Best espresso beans for Ristretto

Probably you’re looking for the best espresso beans for ristretto. But, let’s see what beans are good for espresso, and these should be fine for ristretto too. When you go to a local coffee shop you may hear the word coffee shot. They usually refer to a shot of espresso. Ristretto is even a shorter shot of espresso. The coffee beans you may use aren’t much different from espresso coffee beans.

Let’s start with the procedure of espresso making. We need to have fine grounds of espresso coffee and a device to force water to go through the grounds.

This device is the espresso machine we all know. Every espresso machine has several variations in water, temperature or pressure.

Espresso coffee beans usually are dark roasted to prepare our espresso. Dark roasting is important so the coffee has a bitter taste and distinctive boldness. Any kind of coffee beans is good to prepare an espresso. Yet, you should have in mind a few coffee qualities to get the best espresso beans for a ristretto.

How do you make ristretto espresso?

Same as espresso a ristretto is a short shot of coffee. Less water and fine ground beans are necessary to prepare a ristretto. But, who wants to drink less coffee? Most coffee lovers don’t want to see their mug empty. Usually we want more coffee, but here has to do with better quality by compromising the quantity.

When less hot water runs through the fine grounds, the outcome is more concentrated taste. Our coffee’s flavor is less bitter, and more sweet and balanced. This happens due to the shorter period of extraction. In Italian language, the word ristretto means restricted. So, when you order a ristretto, actually you inform your barista to restrict the volume in your cup.

So, if you prepare a ristretto at home you know that you should have less coffee voume in your cup. The rule of thumb is that a ristretto is a short shot of espresso and shouln’t have more than 1 oz of liquid volume.

Best Espresso Beans for Ristretto

Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend

# 1

One 2.2 pounds bag of Lavazza Super Crema Italian whole coffee beans
Mild and creamy medium espresso roast with notes of hazelnut and brown sugar
60% Arabica and 40% Robusta
Best used with an espresso machine
Produced in a nut-free facility
Contains only coffee

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Luigi Lavazza started his passion back in 1895. This passion made him search for special blends throughout the globe. He promised to deliver the best quality in every cup of coffee. This legacy stays alive for 4 generations. This famous brand remain the leading ambassador of Italian coffee.

This Super Crema Lavazza is 80% Arabica and 20% Robusta and it’s a medium roast. The origin is from Central America and Indonesia. The flavor is smoky, not bitter, with notes of fruits and nuts. This excellent blend is the best for both espresso and ristretto coffee.

Check also our review on Lavazza Oro

DEATH WISH COFFEE Whole Bean Coffee [16 oz.]

# 2

World's strongest coffee
Quality brew
Bold flavor
Organic and fair trade

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This brand delivers strong coffee. They claim that its caffeine content is double from other brands. For this reason the company markets it as the world’s strongest coffee.

Death Wish is a dark roast and it’s best for preparing ristretto and espressos too. The flavor brings elements of cherries, chocolate, skoky like a classic dark roast. Another Arabica – Robusta blend that has a nice taste. The taste isn’t very bitter and with less acid content.

Your conscience remains clear since it’s Certified Fair Trade. For ristrettos is one of my best due to the taste, body and aroma. As mentioned, ristretto has to do more with quality. Death Wish organic is definitely a high quality coffee.

Kicking Horse Coffee, Cliff Hanger Espresso, Medium Roast

# 3

Allergen Information: Nut Free

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Kicking Horse founders were two Canadian sharing their passion for coffee. The brand started when these two entrepreneurs began roasting coffee at their garage. After 20 years the company promise is to deliver high quality organic and fair trade coffee.

A few years ago the brand name was Canada’s favorite, and it was fair trade coffee. You could also find ground coffee from Kicking Horse from coarse to fine. Fine is good for espresso, but if you want drip, pour-over, or French press you could opt the coarse grounds.

This blend is a medium roast with several coffee varieties. It includes coffee beans from South and Central America, Africa, and Indonesia. The aroma brings notes of chocolate, brown sugar, and black currant. The flavor is fruity with a cocoa aftertaste. It’s one of the best espresso beans for many coffee enthusiasts.

Koffee Kult Dark Roast Whole Coffee Beans

# 4

Strong black coffee with bold flavor
Heavy body, smooth, cinnamon, and bright with a long finish
ORIGIN 100% arabic dark roast coffee beans from Columbia, Guatemala Brazil and Sumatra whole bean coffee
Great dark coffee aroma while whole, while ground, and while brewing

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Koffee Kult is another quality, fair trade, and organic coffee. It’s an ideal dark roast for preparing ristrettos due to its freshness. Raw coffee beans are being roasted in smaller batches. This happens right before packing to secure the best freshness. Koffee Kult is an artisan blend of coffees. Coffee beans varieties come from Colombia, Guatemala, and Sumatra. The flavor is smooth and contains low content of acids.

I have picked it as one of the best coffee beans for ristretto due to its heavy body and spicy flavor notes. Your nose will detect the cinnamon and chocolate notes. If you buy whole beans of Koffee Kult, you can select the grinding variation. So, apart from espresso, and ristrettos you can prepare French press, drip, or pour-over.

Don Pablo Gourmet Coffee - Signature Blend - Medium Dark Roast

# 5

Medium-dark roast using the highest quality Arabica coffee beans from Colombia, Guatemala, and Brazil
It has a rich, sweet, and complex depth of flavor with low acidity
Roasted 100% Arabica Specialty Coffee beans in small batches just prior to shipping to ensure peak flavor and optimal freshness
Non-GMO and processed without chemicals or pesticides

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Cafe Don Pablo is an artisan specialty coffee and founded by Darron and Eliana Burke. It’s an Arabica specialty coffee whereas coffee beans are coming from own trees. Cultivation of coffee trees in the area of South America delivers quality in your cup.

The soil of South America is popular for its volcanic and nutrient elements. Coffee aficionados around the globe know this very well. And it’s not a secret that this kind of soil brings some of the top Arabica coffee beans. Cafe Don Pablo includes a lot of manual labor in harvesting to secure their quality. I prefer it for making ristretto due to its strong flavor, and aroma. You will sense a mild and complex flavor. You will feel the dark chocolate notes blended with earthy elements. This blend contains Colombian Supremo and Sumatra Mandheling coffee beans.

Is ristretto Stronger than espresso?

For some coffee fanatics, a ristretto is a perfect pour. Some others believe that there is no reason for such a hype for ristrettos. Yet, most of the coffee lovers admit that a ristretto is the ultimate espresso experience.

We could say that the opposite of the ristretto is lungo. Ristretto isn’t stronger than espresso since it contains less caffeine than espresso. Since shorter time is needed for extraction, then less caffeine gets out from the grounds. Ristretto has less caffeine than espresso, americano, and lungo.

So, if you’re an espresso lover who likes to get 4-5 shots daily, you should reconsider the ristretto option. The reason is simple. You’ll get the best flavor, aroma, and espresso experience.

On top of that, you don’t have to mind about the increased caffeine content that may keep you up in the night.

The unique flavor of a ristretto is based on the procedure that involves less time of extraction. During this shorter extraction individual chemical elements extract at different stages. This is what makes a ristretto an exclusive coffee experience.

How do you drink Ristretto

To experience the pure essence of a ristretto, you’ll need to skip your frothy milk. That’s because the way to drink a ristretto includes a short volume of a single shot of espresso. Italians, drink their ristretto fast to taste all the elements of flavor to their palate. But, you can use a double shot of ristretto if you prefer more coffee in your cup. It’s important though to prepare every shot separately by using a new coffee part.

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