Long black coffee
A long black is a double shot of espresso poured over hot water. The water goes in first, so the golden crema stays on top. That is the difference from an Americano, where water is added to the shots. Pick your cup size for the amounts.
By our numbers, a long black is about 1 part coffee to 2.8 parts water. A regular latte is about 1 to 7.
1 What are you making?
Popular in Perth
Café drinks
Brewed coffee
2 How much?
3 How strong?
Units
How to make a long black
For small (8oz, 230ml), at balanced strength. Change the size or strength in the calculator above.
You need
- 18g finely ground coffee, for a double shot
- 102ml hot water
Method
- Pour 102ml of hot water into the cup first.
- Grind 18g of coffee into the basket, level it and tamp firmly.
- Pull the double shot straight over the hot water and stop at 36g out, so the crema stays on top.
How a long black compares
Every Australian café drink side by side, at balanced strength in its usual cup. The coffee to milk ratio is espresso out against milk (or water) added, so you can see which drinks are really stronger.
| Drink | Cup | Espresso | Added | Foam | Coffee to milk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short black | Double, 18g basket | 18g in, 36g out | None | None | Coffee only |
| Short mac | Demitasse, about 90ml | Single (9g in, 18g out) | 15ml milk | A small dollop | 1 : 0.8 |
| Piccolo | Glass, about 100ml | Single (9g in, 14g out) | 74ml milk | Thin, about 5mm | 1 : 5.3 |
| Long mac | Glass, about 120ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 20ml milk | A small dollop | 1 : 0.6 |
| Long mac topped up | Glass, about 180ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 122ml milk | Thin, about 5mm | 1 : 3.4 |
| Flat white | Small, 8oz, 230ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 165ml milk | Thin, about 5mm | 1 : 4.6 |
| Cappuccino | Small, 8oz, 230ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 126ml milk | About 1.5cm, chocolate on top | 1 : 3.5 |
| Latte | Regular, 12oz, 350ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 251ml milk | About 1cm | 1 : 7 |
| Long black | Small, 8oz, 230ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 102ml hot water | None | 1 : 2.8 |
| Iced latte | Tall glass, about 350ml | Double (18g in, 36g out) | 188ml cold milk | None, served over ice | 1 : 5.2 |
Long black quick answers
| Size | Recipe |
|---|---|
| Small 8oz, 230ml | Double shot, 102ml hot water |
| Regular 12oz, 350ml | Double shot, 174ml hot water |
| Large 16oz, 470ml | Double shot, 246ml hot water |
These are starting points. Every bean is different, so taste and adjust.
New to this? Read how to make a long black, step by step.
