So you’ve just bought yourself a beautiful Turkish coffee pot, and you want to learn how to make Turkish coffee at home! Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, I will be going over what Turkish coffee is, how to make Turkish Coffee and how to serve this delightful treat!
So, What Is Turkish Coffee?
Turkish coffee is known to be one of the most popular worldwide coffees that are brewed in a special copper pot called an Ibrik. It is more than just coffee, Turkish coffee has its own traditions, drinking rituals, coffeehouses, and history altogether.
The origins of Turkish coffee make its way back to the Ottoman Empire somewhere in between 1554-1555. It quickly exploded and gained a reputation around numerous coffeehouses and small shops around Istanbul. It is prepared with finely ground coffee without any filtration. When it comes to the Middle East, coffee plays a huge role in their culture. It’s not just a hot delicious beverage, it’s a social practice that brings friends and family together. Turkish Coffee can sometimes be referred to as “Arabic Coffee” since many countries in the Levant have their own variation of it.
In Turkey, coffee is king. The Turkish word for breakfast is “Kahvaltı” which means “before coffee“. That just proves to show you the importance of coffee in Turkish culture. Some even follow the traditions of fortune-telling after each consumed cup. After a guest finishes their cup of coffee they would turn it upside down on the saucer, then the host would lift the cup off the saucer and perform a fortune reading from the remaining coffee grounds. (1)
What You Need
When making Turkish Coffee you will need a few things. Most importantly you will need a Turkish Coffee pot, also known as an ibrik or a cezve. The pots come in various sizes, so depending on your needs you can get one that is perfect for you and a guest or one that serves a group. The pots are small and wide-bottomed. They have a long handle extending from the pot, so you can control and handle the pot with comfort.
So let’s take a look at what you need for your brew:
Filtered Water
To enjoy the best tasting coffee you want to use filtered water. This will make sure your coffee will be tasting at its best. It’s best to use room temperature filtered water for the brew, along with a glass of water for your serving, to clean your palate before you indulge in your cup of coffee.
Coffee
While choosing the right coffee for your brew isn’t as important as the coffee grind size, it’s important that you choose a coffee that is a medium roast and is finely ground. Most Turkish coffee is made out of Arabica beans and if you’re looking to brew the best tasting Turkish coffee, you should check out Mehmet Efendi Turkish Coffee.
Grinder
If you choose to grind your beans for optimal freshness, you will need a proper coffee grinder that has a fine grind setting. When choosing a coffee grinder, it’s best to look into BURR grinders and make sure that they have the proper grind settings for a fine grind.
Turkish Coffee Pot (Ibrik)
The most important part of the brewing procedure is the Ibrik Coffee Pot. These pots come in various different styles and sizes, for more information check out our list on the best Turkish coffee pot.
How to Serve Turkish Coffee
Before you brew your coffee, it’s always very courteous to ask your guests if they would like any sugar in their coffee. If you’re ever in Turkey and your host asks you about the sweetness of your coffee you can respond with the following:
- Sade ( pronounced: sah-DEH) – means you want it plain, with no sugar
- Az şekerli ( pronounced: AHZ sheh-kehr-lee) – means you want it with little sugar (this is usually less than a teaspoon of sugar.)
- Orta şekerli (pronounced: ohr-TAH sheh-kehr-lee) – means you want it with medium sugar (This is usually a standard teaspoon per cup)
- Çok şekerli ( pronounced: CHOK sheh-kehr-lee) – means you want a lot of sugar (usually two teaspoons of sugar)
Demitasse Cups
You will need some demitasse cups to properly serve the coffee. Traditional Turkish coffee is served in Demitasse cups. These are small cups that are similar to espresso cups. They are usually 2-3oz and they are also used to measure out the water for your brew. Some traditional demitasse cups come in copper holders with lids, while others are made out of thin porcelain to keep your coffee as hot as possible.
TIP – Never stir the coffee for it will disturb the grounds and you will end up with a mouthful of grounds. Always sip the coffee gently.
Glass Of Water / Treats
When serving your coffee, you want to serve it with a glass of water. This allows you to cleanse your palate, so you can experience all the coffee flavours and enjoy the coffee to the fullest. It’s also a tradition to serve Turkish coffee with a side of Turkish delight or any side sweet.
The proper serving etiquette is to serve the eldest guest in the room first, this is to show a sign of respect.
How to Make Turkish Coffee
You will need:
- A Turkish coffee pot
- A heat source
- 1 Demitasse cup (2-3oz) of filtered water, per serving.
- 1-1.5 tablespoon of finely ground coffee, per serving.
- 1 Teaspoon of sugar, per serving (optional)
- A spoon
Instructions:
- 1: Add 1 demitasse cup (2-3 oz) of filtered water into your coffee pot.
- 2: Depending on how many cups of coffee you are making add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of finely ground coffee for each demitasse cup of water into the ibrik
- 3: If you desire sugar, then add 1 tsp of sugar for each serving of coffee.
- 4: Do not stir the contents yet.
- 5: Place your pot onto your heat source over a low heat setting. It’s very important that you watch this process carefully. Since the pot is extremely thin, it will heat up relatively fast. You don’t want the coffee to boil over, for it will ruin the brew.
- 6: While the coffee is heating up, you want to gently stir the mixture, until it’s well combined.
- 7: Just before you reach a boil, the coffee will start to form dark foam over the coffee’s surface. This is when you should remove the pot off the heat source.
- 8: Using a spoon, scoop out the foam gently and place it into each serving cup. Think of this foam like the “coffee crema” in espresso.
- 9: Return your pot back onto the heat source and remove the pot as soon as the coffee froths up again.
- 10: Pour out the coffee slowly and gently into your demitasse cups
- 11: Serve with a glass of filtered water and some sweets. Enjoy!
TIP – After pouring out the coffee, let it sit for a minute or so. This will allow any grounds that have been poured into your cup to settle at the bottom.
Check out the folks at defragmenteur for a visual guide on how to make turkish coffee:
Conclusion
So now that you know how to make Turkish Coffee, gather some of your friends and invite them over for a special ceremonial bonding. Turkish coffee is all about hospitality, bonding, friendship, and entertainment. Bring new light into your coffee experience and host a Turkish coffee date today!
IF YOU’VE ENJOYED THIS ARTICLE, GIVE IT A PIN!
