I’m pretty sure you don’t know what a chorreador de cafe in Costa Rica is. In simple English, it’s a Tico coffee maker.
The correct verb for using a chorreador is chorrear café = to pour coffee.
Ticos swear by a real cup of coffee. Why wouldn’t they, we have the best coffee in the world! And the best cup of coffee is poured the traditional way, manually, by using a chorreador de cafe.
When I moved to Costa Rica in 1980, coffee makers were really hard to find. Few appliance stores carried a coffee maker on inventory. The traditional and manual coffee maker could be purchased in any grocery store like Mas por Menos.
This traditional chorreador is a very simple coffee maker. It is made of a small wooden base and some steel wire. To make the “machine” complete, you also need a pouch or bag. The Spanish name for this bag is colador o bolsa.
Over the years, other designs were created, mainly for the tourism industry. I have been able to find a nice assortment of them online, see the photos in this article.
Photo: 1888 Coffee Company
MacGyver
You can still find the fabric pouches for sale in some supermarkets. In case you can’t find the pouches anywhere, here’s a tip. It’s what we call a MacGyver in Costa Rica. It’s the way my mom used to do it.
Cut a pocket out of man’s pants that you are not using anymore. Use a piece of steel wire and sew it to the pocket. Wash it well before use.
Photo: Don Evelio
Where to buy one?
Would you like to drink your coffee the traditional way? Then check out Woodcraft, a local company that makes a handmade chorreador de cafe like I have not seen any other.
Any local central market sells chorreadores, try the markets of San Jose, Atenas or Grecia.
Photo: from Facebook
Preparation
How to prepare a great cup of coffee by using a chorreador de cafe?
- Before you use the fabric filter or pouch, rinse it just with clean water (no soap please) and drain it.
- Place a heat resistant recipient under the chorreador and hang the pouch in the hole on top.
- Bring water to a boil.
- Place the ground coffee beans of your choice in the pouch.
- Pour boiling water slowly into the pouch. Don’t pour too fast, you’ll make a mess.
- The freshly brewed coffee will drip through the pouch into the recipient.
- If you like your coffee stronger, run the hot water through the filter twice.
- Y listo, buen provecho!
Photo: from Woodcraft
Are you looking for a chorreador de cafe that is nicely painted? They sell them in most souvenir stores.
For those who are learning Spanish, after reading this blog, you have learned at least 2 more words, supposing that you already knew the word de in Spanish.
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