Black Plague
New Member
- Joined
- May 11, 2006
- Messages
- 539
Made one this morning and enjoyed it on the way to work with a Partagas Short. Life is good! 
I used to think you had to have an espresso machine to make cafe cubano or cafe con leche, but recently find out there is another way. Of course, you can do this just as easily with an espresso machine, but since most Cubans can't afford such an expensive beast, from what I understand, the home substitute in many Cuban households is the venerable Italian espresso stovetop pot (also known as a moka pot). If you don't own one already, you may have seen them in Target or any number of other stores. While it's misleading to call it "espresso", because it doesn't achieve as high a pressure as a true pump espresso machine, moka pot coffee is still rich and flavorful, even with a little bit of crema when it first brews. Bialetti is the original moka pot maker, but there are plenty of knockoffs that work just as well, and all of them can be had for somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 to $30.
For the coffee, you can buy pre-ground espresso. A lot of Cuban-Americans use Bustello or Pilon, which can easily be found in many Hispanic groceries or the Latin section of your local grocery, or you could use Illy or any other pre-made espressso coffee. Obviously, for the best tasting results, I would recommend grinding up your own coffee. Any good dark-roast coffee will do. This morning, all we had in the house was the Starbucks Ethiopian my wife favors, which is plenty dark and does find in a moka pot. For the grind, I go a little bit finer than I normally would for a drip pot, but not so powdery fine as you would need for an espresso machine. Some people favor a courser grind for moka pots. YMMV.
For the sugar, you can use just white sugar, but for a more authentic taste, try to get some natural brown sugar. Also known as "demerara sugar" or "turbinado sugar", this is not the cakey, molasses-y brown sugar you might be thinking of, but is just partially refined cane sugar. "Sugar In The Raw" is probably the one you're most likely to find, and it's what I used. For this experiment, I just filched several packets from the restaurant I went to last night to try out.
For milk, whatever you like. I used good old two-percent.
So here's what you'll need...
Moka pot
~5 tablespoons of ground coffee
1 cup of water
2-6 teaspoons of natural brown sugar (personal preference, but take in mind that most Cubans make their coffee REALLY frickin' sweet)
Hot milk ( I use 1 cup)
1.) Put your cup of water into the lower chamber of the moka pot.
2.) Fill the filter basket up with coffee. I say approximately 5 tbsp because you can fill it up and kind of make a mound of coffee, but don't pack it down tight or else you might clog up the filter. When in doubt, follow your moka pot's instructions.
3.) Screw the button and top part together to fully assemble the moka pot.
4.) In the top part, where you open the lid, you'll see a big spout rising up from the center (like in the picture below). This is where the coffee will bubble up once the water boils, passes through the grounds, and erupts out of the spout part. In the bottom of the pot, around the spout, pour in your sugar NOW. (Don't try to pour sugar down the spout or anything silly like that)
5.) Put your moka pot on the stove and turn it up to medium-high or high heat.
6.) Leave the lid open and watch. Even with cold water, it'll only take four or five minutes for the coffee to start bubbling up out of the spout. When it starts trickling out of the spout and soaking into the sugar, immediately begin stirring it into a thick slurry with a spoon. When the coffee really starts to flow, take it off the stove. The coffee will continue flowing up from the residual heat, but if you leave it on the hot stove too long and it starts gurgling and hissing, it can make for some nasty, bitter brew. Mix it up with your spoon some more until all the sugar is dissolved.
NOTE: At this point, if all you want is a quick shot of cafe cubano (also called a cafecito), you can just pour into some demi-tasse glasses and stop here.
7.) Heat up some milk. If you have some way to steam milk, this would be a perfect time to use it. I just heated mine in the microwave for 2 mins or so and used my electric milk frother wand to whip it up a little.
8.) Pour your milk into a cup and throw in the brew. Since moka pot coffee isn't quite as strong as espresso, I find a 1:1 ration of coffee to milk to be just perfect.
NOTE: For a very traditional Cuban touch, you can also add a dab of butter and a pinch of salt to your cafe con leche. I haven't tried it that way yet, but I'll let you know my two-cents on it when I do.
9.) Enjoy! (preferrably with some buttered and toasted Cuban bread and/or a fine Habano)
I hope you guys will enjoy a nice, sweet cup of cafe con leche or a cafecito. Also, if you already enjoy those at home, please share any of your tips in making it or variations on it.
Sorry I didn't take any pics while making it. I might just have to snap some photos of it next time I make it and post them up in this thread.
I used to think you had to have an espresso machine to make cafe cubano or cafe con leche, but recently find out there is another way. Of course, you can do this just as easily with an espresso machine, but since most Cubans can't afford such an expensive beast, from what I understand, the home substitute in many Cuban households is the venerable Italian espresso stovetop pot (also known as a moka pot). If you don't own one already, you may have seen them in Target or any number of other stores. While it's misleading to call it "espresso", because it doesn't achieve as high a pressure as a true pump espresso machine, moka pot coffee is still rich and flavorful, even with a little bit of crema when it first brews. Bialetti is the original moka pot maker, but there are plenty of knockoffs that work just as well, and all of them can be had for somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 to $30.
For the coffee, you can buy pre-ground espresso. A lot of Cuban-Americans use Bustello or Pilon, which can easily be found in many Hispanic groceries or the Latin section of your local grocery, or you could use Illy or any other pre-made espressso coffee. Obviously, for the best tasting results, I would recommend grinding up your own coffee. Any good dark-roast coffee will do. This morning, all we had in the house was the Starbucks Ethiopian my wife favors, which is plenty dark and does find in a moka pot. For the grind, I go a little bit finer than I normally would for a drip pot, but not so powdery fine as you would need for an espresso machine. Some people favor a courser grind for moka pots. YMMV.
For the sugar, you can use just white sugar, but for a more authentic taste, try to get some natural brown sugar. Also known as "demerara sugar" or "turbinado sugar", this is not the cakey, molasses-y brown sugar you might be thinking of, but is just partially refined cane sugar. "Sugar In The Raw" is probably the one you're most likely to find, and it's what I used. For this experiment, I just filched several packets from the restaurant I went to last night to try out.
For milk, whatever you like. I used good old two-percent.
So here's what you'll need...
Moka pot
~5 tablespoons of ground coffee
1 cup of water
2-6 teaspoons of natural brown sugar (personal preference, but take in mind that most Cubans make their coffee REALLY frickin' sweet)
Hot milk ( I use 1 cup)
1.) Put your cup of water into the lower chamber of the moka pot.
2.) Fill the filter basket up with coffee. I say approximately 5 tbsp because you can fill it up and kind of make a mound of coffee, but don't pack it down tight or else you might clog up the filter. When in doubt, follow your moka pot's instructions.
3.) Screw the button and top part together to fully assemble the moka pot.
4.) In the top part, where you open the lid, you'll see a big spout rising up from the center (like in the picture below). This is where the coffee will bubble up once the water boils, passes through the grounds, and erupts out of the spout part. In the bottom of the pot, around the spout, pour in your sugar NOW. (Don't try to pour sugar down the spout or anything silly like that)
5.) Put your moka pot on the stove and turn it up to medium-high or high heat.
6.) Leave the lid open and watch. Even with cold water, it'll only take four or five minutes for the coffee to start bubbling up out of the spout. When it starts trickling out of the spout and soaking into the sugar, immediately begin stirring it into a thick slurry with a spoon. When the coffee really starts to flow, take it off the stove. The coffee will continue flowing up from the residual heat, but if you leave it on the hot stove too long and it starts gurgling and hissing, it can make for some nasty, bitter brew. Mix it up with your spoon some more until all the sugar is dissolved.
NOTE: At this point, if all you want is a quick shot of cafe cubano (also called a cafecito), you can just pour into some demi-tasse glasses and stop here.
7.) Heat up some milk. If you have some way to steam milk, this would be a perfect time to use it. I just heated mine in the microwave for 2 mins or so and used my electric milk frother wand to whip it up a little.
8.) Pour your milk into a cup and throw in the brew. Since moka pot coffee isn't quite as strong as espresso, I find a 1:1 ration of coffee to milk to be just perfect.
NOTE: For a very traditional Cuban touch, you can also add a dab of butter and a pinch of salt to your cafe con leche. I haven't tried it that way yet, but I'll let you know my two-cents on it when I do.
9.) Enjoy! (preferrably with some buttered and toasted Cuban bread and/or a fine Habano)
I hope you guys will enjoy a nice, sweet cup of cafe con leche or a cafecito. Also, if you already enjoy those at home, please share any of your tips in making it or variations on it.
Sorry I didn't take any pics while making it. I might just have to snap some photos of it next time I make it and post them up in this thread.
