Ristretto coffee: characteristics of taste and aroma

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.

Ristretto: calorie content and other useful information

The recipe is a real treat for those who count calories. One cup of drink contains less than 2 kcal.

• The quality of the served ristretto can be assessed by the coffee foam - cream. It should be dense, uniform and free of the white specks that can be seen in espresso foam.
• Ristretto is often called fast espresso due to its small volume and speed of preparation. They also drink it quickly, literally in two sips, and without even leaving the bar.
• In Italy, ristretto is drunk throughout the day, consuming 8-10 servings per day. Due to the relatively low caffeine content in ristretto, such standards do not harm the health of temperamental Italians.

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.

Origin of the word ristretto

The word "ristretto" in Italian means "limited, narrow." This raises the question: why do we use this word and how did Italian become the language of coffee? How did it become the language of everyone's favorite caffeinated drink when the drink itself originated in Ethiopia and doesn't grow at all in Italy itself?

Interestingly, one of the reasons we use so many Italian terms to describe coffee relates to espresso. The method of making espresso coffee itself was developed in Italy in the 19th century. Although the original machines were heavy and bulky, it was Luigi Bezzera from Milan who created the disposable coffee machine at the beginning of the 20th century. Today Bezzera is still in business.

The espresso shot is the basis for many of our favorite coffee drinks, from flat whites to lungos to macchiatos. You need to understand that espresso is a method of preparation, and not a type of coffee bean, as many may think.

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.

Ingredients for ristretto

Here the type of grain plays a primary role - from low-quality raw materials, something that tastes like resin will come out. The best drink can be made from 100% Arabica beans. The classic recipe calls for a 15-second extraction. The grains should be finely ground. Acceptable degree of roasting is from medium to dark. It is important to grind your coffee before brewing - not before.

To prepare the drink, you will need bottled water with a mineralization of 75-200 mg/l. It is not recommended to take tap water - the natural taste of the drink will be spoiled. Ristretto is prepared only in a coffee machine - a Turk will not work. The pressure in the device must be no less than 9 bar.

Simple ristretto coffee recipes

There are several recipes that can be used to prepare cortado at home.

Classical

Take 7 g of medium or fine ground coffee, 15 ml of water. Pour the coffee powder into the holder and compact it using a tempera. Return the holder to the coffee machine. Place a cup with a preheated bottom in the drip tray. Cook for 12-15 seconds. Use immediately to prevent the drink from getting cold.

Alternative

To prepare using an alternative recipe, you will need 7 g of coffee ground finer than for fine espresso, 15 ml of water. The technology is the same as in the classic recipe, but the extraction time increases to 20 seconds. The drink in this situation turns out to be stronger.

Double

To prepare a double drink, use 14 g of coffee, 30 ml of water. Extraction time is 12-15 seconds.

Chocolate

To prepare, take:

• double corto;
• 30 ml milk;
• 10-15 g dark chocolate;
• whipped cream, chocolate sauce - to taste.

Melt the chocolate in a water bath. Lightly whip the cream, as for Irish cream. Mix chocolate with milk and pour into double ristretto. Using the blade of a knife, pour the cream into the cup and garnish the drink with chocolate sauce.

Chocolate is dissolved in milk and added to the ristretto.

Russian

To prepare, take:

• 7 g ground coffee;
• 30 ml water.

The drink is prepared according to the same algorithm as the classic variation. The extraction time is 15 seconds.

Cocktail “Baby Peppino Ristretto”

To prepare, take:

• 15 ml ristretto;
• 20 ml tequila;
• 20 ml Kahlua liqueur;
• cream, grated chocolate, cane sugar - to taste.

Heat the tequila in a water bath, melt the sugar in it. Mix it with liqueur, then pour it into a preheated glass. Whip the cream until smooth. In this case, peaks should not form. Prepare ristretto and add to alcohol. Pour cream along the blade of a knife and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

The daily consumption rate of this alcoholic cocktail is 1 serving. Don't drive after drinking it.

Ristretto - what is it?

The name came from Italy. Translated from Italian, the word “ristretto” means “steep”, “rich”, “rich”. The taste of ristretto combines sour, sweet, citrus and floral notes. Extraction produces thousands of types of essential oils. The color of the coffee is dark, close to noble black; the foam is thick and dense. Ristretto became popular in the 80s of the 20th century. From that moment to this day it is served in every cafe and restaurant. This coffee has other names: corto, shrank, literelli, shot.

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.

What is the difference between espresso and ristretto

The difference between espresso and ristretto is that it is a coffee shot, the volume of which is 30 milliliters. Hot water under pressure of 9 bar passes through the ground coffee beans in half a minute.

Both drinks are thick and syrupy. Their main difference is their flavor and aromatic properties.

Ristretto differs from espresso in that it is prepared using a smaller volume of water - from 15 to 25 milliliters. And the extraction time for 8-11 grams of ground beans is reduced to 15-20 seconds, allowing baristas to limit the bitterness of the drink. Therefore, it is sweeter and stronger in taste than espresso.

Interesting! About the varieties of raf coffee

Find out more in the article “The difference between espresso and other coffees.”

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.

Ristretto and espresso - differences

From Italian ristretto translates as “narrow”. The drink can often be called “corto”, which means “shortened”. Ristretto is much smaller in volume than espresso; it is distinguished by dense and uniform foam, without light inclusions. The drink also has names like double espresso, half espresso, shrank, lightrelli.

The taste of this drink is very rich, it seems extremely strong, but it does not contain as much caffeine as espresso. With thirty seconds of preparation, caffeine enters the espresso and washes out a significant amount of essential oils, which form the richness of the coffee taste. The ristretto extraction process stops earlier, at the fifteenth second. If the beans are finely ground, then at the twentieth. In this case, less caffeine gets into the drink, and most of the coffee oil remains. It is these oils that give memorable shades of taste: chocolate, sourness.

This coffee became popular in the eighties of the twentieth year. American David Schomer from Seattle, who was the owner of the Espresso Vivace cafe, called ristretto the most delicious coffee drink. In his opinion, this is the thick, honey-like and aromatic part of espresso. All the richness of taste can be felt in just one sip.

There is no strict recipe for this drink in the world; it is always brewed in different ways.

Contraindications and harm

The use of corto increases the heart rate and blood pressure. When consumed in the evening, before bedtime, the drink can cause insomnia and difficulty falling asleep.

You should stop using Literelli if:

• pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
• insomnia, sleep disorders;
• hypertension;
• pregnancy, breastfeeding;
• under 18 years of age.

It is not recommended to consume ristretto on an empty stomach. The drink may cause digestive problems due to its laxative and diuretic effects.

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.

Interesting! Which milk is better for cappuccino?

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.

How to serve and drink ristretto

Ristretto is usually served in a special miniature cup without handles or in an espresso cup, along with a glass of cold drinking water.

It is often served in these transparent glass cups.

Before the first sip of ristretto, a connoisseur must take a few sips of water. This cleanses the taste buds and prevents dehydration. Drinking water before every sip of coffee allows you to enjoy every sip as if it were new.

This method of drinking ristretto has only one drawback - hot coffee in combination with cold water is bad for tooth enamel, but most Italians don’t think about it. And, judging by their snow-white smiles, the devil is not as scary as he is painted.

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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.

You might be interested in Chocolate coffee

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.