How to Make Dominican Coffee

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If you have ever traveled to the Dominican Republic, you likely tried Dominican coffee. Domincans take great pride in their coffee, which is grown locally on the island. The biggest producer of coffee is Café Santo Domingo.

Dominicans drink coffee multiple times a day, including first thing in the morning, late morning, and after lunch. The coffee is consumed in small cups and is closer to espresso than American style coffee with its intense flavor. Most Dominicans add sugar to their cafecito, but rarely add milk. Coffee drinking is a social custom, and if you are invited into someone’s home or visit their office, they will offer you coffee.

You can buy Dominican coffee ground or as whole beans, but traditionally Dominicans have used the ground coffee.

What is a Greca?

The greca is the same as a Mokapot which is more widely known as an Italian espresso maker. It consists of three parts that are screwed together into one piece. The parts include the water reservoir, the coffee filter and the coffee reservoir.

The greca is used on the stovetop, and does not require electricity. This is partly because power outages are common in the Dominican Republic, but since they utilize gas stoves they can still have coffee when the power is out.

Greca’s come in various sizes so you can make coffee for 1-2 or up to 12 cups. Make sure the select the correct size for the number of cups you want to serve.

How to Use a Greca

The greca is a simple appliance, let’s learn how to use it!

  1. Unscrew the top and bottom of the greca.
  2. Fill the reservoir (the bottom piece) with water. Some people prefer to use warm water which means you heat the water less time.
  3. Fill the coffee filter with coffee grounds. There is no need to measure it, just fill it close to the top. Do not pack the coffee down. You aren’t making espresso! You need to leave the grounds unpacked so the water can filter up through the coffee.
  4. Screw on the top tightly.
  5. Put the greca on the stovetop and turn on medium heat.
  6. Let the water heat up. You will hear a gurgling sound coming from the greca, this is the coffee coming up through the filter and pouting into the coffee reservoir.
  7. When the gurgling stops, your coffee is done!
  8. Turn off the stove. Use caution when touching the greca – touch only the handle which is made of plastic. Do not touch the metal – it will be hot!

Serve the coffee in an espresso cup, and make sure to add sugar to your liking. That’s it! Now you know how to make Dominican style coffee, and how to use a greca.

Tips on Making Dominican Style Coffee

There are a few additional tips to making the best cup of coffee:

  1. Never put milk in the greca, it is not meant to be filled with milk.
  2. Make sure to wash and dry the greca between each use.
  3. Some Dominicans like to add spices to their coffee – you can use a little ground nutmeg or cinnamon in the coffee grounds directly. This will enhance the flavor of the coffee even further!
  4. If you like milk-based coffees, heat some milk in a larger mug then put in some Dominican coffee. Dominican coffee makes delicious cafe con leche!