First, the most important difference

An espresso uses a relatively small amount of liquid in proportion to the amount of ground coffee, whereas with a lungo, you extract more liquid from the same amount of coffee. As a result, a lungo is less concentrated and has a different taste and texture. Depending on your coffee and the desired recipe, a different grind setting may also be appropriate.

Many people start off quite logically at home: they adjust their coffee grinder once and then expect the espresso, lungo, and other buttons on the machine to each make their own coffee drink.

That is precisely where confusion often arises.

During my private barista workshops, I regularly see someone who can make a nice espresso, but for a lungo, they simply let the same puck run for much longer. The opposite happens too. The grinder is set quite coarse so that the longer coffee flows through easily, while a regular espresso then runs out of the portafilter quickly and tastes thin, sharp, or sour.

This does not mean that espresso is right and lungo is wrong. Both can be delicious ways to make coffee. You just have to understand that you are trying to achieve a different result.

That is why we first look at the ratio between the ground coffee and what eventually ends up in your cup. After that, it also becomes clear why your coffee grinder plays such a major role.

Espresso en lungo naast een halfautomatische espressomachine en koffiemolen

Same coffee, a different destination

For espresso and lungo, you can start with the same amount of ground coffee. The difference mainly arises because you stop the extraction at a different weight in the cup. This changes both the concentration and the way you experience the flavors of the coffee.

What is the difference between espresso and lungo?

A useful starting point for a double espresso is, for example, 18 grams of ground coffee in your portafilter and about 36 grams of espresso in the cup. That is a 1:2 ratio: for every gram of ground coffee, you get approximately two grams of beverage.

View that primarily as a starting point and not as a universal recipe. The coffee beans, roast, filter basket, temperature, and your own taste determine what you ultimately end up with.

For a lungo, you use the same method of calculation, but you let more beverage flow into the cup. You could, for instance, start around 1:3. With 18 grams of ground coffee, that means about 54 grams in the cup. Some recipes go further toward 1:4.

The further you extend the ratio, the less concentrated the coffee becomes. The thick, full body you can get with a short espresso usually diminishes and the drink becomes lighter. At the same time, you extract more compounds from the ground coffee during the longer extraction. Consequently, the flavor can also change significantly.

Espresso-extractie tijdens een privΓ© barista workshop aan huis op een Meraki espressomachine.

Continuing for longer changes more than just the volume

A lungo is not just larger because there is more water in the cup. That extra water has first passed through the same ground coffee. This also changes what is extracted from the coffee during the process.

Read more about lead time

Why can a lungo taste more bitter than an espresso?

Coffee does not simply burn just because your extraction takes longer than 25 or 30 seconds. During brewing, the water continues to dissolve flavor compounds from the ground coffee. The longer you let a shot run, the lower the concentration becomes and the more the ratio between different flavors can shift.

As a result, a lungo can taste lighter and more open, but it can also become drier, harsher, or more bitter if the recipe does not suit the coffee being used.

It is therefore too simplistic to look only at seconds. An espresso that runs for 30 seconds is not automatically good, and a lungo that runs longer is not automatically a failure.

You always want to look at three things together: how much ground coffee you use, how much beverage ends up in the cup, and how long that takes. Then you taste.

If you want to further understand that principle, you can also read how to evaluate espresso extraction time along with input and output.

Read about espresso extraction time
ECM S-Automatik 64 naast een halfautomatische espressomachine met filterdrager en koffieweegschaal in een thuiskeuken

This is usually where the real problem starts at home.

Your coffee grinder determines how much resistance the ground coffee offers to the water. As a result, the grind setting directly affects the amount of coffee that ends up in your cup within a given time. Anyone looking to optimize different recipes will therefore quickly find themselves dealing with the grinder.

Do you need to use a different grind setting for a lungo than for an espresso?

Not in every situation. With some coffee, you can easily pull an espresso and use the same grind setting to then try a longer ratio. The result can taste excellent.

But when you want to optimize an espresso and a lungo each individually, it may turn out that both require a different grind setting.

That is exactly what I often encounter during workshops. Someone sets the grinder reasonably coarse so that the lungo flows through easily. Then, an espresso is made with that same setting. It might then flow too quickly, lack body, and taste sharp or sour.

Conversely, a very fine espresso setting can cause a much longer ratio to flow slowly and ultimately taste drier or more bitter than desired.

If you use one coffee grinder, you have to readjust it every time you switch between the two recipes in such a situation. If you do that daily, it quickly becomes impractical. Anyone who wants to regularly brew both espresso and lungo optimally and separately can therefore benefit significantly in practice from having two grinders: one set for espresso and one for lungo.

Dubbele espresso extractie van 60 ml in shotglas op weegschaal met controle van doorlooptijd tussen 25 en 30 seconden

First, make one recipe predictable

When you are still learning, it helps enormously not to try and dial in both espresso and lungo at the same time. Start with one fixed recipe. Only once that runs predictably and tastes good can you experiment in a targeted way with a second ratio.

Learn how to dial in espresso accurately

How to set espresso as the default base for your espresso machine

For example, start with 18 grams of ground coffee and aim for about 36 grams of espresso in the cup first. Use about 25 to 30 seconds as a practical starting point, then taste what happens.

If the same amount of espresso runs through much faster, you can adjust the grind to be finer. If it runs very slowly, grinding a little coarser can help. Always change only one thing at a time.

A small coffee scale makes this much easier. You can see exactly how much ground coffee you are using, how much espresso comes out of your machine, and how long it takes. A suitable option is, for example, the coffee scale with timer from Barista Essentials.

Affiliate: via this link you will be redirected to Barista Essentials. They handle the order, shipping, returns, and the right of withdrawal. Geert-Jan de Baristamanreceives a commission at no extra cost to you.

If you primarily want to learn how to understand what to do with input, output, time, and grind, then The 3 Golden Rules of Espressois a direct match.

Learn how to dial in your espresso.
Zwarte combinatietool boven een vlak getampte koffiepuck

Afterwards, you can set the lungo separately.

Once you understand how espresso reacts to your grind size, you can apply the same principle to a lungo. You simply choose a different target beverage weight and proceed to taste and adjust based on that recipe.

Here is how to adjust a lungo step by step

Use a fixed amount of ground coffee again. If you are working with 18 grams, for example, you can try an initial lungo of around 54 grams in the cup. That is approximately 1:3.

Taste that coffee first before automatically moving on to a larger volume. If you find it pleasant, you already have a usable recipe. If you want a longer, lighter coffee, you can experiment further towards, for example, 1:3.5 or 1:4.

Do not just focus on the stopwatch. Primarily taste for balance, body, dryness, and bitterness.

If your longer recipe runs extremely slowly or develops a harsh and dry taste, you can try grinding slightly coarser. This reduces the resistance in the puck, allowing the water to flow through more easily.

If you have one grinder that is normally set for espresso, note down your original setting before you start adjusting it. Keep in mind that a grinder sometimes still contains some coffee from the previous setting after changing the grind size. Your first dose after a major change is therefore not always fully representative right away.

Check out coffee scale with timer
Zwarte koffie zonder suiker, melk of siroop als keto-proof keuze tijdens een koolhydraatarm dieet.

There is also a practical third route

Do you mainly drink espresso, cappuccino, flat white, and other classic espresso-based drinks, but want a larger black coffee every now and then? Then you don't automatically need to change your entire grind setting.

When is an americano more practical than a lungo?

For many home baristas, espresso is the most convenient building block of the machine. Starting from a well-adjusted espresso, you can make a cappuccino, caffè latte, cortado, flat white, latte macchiato, and espresso macchiato without having to adjust your coffee grinder for every drink.

If you also want a larger black coffee, an americano is practical. You pull your regular espresso first and combine it with hot water. This way, the extra water does not need to pass through the same ground coffee again.

This results in a different drink than a lungo. With a lungo, the larger volume is created during the extraction. With an americano, you dilute a pre-brewed espresso with water.

If you drink almost exclusively lungo, you can of course adjust your grinder and machine for that.

If you mainly drink espresso and milk-based drinks and only occasionally a large black coffee, it is often much simpler to keep your espresso setting and make an americano for that larger coffee.

Watch Espresso Under Control

Frequently asked questions about espresso and lungo

What is the main difference between espresso and lungo?

With a lungo, you extract more beverage from the same amount of ground coffee than with an espresso. As a result, the ratio is larger, the drink becomes less concentrated, and the taste and texture also change.

Can I make espresso and lungo with the same grind setting?

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Do I need two coffee grinders for espresso and lungo?

Not necessarily. A second grinder is primarily practical when you want to brew espresso and lungo regularly using different optimal grind settings without having to constantly adjust the same grinder.

Why does my lungo taste bitter?

A lungo can become bitter or dry when you try to extract much more liquid from the same ground coffee and the chosen recipe does not suit the coffee and grind size well. Therefore, always look at the ratio, extraction time, and taste.

What is the difference between a lungo and an americano?

No, our products are free from allergens and therefore gluten-free. We only use natural ingredients and don't add any unnecessary additives.

I have another question.

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Espresso and lungo become easier once you choose what you want to adjust.

The most important difference between espresso and lungo isn't just a single button on your espresso machine. You are working with a different ratio between the amount of ground coffee and the amount of drink in your cup.

For example, you can start an espresso around 1:2. For a lungo, you can move toward 1:3 or further. After that, your coffee beans, grind size, and taste will determine what your final recipe ends up being.

If you want to drink both regularly, you don't automatically need to buy two coffee grinders. However, it becomes important to realize that the best setting for your espresso doesn't necessarily have to be the best setting for your lungo.

You can then keep readjusting, use two separate grinders, or deliberately keep your espresso grinder set for espresso and make an americano for a larger black coffee.

That is exactly what I try to help home baristas with: not endlessly copying settings, but understanding what you are changing and why.

If you want to learn more about this independently, take a look at Espresso Under Control. If you are getting stuck with your own espresso machine and coffee grinder, we can tune your own equipment together during a private in-home barista workshop.

Learn how grind size, espresso dose, and extraction time work together to determine what you ultimately taste, and build your coffee routine from one predictable espresso.

Watch Espresso Under Control
Preview van online barista module over de drie gouden regels van espresso inclusief video en pdf samenvatting

Learn why your espresso is too fast, too slow, sour, or bitter

With The 3 Golden Rules of Espresso, you will learn to work with a fixed amount of ground coffee, a measurable amount of espresso, and extraction time as a control. This makes it easier to determine when to adjust your coffee grinder to a finer or coarser setting and understand why an adjustment affects the taste.

Learn to dial in espresso accurately

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Espresso en lungo naast een halfautomatische espressomachine en koffiemolen

β˜• Espresso vs. lungo: what is the difference and how do you adjust them properly?

An espresso and a lungo both come from an espresso machine and are made using ground coffee in a portafilter. However, that does not automatically mean you can use the exact same settings for both. With a lungo, you let more liquid flow through the same amount of ground coffee. This changes the ratio, concentration, and ultimately the flavor.

During private in-home barista workshops, I frequently meet coffee lovers who have set their coffee grinder so that one of the two turns out well. If the grinder is set perfectly for espresso, they let the same coffee run for much longer when making a lungo. If the grinder is set coarser for a longer coffee, the espresso can suddenly become thin, fast, and sour.

In this explanation, I will show what truly distinguishes espresso from lungo, when a different grind setting makes sense, and what you can practically do if you want to make both coffees at home.

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