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café de olla Recipe

Emily Parker
Overhead view of café de olla in an ochre cup and saucer.
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Cinnamon and piloncillo sweeten this saucepan coffee, which steeps off the heat before filtering into four small cups.
Estimated Recipe CostEstimated US$2.35 for the batch; approximately US$0.59 per small cup for four cups. Prorated sampled US retail prices; local prices vary.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Steeping and filtering 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 small cups
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Instructions Video Notes

Ingredients
  

Coffee
  • 1 liter water approximately 4¼ US cups
  • 60 g piloncillo chopped or grated; 2.1 oz
  • 2 g whole canela about one 3-inch (7.5 cm) cinnamon stick
  • 60 g medium-coarse ground coffee 2.1 oz; medium or dark roast, not instant

Equipment

  • 2-liter (about 2-quart) saucepan with lid
  • Wooden spoon
  • Kitchen scale and measuring jug
  • Fine-mesh strainer and large paper coffee filter
  • 1-liter heatproof jug
  • 4 small heatproof cups

Instructions
 

Brew and filter
  1. Place the water, chopped piloncillo, and canela in a 2-liter (about 2-quart) saucepan.
  2. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, allowing about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring until the piloncillo dissolves completely. If pieces remain, continue just until dissolved.
  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the ground coffee to wet all the grounds, cover, and steep for 5 minutes. Do not return the coffee to a boil.
  4. While the coffee steeps, support the paper filter inside the fine-mesh strainer and set the strainer securely over the heatproof jug. At the end of the steep, remove the canela with the spoon.
  5. Pour slowly through the filter in stages, keeping the liquid below the paper's rim. Allow about 5 minutes for it to drain by gravity; do not squeeze the grounds. Discard the spent grounds and canela.
  6. Divide the filtered coffee among four small cups and serve promptly. For a lighter cup, add a little hot water at the table.

Video

Notes

Approximately 800–900 ml strained coffee; about 200–225 ml per serving. Final volume varies with evaporation and the grounds.
Use the weight measurements for coffee and piloncillo; volume depends on the grind and size of the sugar pieces.
For a less sweet batch, begin with 30 g piloncillo. Dark brown sugar can replace the piloncillo by weight, with a different flavor.
Paper filtering time varies with the grind and filter. If it drains slowly, pour in smaller stages and allow extra time rather than overflowing the filter.
Estimated ingredient cost: US $2.35 per batch, about $0.59 for each of four small cups. This is the cost of the portions used; package sizes, prices, and location affect the total.
Video credit: Muy Bueno shows Mexican coffee brewed in a saucepan with piloncillo, cinnamon, and additional whole spices. Follow this card for Spoonvale's four-ingredient version and its measured steeping and filtering steps.

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