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🇨🇺 Coffee Drinks · 2026

Cuban Coffee (Cafecito): The Drink the Espumita Defines

Cuban coffee — café cubano, or cafecito — is espresso-style coffee sweetened by whipping sugar with the first drops of the brew into espumita, a pale sweet foam. What defines it, the cortadito and colada variants, and how to make it with a moka pot or espresso machine.

Written and reviewed by the CoffeeLabAdvisor editorial team · Published 1 September 2026

5 facts, each with a source below 5 questions answered 6 reviewed machines that make it

A cafecito (café cubano) is a small, intensely sweet espresso-style coffee defined by its espumita — a pale foam made by whipping sugar vigorously with the first, strongest drops of the brew, then pouring the rest of the coffee over it. Traditionally it is brewed in a moka pot, so no espresso machine is required, though a machine's shot works the same way.

BaseEspresso-style coffee — traditionally from a moka pot
The signatureEspumita: sugar whipped with the first drops of brew
SugarIn the drink by definition — this is not an unsweetened shot
VariantsCortadito (with milk) · colada (large, shared, with cups)
NeedsMoka pot or espresso machine, sugar, a cup to whip in

The espumita is the drink

What separates a cafecito from sweetened espresso is when and how the sugar goes in. Sugar sits in a cup; the first few drops of brew — the strongest, most concentrated part — are whipped into it hard until it turns into a pale, thick foam. The remaining coffee is then poured over, lifting the espumita to the top. Stirring sugar into a finished shot produces sweet espresso; whipping it into the first drops produces a cafecito.

Shopping for the setup itself? Our Cuban espresso machine guide covers the verified moka pots and when a real machine earns its place.

Making one — moka pot first, machine second

The traditional vessel is the stovetop moka pot, which is why this drink needs no espresso machine at all. Load the moka pot with a dark, espresso-style grind (our grind chart covers the moka band), and as the first drops emerge, spoon them onto a tablespoon or two of sugar and whip. On an espresso machine, use the first seconds of a normal shot the same way — the machine changes nothing about the method.

Cortadito, colada, and ordering words

Cortadito: a cafecito cut with a small amount of steamed milk. Colada: a larger serving of the same drink in a styrofoam cup with small thimble cups alongside — built for sharing, not for one person. Ask for a cafecito and you get the small sweet shot; the espumita should be visible on top in every case.

Machines that make it, from our reviews

Any espresso machine's shot works for a cafecito — the machines below all have published reviews — and the traditional moka pot needs no machine at all.

Jura Z10
🏆 2026 Best Bean-to-Cup Machine winner

Jura Z10

Bean-to-Cup · Automatic milk

$4,199.00Live Amazon price · as of 09/11/2026 11:46 PM
Buy on Amazon →

Frequently asked questions

What is Cuban coffee?

Espresso-style coffee sweetened by whipping sugar with the first drops of the brew into a pale foam called espumita, then pouring the rest of the coffee over it. Small, strong and sweet by definition — traditionally brewed in a moka pot.

What is espumita?

The pale, sweet foam that defines the drink: sugar whipped vigorously with the first and strongest drops of the brew until it lightens and thickens. It rises to the top when the remaining coffee is poured over.

Do I need an espresso machine for Cuban coffee?

No — the traditional method uses a stovetop moka pot. An espresso machine works identically: whip the first seconds of the shot into the sugar and pour the rest over.

What is the difference between a cafecito and a cortadito?

Milk. A cafecito is the sweet shot itself; a cortadito is the same drink cut with a small amount of steamed milk.

What is a colada?

The same drink in a larger, shared format: one big cup accompanied by small thimble cups. It is meant to be poured out among several people, not drunk alone.

Sources for this page: Definition, espumita method and moka-pot tradition: Wikipedia's Cuban espresso entry and the University of Miami's 'Cafecito 101', read 2026-09-02 · Cortadito and colada variants: Wikipedia's Cortadito entry and Volcanica's café cubano guide, read 2026-09-02 We have not measured drinks in a lab; where volumes differ between authorities, the page names each authority rather than averaging them, and machine capabilities come from our own published review records.

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