14ymedio, Mercedes García, Sancti Spíritus, 24 January 2025 — Like a fisherman in a rushing river, Suanny thrives in an environment that is frightening to others. He specializes in repairing Italian-style coffee makers — both electric or stovetop — that have exploded or become clogged.
“These days I’m constantly busy because the coffee sold at local stores is dangerous,” says the 32-year-old from Sancti Spiritus resident. “I clean them, change their filters, replace the tops and even add new wiring and bases.”
When he first opened his shop in the city’s Kilo 12 neighborhood, Suanny was repairing rice and pressure cookers. He later worked on rechargeable lamps, the kind used to provide some light during the country’s frequent power outages. Now he focuses on coffee makers.”I always have work to do because, for better or worse, a little bit of the stuff sneaks into every house in the city every day.” Some customers show up with models that are “more than 50 years old,” notes the repairman, who is skilled at figuring out when something can be fixed and when it is time to get rid of it altogether.
“I replace the handles, the knob on the lid and the rubber seals. I’ll even polish the outside if the owner wants that”
“I replace the handles, the knob on the lid and the rubber seals. I’ll even polish the outside if the owner wants that,” he says. “A lot of people who come in have heated the coffee maker over wood or charcoal, which melts the handle and turns the whole thing black.”
In recent years, however, electronic models have become popular. “They are very convenient. You don’t have to worry about whether the coffee has finished brewing or not because, when it’s is ready, the machine automatically shuts off. They also keep the coffee hot and are safer.”
The real test, however, is the coffee sold in ration stores. “They were out of it for months. Then it suddenly reappeared in January, in a white plastic envelope that doesn’t let you see what’s inside,” he says. Apparently, the mixture has a more compact texture, which expands as it’s heated and clogs the coffee maker’s filter. “Explosions happen all the time,” says Suanny. “It’s rare that I don’t get one or two coffee makers with this problem every day.”
Just this Wednesday, the handyman found himself helping a distraught customer. “I poured some coffee out of the package, but not very much because I had already been warned that it would clog the machine,” says the woman. “My son told me to leave the kitchen while he brewed it. We were in the living room when we heard the explosion. It was all over the kitchen. The ceiling was stained and the top of the coffee maker broke in half,” she explains. The machine — an electric model with a top made of heat-resistant plastic — did not survive the explosion, which occurred when the dark powder came into contact with the boiling water.
“What can I do? I have to drink it because be good coffee is 1,400 pesos for a tiny package”
“What can I do? I have to drink it because good coffee is 1,400 pesos for a tiny package,” the woman complains. Suanny explains to her the risks of these crudely made packages and their unpredictable contents. “Normally, they mix it with peas but now it seems that they have increased the proportion of grain. I have even seen pieces of toasted wheat inside,” he adds. “My advice is, if you are going to drink this, you have to make it using a strainer or a sock like the ones our grandparents used. Italian coffee makers are not designed to handle this stuff. Nobody really knows what’s in it.”
In a show of dexterity, Suanny quickly changes out the rubber gasket, swaps the top of the coffee maker for another one he has in his tiny workshop, replaces the cable damaged in the explosion and cleans the base of the device, which was covered in a sticky liquid that smelled like burnt peas. The final bill for the repairs comes to more than 3,000 Cuban pesos. In the choppy waters of Cuban coffee, there are always those who manage to make a catch.
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