Generally, darker-roasted coffees perform well with a smaller ratio, while lighter-roasted coffees perform better with a larger one. Borrowing language from Italian espresso nomenclature, a 1:1 to a 1:2 is a Ristretto espresso, 1:2 to a 1:3 is a Normale espresso, and a 1:3 to a 1:4 is a Lungo espresso.