Keriko Cuban-Style Coffee ES
Cafecito guide

The ventanita ritual, at home

A real cafecito is more than strong coffee — it's the sweet, golden espumita on top. Here's how to make it, and its cousins, with a capsule machine in under three minutes.

Glass cup of dark espresso with a layer of crema

Short answer: brew a few drops of a dark-roast capsule onto 1–2 teaspoons of sugar, whip it into a pale paste (the espumita), then brew the rest of the espresso over it and stir. Keriko Cremosito (intensity 11) is roasted for exactly this.

1. Cafecito (café cubano)

  1. Put 1–2 teaspoons of sugar in a small cup. Turbinado gives a deeper, caramel note.
  2. Start brewing a Keriko capsule into the cup. Stop the machine after the first teaspoon or so.
  3. Beat the sugar and coffee hard with a spoon for 30–60 seconds, until it turns into a pale, thick paste. That's the espumita.
  4. Brew the rest of the shot (about 40 ml — the espresso button) over the espumita.
  5. Stir gently. The foam rises and stays on top. Drink it hot.
Tip: On most Original Line machines you can stop the flow by pressing the button again. If yours can't, brew a full shot into a separate cup, spoon a little onto the sugar to whip, then pour the rest over.

2. Cortadito

A cafecito "cut" with milk. Make the cafecito above, then add an equal amount of steamed or warm whole milk (about 40 ml). Evaporated milk is the old-school Miami way and makes it richer.

3. Colada (for sharing)

The office ritual: a larger serving of sweet espresso poured into tiny cups for everyone. Brew 3 capsules into one cup on the espresso setting (about 120 ml), making the espumita with 2–3 tablespoons of sugar and the first drops of the first capsule. Serve with a stack of thimble-size tacitas — one colada serves 4 to 6.

4. Café con leche

The breakfast classic. Brew one or two Keriko capsules into a big mug, add sugar to taste, and top with about 180 ml of hot, frothed milk. Perfect with buttered toast (tostada) for dunking.

Why a dark, high-intensity capsule?

Cuban-style coffee is traditionally a dark, bold roast brewed short and sweetened. Light or fruity capsules get lost under sugar and milk. Cremosito's 50% Robusta gives the body, bitterness and crema that hold up — and its thick crema helps the espumita foam.

Which machines work?

Keriko capsules fit Nespresso® Original Line machines — Essenza, Pixie, CitiZ, Inissia, Lattissima, Creatista and similar. They don't fit Vertuo machines.

Try Cremosito 50Value pack 200

Questions

How do I make a Cuban-style cafecito with capsules?

Put 1–2 teaspoons of sugar in a cup, brew the first few drops of a Keriko capsule onto the sugar and whip it into a pale paste (the espumita), then brew the rest of the espresso (about 40 ml) over it and stir. See our full cafecito guide for cortadito, colada and café con leche.

What is the difference between a cafecito, a cortadito and a colada?

A cafecito is a single sweet, strong espresso with espumita. A cortadito is a cafecito "cut" with an equal splash of steamed milk. A colada is a larger serving of sweet espresso made to be shared in small cups (tacitas) among friends or coworkers.

Nespresso® is a registered trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.; Keriko is not affiliated with Nespresso.