# Ristretto Source: https://dailyextraction.com/methods/ristretto/ Last updated: 2026-10-16 > A ristretto is a short, concentrated espresso: the same dose of coffee as a normal shot, but with about half the water. Ristretto means restricted in Italian. If your espresso is 18 g of coffee to 36 g in the cup (1:2), a ristretto is about 18 g to 18 g (1:1), so it tastes thicker, sweeter and more intense. ## At a glance - Ratio: 1:1 (18 g coffee : 18 g water) - Grind: Fine - Category: Pressure & Espresso (Pressure) - Difficulty: Advanced - Origin: Italy - Also known as: restricted shot, ristretto shot, caffè ristretto, short shot ## Steps 1. **Dose as for espresso**: Grind and dose 18 g of coffee into a double basket, exactly as for a normal espresso. 2. **Distribute and tamp**: Level the coffee and tamp it firmly and evenly. 3. **Lock in and start**: Lock the portafilter in, put your cup on scales and start the shot. 4. **Stop early**: Stop the shot when about 18 g of espresso is in the cup, about half a normal shot. 5. **Taste and adjust**: If it's too sour or thin, grind a little finer so the short shot runs more slowly. If it's harsh, grind a little coarser. A **ristretto** is a short, concentrated [espresso](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/). It uses the **same dose of coffee** as a normal shot but only **about half the water**, so you get a smaller, thicker, more intense cup. *Ristretto* means "restricted" or "shortened" in Italian. Here's the ratio, the two ways baristas pull one and how it compares with an espresso and a lungo. ## The short version - **Same dose as an espresso, about half the water.** - **About 1:1**: for example, 18 g of coffee to 18 g in the cup. - **Thicker, sweeter, more intense** and less bitter than a full shot. - **Stop the shot early**, and grind a little finer if it runs too fast. - **The opposite of a [lungo](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/lungo/).** ## Ristretto vs espresso vs lungo | | Ristretto | [Espresso](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/) | [Lungo](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/lungo/) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Dose (example) | 18 g | 18 g | 18 g | | In the cup | About 18 g | About 36 g | More than an espresso | | Ratio | About 1:1 | About 1:2 | Longer than 1:2 | | Taste | Thick, sweet, intense | Balanced | Lighter, more bitter | ## How do you make a ristretto? Pull it like a normal espresso, but **stop at about half the weight**. Baristas do this in two ways: - **Stop it early:** keep your espresso grind and simply cut the shot at about half the usual weight. It runs for a shorter time. - **Grind finer:** grind a touch finer so the smaller shot runs more slowly, closer to a normal espresso time. Both give you a 1:1-ish shot. Taste decides: if it's thin and sour, grind finer; if it's harsh, grind coarser. ![Chart of coffee grind sizes from extra fine to extra coarse, with fine highlighted for the ristretto](https://dailyextraction.com/diagrams/grind-size.svg#fine "A ristretto uses a fine espresso grind, sometimes a touch finer.") ## Step by step 1. **Dose 18 g** into a double basket, as for espresso. 2. **Distribute and tamp** firmly and evenly. 3. **Lock in and start**, with your cup on scales. 4. **Stop at about 18 g** in the cup. 5. **Taste and adjust** the grind one step at a time. ## Why does a ristretto taste sweeter? As an espresso runs, the first part of the shot is the most concentrated and the later part adds more bitterness and dilution. A ristretto **stops before that later part**, so it's sweeter, thicker and less bitter, though it also extracts a little less from the coffee. ## What is a ristretto used for? On its own, as a short, intense shot, or as the base for milk drinks when you want a sweeter, stronger coffee flavour that isn't bitter. *General guidance only. Espresso machines run at high pressure and temperature, so always follow the instructions for your machine.* ## Ristretto vs other shots - **[Espresso](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/):** the standard shot, about 1:2. - **[Lungo](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/lungo/):** a longer shot, with more water. - **[Café allongé](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/allonge/):** a longer coffee made from espresso. - **[Turbo shot](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/turbo-shot/):** a fast, coarser modern recipe. Explore every pressure method in the [pressure chapter](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/pressure/). ## Words used in this guide - [Tamping](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/tamping/): Tamping is pressing ground coffee down into a firm, flat, even layer with a tool called a tamper. - [Extraction](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/extraction/): Extraction is the process of water dissolving flavour compounds out of ground coffee. ## FAQs ### What is a ristretto? A short, concentrated espresso made with the same amount of coffee as a normal shot but about half the water. Ristretto is Italian for restricted or shortened. ### What's the ratio for a ristretto? About 1:1, coffee to espresso by weight. For example, 18 g of coffee to about 18 g of ristretto, compared with about 36 g for a 1:2 espresso. ### Ristretto vs espresso, what's the difference? The same coffee and dose, but a ristretto stops at about half the volume. It tastes thicker, sweeter and more intense, and less bitter, because the shot ends before the later, more bitter part of the extraction. ### How do you make a ristretto? Dose and tamp as for a normal espresso, then stop the shot at about half the usual weight. Some baristas also grind finer so the shorter shot still takes a similar time. ### Ristretto vs lungo? They're opposites. A ristretto uses less water than an espresso for a shorter, more concentrated shot. A lungo uses more water for a longer, lighter one. ## Sources - [Ristretto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ristretto) - [What makes ristretto coffee unique](https://www.tastingtable.com/1177677/what-makes-ristretto-coffee-unique) - [What is a ristretto?](https://www.thedailymeal.com/1150959/what-is-a-ristretto/) - [Barista skills (espresso parameters)](https://sca.training/howtocoffee/tag/Barista+Skills)