How to make hosszú kávé in an espresso machine?
Posted by ramendik@reddit | askhungary | View on Reddit | 13 comments
Hello,
When I was in Budapest (twice in 2022), I really enjoyed the "hosszú kávé" in some good cafes. Fast forward to now, I have acquired an espresso machine, and I want to try making it.
However, I am in Ireland. and the Anglosphere just doesn't do this kind of lungo. I asked in r/espresso and for them 1:3.5 is seriously long. The Hungarian "hosszú" ratio, as far as I could work out from https://bestmixer.hu/hosszu-kave/ (google-translated), is about 1:7 to 1:8, and the ideal draw time is about 50 s ?
This is as far as I could work out from that one post - is it actually the correct way? What kind of roasts are considered best for this ratio? And is there anything else I need to know to do it right?
rcaligari@reddit
Good question. I would say the "traditional Hungarian-style lungo" is mainly a result of using pre-ground coffee or grinders that wouldn't grind fine enough for proper espresso. That combined with lower-quality dark roasts just resulted in an under-extracted drink, which, if still brewed in around 30s with an espresso dose means higher output volume (that still didn't taste too sour bc it was super dark). For many it was more palatable than what a "proper" espresso would have tasted like from those beans, especially without sugar/cream/milk.
It would help knowing where exactly you had those hosszú kávés. Most new wave/specialty places only do americanos or filter coffees, so I'm assuming it could have been a somewhat more "traditional" café.
AnarchiaKapitany@reddit
Hosszú kávé is the result of most of us having a shit tier Szarvasi coffee machine in the 80s and 90s, so that was the norm. Also, the beans here were exclusively dark, over-roasted arabicas, light roasts were almost unheard of. So the standard coffee was a runny, smoky, burnt flavor horse kick.
rcaligari@reddit
*robustas
AnarchiaKapitany@reddit
One of the two
Kasumi__L@reddit
In most places in Hungary when you ask for hosszú kávé, they prepare a standard espresso and make it with longer brewing time, which results more water in the coffee. However, one time one of my friend who usually knows what's he doing, make the hosszú kávé as a standard espresso, then add extra hot water. He says if you use simply use longer brewing time with a standard espresso setup, it will fck up everything. 🤷♂️
Dumuzzid@reddit
That's an Americano.
ilor144@reddit
That’s the right answer, hosszú kávé is just a simple espresso with longer brewing time (so it has more caffeine as well).
If you add boiling water to an espresso you made americano.
maykaroly@reddit
This is the answer.
Left-Enthusiasm1574@reddit
Hosszúkávé is exactly the same as lungo. 1 portion of coffe of an espresso boiled with double load of water.
PuzzleheadedCell7708@reddit
I disagree. The avarage hungarian espresso is like the cafe lungo. Tge hingarian hosszúkávé is more like americano in terns of volume.
Fit-Career4225@reddit
No fkin way! I could accept that hungarian presszó is a lifttel bit longer Than a classic espresso. But I could stand if an americano given to me after I ask for a hosszú kávé. Its a lungo. Maybe a lifttel bit more water, but no way an americano.
ramendik@reddit (OP)
Thanks! It seems then that it's the Reddit Anglos who shortened their lungos :)
vahokif@reddit
In some places it's just an americano.