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What is Lungo Coffee? Is Lungo Coffee the Same as Americano? The Differences Between Them

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account cafe_style) FrontStreet Coffee briefly describes what needs to be prepared before cupping: Lungo is Italian, corresponding to English long, French is café allongé, Chinese meaning is long, the author tentatively transliterates as Liang Gou coffee, referring to using twice as much water as normal amount, passing through Espre

Coffee knowledge sharing and bean information

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee briefly outlines what needs to be prepared before cupping:

Understanding Lungo Coffee

Lungo is an Italian word that corresponds to "long" in English and "café allongé" in French. In Chinese, it means "long." For now, I'll transliterate it as "Lianggou" coffee, referring to "a coffee beverage made by using twice the normal amount of water through an Espresso machine to produce the drink. A Lungo is essentially a 'stretched Espresso.'" Better Chinese translations are welcome.

Extraction Process

A regular Espresso coffee requires 18-30 seconds to extract, with a volume of 25-30 milliliters. When the Espresso extraction time is extended to about one minute, the extracted coffee liquid volume is about 50-60 milliliters, and this beverage is called "Lungo" coffee. Conversely, if the Espresso extraction time is shortened by nearly half, the resulting beverage is called Ristretto.

Differences from Other Coffee Variations

Therefore, "Lungo" coffee is not what we commonly call "Americano" (caffè américano). The so-called "Americano" is made by adding hot water to Espresso coffee. "Lungo" coffee is also not "Long Black" coffee. The so-called "Long Black" coffee is made by adding Espresso to hot water. "Americano" and "Long Black" are easy to distinguish: the former is "Espresso + water," while the latter is "water + Espresso" - the order is different. "Lungo" coffee, however, extends the Espresso extraction time by nearly double, increasing the extraction liquid volume by approximately double.

Extended Variations

If the extraction time of "Lungo" coffee is extended by another double, and the resulting coffee liquid volume also increases by nearly double, this "longer" beverage is called caffè crema. This type of beverage is relatively uncommon.

Flavor Differences

Because various flavor components in coffee have different dissolution rates in water, shortening or extending the Espresso extraction time results in different coffee flavor components in the extracted liquid. Therefore, the taste profiles of the various coffees mentioned above are different, not merely distinguished by "light" or "strong" taste.