Thoughts on LONG shots?
Since I have been making hand tamped quality espresso, I have always been trained (and subsequently trained others) to pull ristrettos between .75 oz to 1oz with the target extraction of 25-28 seconds. I believe this to be how espresso tastes best, and I'm fairly sure most of you would agree.
What I am wondering right now is: How would you pull a great tasting LONG shot of 1.5 oz or more? How can you get extra volume without pale blond bitterness? What do you do differently than you do for a ristretto? How do you respond when a customer asks for a long shot?
I find a lot of L.A. to still be surprisingly behind other pockets of the country regarding knowledge and appreciation of quality coffee and espresso. Many consumers are so used to automated machine shots, we actually get requests like "Long double espresso, run through twice.", meaning push the Long button to let water run through the same grounds twice! Yech! (Although some of our stores have semi-automatics with the pre-programmed buttons, I always teach people to use the manual button, to watch their shots and stop them when they hit the right timing and volume.) When I get this "long, run through twice" request, I try to guide the customer toward a very short americano instead. However, there are still some people who just want a 4 oz double.
I also recently came across the term "normale" that I had never seen before. If a ristretto is .75-1 oz, is a normale 1-1.5 and a lungo 1.5-2? Or something like that?
Any thoughts or techniques on dosing, packing and pulling long shots would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
Lita Lopez
groundwork coffee co.
What I am wondering right now is: How would you pull a great tasting LONG shot of 1.5 oz or more? How can you get extra volume without pale blond bitterness? What do you do differently than you do for a ristretto? How do you respond when a customer asks for a long shot?
I find a lot of L.A. to still be surprisingly behind other pockets of the country regarding knowledge and appreciation of quality coffee and espresso. Many consumers are so used to automated machine shots, we actually get requests like "Long double espresso, run through twice.", meaning push the Long button to let water run through the same grounds twice! Yech! (Although some of our stores have semi-automatics with the pre-programmed buttons, I always teach people to use the manual button, to watch their shots and stop them when they hit the right timing and volume.) When I get this "long, run through twice" request, I try to guide the customer toward a very short americano instead. However, there are still some people who just want a 4 oz double.
I also recently came across the term "normale" that I had never seen before. If a ristretto is .75-1 oz, is a normale 1-1.5 and a lungo 1.5-2? Or something like that?
Any thoughts or techniques on dosing, packing and pulling long shots would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
Lita Lopez
groundwork coffee co.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by liz on
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to my understanding a ristretto can be pulled for up to fourty seconds. That is if you have a deep portafilter and the grind is finer then a normal shot. I actually pull all of my shots at 22-28 seconds.
What you are looking for in a ristretto is a deep rich color when that color turns to a light caramel at about .75 to 1 oz you need to stop the shot. I have pulled ristrettos that last the entire fourty seconds right up to the 1 oz line.
Never never never run a shot through twice! Also never pull a shot longer then 1 oz "lungo" is refering to the time it takes to pull the shot to 1oz
I would talk to a roaster from the northwest like Bratdorf and Bronson or DOMA they are knowledgable and will stear you in the right direction -
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Permalink Reply by Lita Lopez on
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No, I would never and have never run a shot through twice! I know it's a shocking request, but I have gotten it. I am looking for ways to accommodate the request for more volume without sacrificing quality.
You open up an interesting line of discussion: " "lungo" is refering to the time it takes to pull the shot to 1oz". I always understood it to refer to the volume of the final product. Anyone else want to contribute? What does lungo mean to you? -
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Permalink Reply by Peter Tam on
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No, that is not true.
A caffe lungo is a shot for more than 100 ml, about 3.3 oz. It is not the shot, which takes longer time to be extracted.
0.75 - 1 oz for ristretto and 1 - 1.5 oz (40-45 ml) for espresso normale. You just keep the flow goes and you will have it.
In any case, the quality of the espresso tastes can be known only by tasting, not by counting the time. A range of time is a reference, and the result should judged by drink it. -
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Thank you Peter. I love how you put this:
"In any case, the quality of the espresso tastes can be known only by tasting, not by counting the time. A range of time is a reference, and the result should judged by drink it."
That's what it's all about, taste. -
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