The Best Café Bustelo Ground Coffee Variety Is Chocolatey And Delicious

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Café Bustelo is a longstanding favorite in the Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican communities as its original brew's exceedingly strong, espresso-style dark roast caters beautifully to Latino coffee tastes. However, over its nearly century-long lifespan to date, Café Bustelo has come to encompass a diverse array of different roasts that are now a staple in households nationwide. Tasting Table tried and ranked 7 Café Bustelo ground coffee varieties based on uniqueness and flavor, and the best Café Bustelo variety, according to our taste test, is the medium roast. Coffee is a complex drink that starts with an aroma and takes you through a journey of tasting notes, not to mention the mouthfeel, or body. Café Bustelo's medium roast was a delight from smell to swallow. 

The description of the roast boasts notes of dark chocolate with a smooth and balanced finish, but in reality it was so much more than that. As we brewed it, the medium roast emitted a smoky and savory aroma that transformed into a bold, smoky-sweet finish. In fact, the tasting notes that hit us immediately were super chocolatey. The first sip was smooth and mellow, but the chocolate taste grew richer with each subsequent sip. A second buttery note only served to make the chocolate notes even more decadent. In true medium roast fashion, a cup of Café Bustelo was ultra smooth, with a lighter body, making it the most sippable coffee overall too. Whether you drink it black or with sugar and cream, Café Bustelo medium roast will definitely have you going back for seconds.

Dark roasts are known for their bold and intense flavors while light roasts tend to be considerably more mellow and acidic. Café Bustelo's medium roast strikes the perfect note between the two, according to one Walmart reviewer, who complimented its "smooth, balanced flavor with just the right amount of richness." Known for its incredibly strong flavor, even compared to Cuban coffee, Café Bustelo is widely beloved for an intensity that many regular drinkers balance with loads of sugar and cream. But, according to one customer, the medium roast is "bright, soft, and super easy to drink." 

As they noted, "You still get that classic Café Bustelo flavor, just lighter and more refreshing. Great for people who love coffee but don't want something too strong." In fact, another happy customer also shared that they could drink a few cups without getting acid reflux. While medium roasts have more acidity than dark roasts, Café Bustelo's variety keeps the acidity low enough to be smooth on the stomach and the tastebuds.

This coffee is great black, but you can also use it as a concentrated foundation for a creamy, sugary drink. Brew a small cup in a moka pot à la classic Cuban coffee, then pour it over sugar whipped with a few drips of coffee, and finish with a splash of cream. The medium roast beats the classic espresso, but if you're looking for that robust flavor the brand is known for, Café Bustelo's iced espresso is a real treat for iced coffee lovers.