 15 seconds to prepare a ristretto. There is little caffeine, because from 16 seconds it is taken up by water. There is no bitterness. And such drinks are drunk very often.

But what else is different about all these previously listed drinks, it’s better to ask experienced baristas. Let's say there is a lot of caffeine in lungo, it is prepared in 1 minute, so through such a spill of water, a lot of essential oil and tannin are obtained in the drink. This all adds bitterness to lungo drinks. Servings contain 60 to 70 ml.

Composition and caffeine content, calorie content

The classic drink contains only water and coffee beans. The calorie content of 1 serving (15 ml) without added sugar is only 1.35 kcal. If you add 1 tsp. granulated sugar, the energy value increases to 19.35 kcal. Ristretto is usually consumed without sweeteners.

The calorie content of 1 cup of ristretto without sugar is 1.35 kcal.

The caffeine content depends on the degree of grinding of the beans used to prepare the corto.

The more they are crushed, the lower the concentration of the tonic component will be.

Coffee Ristretto in Russian

Our compatriots like to sip coffee drinks slowly. Therefore, lattes and cappuccinos are more to your taste. But Italians also have Russian versions of ristretto. Our tourists often indulge in such drinks.

There from 7 to 9 grams. coffee and up to 30 ml of water. The drink is prepared in 15 seconds and is obtained in the form of caffeine-free nectar.

The nuances of serving and drinking the finished coffee drink

It is customary to serve the drink in small porcelain or clay cups or glass shots. At the same time, be sure to serve a glass of water cooled to room temperature. The liquid should not be hotter than 25°C. A spoon or sugar is not included, since it is not customary to sweeten or stir korto.

Ristretto coffee is served with a glass of chilled water.

Literally should be taken after meals. First you need to take a sip of water to cleanse your taste buds. You should drink coffee only in a situation where you didn’t like the drink and needed to get rid of the unpleasant taste in your mouth. You shouldn't have a snack.

Innings

Baristas use special small conical cups. They are thick-walled. Porcelain, glass, ceramic. But without handles. Before pouring coffee, the cups are warmed up using hot water or a jet of steam.

To experience the true tastes, guests are served water in glasses along with their drinks.

You need to drink ristretto one sip at a time, alternating between coffee and water. Without any desserts or sweets. Baristas can serve sugared nuts or chocolate-coated coffee beans.

Italians are against such drinks on an empty stomach. You need to eat a hearty meal and then enjoy the ristretto so that your metabolism is always normal.

Beneficial features

The drink has a number of useful properties:

• invigorates and tones the body;
• lifts your spirits, helps cope with apathy and depression;
• warms, stimulates blood circulation;
• accelerates metabolism, promotes weight loss;
• increases productivity (especially during the training process);
• normalizes liver function;
• Helps stabilize the condition of oncological pathologies and diabetes.

Possible benefits and harms

There is an opinion that the stronger the coffee, the more harmful it is to the body. In fact, this is not entirely true. The strength of ristretto is due solely to the presence in its composition of a large amount of essential oils, which do not pose any harm to health. Caffeine, which is much more abundant in espresso, can have a detrimental effect on the human body.

However, you should not drink this drink on an empty stomach; the best time for it is after a hearty lunch or breakfast. If you drink it after meals, it can bring considerable benefits to digestion and activate metabolic processes in the body.

This type of coffee is recommended for lovers of a bright and strong taste. It's the perfect combination of tartness, flavor and benefits.

Selecting grains for cooking

Experts advise choosing medium or dark roast coffee for ristretto. The flavor of the future drink depends on the specific type. When made with lighter beans, it will have soft floral notes and a slight sweetness. Darker roasts provide a bold coffee flavor. In this matter you need to rely on your own preferences.

Special attention should be paid to grinding the grains. As mentioned earlier, for this you need to use only freshly ground coffee. Since ristretto is prepared in a coffee machine, you should not grind it too finely, “into dust” - because of this, the filter of the device may become clogged. If, on the contrary, the grinding is very coarse, then the rapid exposure to hot water will not have time to impart the taste and aroma to the drink.

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There is one more feature that depends on the type of coffee. For Arabica coffee, a medium grind is traditionally used, while Robusta requires a finer grind. When using a mixture, you need to select the degree of grinding experimentally. When the choice is made correctly, the drink flows into the cup in a continuous thin stream. Interruption of the flow by drops indicates that the grind is determined incorrectly.

Adherents of ristretto note its high concentration, but at the same time, the almost complete absence of characteristic bitterness. It has a slightly viscous consistency and a rather expressive aroma of coffee beans. A small volume of this drink can easily fill you with energy and vigor for the whole day ahead, despite the fact that it contains much less caffeine than espresso. This effect is due to the high concentration of essential oils, on which the tonic effect depends.

Once upon a time in Italy

Many tourists coming to Italy begin to think that Italians have surprisingly excellent health. And the following picture prompts these thoughts. Imagine, early in the morning, on the terrace of a local restaurant, a gray-haired, thin Italian sits, who can drink six cups of coffee at breakfast and still feel great. He runs off about his business with an invigorating gait without a hint of a heart attack. Of course, after this, all sorts of thoughts will pop into your head. Magic has nothing to do with it, just as the horse health of the Italians has nothing to do with it. The whole secret lies in the drink itself, in this amazing ristretto coffee. It is not for nothing that it is the favorite coffee in hot Italy, because a small cup contains an aromatic drink with a rich taste, but with minimal caffeine content. That's why this type of coffee is not harmful to your health. This is what makes this drink ideal for those who drink a lot of coffee, but at the same time care about their health. How is this possible you ask.

Common ristretto recipes

Italian classic

According to traditional Italian instructions, you will need 10 grams of fine or medium-ground espresso and 15 milliliters of liquid.

Pour ground coffee beans into the filter holder and press into a “tablet” using a tamper. Return the coffee holder to the coffee machine.

Place a cup in a container where excess liquid is collected. Ideally, a demitasse of 60-70 milliliters is suitable. Warm it up yourself or use the function of the device to warm the bottom of the mug. Brew the drink for 15-20 seconds.

Alternative and double methods

For an alternative method, you will need 7 grams of finely ground grains and 15-20 milliliters of liquid. Follow the same steps as in the previous recipe. Just set the time to 15 seconds.

For a double ristretto you will need 14-22 grams of ground coffee beans and 30-40 milliliters of liquid. Cook for 15-20 seconds.

Chocolate option

To make chocolate ristretto, prepare:

• 14 grams of ground coffee powder;
• 30 milliliters of water;
• 30 milliliters of 2-3% milk;
• 3-5 slices of dark chocolate;
• to taste – 15% cream and chocolate sauce.

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Dissolve chocolate in milk in a steam bath. Make a double batch of ristretto. Whip the creamy foam. Pour the milk into the finished coffee, then use a knife to add the cream. Garnish the drink with chocolate sauce.

Cocktail “Baby Peppino Ristretto”

To prepare the famous Italian cocktail you will need:

• 7 grams of ground beans;
• 15 milliliters of water;
• 20 milliliters of tequila;
• 10 milliliters Kahlua liqueur;
• to taste – 15% cream, cane sugar and grated chocolate.

Don’t get carried away with alcoholic cocktails; one cup a day, or even better, on a weekend, is quite enough. Remember that you should not drive after drinking this drink.

Warm the tequila in a steam bath, dissolve cane sugar in it. Mix the resulting mass with liqueur and pour into a warm cup. Whip the cream until foamy. Brew one serving of ristretto in a tall glass.

Pour the alcohol mixture into the finished coffee. Using a knife, pour in a layer of cream. Decorate the top with chopped chocolate.

Distinctive features of the ristretto

This coffee is considered a subtype of espresso and is prepared exclusively in a coffee machine, and only freshly ground beans must be used. It is impossible to prepare it in a Turk or a regular coffee maker; special technology is needed. Ristretto and espresso, the differences between which are quite large, are nevertheless very similar. They are united by strong strength, small volume and a certain cooking technology that cannot be changed.

Before considering the recipe for brewing this drink, it is worth understanding what it is. Ristretto is the strongest type of coffee in the world, which at the same time does not contain a large amount of caffeine. Such properties are due to the nuances of preparation. Many people are interested in what is stronger: espresso or ristretto. The second type is more intense in taste, and the caffeine concentration is much higher in the first.

It is because of this property that ristretto can be drunk in much larger quantities without fear of possible side effects. This quality is due to the short cooking time. Coffee manages to transfer valuable essential oils to the drink, which determine the rich, strong taste. At the same time, within a few seconds of exposure to hot water, caffeine does not begin to be released.

Ristretto coffee also differs from espresso in its abundant, dense foam of uniform color, without light spots. It has a very thick consistency and bright aroma.

The classic ristretto recipe includes the same amount of coffee as espresso, and uses half as much water.

Delicious cocktail “Baby Peppino Ristretto”

1. Heat tequila (20 ml). Preferably in a water bath.
2. Add cane sugar.
3. Mix with Mexican coffee liqueur Kahlua (10 ml).
4. Pour into a glass glass, which must be heated beforehand.
5. Do not whip the cream too much.
6. Cook ristretto (15 ml).
7. Pour the coffee into the resulting mixture of liqueur and tequila.
8. Add on top in a thin stream.
9. Decorate with grated chocolate.

Differences from espresso

Ristretto differs from espresso in a number of ways:

1. Volume. A standard espresso shot is 40-60 ml, while a corto shot is only 15-30 ml.
2. Richness of taste. Since both drinks use the same amount of ground coffee, and there is more water in espresso, literelli turns out more rich.
3. Caffeine concentration. Espresso becomes stronger due to longer extraction.
4. Bitterness. Cortot is not bitter because it contains almost no tannins. Espresso has a bitter taste.
5. Cooking duration. Espresso will have to be brewed twice as long.
6. Consistency. Ristretto is thicker and more viscous. Espresso containing more liquid is more fluid.
7. Foam. Cortado is characterized by a stable, uniform foam, which the Italians call “creme”. In espresso it is less homogeneous, unstable, with large individual bubbles.

Drink ingredients

Beans: variety, grinding and roasting

The taste and aroma of ristretto depend on the type of coffee beans. Better take 100% Arabica. If you prepare the drink using the correct method, the taste of high-quality single-origin coffees - selected types of coffee from plantations in Asia, America, and Africa at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level - will be revealed more widely.

For Arabica, a medium grind is suitable, for Robusta, a finer grind.

In northern Italy, they prefer to brew coffee from medium-roasted beans, which produce a drink with a slight sweetness and velvety notes of flowers.

In the south of the country, they choose full roasting: such a drink will lack sourness, but there will be notes of chocolate.

Store grains at room temperature between 22 and 27 degrees. It is important that they do not come into contact with oxygen and water. Therefore, use plastic bags that have many layers and have a valve. Keep ground coffee powder in vacuum bags and jars.

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Read the other rules in the article “How to store coffee beans at home.”

What kind of water is suitable

To brew ristretto, use water in glass or plastic bottles with a mineral content of 90–150 milligrams per liter.

The liquid from the tap contains chlorine, which affects the flavor of the coffee.