There have been a lot of twists and turns in my personal life (and in the country at large) this past week. It's times like these that send me looking (running!) for comfort.
Because I'm Cuban, I can usually find my comfort in the kitchen. (Don't judge me.) A fabulous sofrito, a perfect arroz con pollo a la chorrera, or a sweet flan all speak to me of goodness and abundance and home and give me an all-is-right-with-the-world feeling.
However, none of these can compete with the aroma of freshly brewed espresso. It is, to me, the quintessentially Cuban comfort. It speaks of my culture, reminds me of my Papi, and has been the constant in my entire existence on this planet. Too dramatic? Please. I'm having a moment here.
I was delighted that my friends at IMUSA USA have offered to sponsor this week's giveaway. “A buen hora.” (Loose translation: “Perfect timing.”)
An IMUSA Bistro 4 Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine and an 4 Cup Espresso Set with Chrome Rack.
UPDATE 11/10/12: The very generous folks at Gaviña Gourmet Coffees are adding a pound of their deliciously Cuban La Llave Espresso to this giveaway package. Gracias, my friends!
Honestly, I've always been partial to the old-school stove-top espresso maker. But this baby now takes pride of place in my kitchen and I'm pleased to report that it's simple enough to operate that I can practically do it in my sleep. (And believe me, most of the time, I'm sleepwalking when I'm making my first cup.)
Eric is in love with the cappuccino feature. He insists that the 3 o'clock hour is mandatory for his afternoon cappuccino. But, then again, he's fully awake and functioning at that hour, but that's not important right now.
For a chance to win BOTH the IMUSA Bistro Espresso Machine and the Espresso Set, please leave a comment on this post. Please answer one or all of the following questions:
- Coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino?
- Do you have a particular hour for your afternoon caffeine pick-me-up?
- Does the aroma of freshly brewing coffee remind you of someone or something special?
For an extra entry, please go "like" IMUSA USA on Facebook and come back and tell me:
- I like IMUSA USA!
I'll choose the winner on Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 at 11 am PST.
“Coffee and love are best when they are hot.”-German proverb
Believe it or not, I am NOT a big coffee drinker. I don’t need it to function in the morning (I am naturally adorable and peppy!), but I love to drink coffee after a nice dinner. American is my usual choice, unless I am at Starbucks. Then I love me some iced lattes! And on a cold morning, a nice cappuccino.And naturally, to make a nice frothy cappuccino, I need me one of these babies. 🙂
Oh, I need it in the morning BAD…and at 3pm to make it thru the day :)Cuban guy at work says that espresso is the “black nectar of the white gods”…sounds so much better in Spanish…
LOL
This reminds me of my abuela and abuelo! Saludos desde Texas…
I like IMUSA USA! I love coffee. I’m drinking coffee right now. My coffee machine broke recently. I haven’t had a chance to go buy another one. I have a valid excuse; I live on an island. Going to Walmart is a huge deal. The local coffee shop is making a killing off of me. I would LOVE this espresso machine. Crossing fingers.
Capuccino is my favorite, the morning would be the best time for me to drink it, if i drink it in the afternoon i won’t be able to sleep for 2 days and yes it reminds me of my mom in fact coffee smell is what used to wake me up every morning and i was upstairs! jeje
I remember going to my mom’s and having cafecito. Whatever time of the day she’d ask “Zoila, quieres un cafecito?” Memories.
Espresso all the way but my mom loves su cafe con leche every morning like clock work. She has he cafe con leche y pan.
Cortadito Is actually my favorite, but I ended up with cafe espresso at 3 PM For my afternoon pick up. The smell of Cuban coffee always reminds me of my Tia Daisy And Christmas in New Jersey… She makes the best cafe con leche anywhere! Really love to win the espresso set… Thanks for the contest!
Do I have to choose only one?? Because I love all four!!! Coffee in the morning to get my brain to work, Espresso aka Cafe Cubano in the afternoon to give me some energy!! Tea when I’m on a health kick LOL and Cappucinos are yummy!I usually drink my afternoon pick-me-up around 3 o’clock, if I drink it any later I will never sleep.
When I smell my Cafe Cubano brewing I can only think of my family, we always make some at every get together, and the smell is like nothing else. The smell is delicious and nostalgic in so many ways!
I like IMUSA USA!
I like IMUSA USA!I like IMUSA USA!
I like IMUSA USA!
I like IMUSA USA!
I like IMUSA USA!
I like IMUSA USA!
I like IMUSA USA!
Coffee…please…its my way to start my day. It’s always coffee time st my house. Friends drop by…coffee time, mid day…coffee… time, unexpected guest stop by…coffee time , pick me up moment….coffee time…I would love this awesome gadget…the aroma of coffee is the best! Please…I would love this awesome machine!
I am a coffee lover, so any time is the perfect time for me to have a delicious “cafecito cubano” or a Cappuccino. An espresso is the climax to a perfect meal, be it after lunch, to keep us awake and help us complete those daily tasks at the office, or after dinner, to unwind and enjoy our favorite TV shows.The smell of fresh brewing coffee does remind me of a special person: my dad, who ever since I can remember wakes up my mom with a fresh made espresso which he brings to her while she is still in bed. That is the delicious smell that wakes me up every weekend when I sleep over at their house. The fresh smell of coffee will always remind me of my dad!
I love the smell of coffee! It reminds me of my grandparents and waking up in their small house. After they retired from farming and moved into town, they still kept farmers hours, so were up at the crack of dawn. My grandmother would make coffee and bacon for my grandfather. She made the coffee in a percolator, so there was that coffee sound as well. What a way to wake up – to the aroma of coffee and bacon!My grandfather would pour some coffee into his saucer to cool it, then sip it from the saucer. I guess that’s not considered polite, but I never cared. He was a wonderful, sweet grandfather. (Although apparently he was a tough dad – that happens.) He would spread leftover bacon grease on his toast and sip his coffee, eat his toast, and smoke his cigarette. I love the combination of those smells.
He lived to 88, btw.
You are speaking my language, gurl!!!1. Coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino?
Cappuccino (or espresso con espumita).
2. Do you have a particular hour for your afternoon caffeine pick-me-up? YES! 1pm baby!
3. Does the aroma of freshly brewing coffee remind you of someone or something special? It reminds me of my grandfather (Papito) with his colador in the mornings in Puerto Rico and when he served it in those cups made of tin cans. Ahhh the nostalgia!
Love the giveaway!
I like IMUSA USA!
I LOVE Cuban coffee, hubby makes it in the little metal stove top pot Papi passed down to him. Hubby told me about the little coffee carts in Little Havana, they sound like heavenly cups of yummilicious coffee!I do homemade cappucinos, expresso, and any other coffee we can come up with. Starbucks has nothing on homemade!
I’d actually like to win this for my husband’s Papi, who came here from Cuba in the late 1950’s, so he can have an easier time making his favorite cafe.
Expresso is my favorite but I settle for coffee most mornings! I need coffee first thing in the morning & sometimes around 3pm. The aroma of freshly brewed cafecito reminds me of growing up in Miami!
Espresso, followed by coffee, followed by another espresso.First thing in the morning (extra points if I wake up to the aroma!)
Growing up, my mother brewed fresh coffee every single morning, and it was the first thing I smelled waking up (often with the added joy of bacon, lol).
She’s been gone a long time now, but my morning coffee reminds me of her, and home.
Chef Perry
hautemealz.com
Hola! I am from the border town of Nogales, AZ & the smell of freshly ground & brewed coffee remind me of shopping for groceries in Nogales, Mexico. The super-mercado where we’d shop would grind the beans in the store & there is nothing like that aroma! Thx for the opportunity to win this espresso machine–para un café con leche!
Espresso all the way, nothing beats a perfectly timed shot 🙂 and as for a time of day, anytime is good for me ^_^ I will always take you up on a good cup of coffee. When it comes to the smell of coffee it reminds me of the wonderful times I got to spend enjoying a nice cup with my friends
I already like IMUSA on facebook…
Oh, I just love and miss my mom’s 3 o’clock pick me up cafecito con una meriendita!!!
I remember growing up in the 70s and my best friend, Maria Olivera and her family who were Cuban….her Mom used to make us Cuban Cafe con Leche and toasted Rolls and butter every morning! Her Empanadas were the best I ever had!
I like Imusa!
I would love that awesome cuban-ness! Send it my way pretty please 🙂 🙂 🙂
Life without espresso would be unbearable! Bustelo forever baby! EL Sabor Que No Se Detiene
I want to win!!!! Question 1-coffee for me, espresso for my husband. Question 2-around 3:00 at work we are all secretly hoping someone will make some coffee. Question 3-the smell of coffee reminds me of mornings at the beach where my family unites for a week each year. We always all have our morning coffee together on the porch before the day gets going. Thank you for doing the give away!
Espresso, cortadito, if you please!muchas gracias
Cappuccino Have to have it first thing in the morning. Around 2-3:00 in the afternoon. Must have another one. The aroma of cafe reminds me of my mother who made the best!I also remember my father who always loved his cafesito so much. They are now enjoying theirs in heaven.
I like Imusa!
I like Imusa!!
Love your blog by the way. With both my parents gone it’s wonderful to be able to read all these Cuban stories.
i did , i did i didi like Imusa !!!
•Coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino? ESPRESSO!! My fave. Especially with a little milk for a cafe con leche.•Do you have a particular hour for your afternoon caffeine pick-me-up? 3pm is usually snooze time so i def. need a little pick me up!
•Does the aroma of freshly brewing coffee remind you of someone or something special? My grandmother. It is a staple after every meal! The smell, the sounds, and the taste all remind me of her.
I like IMUSA USA!
I’m so glad I found your blog, I live in Ohio and theres not many cubans here at all, your blog keeps me informed, and all the pitures of all the magnificent foods that I can’t buy here makes it all worth reading and of course craving it. I JUST LOVE YOU GUYS
Como buena Cubana, I LOVE my cafe con leche in the morning! Actually, pretty much coffee in any form is good in my eyes, but espresso con leche is my fave. Saludos desde Los Angeles.
Nothing says Buenos Dias like a nice cup of cafesito cubano!! Espresso all the way!!!
Espresso all the way, any time of day.
me is all Cuban coffee kick it with a moring shot but the best is that 3:00 time for that pick me up and then I am a happy camper :0
My 86 year old abuela was sworn in today as a UNITED STATES CITIZEN!! She left Cuba 50 years (almost to the day) ago! She loves espresso & if I win, I will give this to her. Thank you for your time 🙂
Well, for me its espresso, espresso, espresso and follow that with some more espresso…y a que hora?….en la manana, la hora de merienda….despues de cualquier comida…durante las novelas! Basically anytime of day! Jajajajaja
I like IMUSA USA!
Nectar of the Gods
Oh how do I choose just one! Coffee, espresso, cappuccino…??? I’ll take any one of those. I prefer my caffeini in the moring, but about 4 PM is a good time for a pick up.
Frappuccino in the afternoon to get me going again!The aroma reminds me of my grandmother making me my after school cafe con leche!
I like IMUSA USA!!
Cafe Cubano is the perfect way to end a meal. Nothing like the sweetness and of course the caffeine boost that gets the family talking about old times. The smell of Cafe Cubano reminds me of my favorite Tio Pedro who passed away 13 years ago. He was the expert with the coffee and the daiquiris!
Coffee, Espresso and Cappuccino- I love them all! Mid-afternoon I really enjoy a cup of coffee. The smell of coffee brewing reminds me of my Papi. He loved coffee just as much and would always have a pot on no matter what time of day it was.
Espresso- in the morning and 3pm. The smell of cuban coffee transports me back to home in Miami with my grandmother. Would love to win it…my current coffee machine is really old.
I like IMUSA USA!
I like IMUSA USA!
Espresso! My husband is American of German descent. For twenty two years we lived in a small town in upstate NY,away from my Cuban family who lived in Florida. Our town only had three hispanics; an elderly Puerto Rican couple, and me. As much as I loved the small town All American life of upstate NY, I missed all the sweetness of my culture,the people with their laughter, and their gift of gab. But one of the things that I missed most, was that time in the evening when we were finished with the dinner, the dishes were done, and my mom would always ask the same question, “Quien quire cafe?”, Who wants coffee? And of course everyone did. We all sat in the living room watching TV and waiting for my mom to come in with the tray full of little demi cups of coffee. For just a moment there was this moment of silence while we all sipped on our coffee that gave me the feeling that this simple ritual, repeated every evening united as as a family.
I liked IMUSA USA!I am MexiRican and was raised with drinking Cafe con Leche everyday. I mean EVERYDAY! I love it and need it morning, noon and night. I love my coffee strong with steamed milk – the best! Whenever I smell good coffee brewing, it calms me down and relaxes me for that moment.
I love cortaditos…in the afternoon and after a big meal. Although cafe con leche in the morning always hits the spot. The aroma of coffee brewing reminds me of my grandmother’s cozy kitchen. How I miss that warm, comforting and satisfying place!I like IMUSA USA!
The nectar of life. Whenever you’re feeling down acup of expresso will pick you up and spin you around
When I travel, I always carry my expresso maker and supplies with me. That way we won’t miss home that much.
Love cuban coffee!! Anytime of day!
I love the smell of Cuban Coffee in the morning!!!!(Here in Louisiana where is hard to find)
Coffee or espresso in the morning and after work to give me a boost for the rest of the day. I love the smell of cafe, reminds me of when I was a little girl and of my abuela who would make me cafe con leche for breakfast. I really miss her.
Espresso!3 is the perfect time for an afternoon pickmeup.
Cafe colando always reminds me of my Abuela.
The aroma of coffee always reminds me of my dad.
I have Cuban Coffee in my veins. The smell always brings back memories of my Dad coming home for lunch in the 1950’s in La Habana and ending his huge meal with cafecito and a “tabaco” which he would dunk in his coffee. Also when we would go to Sancti Spiritus to the farm; we would always be offered cafe with sweetened condensed milk at all the bohios in the area. I am so grateful to have had the family God sent me to and to be Cuban with all our great funny ways, and fantastic sense of humor.Viva Cuba Libre!!!!!!
Coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino?Yes please thank you. Bueno, tea- not so much.
El olor de café reminds me of my mom with her endless cafécito, countless Starbucks raids and My Little One’s killer espuma. Thank you for this giveaway, it’ll be a great gift for My Little One when she goes off to finish college.
wow. so much talk de café- cortadito anyone? BB2U
Stove top espresso always reminds me of my dad having a ‘black coffee’ made on the stove in an Italian neopolitan coffee maker. Miss you, dad!
Coffee, Americano, Latte…love them all!Jana
1. Cafe Cubano (Pilon) – or espresso. Is there any other? ;-)2. 3pm is the perfect time for a shot of cuban coffee.
3. Aroma reminds of home, family and pride for my Cuban culture.
I love coffee – any which way I can get it! I’ve always loved the Cuban-coffee making ritual especially the rhythm and art of beating the sugar. I’ve relished teaching my college-aged boys how to make the perfect espumita. And through the years, I watched my Abuela and Mom make their coffee daily. This August, making coffee took on a whole new layer of emotion. My mother was on her deathbed and had not been responsive. Then something moved me to ask her if she wanted me to make her some café. There was an ever so slight, but noticeable response as she with great effort nodded her head “yes.” The hospice nurse saw it and couldn’t believe that she had responded in her state. I rushed to make it and I even brought the little container where I beat the sugar and placed her hand around it so she could feel the spoon doing the “taka, taka” rhythm. And then a most special moment in the process of saying our last good-byes happened. With the help of a syringe, my mom had her last sips of Cuban coffee. Just a few days later, within the hour of her passing, I made café with my oldest son and shared it with my family and the hospice nurse, and with this special ritual, celebrated my mother’s life on earth and her passing to a new life in Heaven. Drinking coffee/café and the ritual of making it will never again be an ordinary event for me. It will always be a celebration of savoring life to the last drop. Love you, Mami.Thanks, Marta, for asking and allowing me to share.
Espresso – but if theres milk around, make it a cafe con leche, please! Time does not matter to me when it comes to a cafesito or cafe con leche. I will even have some before going to bed.
I like IMUSA USA!
Oh, I love this post! Espresso–made on the stove in that funky pot mi mama always had ready to go. I’ve tried it myself, but not quite right. Its always about 3pm when I begin to crave cafe con leche–but, end up with a “cafe americano” as my Pipo(daddy) used to say and its not quite the same. And here, you can gather that “cafe” always brings sweet memories of my parents and family that have passed on–its like having that cup of espresso–no matter what time of the day, was family time.
Cafe con leche. Reminds me of my suegras house in Cuba.
I like IMUSA USA!
I live in Houston and have been away from Miami for 13 years with too short of visits in between, so….When I smell my cafe cubano at home I’m flooded with memories of home and wish I had pan cubano to dip in it <3 (can't find it here)
I LIKE IMUSA USA!!!
I love cafe con leche anytime of the day. I make my own at home but during the afternoon I enjoy a latte (I live in Northwest).I like IMUSA USA!!
I love espresso with lots of sugar for an afternoon “pick me up”. It reminds me of my childhood in Miami. But…a capuccino with a friend at any hour is also divine! What a fabulous giveaway- gracias to you and IMUSA!
I like IMUSA on FB!
A capuccino, because it’s the closest to cafe con leche which I was weaned on, about mid-afternoon hits the spot. The smell of coffee brewing always reminds me of the way life used to be, when our family or my parent’s friends would drop by unannounced and my mother would put the coffee on. CAFE= Caliente, Amargo, Fuerte, Espeso!
Espresso in the AM; Café con Leche 3pm-ishReminds me of Home! y Familia!
I like IMUSA USA
Gracias Marta! Zelde
I like IMUSA USA!
Imusa is for this Mrs. Love love my Cafecito Cubano, anytime of day. As of now all I have is a cloth old fashion coffee strainer. Am living with my daughter and her husband, neither of them drink Cafe. They don’t know what they’re missing. Well hope I get lucky. Much love, Lourdes
When my mom steams on the expresso machine all my kids go running to the kitchen yelling “cafe, cafe!!”…even my 2 year old!!
OMG, so many comments!**Coffee, tea, expresso and cappuccino…YES PLEASE!
**2pm for my afternoon pick me up. Any later and I lose sleep
**The smell of coffee reminds me of the mornings when I lived with my Grandmother in Santo Domingo. Morning is just not good without coffee!
I LIKE IMUSA!!!
I LOVE espresso, any time of the day and always after a fantastic dinner! The smell of Cuban coffee reminds me of home and my Abuelo Manuel who had to have cafe four times a day. His last cup was at exactly 10pm right before he went to sleep! Would love to win the machine and the cafe! Cafe means Home!
I like IMUSA USA!
Cappuccino (Cafe con Leche) For sure!!!!! I love my Cappuccino around 4 in the afternoon when my batteries are running low. It picks me up. Cafe con Leche reminds me of my Mom. She used to always make it for me in the morning.I Like IMUSA USA!!!! ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!! 🙂
I love espresso especially it’s smell because it reminds me of when my mother would make it early in the mornings and the whole house had that special aroma of spanish coffee wafting in the air. I like IMUSA USA!!!
What do I prefer? Cafe Cubano! Chica, what is all this espresso stuff? Un cafecito mid-day and after a great Cuban meal….well, OK any meal. But in the morning…cafe con leche with crispy-toasted Cuban bread covered in butter. There is no flavor like the mix of the cafe con leche and that buttery toast! It is all you need to start your day. It’ funny how our cafeteras are all the rage right now. The things we often take for granted. What does the smell of cafe Cubano remind me of? Mornings in our little kitchen soon after arriving to the states. Grand political conversations around the table (for hours). My Papi saying: ¿Betica, tienes mas cafe? Sitting at the table enthralled in all the adults’ conversations and drinking my own little cup at 10 years of age. Holidays and meals that culminated with un cafecito. And finally, back to my Papi who died on July 18, watching him make his coffee every morning when he moved in with me and carefully pouring it in his thermos sipping on it all day long. I miss my Papi. So many memories. And this small tasita de cafe is a wonderful memory that heightens the senses and brings the sounds, tastes, music, sights of Cuba (and my Papi) rushing back as that smooth and dark liquid splendor glides down my throat. Excuse me as I make myself ‘un cafecito.’ Cuidadte, que de los buenos que damos poco…Papi
For me, it’s cafe con leche. Anytime but 3:00 is perfect. A perfect afternoon pick me up. The aroma of a cafecito will always make me think of my dad. He was Papi to me and to his grandchildren. I was privileged to be the one to make and share cafecito y tostada Cubana with him every morning of the last 6 months he lived. He will be gone 5 years this Dec and I miss him terribly. But the newspaper, tostada y cafecito in the morning keep him alive in my heart always.
That is my exact model coffee maker. I love it!
Im Cuban and for us Cafe La Llave in the morning and at 3:00P.M. is a pick me up for the rest of the day.
Coffee and espresso,pretty much what I drink all day everyday. It’s my mood equalizer and keeps my family and the community safe…LOL…The aroma of coffee is lucious but it’s the aroma of espresso brewing in a cafetera or in a sauce pan to be poured threw a cloth funnel that ignites memories of family. With both my parents gone within a span of 2 1/2 years those memories are even more precious. Cafe con leche in the morning, un cafecito after a meal; traditions of a way of life that I try to continue as much as I can as I raise my little boy.
Coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino?I’d say al the above! 🙂
P.S: I like IMUSA USA!
The smell of freshly brewed espresso will ALWAYS remind me of my childhood. You knew it was time when you could smell & HEAR “la cafetera ” in the kitchen. Didn’t start drinking coffee till much later in life. Funny thing is I new how to make a perfect cup right from the start. Blame the Cuban genes.
I like IMUSA USA!
Cappuccino, for sure! An afternoon caffeine pick-me-up at 3 PM. The smell of coffee reminds me of my mom, waking up early to make cafe’ con leche y tostadas. 🙂 Also, of my great aunt Ercilia, who always brewed coffee before our visits, when we all lived in Cayo Hueso. <3
PD !!!Me encanta IMUSA USA!!!
Of all my appliances, my percolator is the only appliance that talks to me! It greets me in the morning with an aromatic “Good morning!” Then it’s on again after lunch with an encouraging… “hang in there”…And again at around three for an enthusiastic..”You can do this!…When the day is done and I have in fact “made it”…I hear it talk to me again and it tells me…”You did it! Have a good night’s rest!
Coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino? = LATTE!!!! 😀
I like IMUSA USA!
I love cappuccino mostly! Every morning my wonderful husband makes me a cappuccino. However I do love a good Cuban coffee and I’d have it each day but I haven’t perfected it. At night I enjoy a sleepy time/peppermint tea!! I’d love to win this as I’m not allowed to touch my husbands machine!
I like…..LOVE Imusa USA!!
I prefer cappuccino and tea. Usually around 2 to 3 pm in the afternoon I need a pick-me-up and have a cup of tea. My husband loves espresso, Turkish coffee, or any other type of strong coffee.maynekitty[at]live[dot]com
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The smell of Café reminds me of my parents kitchen and now my own. My mom would make café all day long. She would say she can’t live without it or she will get a really bad migraine. Growing up, was very normal for us to have pan con mantequilla and café con leche every weekend. This was unheard of with my American friends. How could a 10 year old drink coffee! I would explain it wasn’t coffee it was café con leche but they would say it was the same thing ;)Now that I am an adult, I’m trying to continue with my parents tradition. However, my oldest daughter thinks like my old friends did when I was 10. BUT my youngest daughter has more of the Cuban blood in her and loves café con leche. (Their dad is Irish, lol, mami is Cuban).
I liked IMUSA on FB!
Coffee, yes please. Daddy got me started very young with lots of cream and sugar. Being dutch, there is a time for everything. Tea at breakfast with milk and sugar. 10 AM Coffee time with everyone on the farm, salesmen included. This was usually at Gramma’s house next door,(did I mention her name was Gramma-next-door?) she made the cake, it made sense to go there, actually she insisted. 3PM Tea time with dutch cookies, dutch chocolate or more of Gramma’s cake(she usually sent it along with us in case we got humgry on the way home,next door.) The smell of coffee??? I salivate for chocolate or cake, it reminds me of Gramma. How many paragraphs am I allowed?
I went to IMUSA and liked it.
Espresso of course! Esta Cubanita likes it strong and sweet. 😀
I like Imusa!!