How to Pull a Lungo

Before you start

A lungo is a long espresso. Instead of stopping at about twice the coffee weight, you let the shot run to roughly three to four times the dose, so 18 g of coffee yields around 54 to 72 g of liquid. The extra water pulls out more of the coffee's later, drier flavors, so the cup is larger, thinner in texture and often more bitter than a standard espresso, with less syrupy body.

A lungo is not the same as an americano. In an americano, a normal espresso is diluted with hot water afterward, so the extraction stays balanced and only the strength drops. In a lungo, all that water runs through the puck. To keep it from tasting harsh, coarsen the grind so the longer shot still finishes in about 30 to 40 seconds, and choose a coffee that tolerates long extractions, such as a medium roast.

Ingredients

• 18 g medium-roast espresso beans — freshly ground
• as needed filtered water — in the reservoir

Method

1. Heat the machine fully and flush the group head with a little water so the shot starts at a stable temperature.
2. Grind 18 g of coffee two or three steps coarser than your usual espresso setting. A coarser grind lets more water pass without over-extracting the puck.
3. Distribute the grounds evenly and tamp level. An uneven puck channels much more readily over a long shot.
4. Place a warmed cup on the scale, tare it, and start the shot and timer together.
5. Let the shot run until the scale reads 54 to 72 g, usually in 30 to 40 seconds. The color will turn from dark brown to pale blond near the end; that is expected.
6. Stop the shot, stir, and taste. If it is bitter and drying, coarsen the grind or stop at a lower yield. If it is sour and watery, grind a little finer.

Tips for success

• Start at a 1:3 ratio, about 54 g out, and lengthen only if you want a lighter cup. Many coffees turn bitter beyond 1:4.
• Medium roasts usually give the most pleasant lungos. Very dark roasts turn ashy, while some light roasts taste good long because they extract slowly.
• If your machine has a programmable volume button, set it once you have found a yield you like so every lungo matches.

Substitutions

Lungo method

For a long coffee that tastes cleaner, pull a normal 36 g espresso and add 30 to 40 ml of hot water. That is a short americano, with less bitterness.

Espresso beans

Coffees labeled for filter brewing can work in a lungo, especially light roasts, but expect to grind finer than for medium roasts to avoid sourness.

Variations

Lungo with milk

Add 30 to 60 ml of steamed milk for a small, mild drink somewhere between a cortado and a café au lait.

Iced lungo

Pull the lungo directly over three or four ice cubes and stir until cold.

Troubleshooting

The lungo tastes harsh and woody

It is over-extracted. Coarsen the grind, shorten the yield toward 1:3, or try a lighter roast.

It finishes in under 25 seconds and tastes thin

The grind is too coarse. Grind finer so the longer shot still takes about 30 seconds.

Water sprays from the side of the basket

Channeling. Improve distribution and tamping; long shots expose puck flaws that a short shot might hide.

Storage

Drink right after pulling. Keep beans sealed and away from light, heat and moisture, and buy amounts you will use within a few weeks of the roast date.