What Is A Ristretto?
The next time you're at a coffee shop, take a look at what others are having while you enjoy your drink. Most of the drinks have a brown tone that varies depending on whether the drink includes milk, water, and/or heavy cream. And most hot drinks are served in mugs, some with a handle and a plate below. But others, such as a cortado, are served in a regular glass. A cappuccino is served in a cup, while an iced latte is served in a tall glass with a straw. But what these drinks have in common is that they all start with an espresso.
Espresso is the origin of any coffee drink (other than American drip coffee, that is). Espresso and water make an Americano, espresso with milk foam makes a macchiato, and so on.
But what about those tiny espresso cups? Vicious coffee drinkers order just a shot of espresso to start their day with a bitter touch. Espresso cups aren't just for espresso shots, though — they're also home to ristrettos, a short drink that looks similar but differs in its preparation.
A ristretto is a shorter espresso
For either an espresso or a ristretto, you need an espresso machine, water, and ground coffee. It's the amount of water and how long the coffee is extracted that changes the whole thing.
Perfect Daily Grind explains that a ristretto requires half the water an espresso does, along with coffee extraction in half of the time — around 15 seconds, compared to the 30 seconds an espresso needs. In fact, in Italian, ristretto means "restricted," aka an espresso that is restricted to a small coffee cup (per L'OR Espresso).
Although it's a concentrated coffee drink, a ristretto has less caffeine than an espresso because it has less extraction and a finer grind (per Coffee Affection). Surprisingly, ristrettos can have a sweet finish and taste less bitter, which makes them easier to drink compared to espresso shots. If you're ever in need of an energy shot but you aren't ready for something that strong, a ristretto is your choice. It will still feel intense if you're not used to regular espresso shots, but you'll never know if you never try.