WHAT IS LUNGO COFFEE? HOW DOES IT STACK UP AGAINST ESPRESSO?

It’s about time the lungo had its moment in the spotlight!

The lungo is a rarely ordered coffee shop drink, at least in North America – something that has always surprised me. After all, we love espresso and Americanos, and the lungo is sort of a perfect middle ground.

Today, I’m going to tell you all about the lungo, also known as the long shot, in hopes of persuading you to add it to your roster of coffee shop orders. It’s so much more than just the second option on a Nespresso machine.

What Is A Lungo?

A lungo is a long shot of espresso. It’s made using the same amount of coffee grounds as an espresso shot but twice the volume of water – and thus a longer extraction time. 

A typical single lungo shot starts with 10 grams of coffee and yields between 2 and 3 ounces of the coffee drink. The extraction time will vary with the precise nature of the coffee beans but should be around 40 – 60 seconds.

Where does lungo come from?

The lungo originated in Italy, like many of the best-known espresso drinks, where it is known as the caffè lungo. The word lungo means “long” in Italian and refers to its having a greater volume than a regular espresso.

What is a Nespresso lungo?

The lungo has become more widely known thanks to Nespresso. Most Nespresso machines feature a lungo option, which delivers a 3.7-ounce drink. Nespresso has also created the Gran Lungo capsule for its Vertuo machines, which brews a 5-ounce lungo coffee.

Related: Can you make regular coffee with Nespresso?

What Is The Difference Between Espresso And Lungo?

The difference between a lungo and an espresso is the ratio of coffee to water. A standard espresso shot has a 1:2 ratio; you start with 8 to 10 grams of coffee and end up with 16 to 20 grams of espresso. A doppio is the Italian term for a double espresso. It uses the same 1:2 ratio as a single espresso shot but doubles the amount of coffee and the amount of water.

A lungo is made with a 1:4 brew ratio – and often a slightly coarser grind size. So it produces a larger, less concentrated coffee drink with a lighter body and milder coffee flavor. The balance of flavors is also different; the lungo is not as sweet, instead offering more complex bitterness and acidity. 

A ristretto goes in the opposite direction. It uses a 1:1 ratio of ground coffee to water (and usually a slightly finer grind) to produce a more concentrated, intense, and sweet coffee shot.

Does a lungo have more caffeine than espresso?

A lungo has just slightly more caffeine than a traditional espresso made with the same type of coffee. This is due to the prolonged brewing time, which extracts a bit more caffeine from the ground beans. However, the difference in the amount of caffeine is negligible.

What Is The Difference Between A Lungo And An Americano?

Lungos and Americanos are both examples of black coffee drinks made from espresso, but the difference lies in how they are prepared. For an Americano, a regular espresso shot is pulled, and then hot water is added. This produces a slightly different coffee taste profile versus pulling a long shot. It is also common for the Americano to be larger and more dilute than the lungo.

I should also mention the long black, a drink common to Australia and New Zealand. It follows the same principle as the Americano, but espresso is added to water rather than the other way around in order to maintain the crema. Confusingly, many Americanos are made this way, so the terms have essentially become interchangeable.

How To Make A Lungo

Making a lungo is identical to pulling a shot of espresso; only the coffee extraction time differs. In this recipe, I’ll be making a double shot lungo, but you can halve the recipe for a single shot.

Step-By-Step Recipe

1. Grind your coffee beans to a fine grind, just slightly coarser than espresso.
2. Fill and tamp your portafilter, and place it into the espresso machine.
3. Start pulling the shot. Continue the extraction process until you reach a volume of 3 to 4 oz. It should take around 45 seconds.

If you have a coffee scale, you can brew by weight for better accuracy. Stop when you have pulled 80 grams of coffee.

What Does A Lungo Taste Like?

A lungo tastes milder than espresso, often with more pronounced flavors of chocolate, nuts, and caramel – depending on the coffee type and roast. Brewing a lungo extracts more chemical compounds from the beans due to the increased contact time with hot water (1). So a lungo typically has more complexity than shorter espresso-based drinks.

Final Thoughts

The lungo is a coffee beverage prepared identically to an espresso but using twice the amount of water. The result is a larger and less intense drink with a unique flavor profile that will make your taste buds sing.

So next time you visit your favorite coffee shop, take a day off your beloved espresso and tell the barista you want to try a lungo. I promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised!