Traditional café de olla, step by step
October 8, 2026 · 2 min read
Café de olla is the Mexican pot brewed coffee with cinnamon and piloncillo, an unrefined cane sugar. You sweeten and flavor the water first, then add the coffee at the end with the heat off. That order is what keeps it smooth instead of bitter. For a liter you need coffee, piloncillo, cinnamon and about fifteen minutes.
Ingredients for four cups
- 1 liter of water
- 60 g of medium coarse ground coffee, about six tablespoons
- 100 g of piloncillo, or to taste
- 1 cinnamon stick, about 10 cm long
- Optional: 2 cloves, 1 star anise or a strip of orange peel
Step by step
- Put the water in the pot with the piloncillo and cinnamon, plus any of the optional spices.
- Heat over medium until the piloncillo has completely dissolved and the water comes to a boil.
- Turn off the heat and add the coffee. Stir once so all of it gets wet.
- Cover and let it steep for five to seven minutes.
- Strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth and serve right away.
What makes the difference
- Do not boil the coffee. If it boils for several minutes, it turns bitter. Hot water is enough to bring out all the flavor.
- Medium coarse grind. Too fine and it slips through the strainer and clouds the cup.
- Piloncillo to taste. Start with less. You can always add more, but you cannot take it out.
- Fresh coffee. With so much cinnamon and piloncillo it may seem not to matter, but you can taste freshly roasted coffee right away.
About clay pots
Clay gives it a special flavor, and many people cannot imagine café de olla without it. If you use a glazed clay pot, look for one labeled lead free. If you do not have one, any enamel or steel pot works just as well.
To get it right, ask for your coffee ground for olla at Café Wadi, always freshly roasted.
