A small taste of Coffee

Most of the times, an inexperienced coffee lover can be easily confused simply by listening to listening at the orders given in a coffee shop – and things tend to get worse if the coffee shop is located in Rome or in Florence.

The different names an espresso can bear reveal different manufacturing methods and of course, different flavors and tastes. Espresso’s magic lies in the fact that only two materials, good quality coffee and water are needed in order to get six different beverages, each one suitable to a different time of the day. According to the "Italian Rule", here are the six espresso variations

• Ristretto: as its name suggests, meaning “limited” in Italian, Ristretto is smaller than regular espresso. While the same amount of coffee is used, the extraction time is lesser, so the coffee is smaller, but with more intense flavor, denser texture, and stronger aftertaste.

• Lungo: Its name means "long" and derives from the longer extraction time, which is up to thirty seconds longer than the usual procedure. The body of a lungo is usually thinner, with more acidity, but lungo generally contains more caffeine because of the longer extraction time.
  

• Doppio: While many believe lungo to be the "double" espresso, the really double espresso in Italy is called doppio - that is, double in Italian.
  

• Americano: If you add hot water to a regular espresso, the result will be a hearty coffee with weaker flavor due to the dilution – the Americano.. His origins date back to the years of the Second World War, when American soldiers in Europe added water to  their espresso, as its taste seemed very intense -  or, at least,  these are the facts according to the urban myth. Being a variant of the Americano, Long Black's preparation follows the same philosophy, with the difference that the ratio of espresso and hot water is controlled in order not to excessively dilute the drink, and special care is taken to keep the coffee its characteristic cream.

Espresso, Ristretto, Lungo, Doppio or even Americano, using quality coffee and the right equipment, the only thing to be sure of is that coffee was and will be unique and enjoyable - a favorite daily habit we can easily enjoy from our home.