I just got back from Miami and I’ve got to admit:
If there’s one thing Cubans know how to do well (besides dancing and cooking and arguing, but that’s not important right now =D), it’s how to make the Best Coffee on This Earth.
Seriously, every Cuban home I was lucky enough to have been a guest in, served the most delicious, practically perfect, just-sweet-enough-with-the-perfect-amount-of-“espumita” cup of Cuban coffee. But more than that, what I absolutely loved was that every single person who made the coffee prided themselves in their creation. And in every home there’s always the One Person who gets asked to make the coffee because they just “know” how to make it right.
So today, because I love you and I know what’s good for you, I am going to share with you the Perfect Blend of art and science, which will produce that just-sweet-enough-is-there-anything-better-than-this? -God-I-love-being-Cuban cup of Café Cubano.
And as much as I hate to admit it, in my house, I’m not The Coffee Maker. My daughter, Kikita is. Which makes us The Perfect Blend: I cook the meal. She makes the coffee.
See what I mean? Perfect. 😉
How to Make Cuban Coffee
You will need:
- Stovetop espresso maker
- Cuban-style coffee (Bustelo, Pilon, La Llave – get them here.)
- Glass or metal pitcher
- Demitasse cups
1) Fill the bottom of the espresso maker just to the valve.
2) Fill the strainer with Cuban-style coffee until it’s packed in well.
3) Screw the top on tightly.
4) Place on the stove, over medium flame, slightly to one side, so you don’t accidentally burn the plastic handle.
5) Place sugar by tablespoon in the glass (or metal) pitcher – the ratio is one Tablespoon of sugar per demitasse cup. Remember we like our cafecito SWEET.
6) When the coffee just begins to brew, remove from heat and pour a little bit into the pitcher with the sugar.
7) Place coffee pot back on the heat to finish brewing.
8) Meanwhile, stir the sugar/coffee mixture quickly until the bit of coffee melts down the sugar and you get it nice and frothy. (this is your espuma!)
9) Pour the rest of the coffee into the sugar mixture and stir. Very gingerly, scoop some of the froth and drop it in each cup.
10) Then very carefully pour the finished coffee into the cups making sure you don’t damage the espuma.
11) Sit back and enjoy. Not just the coffee, but if you’re The One, receive the compliments graciously. Smile, Look down. Blush if you can manage it. And say, “it was my pleasure.” And mean it. =D
(cross posted at Babalú blog)
Yes! Yes! There’s always THE ONE! Alas. It wasn’ me.
Yay! You are not going to believe this but I have been searching for 3 days for a tutorial on how to make the perfect cafecito with espumita. I am giving a basket to some gringitos that are getting married with all the supplies and accoutrements (sp?)needed to make the perfect colada. So far, they have all been so-so but this one has PICTURES!!!! It’s hard to explain what the sugar/coffee mix is supposed to look like…Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Kiki-You have my daughter to thank. She made the coffee. I just took the pictures and wrote the story. =D
Enjoy!
This is how my former boyfriend — a gringo who grew up in Miami — makes his coffee! We went to Miami for his nephew’s wedding years ago and John abandoned a pair of shoes so he could take more Bustelo back to Memphis in his suitcase.
Thanks Marta & Kikita I will use some of those tips, because I can NEVER get it to get that “espumita” on top.
Awesome post! When I moved to NC, I did buy a case of Cafe Bustelo. What decent Cuban American girl starts her day off without cafe con leche! lolI have a sweet secret to this recipe. I do the steps above, but I then add the cafe to a warm pot of half leche evaporada and half milk. It’s a perfect blend for me because I prefer it over the pure dark coffee. yummy!!!
Erika,I will definitely have to try it that way! It’s been forever since I’ve had a good cafe con leche!
(My Tia Helen prefers cafe con leche too, but she likes hers bien frio.)
The husband told me yesterday that I was going through the Bustelo awfully fast. Love your tips. Better than my boring drip through the Melita.
The Café basket was a hit with my gringitos and the tutorial was PERFECT! She can now make espumita like a pro! Thanks Kikita and Marta:)
Kiki,You are welcome, but really thank YOU for the update!
I’m so glad they enjoyed your gift. Now she is The One in her new family!
(BTW, I LOVE the cafe basket idea as a wedding gift!)
hi there,Glad i came across your blog. Looking to open my own place in the next year hopefully if this damn economy gets a bit more stable.
Always looking for different ways of making the same old tried and true cuban recipes.
What sides would you recommend when serving the cuban sandwiches?
thanks and thanks.
Nelson
I enjoy the pictures as well. We always make it 50% coffee 50% sugar. I have a different type of expresso maker and I was not sure how many cups you get out of yours. As you said the secret is in the frothing of the sugar with the first few drops of coffee
My friend lives in South Florida and he always keeps praising about this Cuban Coffee. I always wanted to make it at home. Thanks to this wonderful post by you here, I can surely try this at home now. Very good instructions here, a step-by-step guide to making Cuban Coffee, which I have heard most of the people say we can’t make at home in a coffee maker. Cheers!:)
I have read one article about Cuban coffee that mentions that you put the sugar into the stovetop espresso maker together with the ground coffee.This is the article about Cuban coffee I talk about:
http://www.espresso-machines-and-coffee-makers.com/cuban-coffee-maker.html
I am wondering if anyone actually makes Cuban coffee that way? It seems most people just mix the first few drops of coffee with sugar.
I keep practicing but NO FROTH???? The sugar/coffee mixture looks like the picture but still no froth. What am I doing wrong?
Cheryl,The frothing happens with the sugar. The coffee is just to moisten it. Perhaps you’re adding too much coffee to the sugar? Or not enough sugar? Keep trying. It’s more art than science.
Besos,
Marta
AHHH..that may explain it. That was so nice of you to reply! I will keep trying. Thank you.
WOW. Your blog is fantastico!!!! I was introduced to it by a fellow Cuban Mommy up here in Walnut Creek (outside of San Francisco). She was dying to show me the Google and Yahoo video which was incredible!!! I am half Cuban (My Mom is from Cuba) and we just went there in May- was amazing. This type of coffee that we had about 150 times a day in Cuba is just incomparable. I swear we almost NEARLY lived on these cafecitos alone, they were so good. Thank you for posting this. And I have to ask- you have 4 kids- do you speak to them all in spanish? I am trying to speak to my (3) kids in Spanish, they are so resistant, but I am trying to persist!!!
Bustelo is what I have every morning. The day I discovered Bustelo coffee I instantly became their follower – and probably remain loyal to this exquisiteness for the rest of my life =)
You are SO right! My father-in-law is Cuban and NO ONE makes espresso like he does! I think it is all about adding the sugar when he does! I wish everyone made coffee like this! Especially restaurants!
Hi,I am so glad you enjoy Cuban coffee.I am Cuban so yeah there is a special way of making it,and it is as sweet in taste as we Cubans are.
Hi Laura,yeah its about the sugar!!
I used to go to this little Cuban cafe in N Florida to get the most amazing cafe Cubano. My great grandfather was from the island so I think I have a natural predisposition. Unfortunately the cafe closed down about 2 yrs ago. Recently I stumbled upon a stovetop espresso maker at a garage sale. I found this recipe and couldn’t wait to try. I just finished my first cup and it was wonderful! It took me back to the little “hole in the wall” cafe where I found my escape from those hectic days. I appoint myself The One (for me at least). Tomorrow I will try the cafe con leche. Thank you so very much for sharing your recipe/s,