Cafe Bustelo is likely the biggest brand for Cafecito, the Cuban espresso. The brand is famous and has maintained a following of dedicated customers over the years. You can consider that to be a result of the bold cup of joe that this coffee brews.
Our step-by-step guide takes you through simple instructions on how to make Cafe Bustelo. Honestly, that is the beauty of this bold coffee – it remains simple to brew. The dark roast and fine grind coffee is easily adaptable to drip coffee makers. This guide will keep its focus on how to make cafe Bustelo in a drip coffee maker.
Cafe Bustelo is available as pre-ground coffee, vacuum packed to retain its freshness and flavor. When you do start using it, remember to quickly return the lid of the airtight container. That way, the coffee will not lose its flavor.
What Makes Cafe Bustelo So Popular?
A big reason for the popularity of this brand is its quality. They’ve been in business for a very long time. And, you’ll find people swearing by the quality of this coffee throughout that time. One of the greatest achievements of this brand has been maintaining consistency and quality.
This dark roast coffee produces a bold and flavorful beverage. It’s full-bodied and delicious. The best part is that it is remarkably easy to prepare.
A Guide To Brewing Cafe Bustelo: Steps To Perfection
It’s best to start with the ingredients. Here’s what you need to make Cafe Bustelo.
- Drip coffee maker
- Cafe Bustelo Dark Roast Coffee
- Coffee filter (a permanent filter is better than paper filters)
- Milk or cream (optional)
- Sugar or sweeteners (optional)
I suggest using permanent metallic filters for this brew, simply because they don’t add to the taste of the coffee. Paper filters are likely to absorb some oils from the coffee and thus affect its taste.
People have been using paper filters for this cafecito and say it works great. My vote is with permanent/metallic filters. Of course, the choice depends on your personal preference, so experiment and take your pick.
Step 1: Setting The Stage
For the first step, check that the coffee maker and filter are clean. The filter assembly should be empty and without impurities. If you have a reusable filter, you can add coffee to it. Those using a paper filter should add a single filter.
Step 2: Measure And Add Water
Add water to the reservoir of your drip coffee maker. Only add the exact amount of water that will be needed for the coffee. Adding more water than necessary can dilute the coffee and make it watery.
The simplest way to achieve this is to measure the cup(s) you’ll be brewing into. Fill the same volume of water into the reservoir. Go slightly above the necessary amount to offset the absorption of water by the coffee grinds.
It’s also a good idea to filter water before it is added to the coffee maker water reservoir. Filtering removes chlorine and other impurities that may negatively affect the taste of the coffee.
Additionally, if your area receives hard water, filtering can be slightly more useful. It’s also fruitful to use a water softener. Hard water is likely to leave residue in the machine, which will eventually need descaling. The use of soft water can push back this requirement for some time.
Step 3: Say Hello To Cafe Bustelo
Add the required amount of coffee grinds to the machine’s filter. My suggestion is to use slightly less than one tablespoon of Cafe Bustelo per cup of coffee. This makes a pretty strong and bold cup, which is exactly what you want from this coffee.
Another general suggestion is using half a tablespoon for every cup of coffee. The amount you use obviously depends on your preference, but I’ll suggest using half tablespoon as the lower limit. The cafecito is supposed to be bold and strong. Using a tiny amount of coffee grinds robs the drink of the flavor and taste we expect from it.
Step 4: Brew Your Coffee
Step back, and let your coffee maker do its job. How fast (or slow) the process will go depends on the coffee maker. This could last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Before coffee is poured, consider adding some hot water to the carafe or cups. Discard the water after a few seconds. This little trick preheats the carafe/cups, so your coffee won’t lose heat as it is poured.
Step 5: Enjoy The Cafecito
Your cafecito is ready once the coffee maker pours it into the carafe or cup. Enjoy this wonderful dark roast coffee and its flavor and aroma. I prefer Cafe Bustelo as a black coffee without additives. However, it goes pretty well with additives as well.
You can add sugar or sweeteners if black coffee doesn’t quite excite your fancy. Cinnamon is a time-honored and loved additive that adds a spicy-sweet taste to the cup of coffee. Adding some milk or cream to the coffee is fairly popular as well.
Whatever you add, be careful not to overshadow the beverage. The great part about Cafe Bustelo is its bold flavor and taste. If the additives overshadow it, there remains little point in brewing this bold coffee!
The Bold Cup Of Cafecito
Cafe Bustelo is a bold and strong cup of coffee. Brewing it is a simple process, and it doesn’t take much to know how to make Cafe Bustelo. The process isn’t much different than the usual you follow with your drip coffee maker. If you haven’t tried it already, get yourself some of this coffee and enjoy its goodness.