Of course, the most noticeable part of their appearances is the quantity. Much of the flavor does come down to which Nespresso capsule you choose and the better quality coffee bean, the better-tasting coffee. On the other hand, the lungo tends to be more bitter and has a rounder flavor. Even the aftertaste of a perfect espresso can leave a sweet taste in your mouth. The espresso, using less water, tends to have a more intense, robust flavor. If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you. The Kazaar Intenso is one of the strongest espresso capsules and contains about 120 milligrams of caffeine per serving! That is sure to start your day off right. Nespresso makes decaf lines for espresso and lungo and offers the Kazaar Intenso. However, caffeine content also depends on which Nespresso capsules you choose. Using an espresso pod to create a lungo will just result in over-extracted espresso. However, this isn’t the case!ĭespite both using the same weight of coffee grounds to start with, the lungo extracts more caffeine because it takes longer to pull. You might assume using more water would dilute the caffeine in a lungo. This variance in water affects the intensity and flavor the way you may predict it will, but not the caffeine content. This means your espresso is only a couple of sips, while your lungo tends to be a bit more. So let’s put them head to head to find out!Ī shot of espresso uses about 30 milliliters of water, while a lungo uses twice that amount.

We want to know how these two drinks compare in the Nespresso line of products. You can always add milk or foam to any lungo to make a delicious coffee drink. The ristretto uses a third of the water of a lungo and has an even richer, more potent flavor. How is it different from an Americano? Well, a lungo brews all of its water, while the Americano adds water after the brew.Īnother drink that is commonly confused with the lungo is the ristretto. The Long Black starts with a lungo shot and then adds equal parts of hot water. Many people confuse the Long Black with the lungo. Either way, a unique coffee beverage was born.

Perhaps a barista made it by accident, or someone decided to experiment with the time it takes to pull an espresso. Though not much is known about where or when this drink was first created, the lungo also originates from Italy. For those who find regular espresso overwhelming, the flavor of a lungo tends to be a bit less sharp but slightly more bitter. A regular espresso machine might be adjusted to draw a lungo, or you can let the espresso shot run longer.Ī lungo takes about a minute to pull (twice as long as an espresso!) and produces about two ounces of liquid. This drink is made using an espresso machine and the same quantity of finely-ground espresso beans, but twice the almost boiling water. I know! I promised you they were different, and they are. It’s also sometimes called stretched coffee. Lungo is the Italian word for ‘long,’ which refers to a type of espresso that takes longer to pull. Of course, there are endless espresso-based drinks and combinations that you can create! What is Lungo? It’s for people that may want to avoid the heavy creams but don’t always enjoy the strong flavor of espresso.

You add the espresso to the steamed milk in this drink, then top it with foam.Īnother well-known espresso-based drink is the Americano, simply an espresso with a hot water adjustment at the end. There’s also a latte macchiato, which is a latte in reverse. Or cold milk and whipped cream if you’re ordering a frappuccino. This drink is made with equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foam. The taste of espresso only improves in many of our favorite drinks! Perhaps the most well-known is a latte, simply a shot of espresso topped with steamed milk and a dollop of foam.Īnother fan favorite is a cappuccino. It wasn’t until the piston pump was developed for the original designs that hot, boiling water was forced over the grounds, and the rich, concentrated Italian-style coffee we love was born. It resulted in a slightly burnt flavor but still delivered the same punch of caffeine. The earliest espresso machines forced steam over a dose of ground coffee (usually around 20 grams of coffee grounds) rather than pressure. Origins of EspressoĮspresso didn’t even exist until the late 1800s! Its name derives from the Italian word esprimere, which means ‘to express’ or ‘to press out.’ You can make espresso from a wide variety of coffee beans, but because of the volume and method of brewing, it tends to be thicker and richer in flavor than regular black coffee.

Espresso vs ristretto vs lungo