How we rate turkish coffee pots

A cezve is judged on its shape and its metal. A narrow neck builds the foam that Turkish coffee is served on, thick copper spreads heat without scorching, and the capacity decides how many can drink at once.

What we can actually read: Body material and capacity are published. Wall thickness is stated by the makers who are proud of it and by nobody else.

Scored directly from published figures.

1 of the 3 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The 2 that remain score this criterion out of 10 between them: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 26 of the category's 100 points.

• Body metal6 of 10

  Also read under Build Quality & Materials, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  copper

  6 pts

  tri-ply, clad, brass

  4.5 pts

  stainless steel

  3.5 pts

  aluminium

  2 pts

• Wall thicknessnot scored here

  Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 2 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.

  0.8 mm or less

  1 pt

  over 0.8 mm, up to 1.5 mm

  2 pts

  over 1.5 mm, up to 2.5 mm

  1 pt

  over 2.5 mm

  0.5 pts

• Capacity2 of 10

  150 ml or less

  2 pts

  over 150 ml, up to 400 ml

  1.5 pts

  over 400 ml

  1 pt

10 of 10

Copper needs a lining, because copper into an acidic brew is not something you want. Tin is the traditional answer and it wears, which is why lining material is asked here at all.

What we can actually read: Body, lining and handle material are published by the better makers. Where a copper pot publishes no lining, that silence is the finding.

Scored directly from published figures.

2 of the 5 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The 3 that remain score this criterion out of 10 between them: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 24 of the category's 100 points.

• Body metal3 of 10

  Also read under Heat Control & Brew Quality, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  copper

  3 pts

  brass, stainless steel

  2.5 pts

  aluminium

  1 pt

• Interior lining3 of 10

  tin, stainless steel

  3 pts

  nickel

  2.5 pts

• Handle2 of 10

  Also read under Handling & Pouring, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  wood, silicone

  2 pts

  brass, bakelite

  1.5 pts

  copper

  1 pt

  stainless steel

  0.5 pts

• Made innot scored here

  Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 1 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.

  turkey, greece

  1 pt

• Warrantynot scored here

  Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 1 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.

  none

  0 pts

  up to 1 yr

  0.5 pts

  over 1 yr

  1 pt

10 of 10

Split between hob pots and electric ones. A cezve on a hob is judged on which hobs it fits, which is whether it works in your kitchen at all. An electric pot brings its own heat, so that question is meaningless for it and is replaced by whether the machine looks after the brew.

What we can actually read: Hob types are separate flags. Electric protections are published.

Scored directly from published figures.

The 6 rules below score this criterion out of 10, and they add up to 10 exactly. That result is then worth 18 of the category's 100 points.

• Induction3 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose heat source is electric.

  present

  3 pts

• Gas1.5 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose heat source is electric.

  present

  1.5 pts

• Electric hob1 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose heat source is electric.

  present

  1 pt

• Automatic shut-off2 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose heat source is stovetop.

  present

  2 pts

• Overflow prevention1.5 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose heat source is stovetop.

  present

  1.5 pts

• Cordless serving1 of 10

  Not asked of a product whose heat source is stovetop.

  present

  1 pt

10 of 10

The handle is held for the whole brew over a live flame, so whether it stays cool is not a convenience: it is whether you can make the coffee.

What we can actually read: Handle material and length are published, and material is the reliable signal: wood and bakelite stay cool, brass and steel do not.

Scored directly from published figures.

1 of the 3 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The 2 that remain score this criterion out of 10 between them: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 18 of the category's 100 points.

• Handle stays cool5 of 10

  Also read under Build Quality & Materials, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  wood, bakelite, silicone

  5 pts

  brass

  2.5 pts

  copper

  2 pts

  stainless steel

  1 pt

• Handle lengthnot scored here

  Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 2 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.

  10 cm or less

  1 pt

  over 10 cm

  2 pts

• Cups per brew3 of 10

  1 or less

  1 pt

  over 1, up to 2

  2 pts

  over 2, up to 4

  3 pts

  over 4

  2.5 pts

10 of 10

Points per pound against the category median.

What we can actually read: Needs a published price here and on at least three rivals.

Computed from price, not from a rule list

Value is the only criterion here with no thresholds of its own, because it cannot be read off one product. It asks what else the same money buys in this category, so it needs the category. That result is then worth 14 of the category's 100 points.

Points already earned on everything else

out of 10

Multiplied by the category median over this price

median ÷ price

Capped at

10

No price published, or fewer than 3 priced rivals

5 of 10

Half marks is not a verdict, it is a refusal to guess: with nothing to compare against, a product is neither good value nor bad, and scoring it either way would invent a finding. It corrects itself as the category fills.