How to serve lungo coffee?
Serve a lungo straight after pulling it, in a larger cup than an espresso, black or with a little sugar. It is an espresso made with more water: about 17 to 18 g of coffee pulled to about 60 g in the cup, roughly a 1:3 ratio, in 40 to 60 seconds, according to one coffee guide. It is not the usual choice for lattes.
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In this article
How do you serve lungo coffee?
A lungo is a long espresso: the same dose of coffee with more water pushed through. Serve it hot and fresh, in a cup big enough for the extra liquid. A coffee guide gives roughly 54 to 72 g in the cup from an espresso machine, and about 110 ml from a Nespresso Original machine’s lungo setting. Drink it black or with a little sugar; the guide says its thin body gets lost under milk and suggests a ristretto or double for lattes.
How is a lungo made?
- Dose: 17 to 18 g of ground coffee, ground one to two steps coarser than for espresso.
- Ratio: about 1:3 coffee to water (the guide gives a 1:3 to 1:4 range and says to start at 1:3). Another guide also gives 1:3 as the typical ratio, with espresso at 1:2 and ristretto at 1:1.
- Yield and time: stop at about 60 g in the cup, usually 40 to 60 seconds.
- Temperature: 93 to 95 C (199 to 203 F) at 9 bar, per the guide.
What does it taste like?
Less sweet and more bitter than a double espresso, with a thinner body and thinner crema that fades fast. Medium and medium-dark roasts work best, according to the guide.
Lungo vs espresso vs americano
| Drink | How it is made |
|---|---|
| Ristretto | About 1:1, short and intense |
| Espresso | About 1:2 |
| Lungo | About 1:3, water goes through the coffee |
| Americano | A normal shot with hot water added afterward |
Does a lungo have more caffeine?
The guide describes it as slightly more than a double, though it also says caffeine changes little across these shot types.
People also ask
What is the ratio for a lungo?
About 1:3 coffee to water, for example 18 g in and about 60 g out, per two coffee guides.
Should I add milk to a lungo?
It is usually drunk black; milk dilutes the thin body.
How is a lungo different from an americano?
A lungo pushes more water through the coffee; an americano adds hot water to a normal shot afterward.
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