Short answer: Café Bustelo is a very strong, espresso-style Cuban coffee that was created by the Bustelos, Gregorio Bustelo, and his wife.
Are you the kind of person who needs a cup of coffee to hit as hard as a Monday morning? Or perhaps you are only a sucker for a good deal.
Every day as we get up in the morning, the first thing that can help us wake up is our favorite caffeinated joe, and sometimes that caffeinated joe comes in the form of Café Bustelo.
Café Bustelo has made quite a name for itself, what with sales doing double digits and going shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Dunkin Donuts. There’s no doubt that it is doing well in the coffee industry.
But what exactly is it?
Let’s dig in a bit deeper and continue reading as I go into an in-depth description of the brand.
History Of Café Bustelo
Café Bustelo wasn’t just developed from nowhere; the coffee company has quite a long and fascinating history before getting to the top of the coffee industry.
Gregorio Menendez Bustelo (Born June 21, 1894) was a young man when he traveled from Spain to Cuba, then moved to the United States in 1917.
When he shifted to New York, he found out that there was no coffee around which means he would not be able to enjoy his home coffee, and that’s when he planned to cover this gap in the market.
He created a Cuban-style coffee and named it Café Bustelo. In no time Café Bustelo became very popular among Cuban exiles who used to have espresso coffee makers instead of the coffee sock at the time.
The company continued to expand and maintained its reputation throughout the 20th century, and was commonly known for its red and yellow canned coffee.
Café Bustelo was then purchased by Rowland Coffee Roasted in the year 2000, and the company has a large number of loyal customers.
Caffeine Content Of Café Bustelo
A 12 fluid ounce cup of Café Bustelo contains approximately 150mg of caffeine. Café Bustelo claims that in each 6 fluid serving of their coffee, there is about 60 to 90mg of caffeine.
However, if you are home preparing the Café Bustelo coffee, the amount of caffeine can vary.
The amount of caffeine varies because of the amount of ground coffee used, the amount of water used, and the brewing method selected. Therefore, if you are brewing your cup of Bustelo supreme, it will be impossible to tell the exact amount of caffeine that will end up in your cup.
Café Bustelo is a very strong coffee. This Cuban coffee offers a rich and authentic flavor that can be expressed as a real smack in the face from the very first sip.
If you want to compare the strength of Café Bustelo with some other brands offering caffeinated drinks, refer to the following table:
| Coffee name | Serving size | Caffeine content |
| Café Bustelo | 8 oz | 113mg |
| Nescafe | 8 oz | 67mg |
| Red Bull | 8 oz | 77.4 mg |
| Folgers | 8 oz | 95mg |
| Columbian Waka | 8 oz | 70mg |
| Peet’s | 8 oz | 133.5mg |
As you can see in the table above, Café Bustelo has caffeine content more than most of the brands offering caffeinated drinks. The rich and authentic flavors of the drink offer you a jolt of energy that may sustain for a long period just after the first sip.
However, not everyone’s body is accustomed to such a high amount of caffeine. Make sure the bold flavors of the drink and high caffeine dose don’t trigger your hypersensitivity to the caffeine content.
Nevertheless, it should be kept in mind that too much caffeine can cause withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, nausea, restlessness, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, and so on.
How Does Café Bustelo Taste Like?
Café Bustelo carries a chocolatey and nutty taste that many have claimed to be akin to that of a mocha coffee.
If you are after the health benefits, you can enjoy the coffee black, but adding a splash of milk and some healthy sugar can further spark the appetizing flavor, enhancing the taste profile to the next level.
Also, as this coffee is comparatively stronger than many other coffee brands, you can put the additives to dilute its robust flavor if you want to have a milder taste.
While scanning through hundreds of online feedbacks, I was astonished by the overwhelming number of good reviews about this coffee.
Café Bustelo is undoubtedly one of the most go-to sources of instant coffee that can be seen at almost all grocery shops. This coffee is ideal for people who want to enjoy a dark texture in their cuppa.
As already mentioned in their packaging and official website, Café Bustelo coffee holds a bold and robust espresso flavor.
Many coffee and espresso grounds are observed to deliver a burnt taste afterward but that’s not the case with Café Bustelo coffee.
This might be because the company uses fresh batches of grounds and doesn’t put undesirable additives to the coffee as all these degrade the quality in the long term.
What Kind Of Coffee Is Café Bustelo?
Café Bustelo is a dark-roasted espresso-style instant coffee. This means it does not require any expensive machines to make it, only hot water.
Since this is instant coffee, it’s quite simple to make in the comfort of your own home. The confusion about the coffee being an espresso arises due to the fact that it is created in an espresso style.
As with any other instant coffee, Café Bustelo can be made by simply mixing it in with the right amount of hot water. All it needs then is a quick stir and you’ll be ready to enjoy your coffee.
Products Of Café Bustelo
Café Bustelo offers the following product range:
- Ready to Drink Espresso.
- Instant Coffee.
- Ground Coffee.
- K-Cup Pods.
- Espresso Capsules.
- Instant Decaf Espresso Coffee.
- Decaf Espresso Coffee.
- Whole Bean Coffee.
Price Of Café Bustelo
This is where Café Bustelo’s product shines over other coffee beans. Café Bustelo has been a favorite of college students and families alike due to the reason that Café Bustelo was and still is one of the most affordable coffee brands in the world.
You can find this brand selling online and on the Café Bustelo website for even under $0.40 an ounce, which means you can buy a pound of this coffee just for under $10.
If you aren’t aware of the prices of coffee these days, these are quite low prices for the quality of coffee they are offering.
Where To Buy Café Bustelo?
You can find Café Bustelo in popular stores like Target, CVS, Walmart, and Amazon, or order it directly from their website.
As Café Bustelo is popular, it can be found in local supermarkets and major grocery stores. That said, some versions may only be available on the official websites and can’t be found in supermarkets or other online retailers. When such is the case, you’re gonna have to calculate the amount you have to pay for the coffee plus shipping.
Personally, for me, I’ll just settle for what I can find at my local supermarket. However, if you’re really craving something specific from Café Bustelo, spending a couple of bucks for shipping is worth it.
Can I Use Café Bustelo In A Regular Coffee Maker?
Yes, you can use Café Bustelo in a regular coffee maker and it’s very easy to prepare due to its smooth texture. All you need to do is add six ounces of water for every tablespoon of coffee in your machine’s water reservoir. ( You can change this ratio if you want a stronger or lighter coffee)
Then add a filter of appropriate shape and size to your filter basket and add a Café Bustelo coffee of your choice and spread it evenly. Lastly, turn on your machine and wait for it to do its magic.
Once your coffee is ready, it’s a blank canvas and you can add whatever you like sugar, honey, milk, sweetener. You can even add cinnamon if you want to go a little extra.
You can watch this concise video on How to make Café Bustelo.
Final Thoughts
If you’re not a strong coffee lover, chances are you won’t like Café Bustelo on the first go.
Café Bustelo has specialty coffee flavor and strength at the cost of regular black coffee.
It’s ideal for anyone who loves to drink rich black coffee. I would also recommend it to those who have outgrown their daily coffee routine and are all set to take their caffeine tolerance to the next level.
New coffee drinkers can try Café Bustelo to gain an idea of its strength. However, it is not recommended to make it a daily routine right away.