A Cafe Bustelo Espresso review won’t sit right without its humble origin story and its rise to the peak of the coffee industry.
A young man named, Gregorio Menendez Bustelo (Born 1894, 21st June) had completed a journey from Spain to Cuba. In 1917, he moved to the United States. He landed in New York and found that he was not being able to enjoy his home-flavored coffee because there was no similar coffee available around. That’s when he realized the gap in the market.
Thus, a Cuban-style coffee, Cafe Bustelo was born. It became popular among the Cuban exiles. At the time, they liked the espresso coffee makers rather than the coffee sock. The company remained pertinent throughout the 20th century. Their expansion kept continuing throughout. Today it is known for its red and yellow colored canned coffee.
In the year 2000, Rowland Coffee Roasted purchased Cafe Bustelo. In 2011, the company was sold to the J.M. Smucker Company. The company today is known as the most well-known Latin-inspired coffee brand in the US.
What Kind Of Coffee Is Bustelo?
Cafe Bustelo is a pure Cuban-style coffee. It is also known as espresso. Cafe Bustelo coffee is manufactured by J.M. Smucker Company.
Cafe Bustelo is an authentic Cuban-style coffee. If you know anything about Cuban coffee, you know it is one hell of a strong coffee. Obviously, this means Cafe Bustelo’s Supreme version is extra strong.
The beans are bitter and bold with a raisin-like taste. The flavor could be detailed as overbearing if you are not accustomed to the taste of Latin American coffee. Overall, this coffee is quite strong and not for everyone.
Cafe Bustelo’s Caffeine Content
Cafe Bustelo Caffeine in a 12-fluid-ounce cup is around 150 mg. Cafe Bustelo claims that in each coffee, per 6-fluid serving there is around 60 mg to 90 mg. If you are making Cafe Bustelo coffee at home, it can vary also.
The amount of caffeine will fluctuate due to the amount of espresso ground coffee used, water used, and finally, the brewing type used. If you are making your own cup of Supreme Bustelo, it will be unfeasible to tell the caffeine amount in the coffee.
Cafe Bustelo Coffee Review
Cafe Bustelo Espresso Ground Coffee
Their dark classic blend will arouse your senses. Made for everyone to enjoy, and with the world’s finest roasted coffee beans. Full of Flavor!
- Found in two sizes: 22 oz and 36 oz packs
- Comes in a vacuum-sealed can. It preserves the flavor
- Made from 100% pure beans and roasted to perfection
- Dark and delicious blend with a captivating aroma and strong flavor
- The full-bodied and rich flavor stands up to the taste of sugar and milk
- Ideal for brewing espressos, drip-style coffee, cappuccinos, and many others
Café Bustelo Espresso Ground Coffee Brick
The classic blend is pure, dark, and filled with flavor. Roasted from the world’s finest coffee beans, and made to brew and experience in your own way. A Classic!
- Found in two sizes: a 10oz pack of 24 and a 16oz pack of 12
- Bold, stand-out Sabor Latino. With or without sugar or cream
- Contains vacuum-packed 24, 10-ounce coffee bricks with the classic coffee taste of dark roasted Café Bustelo
- Ready to brew in manual coffee makers and electric machines. Ideal for drip coffee, cappuccinos, espressos, and more drinks
- Made from high-quality, 100% pure coffee beans that are roasted to perfection
- Dark roast coffee with a full-bodied, robust flavor and a captivating aroma
Café Bustelo Espresso Style K-Cup Pods
Discover the robust taste of the Classic Espresso Style mix with Café Bustelo’s K-Cup Pods. Brewed in under a minute. A cafecito that stands up to sugar and milk!
- K-Cup pods are in tune with Keurig K-Cup brewers
- Bold Sabor Latino. It stands out, even with or without sugar or cream
- Made from 100% high-quality, pure coffee beans roasted to perfection
- Dark roast coffee with a captivating aroma, and robust, and full-bodied flavor
- Available in 3 flavors: Brazilian Dark Roast, 100% Colombian Medium Roast, and Espresso Dark Roast
- Perfect for making coffee drinks like Café con Leche or Cortaditos. K-Cup Pods are recyclable. Not recyclable in all communities though
- Comes in 6 boxes of 12 Café Bustelo Dark Roast Espresso-Style K-Cup pods (72 count total). Also available in 4 boxes of 24 and 4 boxes of 32 pods
Supreme by Bustelo Whole Bean Espresso Coffee Bag
Discover the sheeny taste of 100% Arabica beans. Slow-roasted and kept whole to be grounded, sipped, and savored; any way you wish. A Delicious Sip!
- It’s Kosher
- One whole 32-ounce/2-lb roasted bean bag
- Found in two sizes: 16 oz pack and 32 oz pack
- A premium mixture of the splendid coffees in the world
- Dark and rich. This instant coffee is specifically roasted for Cappuccino or Espresso
Café Bustelo Espresso Dark Roast Coffee Capsules
An enticing aroma and full-bodied rich flavor that stands up to sugar and milk. Available in a capsule.
- Single-serve capsules for easy and fast brewing
- Espresso-style, dark-roasted coffee. Intensity level-11
- Comes with 4 boxes of 10 espresso capsules. 40 in total. Capsule pod color may differ for a limited time
- Suitable for Nespresso Original Line Machines. Cafe Bustelo is not endorsed, affiliated with, or, sponsored by Nespresso
How To Brew
The rich coffee culture of Latin America has to be procreated not only with the proper coffee, as Café Bustelo coffee offers, but also with a perfect brewing method.
- Obviously, a good espresso machine will be capable to brew a marvelous espresso with the espresso ground coffee of the Supreme or Original line
- But we also recommend using the Café Bustelo in a Moka pot
Traditional Steps
- You can make Bustelo espresso ground coffee as strong as possible by reducing the water amount in it. Basically, it will create a higher coffee-to-water ratio
- Then for each serving put about 1 tablespoon of sugar. It awakens the sweetness and bitterness that are so appreciated throughout Latin tradition
- In small doses, you can blend the strong instant coffee. Keep the sugar at the bottom of an espresso cup. Then pour it over
- This way you will have a syrupy, concentrated blend of strong coffee. Then add lots of sugar, and dilute it with the unsweetened coffee
Alternatively
- The classic Café con Leche can be brewed with either an unflavored one or a particularly flavored Café Bustelo coffee
- Follow the exact steps above. Either with a Moka pot or an espresso machine
- Finally, on top, add a splash of milk. It softens the harshest senses of the coffee
Brew Profile
Now you can imagine how Café Bustelo brews and what it offers, and how it tastes, the next question is, where does Café Bustelo stand in terms of body, strength, and flavor profile?
For this purpose, we will use the Supreme line. As it is definitely the best one produced by Café Bustelo. Its taste doesn’t vary much from the “El Original”. So you can also use this one instead.
- The aromatic nature of the Supreme line is what you exactly desire from authentic Latin American coffee
- It’s robust, bold, and quite bitter. It has a distinctive raisin-like fruity element. It highlights the bitterness. It is an acquired taste for some. But Latin American palates, it’s deliciously reminiscent of their roots
- It can be way strong. Not as in caffeine content. But as in literal taste for the newbies. Yet, it is damn worth a try
- Robustness is indeed one of the strong points of Café Bustelo. Other than the Supreme line (100% Arabica), the other lines have their fair bit of Robusta coffee in them. This provides more body, punch, and bold flavors
- It loses some points in the variety of flavors that can be discerned in favor of more strength. If you value a balanced cup, then the Supreme line is worth going for. Otherwise, if you are looking for a strong cup of joe get any of Café Bustelo’s lines
- As a consequence of the goal of serving mostly the Latin community’s presence and tastes of Robusta beans, the body is rather heavy. Expect a filling, dense cup of joe
- The body can be smoothened by brewing with a paper filter. Such as a drip machine or Chemex. It will make instant coffee similar to your usual coffee strength
- But if you don’t have a problem with heavy-bodied coffee, Café Bustelo will deliver it every time
Who Should Drink It…
Those who like instant espresso or, Cuban-style espresso ground coffee. Always at a low price-point and with an amazing taste. It has been a favorite of college students and families alike because it was and is one of the most quality and affordable brands in the world.
FAQs
Where Is Cafe Bustelo Coffee From?
Founded in Bronx, New York, the US in 1928. Their coffee is Latin American or, more precisely Cuban-styled.
Is Cafe Bustelo High In Caffeine?
An ounce/one shot of Bustelo contains 25 mg of caffeine. Regular instant coffee per ounce averages 12 to 16 mg of caffeine.
Is Cafe Bustelo Real Coffee?
Cafe Bustelo is indeed a real instant coffee. They use 100% pure Arabica beans for their coffee.
How Do You Store Cafe Bustelo Coffee?
The best way to preserve Cafe Bustelo is to keep it inside a Kilner Glass Jar and put it in a pantry.
Is Cafe Bustelo Espresso Or Coffee?
It tastes like espresso. But has other unique flavors and tastes not contained in a traditional espresso.
Why Is Cafe Bustelo So Cheap?
Because it’s sold in both a vacuum-packed brick and a can. But the canned version is only the third cheapest overall compared to other brands.
Is Cafe Bustelo Cuban Coffee?
It is the beloved Cuban-style instant coffee brand. It is a b serious staple among the Cuban immigrants living in the USA.
Is Cuban Coffee Stronger Than Espresso?
It is twice as strong compared to American espresso.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Café Bustelo is definitely not for you if don’t like complex flavors and lighter notes. Or do not love to drink a coffee that doesn’t overwhelm you nor requires to be thinned with milk, or balanced with sugar. Otherwise, if you fancy strong and black or Cuban-style coffee that will offer the body and strength in a cup without having to splurge, then Café Bustelo is the answer for you.
Enjoy Your Coffee!
