Café Serré

A café serré and an Italian ristretto are essentially the same drink, using the standard amount of coffee grounds but extracting with significantly less water. Both result in a highly concentrated, intense espresso shot. The primary difference is linguistic, with "serré" being the French term for "tight" or concentrated coffee.

A traditional café serré is typically pulled using about half the water of a standard single espresso shot, often yielding around 15 to 20 milliliters of liquid. Despite the reduced water volume, the barista still uses the exact same dose of coffee grounds, usually around 7 to 8 grams. This brewing method creates a thicker, more intense flavor profile.

A café serré actually contains slightly less total caffeine than a fully extracted regular espresso, despite its bolder and more intense flavor. Because the extraction is stopped early, less water is pushed through the grounds, which means less caffeine is dissolved into the final cup. However, the concentration of flavor makes it taste much stronger to the palate.

Yes, you can simulate a café serré using a Nespresso machine by using the standard espresso button but stopping the machine manually halfway through the extraction. Alternatively, some machines have a specific "ristretto" button that automatically programs the correct 25ml volume. This will give you a highly concentrated shot similar to a traditional café serré.