How to Make Cuban Coffee (Cafecito)

Cuban coffee — known affectionately as a cafecito— is one of the most distinctive coffee traditions anywhere: a small, intensely strong, sweet shot topped with a pale, creamy foam called espuma. The secret is not a special machine but a technique. You whip a little of the first, strongest drops of coffee together with sugar until it forms a thick, light, caramel-colored foam, then pour the rest of the coffee through it. The result is a sweet, syrupy, powerful little cup with a signature crema on top — the heart of Cuban and Cuban-American coffee culture. This guide covers the ratio, the method, and the tradition behind it.

What is Cuban coffee?

Cuban coffee is a strong, sweet, espresso-style coffee defined by its sugar. A single serving is a cafecito (also called a Cuban shot); a larger shared pour passed around in small cups is a colada; and one cut with a little steamed milk is a cortadito. What ties them together is the espuma — the whipped sugar foam that sits on top and sweetens the whole drink from the first sip. Traditionally it is made with a stovetop moka pot (called a cafetera in many Cuban households) using a dark, finely ground espresso-style coffee, though a proper espresso machine works too. It is sweeter and often stronger-tasting than a plain espresso, and it is as much a social ritual as a drink.

The espuma: the key to Cuban coffee

The espuma is what makes Cuban coffee Cuban. It is a thick, pale foam made by vigorously whipping sugar with the very first drops of hot, concentrated coffee to come out of the pot — those first drops are the strongest and richest, and they whip up with the sugar into a light, caramel-colored cream. When you then pour the rest of the coffee through this foam, the espuma rises to the top and gives the cup its signature sweet crema. Getting a good espuma is the whole craft: done right, it is thick enough to float on the coffee and sweet enough to carry the drink. This is why timing matters — you have to catch those first strong drops.

The ratio

Cuban coffee is meant to be sweet, so the sugar is generous — but the amount is to taste. A common starting point is roughly one to two teaspoons of sugar per small serving, whipped with the first drops of coffee, then adjusted from there. Use a dark, finely ground espresso-style coffee for the base and brew it strong; the coffee itself should be concentrated and intense, because it is balanced by the sugar rather than milk. If you make a moka pot, follow the pot's fill lines for coffee and water. The sweetness is the variable you dial to taste — start moderate, since Cuban coffee is traditionally quite sweet, and adjust up or down on your next cup. Our coffee-to-water ratio guide covers brewing a strong base.

The gear you need

• A moka pot (cafetera) or an espresso machine. The traditional home tool is a stovetop moka pot, which brews the strong, concentrated coffee Cuban coffee needs. An espresso machine works well too, giving you real espresso as the base.
• A dark, finely ground espresso-style coffee. A dark roast ground fine for espresso is traditional; many Cuban households use a specific espresso-style ground coffee. Freshly ground from a good grinder is even better.
• Sugar.Plain white sugar is standard, and the amount is generous. This is not an optional garnish — the whipped sugar espuma is the defining feature.
• A small cup and a sturdy spoon or small jug. You need something to vigorously whip the sugar and first drops in, and small demitasse-style cups to serve, since Cuban coffee is served in small, strong portions.

The method, step by step

1. Add the sugar to your mixing cup.Put your sugar — start with a teaspoon or two per serving — into a small cup or the jug you will whip in. Have it ready before the coffee starts brewing, because timing is everything.
2. Brew a strong, concentrated coffee. Set your moka pot on the stove (or start your espresso machine) and watch it closely. You want the coffee dark and concentrated.
3. Catch the first drops.As soon as the very first drops of coffee come out — the strongest, richest part — pour a small amount (about a teaspoon or so) directly onto the sugar. Then let the rest of the coffee continue brewing.
4. Whip the espuma.Vigorously whip the sugar and those first strong drops together with a spoon until they turn into a thick, pale, light-caramel foam. Whip hard and keep going — the more you whip, the thicker and lighter the espuma becomes. This is the step that makes or breaks the drink.
5. Pour the rest of the coffee through the foam. Once the full brew is done, slowly pour the remaining hot coffee into the cup with the espuma. The foam will rise and sit on top as a sweet, creamy crema.
6. Serve small and strong. Pour into small cups and serve immediately, while the espuma is still floating. A cafecito is a small, powerful, sweet shot meant to be sipped and shared.

Cafecito, colada, and cortadito

The same base makes a small family of drinks worth knowing. A cafecito is the standard single sweet shot. A coladais a larger batch of the same sweet coffee, served in a bigger cup with a stack of tiny plastic or paper cups so it can be shared around a group — a workplace and social ritual. A cortadito takes the cafecito and cuts it with a little steamed or warmed milk, making it smoother and slightly milder, somewhat like a small sweet cortado. All three start from the same strong, sugar-whipped base; what changes is the size and whether milk is added.

The tradition

Cuban coffee is inseparable from its social role. In Cuba and across Cuban-American communities, especially in Miami, sharing a colada in the afternoon is a daily ritual — someone brings back a big cup and everyone takes a small pour. The cafecito is offered to guests, drunk after meals, and used to punctuate the day. The sweetness and the espuma are not just flavor choices; they are how the drink is meant to be, part of a tradition passed down through the cafetera on the stove. Making it at home is a small way to take part in that. For where it sits among other strong, concentrated coffees, see our coffee brewing methods overview, and if you want to master the espresso base, our how to make espresso at home guide will help.