Espresso
Lungo
A longer espresso with more water passing through the coffee.
Where it came from
Italy
20th century
Lungo means long. Italian bar culture created it by allowing more water through the puck, before cafés began serving espresso with added water separately.
Make it at home
Starting recipe
You'll need
- Coffee in
- 18 g
- Lungo out
- 45–54 g
- 01
Prepare
Dose and tamp 18 g of coffee as for espresso.
- 02
Pull longer
Allow the shot to run to around 45 to 54 g, usually 30 to 40 seconds.
- 03
Serve
Taste before assuming longer means better; some coffees turn dry when over-extracted.
At a café
A lungo varies a lot between cafés, so it is worth asking how they pull it.