Composition and caffeine content, calorie content
The classic drink contains only water and coffee beans. The calorie content of 1 serving (15 ml) without added sugar is only 1.35 kcal. If you add 1 tsp. granulated sugar, the energy value increases to 19.35 kcal. Ristretto is usually consumed without sweeteners.
The calorie content of 1 cup of ristretto without sugar is 1.35 kcal.
The caffeine content depends on the degree of grinding of the beans used to prepare the corto.
The more they are crushed, the lower the concentration of the tonic component will be.
Conclusion
Ristretto is:
- What is espresso coffee, how to prepare and serve it correctly
- Rich taste.
- Low caffeine content compared to espresso.
- The perfect end to a meal.
- A good ristretto can only be prepared in a coffee machine.
Have you already tried ristretto?
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Content
Ristretto coffee is an Italian coffee drink with a small volume - from 20 to 30 ml. Lungo and espresso have the same volume. In such drinks the content of coffee beans is 7 - 10 grams. But baristas prepare ristretto in coffee machines with a pressure of 10 to 18 atm. And the cooking time is up to a minute.
Beneficial features
The drink has a number of useful properties:
- invigorates and tones the body;
- lifts your spirits, helps cope with apathy and depression;
- warms, stimulates blood circulation;
- accelerates metabolism, promotes weight loss;
- increases productivity (especially during the training process);
- normalizes liver function;
- Helps stabilize the condition of oncological pathologies and diabetes.
What is Ristretto Bianco?
If you want to try ristretto but are a little concerned that it might be too strong, then ristretto bianco might be just what you're looking for.
Ristretto Bianco is a smaller café latte made with ristretto rather than espresso. We all know that a latte is a sweet coffee drink consisting of one shot of espresso and about eight ounces of steamed milk. If you don't want foam on top, you need to order a flat white, which is basically the same coffee.
Since the United States prefers large quantities of coffee, coffee shops usually prepare lattes with a double shot of espresso.
Thus, a Ristretto Bianco is a cafe latte made with a double or sometimes quadruple shot of ristretto using steamed milk and topped with foam. Since lattes are typically sweet drinks, a perfectly prepared ristretto is sure to enhance the flavor of the latte.
Features of cooking at home
To prepare ristretto coffee at home, follow the instructions exactly.
Required Ingredients
Choose high quality grains. It is better if it is 100% Arabica. Thanks to the peculiarities of preparation, the taste of single varieties is revealed especially well, so give this grain preference when choosing. To prepare using classic technology, you will need an espresso grind or a slightly coarser one (but finer than average).
To make the ristretto excellent, use 100% Arabica.
If you want to prepare corto using an alternative technology, use a finer grind. In this case, the extraction time will have to be increased to 18-20 seconds. Italians prefer a medium roast bean, while those in the South recommend a dark roast, which brings out the chocolate flavor.
Take bottled water. Mineralization should be 75-250 mg/l. Avoid using tap liquid. Ristretto cooked on it will acquire an unpleasant aftertaste and smell of bleach.
Process steps
Grind the coffee beans 5-10 minutes before brewing. This way they won’t have time to release the taste and aroma to the air, and the drink will turn out to be thicker in consistency.
Use a coffee machine to brew. French press and Turkish press are not suitable for making corto. Remove the holder and wipe thoroughly to keep it dry. Insert it in its original place, then fill it with 8-11 g of ground coffee. Soak for 3-5 seconds. Then turn on the water flow for 15-20 seconds. During this time you will receive 15-20 ml of drink.
How to cook Turke
It is quite difficult to prepare ristretto in a Turk, but the accuracy of the process can be judged by the absence of white spots on the dense coffee foam, which means low caffeine content. If we take the total amount of ingredients, it does not change.
Any type of ristretto is prepared in a Turk; the taste does not change.
Simple ristretto coffee recipes
There are several recipes that can be used to prepare cortado at home.
Classical
Take 7 g of medium or fine ground coffee, 15 ml of water. Pour the coffee powder into the holder and compact it using a tempera. Return the holder to the coffee machine. Place a cup with a preheated bottom in the drip tray. Cook for 12-15 seconds. Use immediately to prevent the drink from getting cold.
Alternative
To prepare using an alternative recipe, you will need 7 g of coffee ground finer than for fine espresso, 15 ml of water. The technology is the same as in the classic recipe, but the extraction time increases to 20 seconds. The drink in this situation turns out to be stronger.
Double
To prepare a double drink, use 14 g of coffee, 30 ml of water. Extraction time is 12-15 seconds.
Chocolate
To prepare, take:
- double corto;
- 30 ml milk;
- 10-15 g dark chocolate;
- whipped cream, chocolate sauce - to taste.
Melt the chocolate in a water bath. Lightly whip the cream, as for Irish cream. Mix chocolate with milk and pour into double ristretto. Using the blade of a knife, pour the cream into the cup and garnish the drink with chocolate sauce.
Chocolate is dissolved in milk and added to the ristretto.
Russian
To prepare, take:
- 7 g ground coffee;
- 30 ml water.
The drink is prepared according to the same algorithm as the classic variation. The extraction time is 15 seconds.
Cocktail “Baby Peppino Ristretto”
To prepare, take:
- 15 ml ristretto;
- 20 ml tequila;
- 20 ml Kahlua liqueur;
- cream, grated chocolate, cane sugar - to taste.
Heat the tequila in a water bath, melt the sugar in it. Mix it with liqueur, then pour it into a preheated glass. Whip the cream until smooth. In this case, peaks should not form. Prepare ristretto and add to alcohol. Pour cream along the blade of a knife and sprinkle with grated chocolate.
The daily consumption rate of this alcoholic cocktail is 1 serving. Don't drive after drinking it.
Drink ingredients
Beans: variety, grinding and roasting
The taste and aroma of ristretto depend on the type of coffee beans. Better take 100% Arabica. If you prepare the drink using the correct method, the taste of high-quality single-origin coffees - selected types of coffee from plantations in Asia, America, and Africa at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level - will be revealed more widely.
For Arabica, a medium grind is suitable, for Robusta, a finer grind.
In northern Italy, they prefer to brew coffee from medium-roasted beans, which produce a drink with a slight sweetness and velvety notes of flowers.
In the south of the country, they choose full roasting: such a drink will lack sourness, but there will be notes of chocolate.
Store grains at room temperature between 22 and 27 degrees. It is important that they do not come into contact with oxygen and water. Therefore, use plastic bags that have many layers and have a valve. Keep ground coffee powder in vacuum bags and jars.
Interesting! Which coffee grind is best for a carob coffee maker?
Read the other rules in the article “How to store coffee beans at home.”
What kind of water is suitable
To brew ristretto, use water in glass or plastic bottles with a mineral content of 90–150 milligrams per liter.
The liquid from the tap contains chlorine, which affects the flavor of the coffee.
The nuances of serving and drinking the finished coffee drink
It is customary to serve the drink in small porcelain or clay cups or glass shots. At the same time, be sure to serve a glass of water cooled to room temperature. The liquid should not be hotter than 25°C. A spoon or sugar is not included, since it is not customary to sweeten or stir korto.
Ristretto coffee is served with a glass of chilled water.
Literally should be taken after meals. First you need to take a sip of water to cleanse your taste buds. You should drink coffee only in a situation where you didn’t like the drink and needed to get rid of the unpleasant taste in your mouth. You shouldn't have a snack.
Submission rules
Ristretto is usually served in thick-walled dishes.
Ristretto is usually served in thick walls so that the small volume does not have time to cool. You can’t serve sweets with this drink, it’s not customary, but nuts rolled in sugar are added.
Another rule is that the ristretto is served with a glass of cool water, sips of which alternate with coffee. This is done in order to refresh the receptors for a new sip.
Differences from espresso
Ristretto differs from espresso in a number of ways:
- Volume. A standard espresso shot is 40-60 ml, while a corto shot is only 15-30 ml.
- Richness of taste. Since both drinks use the same amount of ground coffee, and there is more water in espresso, literelli turns out more rich.
- Caffeine concentration. Espresso becomes stronger due to longer extraction.
- Bitterness. Cortot is not bitter because it contains almost no tannins. Espresso has a bitter taste.
- Cooking duration. Espresso will have to be brewed twice as long.
- Consistency. Ristretto is thicker and more viscous. Espresso containing more liquid is more fluid.
- Foam. Cortado is characterized by a stable, uniform foam, which the Italians call “creme”. In espresso it is less homogeneous, unstable, with large individual bubbles.
How is it different from other types
The drink has many names: double espresso, half-espresso, corto, lightrelli, shrank, and shot.
Espresso and ristretto are similar in their preparation method. Boiling water passes through a compressed coffee “tablet” under a pressure of 9 bar, transforming it into an aromatic drink. But if espresso takes 25 seconds to prepare, then ristretto takes less time - only 15 seconds. Water takes away caffeine from the 16th second, so there is much less of it in ristretto, and it is not so bitter. In this regard, it can be drunk more often (up to 10 servings) than espresso (4-5 cups per day). The first drink is more viscous than the second, it has a denser and darker foam. This is their difference from each other.
An experienced barista can best help you determine the differences between espresso, lungo and ristretto.
In essence, lungo is the same espresso, but it takes even longer to prepare (therefore it is translated as “long”, “long”). It contains even more caffeine; also, due to a long (over a minute) spill of water in the coffee machine, a lot of essential oils and tannins are released through the tablet, giving a characteristic bitter taste. In addition, lungo volumes are larger - 60-70 milliliters.
Contraindications and harm
The use of corto increases the heart rate and blood pressure. When consumed in the evening, before bedtime, the drink can cause insomnia and difficulty falling asleep.
You should stop using Literelli if:
- pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
- insomnia, sleep disorders;
- hypertension;
- pregnancy, breastfeeding;
- under 18 years of age.
It is not recommended to consume ristretto on an empty stomach. The drink may cause digestive problems due to its laxative and diuretic effects.
How to serve and drink ristretto
Ristretto is served in miniature mugs with thick walls. In Italian cafes, this drink is poured into special cups - demitasse. Their volume ranges from 60 to 90 ml. Mugs are made from ceramic or porcelain. It is customary to warm the bottom of the cup before pouring in the coffee. This is a small life hack on how to keep liquid warm longer. Ristretto is usually drunk hot.
You shouldn’t be surprised if in Italian cafes a visitor is served a glass of regular still water along with coffee. This was invented in order to freshen up, to prepare for drinking ristretto, so that nothing would disturb the depth of taste of this drink. A glass of water will also protect against dehydration. The classic recipe does not tolerate the addition of sugar, milk, or sweets. As a last resort, you can eat glazed coffee beans or candied nuts. It is better to take coffee after eating food. Otherwise, the stomach will suffer from the aggressive effects of caffeine.
Italians love ristretto so much that they are ready to drink dozens of cups of the tart drink every day. According to statistics, Italian residents drink 8-10 glasses every day. The low caffeine content allows you to drink as much coffee without compromising your health and cardiovascular system.
Selecting grains for cooking
Experts advise choosing medium or dark roast coffee for ristretto. The flavor of the future drink depends on the specific type. When made with lighter beans, it will have soft floral notes and a slight sweetness. Darker roasts provide a bold coffee flavor. In this matter you need to rely on your own preferences.
Special attention should be paid to grinding the grains. As mentioned earlier, for this you need to use only freshly ground coffee. Since ristretto is prepared in a coffee machine, you should not grind it too finely, “into dust” - because of this, the filter of the device may become clogged. If, on the contrary, the grinding is very coarse, then the rapid exposure to hot water will not have time to impart the taste and aroma to the drink.
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There is one more feature that depends on the type of coffee. For Arabica coffee, a medium grind is traditionally used, while Robusta requires a finer grind. When using a mixture, you need to select the degree of grinding experimentally. When the choice is made correctly, the drink flows into the cup in a continuous thin stream. Interruption of the flow by drops indicates that the grind is determined incorrectly.
Adherents of ristretto note its high concentration, but at the same time, the almost complete absence of characteristic bitterness. It has a slightly viscous consistency and a rather expressive aroma of coffee beans. A small volume of this drink can easily fill you with energy and vigor for the whole day ahead, despite the fact that it contains much less caffeine than espresso. This effect is due to the high concentration of essential oils, on which the tonic effect depends.
Distinctive features of the ristretto
This coffee is considered a subtype of espresso and is prepared exclusively in a coffee machine, and only freshly ground beans must be used. It is impossible to prepare it in a Turk or a regular coffee maker; special technology is needed. Ristretto and espresso, the differences between which are quite large, are nevertheless very similar. They are united by strong strength, small volume and a certain cooking technology that cannot be changed.
Before considering the recipe for brewing this drink, it is worth understanding what it is. Ristretto is the strongest type of coffee in the world, which at the same time does not contain a large amount of caffeine. Such properties are due to the nuances of preparation. Many people are interested in what is stronger: espresso or ristretto. The second type is more intense in taste, and the caffeine concentration is much higher in the first.
It is because of this property that ristretto can be drunk in much larger quantities without fear of possible side effects. This quality is due to the short cooking time. Coffee manages to transfer valuable essential oils to the drink, which determine the rich, strong taste. At the same time, within a few seconds of exposure to hot water, caffeine does not begin to be released.
Ristretto coffee also differs from espresso in its abundant, dense foam of uniform color, without light spots. It has a very thick consistency and bright aroma.
The classic ristretto recipe includes the same amount of coffee as espresso, and uses half as much water.
