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Colando Café: Old Puerto Rican method of brewing coffee

Method of brewing coffee-old style
Method of brewing coffee-old style
Aixa Lopez

There are a variety of methods to brew coffee. Each country has its own culturally accepted process for making it. In Puerto Rico, the original way of brewing coffee is called Cafe Colao (using a cloth coffee strainer). The way they made their coffee in the past is nothing fancy. It was a very raw and simple process.

This method is fast and the aroma that stays in the brewed coffee is amazing. Most people in the island still use this method; especially those that live in the rural areas. The result is a strong but smooth flavor. If you want to try to make coffee this way, you won't need specialty tools. Below you will find the recipe:

What you need:

  • Good Espresso Ground Coffee
  • Colador de Tela (Cloth Coffee Strainer)
  • Cacerola (Small cooking pot)
  • Frothing Pitcher
  • Frother

What to do:

  1. Fill your small cooking pot with about 3/4 of a cup of water.
  2. Place the cooking pot on high heat and wait until the water boils. Once the water is boiling, put enough ground coffee into the boiling water. Be careful because since the water is boiling, once you put the ground coffee in, it could overflow.
  3. Leave it in the pan and stir to completely mix for less than a minute.
  4. Once the water has blended with the coffee, place the coffee strainer into the coffee cup.
  5. Fill your cloth coffee strainer with the brewed coffee. Slowly lift the bag out of the cup, letting the coffee drain into the cup as you do.
  6. Steam and froth the milk the way you like it. I personally like it very hot and frothed. Pour it into the coffee and voila!