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What is Espresso? The Three Main Types of Espresso Coffee: Ristretto, Normale, Lungo

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, What is espresso? Is espresso just a fancy way to serve bitter, dark coffee in a small ceramic cup? Close, but not quite. In this article, as coffee enthusiasts, we'll explain what espresso is and the difference between espresso and regular coffee. So, what exactly is espresso?

When mentioning espresso, most people's first reaction might be a strong, bitter, heavy-bodied black coffee, as well as the most stimulating flavored beverage. For baristas, adjusting the extraction of espresso can be said to be the most crucial step every day, because various popular espresso-based drinks cannot exist without a small portion of espresso. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will explain what espresso is and the differences between various types of espresso.

What is Espresso?

Espresso refers to coffee extracted in a short time using semi-automatic or fully automatic coffee machines with high temperature and high pressure, after coffee beans have been finely ground and appropriately dosed. According to the definition of espresso, a single shot needs to meet several conditions: sufficient pressure, water temperature, appropriate dose, fine grinding, and short extraction time.

What distinguishes espresso from other coffee-making methods (pour-over, cold brew, etc.) is the golden-yellow, dense foam on the surface, known as Crema. Because coffee beans are filled with gas after fresh roasting, and during the extraction process, they are soaked in high-temperature hot water under high pressure. The gas is squeezed out of the cell wall surface due to thermal expansion and contraction, while the hot water-extracted coffee also contains some oil-based substances that allow the coffee liquid to emulsify and encapsulate the squeezed-out gas, thereby creating a dense bubble substance. Crema is composed of vegetable oils, proteins, sugars, and some aromatic substances, which is why freshly extracted espresso has an overwhelming aroma.

Types of Espresso

According to the Golden Cup Theory concept proposed by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe, after water contacts coffee grounds, about 30% of soluble substances are released from the coffee, while the remaining 70% of large-molecule lignin structures cannot dissolve. Among this 30%, only 2/3 are flavor-optimal substance molecules, so we need to adjust several key parameters to control the extraction rate at around 20%. Based on extraction methods, espresso can be divided into three types: Ristretto (short extraction), Normale (normal), and Lungo (long extraction), all of which are espresso liquids extracted quickly using espresso machines.

Ristretto typically refers to Italian-style concentrated espresso, also known as refined concentrated espresso. Compared to common espresso, Ristretto is more niche, and the Flat White we often see is made with Ristretto as the base. "Ristretto" means "restricted" in Italian, which we can understand as "restricting" the extraction amount of coffee, taking only the front-middle segment of the espresso, thereby increasing the coffee's concentration.

For example, FrontStreet Coffee's espresso extraction plan is to extract 40g of coffee liquid from 20g of coffee grounds, with a ground-to-liquid ratio of 1:2, in 30 seconds. For extracting Ristretto, only 70% of espresso is extracted, meaning 20g of coffee grounds yields 28g of coffee liquid, and the time will be correspondingly shorter. Additionally, the coffee grind can be adjusted finer to slow the flow rate, making the coffee liquid more concentrated. Since each coffee shop will make different adjustments according to the coffee beans used and the specific flavor profile the barista wishes to present.

Normale is the most common and popular type of espresso. It is essentially the conventional espresso, and currently most establishments on the market primarily serve Normale, though they don't emphasize it too much. According to Golden Cup standards, Normale's extraction rate is between 18%-22%, with a concentration range of 8%-12%.

Lungo is coffee made with double the amount of water compared to a normal serving. "Lungo" means "long" or "extended" in Italian, also known as "lengthened espresso," which means extending the extraction time, thereby reducing the coffee's concentration and making it taste smoother.

After multiple adjustments and tastings, FrontStreet Coffee's final extraction plan is to control the Lungo ground-to-liquid ratio at 1:5. That is, using 20g of coffee grounds, extending the extraction time to 42 seconds, to extract 100g of coffee liquid.

What to Pay Attention to When Extracting Espresso

The golden Crema floats on top of the coffee liquid, which is the result of carbon dioxide and various gases from fresh coffee beans being distributed in water under high pressure. Using coffee beans that have been stored for too long (more than 2 months) cannot extract espresso with perfect crema, so FrontStreet Coffee recommends using freshly roasted coffee beans and allowing them to degas appropriately. The coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are all confirmed to be freshly roasted within 5 days, so they are still relatively fresh when you receive them. Coffee beans need a degassing period after roasting. Since most espresso beans use medium-dark roasts, such as the Sunflower Warm Blend coffee beans used at FrontStreet Coffee's store, they need 7-10 days to release carbon dioxide. Using properly degassed coffee beans to make espresso not only results in full aroma but also more stable extraction.

There are thousands of parameter settings for extracting a delicious cup of espresso, but FrontStreet Coffee believes the main focus should be on mastering several key factors: coffee dose, grind size, temperature, extraction time, and liquid weight. For example, when we taste espresso with a thin flavor, we need to increase the extraction rate by increasing the dose, adjusting the grind finer, or raising the water temperature. Conversely, if the espresso's bitter taste is too strong, we need to reduce the extraction rate by decreasing the dose, adjusting the grind coarser, or lowering the water temperature. Whatever adjustment method is adopted, the ultimate goal is to extract an espresso with full aroma.

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