Cuban coffee is the blood type of most Cuban people. This rich and sweet espresso drink is perfect pick-me-up thanks to its strong kick.
Cuban coffee is a cornerstone of Cuban cuisine and culture. Many important conversations, business deals and family gatherings happen while sipping on a cafecito. My Cuban dad taught me how to make a perfect cuban coffee when I was still a child. My family appointed me the cafe cubano maker at the ripe age of 12. I have been making this coffee for nearly 30 years.
What is Cuban Coffee?
Cuban coffee, also known as cafecito, is made up primarily of arabica coffee beans and robusta beans. This combination of beans is what gives the drink it's bold finish, full-bodied flavor and strong taste.
Cuban Coffee Recipe ingredients
- Cuban-style coffee, if you don't have access to Cuban coffee then opt for ground dark roast beans
- Sugar of choice
- Water
Best Cuban Coffee Brands
For real cafe cubano, these are the most popular, best beans / best brands to use.
Café Bustelo
Pilon Espresso
Café La Llave
What kind of sugar to use?
This is a matter of preference. I grew up and still drink café Cubano using white granulated sugar. However, you can also use brown sugar or Demerara sugar.
Equipment needed
All you need for this is a Moka pot and a creamer cup.
How to make Cuban Coffee
- Unscrew the top part of the espresso maker with the handle from the bottom part of the espresso maker and remove the funnel that nests inside the base of the espresso maker.
- Fill base with water to the level of the safety valve. Replace the funnel into the base and fill it with ground coffee; do not press coffee down.
3. Tighten the top to the base. Make sure the top is completely screwed on to the base before putting on the stovetop.
4. Set your stove top to medium high to begin brewing.
5. Add your sugar to your creamer cup and carefully watch your moka pot as it brews.
6. Once the moka pot begins brewing coffee, you'll remove the moka pot off the stove for a moment and add about 1 teaspoon of the dark coffee to the creamer cup. This is the most important thing! The first few drops of espresso are usually the most concentrated and what'll give you an amazing cuban coffee!
7. Place the moka pot back on the stove so it can continue brewing.
8. While the coffee continues brewing, use a spoon to mix vigorously your coffee and sugar.
9. Continue mixing until you've creamed the sugar and a light brown paste develops.
10. By the time you've creamed your sugar, the coffee should be about finished brewing.
11. Pour the espresso into the creamer cup and stir gently. You'll see the espumita develop.
12. Carefully pour your prepared coffee to your espresso cups and enjoy
Cuban Coffee Recipe Variations
- Cafecito: An espresso shot of Cuban coffee in a tiny cup that’s no bigger than one and a half ounces. Cafecito also has the traditional espumita.
- Cortadito: A serving of Cuban coffee mixed with a small amount steamed whole milk.
- Colada: A large cup of café Cubano accompanied by smaller cups for serving. This drink is meant to be shared.
- Café Con Leche: This is comparable to a latte. 1-2 ounces of Cuban coffee with about 5-6 ounces of steamed milk.
Storing Cuban Coffee
Once the coffee has been brewed, it cannot be stored. The brewed coffee will develop a bitter aftertaste. What I like to do is put any left over coffee into ice molds and make coffee ice to enjoy in my iced coffee.
Cafe Cubano FAQs
A few factors contribute to this:
Dark Roast Beans: Cuban coffee is typically made with dark roasted beans, which tend to have higher caffeine content than lighter roasts.
Fine Grind: The coffee is finely ground, allowing for maximum extraction of flavor and caffeine during brewing.
Strong Brew Method: Cuban coffee is often made in a moka pot, which creates a concentrated and strong brew.
So, if you're sensitive to caffeine, you might want to enjoy Cuban coffee in moderation.
Yes, granulated sugar is traditionally added to Cuban coffee.
The most common method is to add the first few drops of brewed coffee to your granulated sugar. Once added, vigorously mix the sugar and coffee in order to cream the sugar and create the “espumita”
Cuban coffee, or café Cubano, is a strong, espresso-like coffee that originates from Cuba. It's characterized by its dark roast, fine grind, and often sweetened with demerara sugar during brewing.
Traditionally, Cuban coffee is made in a Moka pot, which produces a concentrated and flavorful brew. The coffee grounds are finely ground and pressed into the pot, allowing for maximum extraction. Demerara sugar is added to the coffee during brewing, creating a unique sweet and strong flavor.
Cuban coffee is significantly stronger and sweeter than regular coffee. It's made with a finer grind, and the brewing process extracts more caffeine and flavor. Additionally, the use of demerara sugar during brewing gives it a distinct sweet taste.
Cuban coffee is traditionally enjoyed in small cups and is often accompanied by sweet pastries like pan dulce. It can also be used as a base for other coffee drinks like cortadito or café con leche.
Yes, you can make Cuban coffee at home using a Moka pot. You'll need finely ground Cuban coffee beans, demerara sugar, and a Moka pot.
Cuban coffee is typically made with dark roast coffee beans. Look for beans with a strong flavor profile and a fine grind.
While both are strong coffee drinks, Cuban coffee is typically sweeter due to the addition of sugar during brewing. Espresso is generally unsweetened and has a more concentrated flavor.
More recipes to try
Check out these other coffee drinks
Best Cuban Coffee
Equipment
- 1 Moka Pot
- 1 Creamer Cup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3-4 tablespoon cuban coffee
Instructions
- Unscrew the top part of the espresso maker with the handle from the bottom part of the espresso maker and remove the funnel that nests inside the base of the espresso maker.
- Fill base with water to the level of the safety valve. Replace the funnel into the base and fill it with ground coffee; do not press coffee down.
- Tighten the top to the base. Make sure the top is completely screwed on to the base before putting on the stovetop.
- Set your stove top to medium high to begin brewing
- Add your sugar to your creamer cup and carefully watch your moka pot as it brews.
- Once the moka pot begins brewing coffee, you'll remove the moka pot off the stove for a moment and add about 1 teaspoon of the dark coffee to the creamer cup.
- Place the moka pot back on the stove so it can continue brewing.
- While the coffee continues brewing, use a spoon to mix vigorously your coffee and sugar.
- Continue mixing until you've creamed the sugar and a light brown paste develops.
- By the time you've creamed your sugar, the coffee should be about finished brewing.
- Pour the espresso into the creamer cup and stir gently. You'll see the espumita develop.
- Carefully pour your prepared coffee to your espresso cups and enjoy
Alli says
Hubs said it’s perfect- he has been to Cuba and said it’s very authentic