Table of Contents
The Cubans changed the world of coffee drinks over a century ago and today, coffee brands with a Cuban background are still some of the most popular in the world. How do you decide which of these strong, aromatic coffees? We are going to compare Café Pilon vs Café Bustelo, focusing on the types of coffee available. We will start with a little look at how these coffee brands became so popular.
Café Pilon and Café Bustelo Brand History
Café Pilon History
Café Pilon began in the 19th century in Cuba. Owned by the Bascuas family, their reputation grew through word of mouth, so much so that it became the most popular brand of coffee in Cuba. Even when friends of the Bascuas family, the Souto’s became direct competitors, Café Pilon remained the leading brand. In the 1960s, both families moved to Miami. Fast forward a few years and when Manuel Bascuas planned to retire, Café Pilon was eventually bought by Pepe Souto.
Café Bustelo History
Gregorio Menéndez Bustelo also caught on to the Cuban love for coffee. He traveled from his home country, Spain, to Cuba and then onto the US in 1917. He learned from the Cubans about how they filtered their coffee. In America, they were still filtering coffee through a “sock”. So, when Bustelo began filtering coffee the Cuban way, the brand quickly became a favorite with the Cuban exiles.
Café Pilon vs Café Bustelo – Side by Side
The following side-by-side chart reviews the coffee types that Café Pilon and Café Bustelo have.
|
|
|
None available
|
K-Cups- Café con Leche, Café con Chocolate, Espresso, Columbian, Brazil Café Bustelo Espresso Dark Roast (compatible with Nespresso Original coffee machines
|
|
None available
|
Iced Coffees- Café con Leche, Café con Chocolate, Café con Dulce de Leche
|
|
100% Pure Coffee Espresso, 100% Pure Coffee Decaffeinated Espresso, Instant Espresso. Also, Single Serve Gourmet Instant and Gourmet Decaf Instant (can’t find on Amazon)
|
Espresso Dark Roast, Supreme Style Dark Roast, Freeze Dried Instant, Mexican Instant, Café con Leche Instant, Espresso Style Decaffeinated
|
|
Gourmet Espresso
|
Supreme Style Dark Roast
|
|
100% Pure Coffee Espresso, Gourmet Ground Coffee, Decaf Espresso
|
Dark Coffee Espresso, Supreme Espresso Style
|
Differences Between Café Pilon and Café Bustelo Coffee
One thing is the quality and taste of a coffee, another thing is to have a wide variety of options available for every type of coffee lover.
Capsules
Coffee capsules are one of the simplest ways to get a perfect brew each time.
Café Pilon
There are no coffee capsules available with this brand.
Café Bustelo
Café Bustelo has capsules for Keurig and Nespresso Original machines. There are Café con Leche, Café con Chocolate, Espresso, Columbian, and Brazilian K-Cups. For Nespresso, there is a Café Bustelo Espresso Dark Roast.
Specialty Coffees
Neither brand has branched into coffee flavors as such and kept the focus on Cuban Espresso.
Café Pilon
There really are no flavors here other than the Cuban flavor.
Café Bustelo
You can choose from three iced coffees that come in cans, the Café con Leche, Café con Chocolate, and Café con Dulce de Leche.
Read next – Medaglia d’Oro vs Café Bustelo: What are the Differences?
Ground Coffee
Both brands have ground coffee for machines and instant coffee.
Café Pilon
In containers, there is the 100% Pure Coffee Espresso, the 100% Pure Coffee Decaffeinated, and Instant Espresso. You can find single-serve Gourmet Instant and Gourmet Decaf Instant.
Café Bustelo
The ground coffee comes as Espresso Dark Roast, Supreme Style Dark Roast, and Espresso Style Decaffeinated. There are also 3 instant coffees, Freeze Dried, Mexican, and Café con Leche.
Read next – Café La Llave vs Café Bustelo: What are the Differences?
Coffee Beans
If you are looking for the freshest coffee possible, you might want to grind your own coffee beans.
Café Pilon
The coffee beans are Pilon’s Gourmet Espresso beans.
Café Bustelo
The coffee company has Supreme Style Dark Roast coffee beans.
Read next – Café Bustelo vs Folgers: Which Coffee Brand is Better?
Coffee Bricks
Coffee bricks are ground coffee that has been vacuum-sealed.
Café Pilon
There are three types, the 100% Pure Coffee Espresso, a Gourmet Ground Coffee, and a Decaf Espresso brick.
Café Bustelo
In this case, we have a Dark Coffee Espresso and a Supreme Espresso Style brick.
The Final Verdict
This is a tough choice. Café Bustelo certainly does have a much wider range of flavors and coffee types. The dark roast makes this a very strong coffee, perhaps too strong for those who don’t add cream or sugar. Though many of the flavored coffees are perfect as they are and generally cheaper coffees when compared the instant coffee. Café Pilon also has bold flavors but just a fraction smoother than Café Bustelo. Both are amazing brews, and your choice will come down to how strong you like your coffee or whether you would prefer to experiment with different flavors. In this case, Café Bustelo is the coffee brand for you.