Traditional and world
Cuban cafecito
A cafecito is a small, sweet Cuban espresso made by whipping sugar with the first drops of coffee to make a creamy foam.
- Ratio About 1 part coffee to 1 part sugar by volume, to taste
- Serve 30 to 60 ml, hot, in a tiny cup
- Grind Fine
Written by the KAIVO team, Mumbai. Last updated 4 November 2026. Cite as: KAIVO, "Cuban cafecito", kaivo.in/pages/drink-cuban-cafecito
A cafecito is a short, strong, very sweet coffee, usually brewed in a moka pot. The first few drops of coffee are whipped with sugar into a pale, thick paste called espumita, and the rest of the coffee is stirred in. It is served in tiny cups, often several times a day, and is a social drink in Cuba and in Cuban communities in Miami.
How it is made
- 01
Fill a moka pot with water and fine ground dark roast coffee and put it on the heat.
- 02
Put 2 teaspoons of sugar in a small jug.
- 03
When the first few drops of coffee come out, add them to the sugar and whip hard with a spoon for about a minute until pale and thick.
- 04
Pour the rest of the coffee into the jug and stir.
- 05
Pour into small cups and serve straight away.
Brew it with Moka pot, Espresso machine
A KAIVO blend for this
The Roar
The Roar is a dark roast with dark caramel notes, and KAIVO lists moka pot as a way to brew it.
Dark roast, tasting of bitter chocolate, dark caramel, oak.
See The RoarQuestions
Why whip the sugar with the first drops of coffee?
The first coffee from a moka pot is the strongest and sweetest, and whipping it with sugar makes a pale, creamy foam that sits on top of the cup.
What is a cortadito?
A cortadito is a cafecito with a small amount of warm milk or evaporated milk added.