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Which Espresso Beans Make the Best Ristretto Coffee? A Complete Extraction Guide

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Ristretto - a name that sounds quite sophisticated and foreign to many ears. Even regular coffee enthusiasts might not have heard of this term. However, you may have already tasted coffee made with it as a base. That's right - the Flat White we often enjoy is actually made using Ristretto as its foundation.

Ristretto, a name that sounds quite foreign to many, is something that even regular coffee drinkers might not have heard of. But you may have already had coffee made with it as a base – yes, the Flat White we usually drink is actually made using Ristretto as its base.

What is Ristretto?

The Chinese characters "芮斯崔朵" are a phonetic translation (FrontStreet Coffee put in quite some effort typing these four characters, but at least they can be considered the official translation), and its foreign name is "Ristretto." This foreign term might also seem unfamiliar, but when FrontStreet Coffee mentions "Espresso," doesn't it feel much more familiar?

Espresso (also known as "concentrated coffee" in China) is certainly no stranger to coffee professionals or coffee enthusiasts. To explain it simply: it's an extremely concentrated coffee extracted using a fancy coffee machine, and it must have that golden crema (after all, it's the soul).

Such a concentrated coffee is directly consumed by only a few people in China; more often, it's used as a coffee base to make Americano and milk coffee (latte, cappuccino, etc.). This is more welcomed by the local market.

So it's no exaggeration to say that Espresso is the soul of Italian coffee.

(Image source: What's The Difference Between a Latte, Cappuccino, and an Au Lait [infographic] - CoffeeNate.com)

The Relationship Between Ristretto and Espresso

Ristretto is derived based on Espresso extraction. In other words, you must have an Espresso extraction recipe before you can create a Ristretto extraction recipe.

The root of Ristretto means "restricted," so without a doubt, Ristretto coffee is essentially a restricted version of Espresso.

FrontStreet Coffee has shared quite a bit of knowledge about Espresso concentrated coffee in previous articles, such as the characteristics during extraction, which is divided into three stages: the front stage is the most concentrated with the darkest crema color; the middle stage is less so, with golden crema; the back stage is the thinnest, with yellowish-white crema.

Ristretto, however, uses only the front and middle stages of the espresso extraction, while the back stage is directly "restricted" and discarded.

Understanding Ristretto's Extraction Method

At this point, some friends might ask, "Isn't this just under-extracted espresso?" "Hmm..." That statement doesn't seem wrong! However, FrontStreet Coffee has reservations about the term "under-extracted." Generally, when referring to coffee, "under-extracted" is a term used to describe extraction rates below the target due to human or natural factors, and it carries a negative connotation. Think about it – when someone tells you this is a cup of under-extracted coffee, don't you subconsciously think it's not a tasty coffee?

Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee believes that describing Ristretto as a "high-concentration, low-extraction" version of espresso is a good way to put it. Some friends also习惯性地 call Ristretto "Italian extra-strong coffee."

Comparing Ristretto and Espresso

If we distinguish between Ristretto and Espresso coffee by extraction method, taking FrontStreet Coffee's extraction recipe as an example: FrontStreet Coffee uses a 1:2 coffee-to-liquid ratio when extracting Espresso, meaning 20 grams of coffee grounds to extract 40 grams of coffee liquid, with a time of 25-30 seconds.

When making Ristretto, FrontStreet Coffee uses 20 grams of coffee grounds with the same grind size to extract 28 grams of coffee liquid, with a time of about 20 seconds.

In terms of taste and flavor comparison, Ristretto only extracts the essence from the front stage of the coffee, so the flavor is more concentrated than espresso, with less bitterness and a richer, fuller mouthfeel.

Therefore, to give Ristretto better flavor, coffee shops generally use higher-quality, more special-flavored coffee beans when making Ristretto. Coffee shops prefer to use double Ristretto as the base for Flat White because Ristretto's coffee flavor is more concentrated and cleaner, still maintaining a delicious coffee taste when mixed with milk, with a thicker mouthfeel.