Tag: Ristretto vs espresso

Despite its more intense and concentrated flavor, a ristretto shot actually contains slightly less total caffeine than a standard espresso shot. This counterintuitive fact stems from the brewing process itself, which controls the extraction of flavor compounds and caffeine.

Did you know that a ristretto shot, despite its bold taste, typically has slightly less caffeine than a standard espresso shot due to its shorter extraction time? The ultimate purpose of a ristretto lies in capturing the coffee bean's most intense, sweet, and aromatic compounds while avoiding the bitter notes extracted later in the process.

According to coffee experts, ristretto is typically brewed with a 1:1 ratio of coffee grounds to liquid, whereas a standard espresso uses a 1:2 ratio. This difference in brewing is central to understanding what is the ratio of ristretto to espresso and its resulting flavor profile, which is more concentrated and sweeter than a regular shot.

According to coffee industry standards, a single shot of espresso is generally defined as 1 fluid ounce, which is approximately 30ml. However, this is just a starting point, and the actual volume can vary widely depending on the type of shot, brewing technique, and even the café.