CafezinhoFiltered Coffee
Small Strong Sweet Coffee, the Social Ritual of Brazil.
The first thing offered in every Brazilian home and office is the cafezinho: small, black, sweet, and gone in three sips. It is not a beverage but a social contract — to refuse one politely requires a small speech.
Ingredients
- 500 ml water
- 4 heaped tbsp finely ground dark-roast coffee
- 3 tbsp sugar (traditional, to preference)
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Method
- Sweeten the waterBring the water with the sugar to a boil in a small pot — the classic cafezinho dissolves its sugar during the brew, not after.
- Off the boilRemove from heat for 20 seconds so the water settles just below boiling — scalded coffee is bitter coffee.
- BrewAdd the coffee, stir, rest 3 to 4 minutes, and strain through a cloth filter or fine sieve directly into small cups.
- Serve immediatelyPour a finger's width into tiny cups — cafezinho is an offer of conversation, not a mug of fuel.
Questions
How long does Cafezinho take?
About 3 minutes of prep and 5 minutes of cooking — 8 minutes total, yielding 6 cups.
How sweet is a traditional cafezinho?
Notably sweet by outside standards — the sugar goes into the brew. Order 'sem açúcar' when offered, and no one minds; at home, sweeten to your own pot.
What grind and roast?
Fine grind, dark roast — Brazilian coffee's chocolate-forward profile. A moka-pot grind from a dark espresso blend is the honest substitute abroad.