The most common type of coffee that we are asked about is a long black. It seems so simple, right? After all, it’s just hot water and coffee. You’d be surprised at how many people make a bad tasting one and don’t understand where they went wrong. With a quick tutorial from us, you can start enjoying a deliciously smooth long black using your Nespresso coffee pod machine! 

How to make a deliciously smooth long black with your Nespresso machine

The most common type of coffee that we are asked about is a long black. It seems so simple, right? After all, it’s just hot water and coffee. You’d be surprised at how many people make a bad tasting one and don’t understand where they went wrong. With a quick tutorial from us, you can start enjoying a deliciously smooth long black using your Nespresso coffee pod machine! 

DON'T DO THIS!

A lot of people make the mistake of touching the long shot button. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – DO. NOT. USE. IT. For the sake of your coffee! Running more water through the same pod doesn’t provide any more benefits, it actually makes your coffee bitter and won’t be a pleasant experience. If you want more information about why the long shot button is a big no no, please check out our blog HERE

DO THIS INSTEAD

So how do we make a good long black? Firstly, select your pod – we recommend our intensity #6 or #8, as they are our smoothest blends. Go ahead and pop your chosen pod into your machine and hit the short shot button (Note: If you’re used to a café style long black, you may find that you need to use 2 pods to obtain the same strength - but experiment for yourself and see what your tastebuds like!)

Once you’ve extracted your pod(s), you’ll be left with a smooth coffee extraction and beautiful crema. Next step is to fill the rest of your mug up with boiling water. You have two options: boil a kettle and pour the water in or eject the used pod from your machine and run 1-2 lungo shots of boiling water through.

There you have it – the PERFECT long black. Did you give it a go? If so, what did you think? Let us know below!

Still have a question?

Check out our FAQ's, send me an email at hello@urbanbrew.co or call us on 1800 875 495. We are happy to help!

Enjoy!

Toby Strong

Founder & Customer Happiness Specialist

A lot of people make the mistake of touching the long shot (lungo) button when using short shot (espresso) pods.  Running more water through the same short shot (espresso) pod doesn’t provide any more benefits, it actually over-extracts the coffee and makes your coffee bitter. This is due to the size of the coffee granules. If you want more information on how to make the best coffee, check out our blog HERE

So how do we make a good long black? Firstly, select your pod – we have a specifically made pod for long shot (lungo) extractions called the Long Shot. This has been ground to suit a longer slower (lungo) extraction. If you are using our standard short shot (espresso) pod we recommend our intensity #6 or #8, as they are our smoothest blends.

If you’re used to a café style Long Blacks, you may find that you need to use 2 pods to obtain the same strength - but experiment for yourself and see what your tastebuds like!

There is also a difference between a Long Black and an Americano. A Long Black has the water added to the cup first and then the espresso on top. On the other hand the Americano has an espresso first and then water added on top. They both taste slightly different, so give them both a try and see what you prefer!

There you have it – the PERFECT Long Black. Did you give it a go? If so, what did you think? Let us know below!