How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker? Good Tips in 2023
Cuban coffee is a great way to start the day. Making Cuban coffee is a perfect way to enjoy the morning with friends or family. In this post, we will introduce How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker. Besides that, we give you some tips and guides on how to make it without an espresso maker. Let’s read on!
1. What is Cuban Coffee?
Cuban Coffee is a type of coffee that combines espresso, sugar, and milk. It is popular in the US, Canada, Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic… The characteristics of Cuban coffee are high-acidity of the black coffee which makes it lighter. However, creamy foam on top with some sugar syrup or cinnamon powder added for decoration creates an irresistible flavor to your tongue.
2. How many type of Cuban Coffee in the market now?
You can choose your favorite Cuban Coffee brand in the market. To make it simple, you need to know how to select good quality Cuban coffee then mix them with water or milk. Besides that, you can also add some sugar syrup for decoration on top of the coffee. We recommend that you use Cuban coffee which is very popular among American people.
3. What are benefits of Cuban Coffee?
You can get numerous benefits from Cuban Coffee such as:
– For people who work in night shift, having a cup of Cuban coffee will help you stay more awake and active. It is because caffeine present in the coffee makes your body more excited and active.
– Caffeine is good for health. It can reduce pain and increase blood flow to your brain which helps you continue working efficiently and intensely.
– Cuban Coffee also contains lots of calcium and magnesium which can keep your bones and tissues strong and healthy so that you can prevent arthritis, osteoporosis,…
4. What is Espresso Maker?
Espresso Maker is a machine which helps you make coffee with high pressure. The taste of the coffee will be different as compared to drip brew. To make it simple, you can compare it with making American style coffee with Espresso Maker and drip brew.
5. How many type of Espresso Maker in the market?
You can choose any type of Espresso Maker you like such as those who have a built-in grinder, auto shut off feature, and so on. The most popular one is manual espresso maker because it is affordable but efficient. If you already have the espresso machine at home, why not try to make Cuban Coffee with them?
6. What are benefits of Espresso Maker?
If you have already bought Cuban coffee, then getting a good quality espresso maker will be a great investment for your kitchen. There are numerous benefits from it such as:
– It is easier to make delicious and high quality coffee with Espresso Maker because it has been designed with advanced technology which can make enough pressure to create tasty coffee.
– Espresso Maker also helps you save money. You can insert ground coffee into the machine and press a button to get a cup of ready-to-drink Cuban Coffee. It significantly saves time and energy.
7. Steps on How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker.
The following are some steps on how to make Cuban Coffee without an espresso machine. Please read it carefully before making your own Cuban coffee at home.
– Prepare the Cuban coffee, sugar syrup, and water to make the perfect taste of the coffee. You can also use dairy or non-diary milk instead of water if you want a creamier flavor for your coffee.
– Wait until the machine is heated up by turning it on. The process itself may take around 5 minutes since the machine has many components that need to be warmed up.
– While waiting, let’s prepare our cups then place them in front of the filter holder so that they are ready when needed later on.
– Turn off your machine once all components are heated up to maintain the machine’s durability.
– Put a paper filter in the metal filter holder then place it in the spot where your cups are located. The next thing you have to do is pour water into your brew chamber, scoop ground coffee beans into the portafilter basket, put it back into its position then lock it down. You can also add sugar syrup or milk depending on what type of Cuban Coffee you want to make.
– Press down the button for about 5 seconds until all components work together to create delicious Cuban Coffee with creamy foam on top!
8. How much does one cup of Cuban Coffee cost?
One cup of Cuban Coffee costs around $6 – $8 on where you get your coffee from. It is because the ingredients are high quality, tasty, and made to perfection.
– How much is one cup of Cuban Coffee in Hanoi? One cup of coffee costs around $1 – $2 in Hanoi. It means that you will have to pay around $6 – 7 for a cup of Cuban coffee if you want it in Hanoi, Vietnam. The same goes with other countries since prices are different depending on locations, labor expenses…
– Can someone make Espresso Maker at home? Yes! You can make your own espresso maker using simple equipment such as metal filter holder, heat resistant cups or glasses. You can also use cloth instead of paper filter so that it becomes reusable unlike paper filters.
– Where can we buy Cuban Coffee? You can find Cuban coffee at local restaurants such as those who serve the best food in town. But, if you want to order it online, there are many websites available where you can find what you need depending on your locations and favorite flavors.
– How much does it cost for a cup of Cuban Coffee in America? The average price per cup is around $3 – 4 which means that the total cost is about $6 – 8 for one entire espresso maker. If you want to make American style Cuban Coffee with Espresso Maker, maybe the price will be different because of its ingredients.
9. Steps on How to Make Cuban Coffee With an Espresso Maker.
– Prepare Cuban Coffee, sugar syrup and water like what we mentioned in previous articles.
– Put a paper filter in the metal filter holder then place it in its spot where your cups are located. The next thing you have to do is pour water into your brew chamber, scoop ground coffee beans into the portafilter basket, put it back into its position then lock it down. You can also add sugar syrup or milk depending on what type of Cuban Coffee you want to make.
– Turn on your machine by pressing the power button and wait about 5 minutes for all components to get heated up and ready to work together making delicious Cuban Coffee with creamy foam on top!
With the above steps shared, everyone would be able to make the perfect cup of Cuban Coffee on their own. You can ask help from your family or friends if you want a more detailed explanation on how to use it. Just don’t forget that this kind of coffee has many steps and components that need to be carefully monitored so everyone would know what they have to do according to each step.
10. How to clean Espresso Maker?
Steps on How to Clean Espresso Machine:
– Turn off your machine then let it cool down in order to avoid damage when cleaning.
– Remove the metal filter holder and remove used paper filters in where you put water before making Cuban Coffee. The next thing you have to do is take a cloth or towel and dip it into hot water with dishwashing soap, scrub the cloth until its dirty then rinse and let it dry naturally (don’t use a hairdryer) so that it can be reused later on for subsequent uses of an espresso maker.
– Pour water into the brew chamber like what we mentioned earlier, add ground coffee beans (about 2 tablespoons or more depending on how much foam you want), put the metal filter holder and lock it down, turn on your machine and wait for 5 minutes.
– Turn off the machine after it has finished making coffee, take out the metal filter holder and pour water into it so that any residue or dirty substances would flow out. Remember to take out the used coffee beans as well, don’t let them sit in water as they can easily go bad if not thrown away immediately since those are what we use to make Cuban Coffee with Creamy Foam on Top.
– Repeat step 3 but this time using hot water with no soap inside then rinse one more time before leaving it to dry naturally without hairdryer.
– Put water into your brew chamber again, scoop ground coffee beans (the same amount for each type of cup), put the metal filter into its position then lock it down, turn on machine and wait 5 minutes.
– Turn off your espresso maker, take out used coffee beans while pouring water into it to flow out any residue inside, repeat step 3 again but this time use only hot water with no soap inside then rinse before leaving it to dry naturally without using any hairdryer.
– You can now make Cuban Coffee if you are not finished because all components are ready to be used again. After making Cuban Coffee, let the system cool down thoroughly before cleaning up all parts starting from removing metal filter holder and measuring scoop.
Clean cup tray then insert a cloth or towel into mixture of hot water with dishwashing soap then scrub dirty areas, rinse and let it dry naturally (don’t use a hairdryer) before putting everything in its proper place.
– All components are now ready to be used again in making delicious Cuban Coffee! Just remember the specific steps and do not forget about cleaning up your cup tray which would make it easier to handle especially when adding coffee beans into portafilter basket since you do not need to pour water into cup tray without any filter holder in place.
– It is recommended that you clean the espresso maker after every use by following the procedures we shared because this would prevent residues or residue from soaking in your machine like what happens if you don’t clean it after several uses. You have to be careful when cleaning it up to avoid any damage.
– Choosing the right type of espresso maker is also important to have this kind of machine last longer because not all types would work like how you like your coffee like what we already mentioned on the beginning of our article.
If you are looking for an espresso maker which can make Cuban Coffee or this type of coffee, then read specific instructions and components on manual book first before buying one to ensure that you will purchase the proper equipment for making delicious Cuban Coffee.
– It is advised that if you want something simple yet still effective in making French Press Coffee, then Chemex Coffeemaker may be a great choice since it can do its task without needing to clean up after several uses or at least not that often.
– If you want something very simple but still effective in making coffee, then getting a French Press will be a better choice than Chemex since it only has one glass container and does not need to clean up after several uses or at least not that often.
– If you are looking for an espresso maker which is must simpler and easier to use compared to traditional models, then there is Nespresso Citiz and Pixie (Smaller) which both do the job of extracting coffee juices from ground beans and turning these into delicious cups of espresso without needing to spend too much time on learning how to use this kind of equipment properly.
– You can also consider Dual Boiler Espresso Maker if you like more complicated machine but still effective in making delicious coffee like what we already mentioned on the previous paragraph. It is also important to read specific instructions and components on manual book first before buying one to make sure that you will purchase the proper equipment for making Cuban Coffee.
– If you don’t like complicated espresso maker, then getting a Nespresso Citiz and Pixie (Smaller) can be a good choice since these two do the job of extracting coffee juice from ground beans and turning them into delicious cups of espresso without needing to spend too much time on learning how to use this kind of equipment properly even though this type is more expensive than French Press Coffeemaker.
– If you want something very simple but still effective in making coffee, then getting a French Press will be a better choice than Chemex since it only has one glass container and does not need to clean up this kind of equipment after several uses or at least not that often.
– To summarize, there are several types of espresso makers which you can find on the market but not all of them are good for making Cuban Coffee or different types of coffee, so keep that in mind when buying one.
Above are Steps on How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker. Now, let’s see some Tips and Guides on How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker as below:
Tips and Guides on How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker.
1. Where to buy a Cuban Coffee?
If you are looking for a place to buy Cuban Coffee, then you have to understand first the difference between Cuban Coffee and Cafe Cubano because both can be served as one but not exactly the same.
– If you want an original Cafe Cubano, then going to Cuba is a must so that you can enjoy very strong but still delicious coffee from there since it’s an island version of how they make their coffee.
– If you want something which is more affordable compared from getting to go to Cuba just for a cup of Cafe Cubano, then buying it at your local cafe or any other places where having this type of drink would be available is a better choice since this way is cheaper especially if live in Asia.
– You can also buy Cafe Cubano beans or ground coffee at specialty shops where having this type of drink would be available.
– If you are looking for something more affordable, then buying it at your local cafe or any other places where having this type of drink would be available is a better choice since this way is cheaper especially if live in Asia however the taste may not be as strong compared to fresh brewed Café Cubano from Cuba.
You knew How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker as above.
2. How do you make Cuban coffee in a regular coffee maker?
What you need for this step is to heat Cuban coffee brewer with water until boiling then leave it for a couple of minutes before adding 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup.
Once the coffee has boiled, put some sugar on the bottom of the cup before pouring the coffee directly into cups up to ¾ full and start serving it with ice cubes.
3. How do you make Cafe Cubano?
You knew How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker as above.
Making Café Cubano is very simple if you have regular drip coffee maker since all you need are pre-packaged espresso or dark roast ground coffee, hot water, paper filters which can be bought at local grocery stores or shops that sell cooking items and sugar.
– The first thing that you need to do is to grind your preferred type of coffee.
– Heat your Cuban coffee brewer with water until boiling then leave it for a couple of minutes before adding 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup.
– Put some sugar on the bottom of the cup if desired and pour the hot brewed coffee directly into cups up to ¾ full along with ice cubes at last to make Café Cubano cooler before serving it to your guests.
4. What’s the difference between Cuban Coffee and Cafe Cubano?
Cuban Coffee is one type of very strong but still delicious espresso drink while Cafe Cubano is also known as Cuban Espresso which is an original version of how they make their coffee in Cuba since this type of drink is served without milk unlike regular espresso shots which are usually accompanied with steamed milk.
You knew How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker as above.
– Cafe Cubano is also served hot while Cuban Coffee is served cold with ice cubes.
– The first one has a strong coffee taste while the second one tastes more like coffee on the rocks which both of them are very delicious depending on your preference.
5. How do you make espresso at home?
Making espresso might be very easy but not for everyone since this type of drink is known as an Italian version of making coffee or even stronger than normal drip brewed coffee so it’s up to yourself whether you want to try making it on your own or just leave this task to professionals who know how to make good tasting espresso. You knew How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker as above.
Here are some steps on how to make an authentic espresso at home:
What you need for this step are freshly roasted coffee beans, fresh cold water, selected high quality ground coffee for espresso, an electronic pressure pump with 9 bar or higher pressure along with a tamper.
– It is important that you start off by preheating the portafilter machine before tamping your fresh ground coffee into it which you have to be gentle when tamping it down so as not to compress the grounds too tightly.
– Next thing that you have to do is attach the portafilter firmly on top of the group head before making sure that there are no grinds or stray grounds sticking out from under the filter which can cause channeling in your drink especially if they are compressed.
– Once everything has been thoroughly checked for being clean, you have to put the filter holder on top of the espresso machine.
– Next is to turn it on and let it heat up while allowing the pressure to rise towards 9 bars which can be around 130 psi.
– Then just simply turn off the pump when it reaches 9 bars before slowly releasing all of the remaining steam from the group head in order not to burn your freshly brewed espresso with too much heat.
And there you have it! The most simple way of making a strong but delicious cup of espresso at home without having any special equipment or experience in making coffee since this type of drink should always start with fresh beans like every other kind of coffee drinks out there along with other necessary tools needed in making an excellent cup of espresso.
6. Can you make espresso coffee without a machine?
Yes, you can! It might be more than a cup of instant coffee and you also need caffeine but it’s just up to yourself whether you want this type of drink made with fresh ground coffee beans or not since making stovetop espresso is pretty easy as long as you have the right equipment needed which are fresh roasted coffee beans, coffee grinder, saucepan and stove.
– The first thing that you have to do is to put 4 oz of cold water in a pan before placing it on medium heat until boiling point.
– Put your favorite amount of freshly ground coffee inside the filter basket along with a pinch of salt since this will make your drink less bitter.
– Once your water starts bubbling, take out the pan from the heat before putting it on top of the coffee machine’s base.
– You have to turn up your burner back to medium before placing the saucepan containing your ground coffee and hot water.
– Stir everything gently for a minute before covering with a tight-fitting lid. Allow at least five minutes for brewing time which you have to keep a close eye on it for getting an idea how strong or weak you want your espresso to be as well as to watch out any possible bubbling that might overflow from under the lid.
Keep in mind that stovetop espresso will always be stronger than its electric equivalent since it is not limited by available power as compared to electric machines which are only limited by the thermoblock heating element.
– Turn off the stove before pouring the coffee drink into a cup.
And there you have it! A simple way of making your very own espresso at home without having any special equipment needed since this type of drink should always start with fresh beans like every other kind of coffee drinks out there along with other necessary tools needed in making an excellent cup of espresso.
7. Can you use any coffee for Cuban coffee?
No, you can’t! You need to use Cuban-style coffee for this type of drink instead of the regular ground coffee commonly used in other kinds of coffees like a simple cup of instant coffee.
– The first thing that you have to do is put 2 heaping tablespoons of sugar along with 1 tablespoon of finely ground Cuban-style coffee in a percolator before adding 8 ounces or more depending on how strong you want it to be which only means that stronger means more caffeine.
You knew How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker as above.
– Then add water up to 4 cups mark before placing the percolator inside your electric stove or over direct heat source if using gas stove before putting the fire high when it starts boiling. Wait until it reaches higher heights for about 5 minutes before turning down to low for another 15 minutes before straining the brew through a coffee filter and enjoy!
– Also, you may add more sugar and/or water if not sweet enough or too strong for your taste. You can also serve Cuban coffee with vanilla ice cream usually used in making malts or shakes that will make it extra delicious at the same time.
8. Is Cuban coffee the same as espresso?
You knew How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker as above.
No, it is not! Cuban coffee cannot be called espresso since it does not use any kind of machine either electric or manual to make this type of drink.
– The first thing that you have to do is put 4 oz of cold water in a saucepan along with sugar before placing it on medium heat until boiling point.
– Put your favorite amount of freshly ground coffee inside the filter basket along with a pinch of salt since this will make your drink less bitter.
– Once the water starts boiling, take out the saucepan from the heat before putting it on top of the coffee machine’s base.
– You have to turn up your burner back to medium before placing the saucepan containing ground coffee and hot water.
– Stir everything gently for a minute before covering with a tight-fitting lid. Allow at least five minutes for brewing time which you have to keep a close eye on it for getting an idea how strong or weak you want your espresso to be as well as to watch out any possible bubbling that might overflow from under the lid.
Keep in mind that stovetop espresso will always be stronger than its electric equivalent since it is not limited by available power as compared to electric machines which are only limited by the thermoblock heating element.
– Turn off the stove before pouring the coffee drink into mug/cup then add milk or water depending on your preference before serving while still hot.
Cuban Coffee Recipe Ingredients: 4 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon freshly ground Cuban coffee 4 ounces cold water 1 pinch salt.
Directions: In a saucepan over medium heat, place sugar and 1 tablespoon of Cuban coffee or as much as desired before adding 4 oz of cold water. Stir until boiling point then remove from fire before placing the saucepan on top of a coffee machine’s base with other ingredients inside. Turn up your burner back to medium before placing the saucepan containing ground coffee and hot water.
Stir everything gently for a minute before covering with a tight-fitting lid. Allow at least five minutes for brewing time which you have to keep a close eye on it for getting an idea how strong or weak you want your espresso to be as well as to watch out any possible bubbling that might overflow from under the lid.
Keep in mind that stovetop espresso will always be stronger than its electric equivalent since it is not limited by available power as compared to electric machines which are only limited by the thermo-block heating element. Turn off the stove before pouring the coffee drink into mug/cup then add milk or water depending on your preference before serving while still hot.
Lastly, you can also make Cuban-style iced coffee with either cold brewed drip coffee or caffe latte (made using hot or steamed milk). Otherwise, you can use instant coffee instead to make hot Cuban-style iced coffee but this kind of method will take advantage of your fridge.
9. Some tips on How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker.
Moka Pot.
Using a Moka brewer to make Cuban coffee is the best option since it can produce great-tasting, strong and rich espresso which you will really be able to enjoy regardless of your mood or circumstances.
This may also be used in making instant coffee; hence, this is another excellent way on how to make Cuban coffee without an espresso maker! Carafe Espresso Machine.
If stovetop moka pots are not available for you at this time then using regular drip pot or carafe machine can do the job instead since this kind of machine does not have any form of heating element that produces uncontrolled heat when in use. This type of machine offers adjustable heat which you can set depending on what kind of brewing rate you prefer to make.
Instant coffee might also be the main option when it comes to making instant Cuban coffee without an espresso maker because this insures that you are able to have your favorite drink even when you are in a hurry or in emergency cases where all that is available for use is just instant coffee.
10. Some Recipes for Cuban Coffee:
You already knew How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker as above. Now, you can use these recipes and How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker?
Espresso Machine Hack for Cuban Coffee.
However, if you are really not able to find the best way on how to make Cuban coffee without an espresso maker, then it is time to use an alternative method like using instant coffee instead.
This alternative option will work out well as long as you do not mind sacrificing some taste and flavor in exchange for convenience plus no need to have a semi-automatic or automatic machine which makes this option perfect even when under budget since most of these devices can cost up to several hundred dollars so buying one of those machines might be costly at the moment.
In case instant coffee is too mild or not strong enough for your taste buds or personal tastes, then a good idea would be to try sweetening it with some form of sweetener like brown sugar or raw cane sugar or even honey and/or molasses.
This way, you will get more flavor advantage from your instant coffee which makes this advantage perfect for those who love flavored coffee drinks plus it can really give more taste to your instant Cuban coffee without the need for an espresso maker.
Cafecito de Cuba.
Brewing Cuban-Style Coffee. Otherwise, if you simply want a quick cup of brewed Cuban-style iced coffee then here’s how: Get a tall glass filled with ice Add 3/4 teaspoon (3 grams) fine ground dark roast instant coffee powder 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar (optional) Add boiling water Stir to dissolve the coffee and sugar mixture Serve hot in glass with lots of ice cubes.
Cuban-Style Iced Coffee.
You know How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker as above. One of the most common mistake in making Cuban-style iced coffee is using too much ground coffee powder per single glass; this will inevitably result to a very strong cup of instant iced coffee which you might find it hard to finish, taste bitter or just flat out bad!
Thus, it is advisable that you use only 3/4 teaspoon (3 grams) fine ground dark roast instant coffee powder for each 6 ounces or 8 ounces tall glass filled with ice.
This will give your drink more than enough aroma and flavor so no need to add more than this amount of ground coffee powder per glass. Also, if you are planning to add some sugar to your drink then it might be best that you use 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar only which will already give your drink enough sweetness so no need for adding more.
Cuban-style iced coffee can also be used as an excellent base for creating other tasty drinks like the Cuban milkshake version which is made up of instant iced coffee, milk and vanilla ice cream! You just have to place all ingredients into a blender or mixer then blend them until smooth before serving; easy peasy!
Cubans make their café cubano by simply mixing together equal amounts of espresso sweetened condensed milk with lots of ice and that’s it! It is best served as a morning pick me up, but can also be enjoyed as an afternoon caffeine boost.
Of course, you don’t actually need to make Cuban espresso; instant coffee will do the trick just fine. Just use equal parts sugar and instant coffee, or less if desired (1:1 would be perfect). Instant coffee is far more potent than brewed coffee so start with 25 grams (2 tablespoons) and adjust to taste.
11. Common mistakes about How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker.
You know How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker already. Now, Let’s see some mistakes on How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker as below:
Be sure not to use too many coffee beans, as they will quickly overwhelm the drink. Start with one heaping tablespoon per cup and adjust from there. Some people prefer using just a pinch of baking soda, but some Cuban espresso purists think that is overkill; it’s up to you whether or not you want to experiment.
Don’t break out the expensive stuff for this recipe; while Cuban espresso does taste slightly different than what most of us are used to drinking in our local coffee shop, it doesn’t have to be top-shelf quality for this instant version. Any inexpensive dark roast ground coffee will do; if you must use whole beans, grind them yourself (use about 1/4 of the amount listed above).
Finally, prepare your Cuban espresso in a regular coffee cup, not the demitasse cups you might see in Cuban restaurants.
In conclusion, do you know that making an excellent café cubano is actually possible when you don’t have an espresso machine? It’s true! You just need a little knowledge and a reliable recipe to make great tasting iced Cuban coffee without using an espresso maker.
The above article only provides the basic idea on how to make cafe cubano but it can be enhanced with some additional methods like adding honey or molasses which is one of the best ways to spice up your instant iced coffee drink plus it can really give more taste to your Cuban-style iced.
FAQs about How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker.
1. Question: Is there any trick to making it cold-brew?
Answer: Cuban coffee can be cold-brewed, but you’ll need a few days for the flavor to fully develop. I would recommend using 4 tablespoons of finely ground dark roast coffee per cup of water (or 1 tablespoon per every 2 ounces). Add the coarsely ground beans into a sealable container, then pour in cool water.
Stir to make sure all grounds are saturated, then cover and let sit at room temperature for 12 – 24 hours. After that time has passed, strain the mixture through a coffee filter or cheesecloth so you’re left with just the liquid.
Strain again if necessary, until no sediment remains. From here, you should have an intensely rich concentrate. Add a bit of water to help dissolve any remaining sediment in the brew, then store overnight in the fridge.
Cold-brewed coffee is best enjoyed over ice in a tall glass with some simple syrup and milk or cream (or half and half if you must). Since there’s no dairy added, it makes an excellent base for alcoholic drinks like this mojito . It can also be used as the base for your favorite iced latte recipe; just add caramel syrup and top with whipped cream!
2. Question: Can I double/triple/etc this recipe?
Answer: The ratio is dependent on how large your cups (and mugs) are and how much coffee you would like to make. Cubans usually use small, 4 ounce cups when drinking Cuban espresso, so keep that in mind if you want to make more than one cup at a time or prepare larger servings for guests. We’ve provided an estimate based on 8-ounce cups which should be adequate for most situations.
3. Question: Can I use other beans?
Answer: You should be able to get excellent results using Brazilian, Guatemalan, Colombian or another type of dark roast coffee. However, the trick is to grind it yourself (use about 1/4 of the amount listed above). The pre-ground stuff often contains sugar and other ingredients that will affect the taste.
4. Question: Do you have any tips about storing this? How long can it stay out?
Answer: The good news is, you don’t actually need to store this at all! If you make it in the morning and add enough water, you should have a decent amount of dilution from melting ice cubes. However, if you want to prepare ahead or are serving guests, feel free to make an extra cup for storage.
Let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container with a lid (just like regular iced coffee). It’ll last about as long as regular iced coffee – maybe 12 hours or so?
5. Question: Is there any difference between Cuban espresso and American espresso?
Answer: Not really! They’re both very similar though Cuban tends to be more concentrated. Some Americans simply refer to “espresso” when referring to Cuban espresso.
6. Question: What about instant coffee?
Answer: Instant coffee can also be used if you don’t have access to fresh-brewed espresso. Just dissolve the desired amount of crystals in an equal amount of hot water, then add sugar and milk or cream as usual. This will not produce quite the same flavors, but it’s still pretty good!
7. Question: Do I really need a moka pot? Can’t I just use my French press or drip machine?
Answer: If you plan on making more than one cup at a time, you should invest in either a stovetop moka pot, electric moka pot or at least a simple pour over cone . machines are all designed for this purpose – to produce small amounts of strong coffee!
8. Question: I don’t have a moka pot, but plan on buying one soon. Is there anything else I can do?
Answer: You could try using an inverted cone filter holder . Just fill it with your coarsely ground beans before adding water, then set it over top another mug or pitcher. Slowly pour hot water into the filter and let gravity do its thing! It’ll take several minutes to drip through, though the result should be much faster than cold brew since no time is taken sitting in a fridge.
This will give you something between traditional cold-brewed coffee and instant… But again, you really should invest in a moka pot if you’re serious about Cuban espresso.
9. Question: I don’t really like sugar. Is there anything else I can add?
Answer: This is a matter of personal preference, but surprisingly to some (including myself), coffee actually has quite a bit of natural sweetness. The trick is to use high quality beans and roast them yourself for the best flavor possible. However, if you are simply adding the normal amount of simple syrup that’s added in Cuba, try using turbinado or demerara sugar instead.
These sugars have larger crystals which will take longer to dissolve, meaning it might be easier to taste what you’re adding! If you do want something other than sugar though, this leads us into our next question.
Conclusion
Cuban coffee is one of the most popular drinks in Miami, and it’s no coincidence that many people want to know How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker. Making Cuban coffee without a machine takes some time, but once you get the hang of it, brewing your own cup will be easy.
For help getting started with these tips on How to Make Cuban Coffee Without an Espresso Maker, read our blog post now! And feel free to contact us or give comment below if you have any question, we will reply soon. Thanks for reading!
